My personal chef, Cathryn, wasn’t sure what to serve for dinner last night so I suggested we try the new Harbour House Waterfront Eatery (old Lilly Kazilly’s) on Riverside Drive at the City Marina. It was Tuesday and I messaged the restaurant to ask if I needed reservations. The response (on Facebook) said it was a good idea so I requested a covered table on the patio, in the shade. I was told it wouldn’t be a problem.

We experience a bit of confusion at the hostess desk while the couple in front of us tried to select a table where they wouldn’t be attacked by bees. Then they had to wait for their friend who forgot his mask. When our turn came the young lady asked where we’d like to sit and I repeated my earlier request for the patio in the shade. We were led to a tiny little table outside the covered deck, with an umbrella that only shaded half. Cathryn had to continually adjust her chair to avoid having the sun in her face. I didn’t bother to ask for another seat since the patio area was packed and business was brisk.

Service was a bit slow but we waited patiently, understanding that the patio is huge and they were really busy. We ordered a couple of draft beers while we looked over the menus. I found it odd how 4 or 5 dishes were listed as coming soon – something our inexperienced waitress wasn’t aware of when she accepted an order from the table beside us. She later returned with the bad news for the man, and delivered our slightly chilled beers. Cathryn complained and our server said she’d check with the bar.

Our waitress returned with the same beers -now even warmer. I had taken a couple sips of mine, she offered a story about how the kegs froze and they had to warm them us before they could cool them again. I kept my beer and Cathryn considered a glass of wine, until she saw the $14 price tag for a 9oz glass. They didn’t have the seltzer she asked for and settled for another. We used the glass of ice that came with it to chill our water.

We decided to share some appies, sample the menu, and started with Oysters Rockefeller and Mussels in a garlic wine sauce. The mussels were okay but I found all the garlic in one clump inside one of the shells and most of the onions in another, as if they were tossed in as an afterthought. (Not the one’s pictured on left) The oysters were dry and tasteless, probably the worst we’ve ever had. We asked for a bowl of Lobster Bisque but were told they were out and just starting to make more.

For a seafood restaurant right on the lake, I was a bit surprised they didn’t offer Pickerel. We ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna, which came with a side salad. The vinaigrette dressing was too bitter for me but the tuna was delicious. A huge serving that was cut in two pieces, was perfectly seared and encrusted in toasted poppy seeds, with fresh avocado and roasted tomatoes. It was a bit pricey at $32 but a large enough serving for us to share and be satisfied. The tuna was the highlight and best part of our experience.

And right in the middle of tuna heaven an AC/DC song started blaring over the sound system. It took a few minutes before the corrected the problem, so much for dinner music. Our bill came to $109, a bit steep I thought for 2 appetizers, 2 drinks and 1 entrée (she didn’t charge me for my diet coke because of the warm beer). So there you have it…the majority of reviews for this place have been favorable; perhaps we just hit an off night. There is much room for improvement in our opinion. We both rated it a 6 out of 10.