Fanny Trollopes

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

The narrow dining room here has only a handful of tables, and the feeling is genuinely relaxed and warm. As you browse through the menu, staff may offer to tell you the story of Fanny – or perhaps discuss the eclectic range of art and ceramics that adorn every wall. The menu is concise, and nods to the best of seasonal and Scottish produce. Starters can include a smooth but bold home-made pâté – accompanied by a sweet and crunchy pear and walnut chutney – or a bowl of satisfying Cullen skink full of smoky fish flavours – with warm, freshly baked bread on the side. Main courses can include moist belly of pork, crispy on top and covered in a sweet and sticky sauce, with firm spiced plums that are delicate enough to let the pork shine. Fish lovers might try the oven-baked sea bass and red mullet. Surrounded by fresh tiger prawns and a light shallot cream, its combination of flavours dazzles the taste buds. Trading rather inconspicuously at the Finneston end of Argyle Street, Fanny Trollopes is a real diamond in the rough.

• High point: Wonderful fresh ingredients
• Low point: Blink and you may miss it