Restaurant Mark Greenaway at No 12 Picardy Place

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.

Mark Greenaway’s take on dining is unashamedly modern. With deconstructed creations, foams, smokes and multi-ingredient theatrics aplenty, this is a sophisticated, highly confident offering. A starter of Loch Fyne crab cannelloni is a good introduction, served with a sealed glass bowl of cauliflower custard below and a bold puff of applewood smoke above. A mosaic of rabbit terrine is typically picture-perfect – tiny carrot meringues add crunchy dabs of sweetness. A ‘Tasting of Borders Lamb’ is a four-way affair, delivering a caramelised meaty hit in some cuts and rosy tenderness in others. A quartet of plaice mini-rolls rests on squid ink lasagne, with crisped squid and a blanket of saffron foam – a refreshing burst of lemon puree hits a citrusy high note. Desserts play the game of taking old faves apart and re-interpreting them by their parts rather than their sum. A ‘broken’ lemon tart is exploded into an ultra-geometric expression, including frozen shortbread, yuzu parfait and spots of pistachio puree. A jam jar arrives filled with multiple layers of rhubarb compote and jelly, and warm rice pudding. It raises a wry smile. And why shouldn’t good food do that?

• High point: Generous choice of wines by the glass
• Low point: Not for the gastronomically conservative