Maison Bleue

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

The romantic stone arches of this Old Town space are quintessential Edinburgh yet lend themselves beautifully to the French-north African theme of Maison Bleue. Décor creates an intimate atmosphere, as does the layout, so those on neighbouring tables can hear every word of your conversation. The chairs could also do with some booster cushions, as only giraffe-necked diners can comfortably see out above their wine glasses. Service is a haphazard and harried – you might be kept waiting for your table in an unstaffed bar for some time – but charming. For starters, fried haggis balls are popular. Or try bourek à la kasbah – crab and tuna with potatoes, olives and capers in filo pastry – which are perfectly spiced with harissa and crisply baked. Sadly, dull accompanying salads let these bedmates down. For mains, venison is rich and moist, achingly tender and sent to heaven on the back of a darkly spiced port reduction. Other dishes are less impressive, but there are lots of good wines by the glass and the top-notch desserts include a miraculously light chocolate cake that's smokier than Serge Gainsbourg on a dark night in Tangier. Maison Bleue is often slapdash, but it's still marginally more dash than slap.

• High point: Warm and cosy interior
• Low point: No privacy