Restaurant review: Romantic lunchtime at The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse has been one of those restaurants that we’ve driven past on our way to Rum Point or the Botanic Point and said: “We must go back there soon” but have never quite made it. The restaurant, situated on the water’s edge in the little village of Breakers, sprung to mind for a romantic Valentine’s day lunch as a good place that was away from the hustle and bustle of the usual Seven Mile scene.

Thankfully the place hasn’t changed very much since we were last there maybe five years ago save for some elegant white curtains that now add a soft layer of privacy between different sections of the outside seating. The long terrace that runs the length of the back of the building is the perfect location in which to drink in the clean, salty air, watch as birds dive bomb the ocean in search of food and be lulled by the gentle sound of falling surf. On this day the surf was up and so a handful of surfers were out enjoying the waves while we watched their daring. It’s always been a popular place to enjoy some great Italian food, so we looked forward to our meal with anticipation.

A handsome bread basket graced our table along with our glass of lovely California Bread & Butter Chardonnay, the basket stuffed full of homemade garlic bread and Tuscan focaccia, served with a rosemary olive oil and balsamic vinegar and baked-to order. No namby-pamby bread basket this one, it was a proper basket, full of delicious tasting, warm and comforting bread.

Feeling ready to embrace mains, we chose the gnocchi with shrimp in a tomato and chilli marinara sauce with basil oil and a bowl of fresh P.E.I. black mussels with a side of penne pasta. We eat out a lot, but we could both honestly say that this meal was one of the best we’ve had in a long time. The mussels were plentiful (and, actually, they were from the appetiser menu), plump and juicy and went really well with the penne on the side (I ordered a kids-side portion which was plenty.) The gnocchi with shrimp was again plentiful, really well flavoured and satisfying. Other menu choices we might have sampled, had we decided to stray from the Italian-theme, could have included a shrimp curry, served with all the usual accompaniments including basmati rice, poppadum and mango chutney, fish and chips served with tartar sauce and malt vinegar or a CAB beef burger served with bacon and provolone cheese. Any of these would have been just as tasty, I’m sure. This was a reasonably-priced meal in a lovely location with excellent food, so it would be highly recommended as a lunch or dinner spot.

The Lighthouse is also well-known for its brick oven pizzas, of which there are some interesting versions, including their Salmon Breakers, with mozzarella, rum-cured smoked salmon, red onions and a tomato sauce or for serious cheese-lovers, their Quattro Formaggi with mozzarella, goat’s cheese, gorgonzola and ricotta. These will be top of our list to try the next time we visit, which will definitely be in the not-too-distant future.