78 St Vincent

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

A celebration of the Auld Alliance, 78 St Vincent brings France to Scotland with both its décor and menu. Acknowledging more than a slight influence from the famous Restaurant Chartier in Paris, the dark wood and brass railings together with tinkling glassware and glimmering candles conjure up an atmosphere of continental elegance. The menu features Scottish specialities such as venison and scallops, which are given a Gallic appeal with the introduction of rich sauces such as beurre blanc and hollandaise – the marriage of traditional French and Scottish being perhaps best exemplified in the turnip dauphinoise that accompanies a fillet of beef. The sweetness of soft, seared scallops is matched with a carrot purée and a fashionable, delicate blood orange foam, while a tender breast of roast quail has a bitter orange glaze balanced with flavours of sweet peppers and apricot. Moist, pink breasts of pheasant are precariously piled atop chunks of pungent Toulouse sausage and choucroute (sauerkraut) and the accompanying carrots are soused in a star anise broth. Service is friendly and less formal than the menu or surroundings might suggest, and those arriving for lunch or in time for the pre-theatre can take advantage of very reasonable offers for top-notch food.

• High point: Vive l'haggis
• Low point: Parisienne elegance somewhat spoiled by plastic-coated tablecloths and soft drinks served in their bottles