Tacky touch taints this trendy taste of the Orient

If you like the staff to stand on ceremony when you go out for a meal then don't bother with Wok Bar. As part of the new trend for hip, contemporary takes on traditional oriental dining and the staff here treat you as who you are - a paying customer, not their awe- inducing master.

Bright oranges and blues fill the split level dining area, with full length windows looking out onto the street which add to the light, airy feel. Staff are kitted out in white T-shirts, adorned with the cool Wok logo, and they're a fairly laid-back bunch who'll get round to serving you whenever you manage to catch their eye. What's more, during the day you're welcome to pop in just for a coffee.

The open kitchen adds to the cool London feel, although tucked in a corner it could easily be missed. The traditional-with-a- contemporary-twist delights it produces, however, are likely to set the Capital grapevine a-buzzing.

To start, I chose the pork dumplings with a sweet soy dipping sauce, which were immense in size and taste, while the chilli and lemongrass mussels offered just the right balance of flavours. The teppan cod fillets had my dining partner cooing with endless adjectives, although the Thai green chicken curry was nothing out of the ordinary, other than the fact it came in just the right size of portion to avoid post-dinner bloating.

However, the restaurant hasn't succeeded in getting away from the converted shop unit feel, while their attempt at in-your-face trendy is just, well, tacky.

Claire Prentice Wok Bar Address: 26-31 Potterrow, Edinburgh Telephone: 0131-667 8594 Opening Times: Mon-Wed 11am-11pm; Thu-Sat 11am-1am; Sun 12.30pm-11pm. Pint - #2.30-2.50

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