Bath Street is right in the heart of Glasgow and very handy if you're planning a city break of a few days using perhaps taxis or the underground to explore. It's an area of smart stone buildings, backing onto Blythswood Square and close to attractions such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh's masterpiece, the Glasgow School of Art. For shoppers there's Sauchiehall and Buchanan Streets, Princes Square and a stroll to the Merchant City to tempt. And for art-lovers, don't miss GOMA, the Gallery of Modern Art.

Talking of schools, this hotel is housed in what was once the head office of the Scottish Education Department. That may not sound promising - but wait. It was built as grand Edwardian accommodation for the bosses and boasted the best of high ceilings, glazed tiling and even stained glass windows. Indeed, the central Atrium - complete with period lift - features striking bronze lion rampant wallcoverings, the lion in its rampant state being a regal symbol of Scotland. So it's all quite theatrical.

Some years ago the building was converted into the boutique hotel 'The Arthouse' and it has certainly played host to a number of celebrities since. We saw the bed where Eminem slept, for example, although we're not quite sure if that's a plus. But you can see what we're talking about: this is a Glasgow boutique hotel that's on the map.

In a notable foodie-development, The Arthouse was acquired a couple of years ago by award-winning English chef Michael Caines' ABode Group... the capitalised AB initials standing for his main business partner, Andrew Brownsword (see, it's not a typo!). Right away the buzz was that this would become a designer hotel with the emphasis placed upon great food. Well, it wasn't long before the critics were, generally, in agreement that the cuisine was indeed outstanding. In fact, so much so that the hotel's Michael Caines Restaurant went on to win The Scottish Hotel Restaurant of the Year 2006 title at The Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards.

Step into the tiled Reception area and you'll sense the mood of this boutique hotel. To the right of the desk is the entrance way to the main Restaurant; but for now walk deeper into the hotel and enter the Atrium. Admire that quaint old elevator! Down one level is the MC Vibe Bar, a stylish and relaxed late-night lounge bar open until 1am. With funky lighting and furniture, DJ and local band nights and cutting-edge cocktails, it's certainly a venue that lives up to its name. Adjacent is the brasserie area or MC Café Bar open in the morning for breakfast and elevenses, for lunch (with outdoor seating in fine weather), for afternoon tea and for full evening meals. The bar is busy at night with the cool and good looking set about town. There's also a small Boutique from which you can take way a few souvenirs of your stay.

'A feature of every ABode is an unrivalled range of Michael Caines dining, eating and drinking options, featuring superior room service and gourmet takeaway to informal café bars, lively bar and restaurant dining in the utmost style and sophisticated comfort', the hotel tells us, emphasising its good-food-at-the-core approach. And, indeed, it seemed that way when we enjoyed our stay recently.

Rooms range over several floors and come in four classes, in ascending order of plushness: Comfortable, Desirable, Enviable and Fabulous. All are well enquipped and are done in cool, restful colours, understanted rather than outré. They offer welcome features like superior Vi-Spring beds with cashmere throws, flatscreen TVs, DVDs, comfort cooling air con, secondary glazing and a 'tuck box' of regional produce. Nicely designed bathrooms feature bespoke toiletries playing wittily on the AB of ABode (although ABad Hair Day shampoo was perhaps stretching things a bit) but they do have rather indulgent fragrances. All rooms have a refreshment tray with real coffee, and a personal safe.

Enviable Rooms are oversize bedrooms, each unique and individual, with high ceilings and comfortable seating areas, luxurious heavyweight waffle robes and much more to separate them from the lower spec but still good Comfortable and Desirable classes. Fabulous Rooms are the best in the house. They're spacious, wholly individual in character with oak panelling, oversize beds and 42" plasma TVs. There's the option of taking an adjoining bedroom for private dining, too.

We'll soon add more info on the rooms as we're about to fully re-review for 2007/8.

