The Dome Grill Room

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

Among the many A-listed buildings on George Street, the Dome stands out as both majestic and remarkably unspoiled. The grandiose grill room and cocktail bar – all marble pillars and potted palms – generates a kind of colonial atmosphere, the starched-apron staff adding to the pomp. Yet, there is something about the place that feels slightly out of kilter with its period pretensions. Perhaps the muted thump of dance music, piped through in the evenings to keep the cocktail bar ticking, ought to be replaced by a sequined nonagenarian on a grand piano. Lunch, dinner and the separate club room menus all feature similar dishes: classics, mostly, with the odd contemporary twist thrown in for good measure. A starter of haggis in filo pastry is soft, smoky and succulent, while seared scallops with smoked bacon and endive is a tad oily, and comes with an unpleasantly vinegary raspberry jus. Mains are hearty numbers: the calf's liver is sweet, fresh and near-perfectly medium rare, and, while the mushroom ravioli seems packet-fresh, it is appetising and al dente. Desserts are a little uninspiring, however, but the extravagance of the portions, coupled with the grandeur of the surroundings, goes some way towards compensating.

• High point: Timeless elegance sits well with excellent cocktails…
• Low point: …but not with pumping dance music