Hotel du Vin Bistro

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.

Dress up for a night out at this bistro, situated in the luxury Hotel du Vin. A premiere address since it opened in 2006, the atmosphere is as refined and sophisticated as the menu. If you are feeling flash and want to experience the range of skills from the kitchen then sample the tasting menu – seven courses for £69 and for an extra £40 you can add wine tailor-made to each dish. There's always a sommelier on hand to advise on accompaniments, and the staff are unfailingly polite and zealous in pursuit of your dining happiness. The menu is heavily influenced by French home-cooking with impressive Scottish flourishes and a dedication to locally sourced ingredients. Highlighting this approach is the Scrabster squid starter, served with salted lemon fluid gel, smoked gnocchi and crab foam, the sweetness of the lemon bringing the flavours of the seafood out perfectly. Main courses include the intriguing vegetarian option of salsify, celeriac purée, egg, and micro herb salad and climb upwards to the Chateaubriand. Many of the delicious puddings, including a sensual soufflé, can be perfectly complemented by a glass of dessert wine.

• High point: Perfect chocolate soufflé
• Low point: Not one for the miserly