Café Bayan

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

Café Bayan bears its Russo-Scottish heritage proudly. A colourful mural depicts both countries' achievements under Burns quotes in both Scots and Russian. The menu, however, is firmly planted in the East, with only the haggis pelmeni (little dumplings) nodding towards Alba. The skill of chef Paul O'Malley (Cameron House, Oloroso) is evident. Russian mushroom soup is earthy and rich with many and varied mushroom varieties, from shoelace thin to meaty chunks. Replete with decent nuggets of chicken and a tangle of noodles, it's autumn in a bowl. Bayan borcht tingles with an undercurrent of horseradish, contrasting beautifully with the roast roots and beetroot shreds. The soup 'bits' and broth arrive separately, the latter poured from a little teapot at your table to release its fragrant steam. Soups aside, pirozhki are crescent-shaped flaky pastries, encasing a goats cheese and beetroot filling, with a little bowl of pickles and colourful pile of salad to complete the dish. A hearty serving of linguine with meatballs, however, is overwhelmed by its strong sweet and sour sauce. And if you're not as stuffed as a golabki after that, homebaking, including truffle-esque chocolate brownies, is available all day.

• High point: Who knew soup could be this good?
• Low point: Some dishes can be heavy