Jacques

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

With its stripped floorboards, colourful vintage French posters, and bustling, open-plan kitchen, Jacques combines a laid-back ambience with a compelling, versatile menu. The bistro has been going for the past 18 years, attracting a loyal local clientele as well as passing trade and visitors to the nearby King's Theatre. Appropriate to its location there's a good value pre-theatre offer (£14.90 for two courses) while the equally reasonable dinner menu delivers a fresh, Gallic twist on some fine Scottish ingredients. Opt for a light starter as the mains are exceptionally hearty: grilled goat's cheese is offset by a sweet rhubarb compote with a port glaze, while chewy frog's legs are given a kick (sorry) by an accompaniment of warm crayfish tails drizzled with herb oil. Pink, juicy slices of roast wild Scottish duck breast are accompanied by braised red cabbage and served with a tangy red wine raspberry sauce while the seared king scallops are sweet and plump, enlivened by a bois boudran vinaigrette. The only disappointment among this ensemble is the accompanying potato selection – the rather limp chips taste as though they've been cooked in ageing oil. The small but perfectly formed dessert selection includes lemon and chocolate crêpes and crunchy chocolate bavarois: perfect when accompanied by a glass of sweet chateau du cross, Loupiac.

• High point: Relaxed atmosphere and excellent mains
• Low point: The pitiful pommes-frîtes