The Grill at Dakota Forthbridge

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

The cool, modern façade of Dakota at the Forth Road Bridge has an intriguing and slightly aloof quality. For those passing it on the A90, it looks like the headquarters of a spy agency. For those inside, it's a sumptuous hotel with an equally stylish restaurant. References to New York are everywhere. Bare brick walls, velvet curtains and black and white photos create an eclectic mix of Manhattan luxury and industrial chic. Bar staff with long, barber-style aprons serve extravagant cocktails in a moody lounge which is separated from the restaurant by Japanese-style lattice walls. While the emphasis of the décor is on exclusivity, the food is dominated by the sea. Six of the nine starters come from the big blue, with the beautifully presented squid tempura and roasted peanut salad the pick of the bunch. For those who prefer their food land-based, the steak tartare is packed with flavour. The apparently straightforward main course of roasted cod and chorizo belies a sophisticated dish full of Mediterranean flavours, while the organic salmon curry is a belt-buster. If you like your oysters, lobster and crab served on tower of ice, then the seafood platters provide the necessary pizzazz. Dakota has set its standards high, with sustainable sourcing policies and impressive food, and has reaped the plaudits. Not bad for a sinister black box.

• High point: Glitzy surroundings that transport you across the pond
• Low point: Niggling lapses in service