Fodor's Expert Review City Merchant

If you have a penchant for fresh cuisine and a taste for intense and flavorful sauces, head to this welcoming spot with simple but traditional furnishings, including white tablecloths, dark wood, soft lighting, and tartan carpets. The secret is the kitchen's use of only local ingredients and its emphasis on Scottish cuisine. You can sample tasty cuts of venison and beef (including a fillet with haggis mousse), but seafood remains the star attraction, including mussels and oysters from Loch Etive. An outstanding starter is the trio of whisky-smoked salmon, mackerel pâté, and crispy oyster (oyster fried in tempura batter). There's a relatively inexpensive selection of wines and a wonderful cheese board that's served, as the locals like it, with oatcakes, celery, and quince.

The two-course lunch special is a bargain at £12.95.