Indigenous Enjoy great foods from around the world
Enjoy great foods from around the world at fantastic prices at Essence Dining Room, operated by students on the Kingston campus. Enjoy a three-course lunch for $25 plus taxes or a four-course dinner for $45 plus taxes. Open to students, staff and the general public. This culinary teaching environment benefits our students immensely by giving them a real-life experience at Essence Dining Room, which showcases the talents of our Culinary programs.
Reservation Requests
Reservation requests must be made through the Essence Touch Bistro system. We will not be taking any reservations by phone or email.
All reservation requests will be waitlisted. You will receive an email informing you that you have been waitlisted.
If your reservation is approved, you will receive a second email informing you of your confirmed reservation. Please note there is a chance you will not receive a reservation confirmation due to the high volume of requests. If there is a cancellation, we may reach out to waitlisted patrons to see if they are interested in taking the space.
Please click the link below to request a reservation.
Essence Reservation Requests Waitlist
Lunch Menu - Fall 2024
Essence is open October 7 to November 27, 2024, for lunch on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. You can choose between three service times: 11:45 am, 12:00 pm, and 12:15 pm.
Essence To Go Sale: Thursday, October 17, 2024 @ 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: Essence Dining Room
*Payment by cards only. Bring your own bags.
Dinner - Fall 2024
Essence is open for dinner on the following dates:
- Monday, October 28, Tuesday, October 29, & Wednesday, October 30
- Monday, November 18, Tuesday, November 19, & Wednesday, November 20
- Monday, December 2, Tuesday, December 3, & Wednesday, December 4
You can choose between three service times: 5:45 pm, 6:00 pm, and 6:15 pm.
Important Information
- We advise our guests that the published menus are subject to change depending on the availability and quality of products available to the school.
- As this is a marked, academic exercise for the students and apprentices, we regret that we cannot offer any menu substitutions or alterations for any allergies that customers may have.
- All gratuities are distributed to the students at the end of the term.
- Payment Methods: Interac, Visa, and Mastercard. We only accept card payments. No cash is accepted.
We look forward to your patronage and hope to see you soon!
Contact Information
Please note we will not be accepting any reservations via email. Please use the touch bistro booking system if you would like to request a reservation.
Essence is located on St. Lawrence College's Kingston campus at 100 Portsmouth Avenue. From King Street and Country Club Drive enter the second driveway. Paid parking is available in P3 and P4. Enter the College at E12. Map to Essence.