Embark

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

There's nothing subtle about the polished aesthetic that runs throughout the bars and restaurants of Edinburgh Quay. 'Out with the quiet, in with the loud' is the brazen statement made in these parts, and Embark is no exception. Neon lights and big-screen sports dominate the bar downstairs, while the restaurant area is dominated by a mirrored wall, which sports an intriguing, televised log fire. Embark endeavours to offer bistro food that's as bold as the décor. The staff are welcoming and charismatic, while a menu shot through with big, punchy flavours is executed with flair. Mussels are fresh and juicy, the accompanying garlic and parsley liquor pungent and tasty; goat's cheese comes grilled and perched atop flavoursome, if slightly leathery, air-dried tomatoes. A main of herb-crusted rack of lamb is delicious and offers an insight into the quality of ingredients used here; lamb this sweet and intense clearly comes from good stock. Desserts are a bit of a mixed bag, however; a too-hard cranachan pannacotta is accompanied by an overly-sweet raspberry sorbet, but a long glass of gorgeous vanilla rice pudding, topped by a hedonistic dollop of home-made chocolate ice-cream, is one to get lost in.

• High point: Good, honest, old-fashioned bistro food
• Low point: Weird contemporary surrounds