The Abbotsford

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

At first sight, this classic city centre bar looks like an old-fashioned spit and sawdust affair. But there's a real diversity of clientele here, from chattering ladies who lunch to the pinstriped suit brigade and hungover tourists seeking sustenance. The restaurant is on the first floor, with a separate entrance, though lunch from the same menu is also served in the ground-floor bar. The surroundings in 'Above' are comfortable without being too self-consciously swanky. As the waitress unfolds the white linen napkin across your knee you quickly realise that you're not at the mercy of a slapdash chain pub. The food menu takes on chameleon qualities, veering from basic bar-room surf'n'turf to flirting furiously with more ambitious fare. Ease yourself in with the moules mariniere or duck and chicken liver terrine with redcurrant glaze to start. The glorious specials include fillet of sea bass with Andalucian paella and steamed asparagus with white wine and saffron cream sauce, and roast lamb with chorizo and wild mushroom confit served with roasted garlic and rosemary potatoes. If pub grub staples are more to your taste there's always the home-made steak pie or the statutory haggis, neeps and tatties. After undoing your belt a notch, treat yourself to a magnificent cheeseboard of stilton, brie and Scottish cheddar, beautifully complemented by home-made oatcakes. An usually hidden beauty spot deep in the well-worn tourist trail.

• High point: Chunky, fluffy chips
• Low point: Eating soup to the warblings of James Blunt