South Bistro

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £10.95 (set lunch)
   £20 (evening meal)
• House wine: £11.95 per bottle

• High point: Has an engaging charm
• Low point: Slightly odd acoustics might make conversation hard if there are large groups
• Food served: Mon-Sat noon-2.30pm, 5-9.30pm; Sun 5-9.30pm
• Open since: 2005
• Also offers: Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Pre-theatre menu

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

This review is from the 2007 edition.

Terracotta walls, low lighting, the drift of jazz, and the relaxed attention of waiting staff enfold you in a sense of occasion when you eat here. The menu takes a tour of Scotland with excellent Cullen skink to start, or perfectly cooked king scallops from Shetland on Stornoway black pudding with a caramelised orange sauce. A family-run Mediterranean feel to the place also influences the daily-evolving menu. Substantial main courses include vegetable moussaka, or roe deer, cooked pink and glazed in orange and cranberry with gratin dauphinoise and firm, braised Brussels sprouts. Traditional dishes such as rump of lamb, Aberdeen Angus or sea bass are each given non-traditional accompaniments, such as sorrel sauce, or leeks braised with rosemary, or pasta tossed in white truffle oil. Everything seems cooked with individual care. The food is rich, and the puddings are no exception, so bravery may be called for in tackling brioche bread and butter pudding or a classic crème brûlée. There's a well-stocked bar, which includes a reasonable range of wines. It's the sort of place where locals are known by name and newcomers are greeted like long-lost friends, nourishing both romantic dinners and lively parties.