McKirdy's Steakhouse

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

You'd be forgiven for peering past the loud signage into the plain, panelled and perhaps a little dated dining room of this Morrison Street steakhouse and walking on by – but it would be a shame. This, after all, is not a Conran family venture but a McKirdy one and, as those familiar with the family's century-old butchery business will testify, it is the quality of the meat that is the key to the restaurant's success. Two award-winning products sit among the score of starters alone: juicy pork sausages simply served with a choice of dips, and rich haggis teamed traditionally with moist neeps and velvety tatties. Steaks, of course, take prime position in the main courses. Once you've chosen from rump, rib-eye, sirloin, fillet or T-bone, and decided whether it should be deliciously char-grilled or pan-fried, the affable staff are on hand to guide you through the numerous accompaniments. Burgers, stir-fries, chicken, salmon and lamb dishes also feature, and in the true all-embracing nature of the place, even the humble vegetarian is catered for by way of vegetable lasagne or mushroom stroganoff. The daily early-dining menu offers particularly good value, as does the option to BYOB.

• High point: Succulent, locally sourced steaks served up in friendly surroundings
• Low point: Less suited to those seeking sophistication and style