The main Michael Caines Restaurant’s à la carte dinner menu offers around 7 dishes at each stage while, on a facing page of the stylish menu with trademark silver gerbera cover, a tantalising tasting menu at £55 is a 7 course night out. Prices are top end but you can anticipate gourmet quality and professional service here at last year's Scottish Hotel Restaurant of the Year. Of course, you can eat in the Café-Bar or in-room so it's all pretty flexible, if you prefer something informal. This season has seen a new head chef arrive, David Maskall. Restaurant manager is Carmen Schumaker. Our dinner review notes below are from prior to this change but there's more continuity here than in many places thanks to the Michael Caines connection; it'll give you an idea of what to expect, although we'll make our merit award rating when we re-review in early autumn 2007.

A basket of three kinds of crispy, oven-fresh bread rolls and a salted pat of French butter arrived. Water was served. And in due course came an amuse bouche: an intensely tasty tasse of White Onion, Lemon and Herb Soup; a lovely wee thing. Starters roamed over earth, land and sea and we went with the waves and selected fish. Cannelloni of Langoustine with Savoy Cabbage, Pancetta and a Langoustine and Basil-Scented Consommé was presented as three pretty, upturned fresh green pasta tubes packed with plump ‘shrimp’, as Americans would say, on a delicate broth. Sophisticated and light. On the other side of the table the Pan-Fried Scallops with a Parsnip and Potato Purée and a Ginger and Vanilla-Scented Jus came as a simpler yet handsome dish of three wide, overlapping scallops on a complimentarily sweet underlay and worked well.

For the main course, Pan-Fried Halibut with Risotto of Fennel, Sun-Blushed Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan with a Fennel Cream Sauce was a long name but, unlike some big billings, worth it. An extraordinarily good fish dish combining small crunches of fennel with a perfectly gilded fillet, succulent and gentle, and the generous rice. Saddle of Venison on a Bed of Red Cabbage with Fondant Potato, Celeriac Purée and a Redcurrant Tea Sauce was a well-balanced dish with well-matched flavours, especially appealing to you if in a dark red mood. The refined venison cuts had those chocolatey, liver-like notes that sound awful put like that – but which, like some sexual adventures, are best unspoken of and in the flesh. But we just thought we’d mention it. To wind up, Cranachan Soufflé with Talisker Malt Whisky and Raspberry Sauce was interesting; but the sticky Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream was the better of the pair.

This section is about to be re-reviewed for 2007/8 following recent changes.

Looking for somewhere special for a wedding, private party, dining or meeting? ABode Glasgow’s beautifully restored Arc Suite and Assembly Room provide a choice venue for an elegant reception or private dining party, while its Meeting Rooms are fully equipped for a hi-tech conference or other corporate event. From private dining to business meetings for up to 70 people, ABode Glasgow can cope with style.

Gary McLean says…
“We've another visit to make before this Review is complete for 2007/8, especially since the change of chef and restaurant manager. The team have stayed twice since the hotel re-launched as ABode and there's little doubt it's a foodie destination. Rooms are bright, if a little minimalist, but well-equipped. More soon!"

HAVE YOUR SAY Have you stayed in a Scottish hotel or guest house recently? If so, and you would like to pay it a compliment or let us know of any problems, then there’s a link to a Reader’s Review comment page above left, under the search boxes. Your views go direct to the Editor, who will try to acknowledge your response within a few days if it requires an answer. The Editor may edit / check comments, which do not go directly online. You can be named online, or provide simple initials for publication. We greatly value the very many comments we receive from readers, published or otherwise, and be assured that your views will register with us. Thank you.

REVIEW STATUS & MERIT AWARDS This establishment has now been fully reviewed by the Guide and any HotelReviewScotland.com™ Merit Awards will show above, beneath the address details. We also list the latest ratings and gradings for this business from other guides and organisations. One or more of our experienced reviewer team has stayed at this establishment, spent time with the management, and the Guide is receiving reader and industry input from one or all of: online Reader’s Reviews; Comment Postcards; and Voting in The Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards. All entries are carefully monitored. The lead star grading has been awarded by the Scottish Tourist Board / VisitScotland. As the hotel is a Full Member of HotelReview™ Scotland the Look & Book Box™ links are LIVE.

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