The Doocot Café and Bar

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

The Doocot ('dove coop' in old Scots) is on the top floor of the Lighthouse, the Mackintosh-designed building which is now Scotland’s influential centre of design and previously home of the Herald newspaper. It once quartered carrier pigeons–a vital tool of any Edwardian news organisation. There’s an eye for design detail in The Doocot’s grey walls, and stylish white plastic chairs and fashion-conscious tableware set the tone. Two monochrome paintings of the sky sit nicely between the windows. The hurly-burly of Buchanan Street is nearby, but you could be a million miles way up in the clouds. The café clearly attracts the shopping crowd for a quick coffee or fuller lunch. Service is genuinely friendly and the food is a superior café-style cuisine, with a hint of fine dining. There are daily specials and a separate Sunday brunch menu. Starters include excellent soups; the cauliflower and tarragon is a creamy blend of light fresh flavours and nicely seasoned. For mains, the pasta linguine is a bit too simple in flavour with tomato, pepper and red onion: nice enough but lacking in a serious chilli bite. The grilled trout on basil mash is a better option – flaky soft pink flesh with herby potatoes, it’s a delight. It’s little wonder why diners, like the pigeons once upon a time, keep returning.

• High point: Stylish food in fashionable surroundings
• Low point: Not open at night