Circus Wine Bar & Grill

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

Tucked discreetly away from the style bar excess of the west end of George Street, Circus offers an oasis of refined charm, albeit of the more old-school variety. Entering through a small foyer, complete with decorative piano, diners are received in a plush, red-carpeted bar before being ushered into the restaurant itself. Artfully placed mirrors create the impression of an infinite number of equally opulent rooms just beyond view, replicating the gentlemen's club décor of heavy chandeliers, deep red wallpaper and crisp white tablecloths. If all this sounds a bit stuffy, it is to Circus' credit that it manages to lift the atmosphere both with some fashionably chilled beats on the stereo and a refreshingly contemporary menu and wine selection. A starter of pan-fried scallops with black pudding arrives on an artfully asymmetric plate, and if the pudding rather overpowers the seafood, there's no questioning the quality of the ingredients. The mains play more to Circus' strengths as the eponymous grill comes to the fore – a fillet steak really is about as good as they get, and is accompanied by the sort of chips good potatoes want to be when they die.

• High point: High class through and through
• Low point: All-red décor a bit David Lynch