A Room in the Town

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

A Room in the Town is a great place to have in the back pocket if you happen to have friends in from, well, out of town. Managing to combine the warmth and friendliness of a neighbourhood restaurant with some seriously fine cooking, it's the kind of place that seems actively to invite you to kick back, chat and take your time over your food and wine. The food on offer is a homely mix of Scottish staples, but isn't afraid to look further afield for some inspired combinations. A starter of spinach crêpe filled with smoked haddock, petit pois and coriander cream restores faith in the Auld Alliance, while Sino-American influences get a look in with a veggie alternative of crisp butternut squash spring roll with a spicy soy dipping sauce. Mains are the type of dishes that you wish you could cook at home – but have a sneaking suspicion that you couldn't get quite right – such as deliciously meaty roast monkfish with black pudding and tattie scones. On top of all this, small pleasures include a jug of water on arrival, vegetables with your main course and a crumbly chunk of home-made tablet with your coffee – at no extra cost.

• High point: Welcoming, warm and informal
• Low point: Fun wall-length mural not all that funny