24 Hours in Kingston

The plan was simple: arrive in Kingston for Kingstonlicious, stay overnight, and let the city shape the next 24 hours. With restaurants, producers, and the waterfront set close around the downtown core, it’s a city that comes together the moment you arrive.

Kingstonlicious, the city’s annual winter dining series, brings together local chefs, producers, and visiting collaborators for one-night menus, workshops, pop-ups, and seasonal tasting events. Three hours from Montreal or Toronto, and two from Ottawa, it’s the perfect mid-winter escape destination.

The main reason for the trip was Lakes & Land, a Kingstonlicious signature event held at AquaTerra. For one evening, Chef Brent McAllister (AquaTerra) and Chef Justin Champagne-Lagarde (Perch) worked side by side, building a menu that drew directly from southeastern Ontario — Patchwork Gardens, Salt of the Earth Farms, Fat Chance Farmstead, and local creameries among the contributors.

Perch chef Justin Champagne-Lagarde (left) with host chef Brent McAllister of AquaTerra

Wines came from Niagara winemaker Marty Werner of MW Cellars, whose pairings were pulled from his Brut, Rosé, Sémillon, and Gamay. Highlights included Perch’s charcoal-grilled black cod, marinated Unagi-style, set next to a barely set chawanmushi and a charred cucumber broth that brought lift and a vegetal edge, followed by a collaborative duck course — shio-koji–marinated breast, cooked with precision, paired with roasted parsnip, sea lettuce sauce, and wild leek purée poured alongside Werner’s bright, ruby-toned Gamay. Both dishes showed two kitchens perfectly aligned in approach. Dessert kept the focus regional: spruce-tip panna cotta with haskap granola and a thread of maple.

If you want to turn the experience into a full 24-hour getaway, as this writer did, Kingston makes it easy. Check in at The Belvedere Hotel, a restored 1880s estate turned boutique stay with 29 rooms that pull from Empire, Art Deco, and mid-century cues. It’s close to everything, yet feels like a retreat. Breakfast leans European — still-warm pastries, local cheeses, fruit, and charcuterie — and perfectly made coffee. Hidden below, the Bathhouse Spa, tucked into the limestone and brick lower level of the hotel, offers a circuit of thermal baths within the building’s historic bones. It’s a perfect way to ease into the day.

Photography: (left) Lauren Miller & (right) Will O’Hare via Visit Kingston

For pre-dinner drinks — or a full meal if you’re staying longer than 24 hours — a short walk from the hotel leads to Le Jardin, the second-floor dining room above Mayla Concept, centred on a nine-foot wood-fire grill. Nearly every dish passes through flame, giving the menu a steady, smoky line. The room is lush with plants and warm light; the vibe is unhurried and built around craft and ingredients. The cocktail program is top-notch. Note that Le Jardin will be hosting its own Kingstonlicious event, Flame & Feast, on March 18, a Le Jardin x Fat Rabbit collaboration built around fire, regional pork, coal-roasted steaks, and pairings from Niagara and Prince Edward County.

Photography: Will O’Hare via Visit Kingston (Le Jardin)

What stands out over 24 hours isn’t just the dinner — it’s how connected everything feels. Local farms shape menus. Restaurants sit steps from the market and the water. And by the time you leave, the city’s through-line — proximity, craft, and a strong sense of place — will have you already planning your next visit.

— Alana Lapierre

To learn more about Kingstonlicious, and book event tickets and accommodations (including special offers on package deals), click here.