Maggie May's

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £12 (lunch)
   £19 (evening meal)
• House wine: £13.95 per bottle

• High point: Such an improvement on its previous incarnation
• Low point: No bread
• Food served: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat/Sun 10am-10pm
• Bar open: Mon-Sat noon-3am; Sun 12.30pm-3am
• Open since: 2007
• Also offers: Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access, Pre-theatre menu

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

This review is from the 2007 edition.

What a difference a year makes. Now under the same management as Òran Mór, Maggie May (formerly Bluu) feels like a properly thought-out operation. The pursuit of cool is replaced by warmth, with reds and browns, muted lighting and a mix of dining chairs and sofas making for a genuinely comfortable environment. Like its sister restaurant, the menu is an all-Scottish affair, with some adeptly prepared dishes. For example, the strong flavour of Stornoway black pudding is well contrasted with poached apples as they flank a chicken breast with its crispy skin left on. Gigantic grilled langoustines are a most impressive sight to behold, artistically arranged around a serving of caviar mayonnaise and topped with subtle garlic butter. There's a separate lunch menu that looks more to bar and pub food, pricing all mains comfortably under £10 to attract the shopping crowd, while, after 5pm, 'Maggie's seafood platter' is a popular choice: a dish of mussels, squid rings, flaky slices of trout and those langoustines served with a thin but pulpy, intensely-flavoured tomato sauce that would be a commendable broth on its own. It's just a shame no bread is provided (not even on the menu) to mop it up. A slice of tablet to accompany coffee is a lovely finishing touch.