Hack has always had a bit of a soft spot for Harbourfront. Like a favourite pair of slippers, the place is always warm, comforting and dependable, even if the d?cor is a bit tatty around the edges. Its sushi happy hour is excellent value for those who want a quick post-work, pre-cinema bite to eat while the main dining room is perfect for a more leisurely yet still up-market evening dinner.

But what about lunch? Taking advantage of one of our brighter February afternoons and a lighter-than-usual workload at the office earlier this week, Hack decided to take a stroll down to Front Street for what was hoped ? and expected ? would be the highlight of the working day.

After waiting briefly to be seated, our party of two was ushered to a table on the balcony - a perfect people-watching perch. Gazing languidly at the city suits flitting by below, our anticipation mounted as menus arrived and water was poured. Oh lucky us.

And that, I'm afraid, is when the disappointments kicked in. OK, on the appetiser side, Harbourfront does provide some pretty upscale choices.

There was escargot, tuna carpaccio, a sushi sampler, duck salad and mussels to name a few.

Undecided on what to pick from such a selection, our eyes wandered across to the entrees. They were, quite frankly, a letdown, almost as if the main courses had been grafted on from a totally different menu to the starters. Now there's nothing wrong with fish and chips, burgers, wraps, melts, curry or a selection of half a dozen pasta dishes, but if I want pub grub I'll go to The Robin Hood or Hog Penny, thank you very much. It's not what I expect to be offered from one of Hamilton's more refined and respected restaurants with such an established reputation.

In the end we opted for a couple of specials ? red snapper with a lemon butter and rib-eye in a red wine sauce, while the escargot and an arugala salad were our appetiser choices, along with a plate of avocado maki just to keep us going.

The food was, well, passable. In fact it was so passable it almost passed us by unnoticed. The generous salad was suitably fresh and peppery, the rib-eye medium pink in the middle, but so what? One shouldn't expect anything less. On the quibble side, the fish might have been a little overcooked and the beef's accompanying red wine sauce tasted as if it had come from a packet. Not major gripes admittedly, but enough to take the edge off what would have otherwise been a perfectly average meal.

But if the food wasn't exactly lip-smacking, the bill was certainly gob-smacking. Three appetisers, two entrees, two glasses of wine and a single coffee came in at more than $120. One hundred and twenty dollars.

For lunch.

And that's where the problem lies. Nothing about our Harbourfront lunch made it, or us, feel special. The menu was a disappointment while the food was instantly forgettable. Service was acceptable, although we got the impression are waiter couldn't wait for his afternoon break. In short, the place appeared to be satisfied just going through the motions, running through one final dress rehearsal before the curtain came up on the main event of evening dinner. That's not fair on customers who are shelling out for box seats at lunchtime. We left disappointed.

Despite this week's experience, Hack stands by what was said at the top of this review. Harbourfront's still an old favourite for a decent supper, but if it's a satisfying lunch you crave, you're better off nipping around the corner for a roast beef sandwich from the Hickory Stick.