Itchycoo Bar & Kitchen

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• Average price 2 courses:
   £13 (lunch)
   £17 (evening meal)
• House wine: £15.50 per bottle

• High point: Funky, modern decor
• Low point: Over-priced wine list
• Food served: Mon-Sun noon-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm
• Bar open: Mon-Fri 7am-midnight; Sat 9am-1am; Sun 9am-midnight
• No. overnight rooms: 238
• Open since: 2005
• Also offers: Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

Occupying a prime site on the Royal Mile, this brightly-lit, modern bar and restaurant with its fun Timorous Beasties wallpaper and Andy Warhol portraits is tucked into the corner of the traditional Old Town building housing the Radisson SAS hotel. Seating varies from sleek white leather high stools ringing a large horseshoe bar to intimate low-slung leather benches arranged into snug booths. The menu, divided into sections headed 'sea', 'farm' and 'field', favours those in pairs or larger groups - the tapas-style dishes invite sharing. The management recommends ordering three or more per person for dinner, although for lunch two should suffice. 'Sea' options include a bowl of crispy salt and pepper squid accompanied by celery sticks and a sweet Tom Yum dipping sauce, and a fillet of seared tuna topped with a fiery layer of horseradish and ginger, let down slightly by a fairly bland accompaniment of undressed noodles wrapped in cabbage leaves. From the 'field' section, a dish of pan-fried shitake mushrooms is nicely presented but overpowered by a heavy dressing, while a sweet red pepper risotto is rich, creamy and comforting. For dessert, diners are served a selection of dainty miniatures, making for a fun end to the meal.