Mussel Inn

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

This busy, brasserie-style spot in central Rose Street has some of the freshest and most succulent mussels in town. The bright, wooden-furnished bar area leads on to a lively dining room, where the open-plan kitchen and blue fish mosaic covering the whole of one wall give a sense of 'let's get down-to-business' eating. Tables are fairly cosily placed and there's an almost party feel to the experience, with diners including couples, pals, passers-by and groups. A mini pot of mussels makes a fine starter, with a dilemma-inducing choice of six different sauces such as blue cheese, bacon and cream in which a slight tartness offsets the sweetness of the mussels. The mussels can also be ordered as kilo pots for a main, or you can choose from a range of options including grilled platters of queen scallops. The catch of the day, such as grilled sea bream on a bed of pesto mash, is equally enticing. Unfortunately, however, a platter of king scallops char-grilled with garlic butter is slightly overwhelmed by the size of the accompanying house salad. Wash it all down with the house Muscadet, and finish off with affogato – a mix of ice-cream, coffee and liqueur.

• High point: Feels like you've had a quick trip to the Mediterranean
• Low point: Occasionally kitchen smoke nips at the eyes and odours permeate the clothes