Above Abbotsford

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.

Upstairs from the Abbotsford pub is this ornate wood-panelled restaurant, which, looking out on to Rose Street, is ideally situated for hungry shoppers or, myth has it, a crèche for husbands abandoned by wives busy shopping in Jenners. The dining room has an air of formality, complete with white table cloths and napkins, but the food is standard pub fare. The menu lists bar classics such as fish and chips, various burgers and pies, and there are daily specials and regularly changing seasonal dishes. The cooking can be a bit hit and miss: a chunky piece of trout is pleasant enough but the accompanying Mediterranean vegetables are rather hard to digest. The steak, however, is a well-hung slab of meat packed with flavour. The short list of puddings includes Mackies ice-cream, a chocolate tart and a dense sticky date and ginger sponge which may be the highlight of the whole meal. A fine selection of real ales is on hand to wash it all down.

• High point: Good selection of beers
• Low point: Under-cooked aubergine