The West End Restaurant & Piano Bar

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Given the prime Byres Road location of the West End Restaurant, it's a shame that Hilton Grosvenor didn't position this casual eatery so that it had a view of the neighbourhood. Some effort has gone into lightening up the space, however, by way of coloured lights and brightly painted walls, centring on a large bar in the middle of the room. The atmosphere is mellow and, as one might expect from a hotel chain, the selection of starters offers a fairly routine choice, such as soup of the day or melon with sorbet. Chicken liver pâté is served rather ice-cream scoop style, with a red onion and marmalade dressing and crusty bread. Scottish smoked salmon doesn't appear to be from a top supplier, but at least it's served with a piquant puy lentil vinaigrette. Among the main courses, a seared salmon fillet is under-seasoned, but the fresh mango and avocado salsa accompaniment adds some zest. Chocolate truffle cake ticks all the right boxes and comes with a satisfyingly crunchy toffee garnish.

• High point: Good sized portions
• Low point: Slow staff