Bar 10

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses: £9
• House wine: £7.50 per bottle

• High point: Stylish oasis
• Low point: Screech of chairs against the floor
• Food served: Mon-Sat 11.30am-4.30pm; Sun noon-4.30pm (snacks: 5pm-midnight)
• Bar open: Mon-Sat 11am-midnight; Sun noon-midnight
• Open since: 1991
• Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of menu)

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

Owner Mark Hendry is probably no stranger to the saying: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' For while other ventures undergo frequent face lifts to keep up with the competition, at Bar 10 little has changed in the past decade. Reminiscent of a cosmopolitan watering hole in any European city, the interior is simple and perhaps timeless, from chic-mirrored raised ceilings to a high-topped bar (well-suited for customers to enjoy a coffee with their paper). Once the pre-club bar of choice, Bar 10 has matured with its clientele since opening in the early 1990s and has moved towards a more relaxed vibe with an emphasis on espresso above dance culture. But that doesn't make it dowdy. The menu offers a selection of hearty lunchtime favourites including burritos and panini. But be sure to check the daily specials. The chef prides his kitchen's use of local produce and recipes made from scratch. Fresh tagliatelle comes heaped with a rich tomato bolognese, while a steamy ciabatta, packed with herby sausage and sweet sticky charred onions, proves a suitable antidote to the cool Scottish weather. Generous sharing platters of nachos and Greek tapas are served well into the evening (when the main menu is not available). Staff are friendly and efficient - seemingly happy in their work. A rare thing, indeed.