In the heart of Glasgow, a short 10-minute walk from both Queen Street Station and Glasgow Central, Kimpton Blythswood Square offers guests a slice of luxury.
From the moment I stepped onto the hotel steps I felt welcomed. The doorman offered help with my bag and the reception staff were warm and chatty. One quick and smooth check-in later, I was heading up the grand staircase to the Salon and along a corridor to my home for the night: the Townhouse Suite.
What a room. The space was large, with five grand floor-to-ceiling windows and a gorgeous painting larger than most of the walls in my own home. Centred in the room a corner sofa both looks towards the TV unit and out over the square outside. To the left is a massive dining table, capable of seating six easily for entertaining, and a cosy desk for working.
While beyond the TV unit is the bedroom space complete with king-size bed, ample wardrobe space and access to the large bathroom. But don’t worry, if you are entertaining guests, they don’t have to pass through your bedroom to use the bathroom, there is a separate WC by the suite’s main door.
But beyond all the grandeur, was the room up to scratch for a comfortable stay? Absolutely. I had time for a brief sit down in the comfy sofa and cup of tea before a lovely hot shower (a bath in the rolltop tub was tempting, but I had a dinner reservation shortly).
After settling in and freshening up, I returned to the lobby and followed the delicious smell to iasg (ee-usk), the hotel’s restaurant. What a wonderful space; the black and white floor tiles and walls capturing a luxurious atmosphere while allowing the eye to notice all the pops of emerald green in the booth seating and bar’s scallop tiling.
iasg sports a smaller menu with a focus on sustainable Scottish seafood, while still having choice for those who perhaps don’t wish for fish. Even though the menu was smaller, it was still hard to choose as everything sounded delicious and I was attempting to be nosy, squinting at the plates being delivered around me for inspiration.
Ultimately, I couldn’t not try the seafood while I was here as it is the speciality, that would be impolite. So, gin-cured salmon to start it was. It was a thicker cut than I was expecting, but this really allowed for you to get a good balance between the taste of the salmon and gin-cure. This was complimented by the delicate, fresh and citrussy flavours of cucumber, pickled lemon, puffed quinoa and seaweed.
I followed this up with marinated pork collar drizzled in charcutière sauce and accompanied with sweetheart cabbage slaw and burnt apple ketchup. The fresh and slight tartness of the apple and charcutière sauce really cut through the fatty richness of the pork, while the slaw had the perfect proportion of cabbage to sauce, still crispy and not over-sauced. I also ordered a side of crispy potatoes with a curry mayo which was delicious.
I ended the evening reading my book with a cocktail in hand, specifically, a Dishonoured Lady. A deliciously refreshing tipple with a fruity edge from strawberries and lime muddled with vodka and campari and a slight countering bite from the plum bitters. Perfect to round off my meal.
Just like the reception staff, the restaurant staff were knowledgeable about the menu, welcoming and lovely to chat to without feeling like they were hovering. Great balance.
Back upstairs, it was time for another cup of tea and relax on the sofa before melting into the large bed for a peaceful night’s sleep and followed by a lovely breakfast back in iasg, complete with fresh-cooked menu and a quality buffet.
My only qualm is that my time here was limited; I would have loved to try more in the restaurant, spent some time in the spa and had some relaxing time working in the comfort of the suite. I’ll just have to come back, Kimpton.
For more information or to book visit the Kimpton Blythswood Square website.
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