Howies (Victoria Street)

A reliable, consistent Scottish restaurant with a modern take on traditional dishes.

The 2018/19 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £7.95 (+p&p).

Tartan-clad seating, antlers on the wall and a warm glow emanating from the windows make this a more than inviting stop-off for tourists strolling up Victoria Street. This smaller Howies, separated into two dining areas, is a cosier and more intimate option than its imposing sister restaurant at Waterloo Place. Though both are in prime positions for visitors to town, there is happily no resting on laurels as far as the standard of cooking is concerned. A consistent approach to competently prepared, well-presented food keeps a following of locals returning, too. Inevitably the menu offers a dependable option of haggis throughout the year, alongside game and fish which exploit the local larder. A roasted haunch of Glen Lyon venison is confidently cooked and plated with red cabbage and a potato dauphinoise. Vegetarian options, though limited, are nevertheless given due attention and care. A salt-baked celeriac starter is followed by a gnocchi and butternut squash, roasted and puréed, which more than exceeds expectations. For those with room, banoffee pie and chocolate torte arrive in generous wedges.