Vermilion

The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

The glamorous descent down Vermilion's candle-lit marble staircase may lure you into thinking 'huge menu and starchy service', but the only starchy thing about this intimate basement restaurant in The Scotsman Hotel is the white tablecloths. An old-fashioned drinks trolley stands centre-stage and back-lit wine bottles in dark-framed cases against the walls give off a golden glow reminiscent of a Jack Vettriano painting. The menu, which changes once a month, is very user-friendly: six starters, six mains, three desserts and no gushy descriptions. As a starter, Buckhaven crab is treated with respect and the rich sweet crab-meat shines through its delicate mayonnaise coating. Deep-fried oysters show a mastery of texture, especially when partnered with leek risotto and a velvety Jerusalem artichoke cream. A perfectly cooked fillet of Angus beef becomes a dish to rave about when served with a tiny but rich stick-to-the-roof-of-the-mouth oxtail suet pudding and a creamy truffle mash. Hot desserts are prepared to order and the ethereally light fragrant pear soufflé really shows what this fruit can do when not smothered in chocolate sauce.

• High point: Menu size is enough to stimulate, but not to overwhelm
• Low point: Basement location means it can be chilly