Red Lizard

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 is now in the shops. This review is taken from the 2008 edition.

On a corner site in the heart of the Merchant City, Red Lizard aims to combine different bar styles. From the drawing room-style drapes at the large windows and chunky leather chesterfields clustered in corners, to the tiger skin above the red-flock wallpaper by the pool table and the stag's head behind the bar (complete with one trainer dangling from an antler), the décor is decidedly jumbled. The food on offer is just as varied, branching out from the typical burgers, fish suppers and all-day breakfasts into Tex-Mex, Mediterranean and fusion. Starters include crisply breaded jalapeño peppers oozing with cream cheese and mini Yorkshire puddings filled with beef strips, finely sliced mushrooms and grain mustard, served with a pot of eye-watering horseradish sauce. A plate-filling Cajun chicken quesadilla is laden with peppers, onions and cheese, while those with lighter appetites will appreciate a well-dressed Greek salad that's generous with feta, tomatoes, cucumber and olives. There's a good choice of sandwich fillings, including prawn, chicken, steak and hummus, and the kitchen can also manage that tricky skill of making sticky toffee pudding remarkably soft and light.

• High point: Interior full of character
• Low point: Food – including bar snacks – only served until 8pm