The Bad Ass Bar, Bistro and Grill

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

For a nine-year-old, the Bad Ass Bar, Bistro and Grill does an impressive job of feigning maturity. An old-fashioned pub exterior gives way to a smokily-lit, cosy bar where vintage mirrors and old photographs cover the dark walls, giving the place a sepia-tinted feel. The relaxed, welcoming staff at least have the dignity to appear slightly embarrassed by the sign requesting you to 'please wait while your bad ass is seated'. The menu is a slightly confused, globetrotting affair, which includes platters to share and a tempting, if pricey, 'from the grill' selection. Portions here are epic, and starters alone could challenge even the heartiest appetite. The black pudding and goat's cheese 'stack' is more of a monolith, while the bruschetta covers an entire plate. Mains are similarly Texan in proportion: a fillet from what is billed as 'the biggest salmon in the world', is moist and flaky, accompanied by mounds of creamy mash and a mustardy sauce. An unctious, salty steak and Guinness pie is accompanied by chips and soy-roasted vegetables, a combination which leaves rather too much of a salty taste in the mouth. The dessert menu shows nought but the old favourites: a fairly lifeless apple pie comes cold, with cream rather than custard, and the sticky toffee pudding is glossy and tooth-achingly sweet.

• High point: Decently executed pub grub…
• Low point: …at restaurant prices.