Glasgow has been crying out for a cool, design-led hotel, and Arthouse scratches that itch
No feeling can top this. A margarita has been drained. I have just eaten a plate of plump, crispy chicken skins, slick with kombu ketchup. Next up is venison, dappled with borlotti beans and so silky it slices like tofu. On a side plate are the potatoes a friend has messaged me about every month since first eating them a few years ago: beef-fat potato strati that cram a thousand crackling layers of fried tatties into dense, shimmering cubes of pure rapture. A sweet peach sorbet doused in olive oil will soften the blow of their departure. Oh Celentano’s, I’ve missed you.
But hey, what a comeback. is is Celentano’s 2.0, whisked away from its former location on a side street in Glasgow’s east end and placed exactly where it belongs in the heart of the city. Its new home is on the ground floor of Arthouse, a 19th-century townhouse turned 76-room hotel on Bath Street that brings something different to the landscape. Glasgow’s hotels almost always fall into one of three camps: basic and budget, mid-range and blah, or grand and exorbitant. The city has been crying out for a cool, design-led place in the vein of The Hoxton or Soho House, and Arthouse certainly scratches that itch.
It’s the debut hotel from hospitality brand Oberland, whose M.O. is to revive heritage buildings and turn them into high-concept but accessible retreats. Alessio Nardi of interiors studio A-nrd has restored the townhouse’s original features – white Victorian tiles, terrazzo oors and a copper birdcage lift striking through a glass-roofed atrium – and given the hotel an identity where sleek industrialism meets plenty of art, a chic huntergreen palette and a mix of bespoke and iconic furniture (I spy Tito Agnoli’s safari chair and a set of Knoll Cescas) that feels stylish without being forced.
When we arrive, Glasgow DJ Illyus Barrientos is on the decks in the lounge as it fills up with well-dressed residents in pursuit of a cocktail. Illyus has also created a playlist for the hotel, streamable via a QR code in our loft room; one of several commissions that shows Arthouse’s commitment to Scotland’s arts scene. There are original paintings by Glasgow artist David Iain Brown and handblown glass lights by Edinburgh-based Vicky Higginson, while the reading material in our room includes zines from Ripe Mags in Trongate, a Glasgow art map, and city guides which dig far deeper than the usual tourist bumf.
By all means heed these tips if you buzz with energy. After dinner, all I want to do is remove my Spanx and lie down. The super-king bed, which sits on a wooden platform surrounded by fabric-sheathed lamps, induces such a deep sleep I miss my alarm. I’m not sure whether to blame the wine or the four-inch mattress topper, but all that matters is we haven’t missed breakfast.
For that, we return to Celentano’s. The morning sun and quieter service allow closer admiration of the reclaimed timber door, whitewashed brickwork and zinc-topped bar that mirror the tasteful restraint nailed elsewhere. The ‘farm table’ breakfast has a similar vibe – a Nordic-style spread of smoked ash, housecured charcuterie, granola, compôte and soft-boiled eggs. I butter a slice of banana bread and smile. is has always been my happy place, and this time, it’s found its rightful home.
Like the sound of Arthouse, but looking for good food outwith the central belt? Try Falls by Orry Shand in Aberdeenshire.
This new Aberdeen restaurant fuses Nordic and French fine dining
