Virgin Hotels Glasgow announces flagship restaurant
Virgin Hotels Glasgow, part of the luxury lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, has officially launched its flagship restaurant Commons Club.
Designed as a luxurious social club, Commons Club is now officially open to the public. With the entire concept set across two storeys, the new bar is housed on the upper level while the restaurant resides on the ground floor and also spans the hotel's Highyard Mezzanine level. It features a covered terrace complete with a retractable roof, meaning guests can soak up the sunshine whenever the Scottish weather allows.
Newly appointed executive chef Jean-Paul Giraud, who previously held the title of head chef at The Spanish Butcher, has created a menu that combines unexpected ingredients with bold flavours inspired by global cuisines. Starters include pig cheek tortellino with handmade pasta, served on a bed of chorizo ragu and truffle leek straw; Glaswegian cured Belhaven salmon with compressed cucumber, sea buckthorn, G&T granita, pickled fennel and bannock bread; or a 'nduja Scotch egg.
Mains include a range of sharing options from the grill, including Chateaubriand and whole Shetland monkfish. Single-serve mains include cauliflower shawarma pomegranate, puffed freekah, crispy leaves and smoked tahini yoghurt; and North Atlantic seared hake with grated tomato saffron and mussel stew, samphire and garlic Parisian potato.
A selection of sweet and savoury desserts is also offered, such as a Continental or Scottish cheese selection with charcoal crackers, oatcakes, truffle honeycomb, chutney and grapes; The Commons Knickerbocker Glory with vanilla and rhubarb jam ripple ice cream, stuffed cookies, boozy berries, cherries and CC biscuit; and sticky figgy pudding with confit fig, caramel sauce, Pedro Ximenez and fig leaf ice cream.
The Highyard bar serves playful signature cocktails such as the Commons Clover Rover, White Mezcal Negroni or Disco Pisco. Scottish whiskies, liquors, beer and wine are also served.
"As the flagship of the Virgin Hotels collective, Commons Club is the gold standard of fine dining. While each restaurant features its own unique twist, our guests know to expect luxury when dining at Commons Club," says general manager Tom Gibson.
"With a menu inspired by the seasons and a selection of the very finest Scottish produce, we are sure international travellers and Glasgow locals will enjoy everything Commons Club has to offer. And for the more casual diner, we are pleased to offer a relaxed atmosphere upstairs in Highyard, with small plates, live music and a fresh take on cocktails," he adds.
"We are excited to officially launch Commons Club and look forward to being able to host specialist events and new experiences in the future to further expand our dining and entertainment offering."
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