A Room in Leith

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

There's definitely room for a branch of this well-established Edinburgh chain in Leith, which, over the past few years has been overly dominated by high-brow and fish-based establishments. The Room in Leith has taken over the popular and comfortable venue that used to belong to the Waterfront and has brought a touch of classy yet affordable cuisine to the area. People will flock as soon as the sun shines and the doors open on to the pontoon deck outside. In the meantime the new owners have stopped serving food in the rustic bar at the front and are focusing on the conservatory at the back. With a nautical theme, this room overlooks the Water of Leith on one side and sports a brand new mural in keeping with the Room in the Town on the other. The menu is also similar to its sister restaurants (David Hand has moved here from the West End branch so regulars can expect to find familiar fare). There are plenty of Scottish ingredients in this imaginative and fun menu which will no doubt include a haggis starter – perhaps with carrot and ginger marmalade – and a choice of trout, rabbit, Cullen skink or Scottish beef steak for main. The Room's banoffee pie is still well worth fitting in at the end.

• High point: Great to see this consistently good-quality restaurant chain in Leith
• Low point: Did it really need another mural?