Point Hotel

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

With the Traverse, Lyceum, Usher Hall and Filmhouse all within a five-minute meander, the Point is ideally placed for those out to enjoy the delights of Edinburgh's cultural quarter. Those deterred by the hotel's minimalist reputation should note that, while it's spacious and uncluttered, the restaurant eschews the stark contemporary bent in favour of casual elegance, with white muslin drapes, deco chandeliers and dark-wooden furniture completing the look. In the evening, a relatively modest £16.50 affords two courses from an interesting and varied set menu – wild mushroom and leek tartlet topped with rich goat's cheese glaze making a tasty precursor to a lightly grilled sea bass fillet with zesty cherry tomato, lemon and herb tabouleh. For a further £4, you can delve into the grill menu and snap up the whole fish of the day, or perhaps one of a selection of steaks stamped with the Quality Meat Scotland seal of approval. With a passion fruit and vanilla delice less delicious than its name would imply, dessert standards fluctuate somewhat, but, overall, the Point's reasonably priced and well presented fare allows it to hold its own in a competitive area.

• High point: Good value, uncomplicated and thoughtful cookery
• Low point: Quality of desserts can vary