Channings Restaurant

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

Karen Higgins is that rare thing among Edinburgh restaurants: a female chef in charge of her own kitchen. It’s her food that attempts to brighten the rather gloomy dining room of this Comely Bank hotel. Take a squint at the short menu and it’s all simple and modest, treading a fine line between keeping hotel guests happy, while attracting diners looking for something worth going out for. So don’t expect any cheffy pyrotechnics worth a tweet. This is not high-concept eating, or ‘more Scottish than thou’ culinary flag-waving. Cream of celeriac soup with a sprinkling of pine nuts is typical, as is sweet-cured salmon with a dab of herring roe. But if a well-cooked supreme of chicken with dauphinoise tatties, a smear of carrot puree and buttered kale floats your boat, tuck in. Fillet of Ayrshire pork with fondant potato, creamed cabbage and mini-balls of black pudding is another straight-down-the middle option – and none the worse for it. Desserts don’t depart from this path, and include a small ramekin of very well-pureed apple crumble, cooled by brandy ice-cream. You get the picture.

• High point: Simply does it
• Low point: Lights, please – it would be good to read the menu