If the passage of social history can be measured by the uses to which a country's buildings are subjected, The Dome poses an interesting sequence of events. Formerly the Physicians Hall, built by James Craig, it was replaced with a rather similar building in 1843 that housed in classical splendour the headquarters of the Commercial Bank of Scotland, only to become a magnificent bar and restaurant in more recent times simultaneously gaining a dignity that derives from a combination of banking, the leafy purlieus of George Street and the provision of a highly successful restaurant with leisure.

Once inside, grand architecture offers a reassuring backcloth for enjoyment, even a certain hedonism, with The Dome setting out to provide the surroundings of a London Club as a situation for more leisurely pursuits, of which eating and drinking are the staple diets. An impressive range of cocktails is well supported by more traditional forms of Scottish liquid intake. The food, served with a restraint that may derive from the lofty decor is an interesting blend of Scottish and French influences, perhaps even the odd touch of the Orient introducing a welcome deviation. Chicken breast filled with black pudding, sitting on creamed potatoes, given a final flourish with a smoked bacon and shallot jus could be said to summarise the approach.

The legacy of banking lingers on and nothing comes cheap, but given the sense of wellbeing and security that envelops the place and its occupants, nobody minds too much. Just bang it on the overdraft will you?

Reviewed by Michael Tebbutt