Bar Budda

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Although Thai-influenced food has been a characteristic of this high-concept chain for several years, more recently the West End branch has also been focusing on Scottish ingredients while still retaining a flavour of the Far East. Embedded in Cresswell Lane like an exotic jewel with its golden statues, deep red furnishings and coloured glass lamps imported specially from Asia, the menu sits somewhere between bistro cuisine and bar food. Thought has gone into the impressive presentation. From the starters, firecracker king prawns sit on a bed of finely chopped and flavoured guacamole, a sun-dried tomato aioli making pretty patterns on the plate. The rare beef salad has slices of tender pink meat beside a neat pile of rocket, which is drizzled in a delicate black bean and ginger vinaigrette. Main courses are hearty and appealing. For example, the rack of Perthshire lamb sees juicy chops artfully arranged around a neat stack of couscous. Smiling waiters contribute to a relaxed atmosphere and there's live jazz on Sundays.