Malmaison Brasserie

The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2012) edition.

Being a hotel restaurant can have its perks and challenges – and the brasserie at Malmaison does make an effort to be more than an adjunct to the successful and stylish hotel chain. The chunky Victorian waterfront property, fitted out with plush carpeting, brass detailing and deep leather seats, belies the building's past life as a home for retired seamen. Buzzy during the day, low lighting in the evenings brings a feel of intimacy and calm. The eclectic menu clusters around comfort food rather than any national identity, with varying success. Moules marinieres and mushrooms on toast sound gently soothing but are each slightly bland and indistinctive. The 35-day-aged rump steak does arrive cooked to order but the frites are too salty to enjoy in quantity. The pork belly, though small, is beautifully prepared, the accompanying black pudding and apple sauce genuinely accenting the crisp-topped, richly moist meat. The simplicity and surprising intensity of the passion fruit sorbet counter the handsomely tall and subtle rhubarb soufflé. Overall this inconsistency undermines a good atmosphere and high expectations.

• High point: A quiet spot in Leith for inside and outside dining
• Low point: The menu is less distinctive than the room decor