On every visit, we notice something different. An aspect of the bar downstairs. A detail on the stained glass windows upstairs. The grandness of the dining room. Those glorious high ceilings. There’s more to take in this time as Hutchesons has been restyled as a City Grill and the interiors have been given a revamp.
Downstairs is now 158 Club Lounge, with the focus on brunch at the start of the day, then glamorous cocktails and Champagne in the evening. The restaurant itself retains the feel of a buzzy urban hangout placed within a traditional setting. Go to see and be seen. That kind of place.
We’re still trying to decide what’s our favourite table. Beside the window on the far side, probably, with a full view of proceedings, but not quite on display.
The menu has coalesced around the twin themes of seafood and steaks. It fits closer now into the context of its sister restaurants – owners Louise and James Rusk also have The Butchershop in the West End and The Spanish Butcher in town.
Everything here has been meticulously thought out and designed. It’s all very deliberate and stylised. When we interviewed James and Louise Rusk recently in The Spanish Butcher, James gestured to the dining room and made a comment to the effect that the restaurant could be anywhere. There are obvious markers that set Hutchesons in Glasgow but the room could easily be in London, New York, Paris or any of the other great food cities.
Bread and olives to start. The olives are huge and tempting. The bread arrives as an uncut loaf. One of us has excellent restaurant skills and effortlessly slices off a hunk from the end. The other massacres the remaining fresh bake, scattering crumbs and severing uneven slices before giving up. Note: rarely have we ever been disappointed when bread has been served sliced. What was salvaged was very tasty.
Popular starters include whisky smoked salmon and Cumbrae oysters, prepared Rockefeller style. We opted for the scallop cerviche (£10) as it’s a particular favourite of our own.
The sliced scallops come arranged around a mound of avocado, red onion, mint and coriander. A powerful taste of the sea balanced out by competing but not overpowering fresh flavours.
Most will visit for the steaks, so let’s talk about the beef. The house cuts are hung and dry-aged for 28-35 days and the standard options are a fillet, sirloin, rib eye or D-rump which you can top with garlic prawns and sauce, or half a lobster.
Then there is the reserve cuts, hung and dry-aged for over 45 days and available as a tomahawk or epic porterhouse. You can also choose a cote de boeuf or T-bone steak, dry-aged for over 35 days.
We selected the rib eye which is everything you would want from a wonderfully marbled, impeccably cooked slab of outstanding Scottish meat. The chunky chips – closer to roast potatoes – were pretty special too.
A delightful, sweet creme brulee for dessert with a buttery shortbread biscuit. Ideal.
Not all steakhouses are created equally. In fact, Hutchesons is a cut above, setting a high standard for city centre competitors to emulate. As befits a room like this, there is an excellent wine list to select from. Get to know the reinvigorated, refocused Hutchesons City Grill.
On the Menu: Hutchesons City Grill
Scallop Ceviche, Avocado, red onion, mint, coriander £10
Rib Eye 300g Steak £29
Garlic Prawns £4
Rocket & Parmesan Salad £4
Garlic Sauteed Mushrooms £4
Vanilla Creme Brulee and Shortbread Biscuit
