Bigos

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

There is a home-spun image created by the rough hewn wooden word 'Bigos' nailed on to the front of this tiny restaurant. And despite the dangerous looking agricultural implements and animal skins hanging on the walls, Bigos does without doubt have a homely feel. It must be the cuckoo clock that does it. Halfway down Leith Walk, Edinburgh's first Polish restaurant has found an appreciative audience for its equally homely menu of substantial specialities. Far from trying to dispel any preconceptions that Polish food might be just a bit on the hefty side, Bigos offers a doggy bag solution to any heftiness related problems that might arise. Clear beetroot soup with floating dumplings is very sweet and oddly addictive. Some main courses, such as the tender fried pork loin, come with an intriguing selection of pickled salads, but the menu doesn't really make it clear which. For example, stuffed cabbage – two swollen parcels of pale translucent leaves – arrives matched with two large scoops of mash but nothing crunchier, so it could be worth discussing side orders when ordering to avoid disappointment.

• High point: Rib-sticking dishes at great prices
• Low point: Puddings seem an afterthought