JT Rochead

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

Walking through a busy bar into this recently reconstructed restaurant is such a contrast that it feels a little like entering a theatre set. The décor might be described as Caledonian gothic, exemplified by wallpaper with giant thistle motifs on a black background. It's appropriate for a place named after a Victorian architect responsible for much of the city's splendour. The menu presents a straight-to-the-point selection of staples: burgers, steak, chicken, fish and veggie options. Starters are unfussy, including Scotch broth and haggis fritters (served up with a spicy pear chutney and thyme and onion gravy). Ingredients are largely sourced locally. For example, the Aberdeen Angus burger is solid, proper meat with no embellishments. Steamed fillet of Orkney salmon can't be faulted for texture and flavour, though the white wine and lemon sauce is liable to evaporate before it reaches the table. For dessert, cranachan is big on quantity, sweet and creamy, but a tad short on oats – a solid foundation, but a few more gothic trimmings would not go amiss. You can eat in the bar too, where there is regular live music, including an open-mic night.

• High point: Giant thistles!
• Low point: Open-mic night: like being trapped in a room with every busker on Sauchiehall Street