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This review, by Cate Devine, appeared in the April 2009 issue of Scottish Field

Why does Michelin give this restaurant the cold shoulder?

It’s a Friday night in Glasgow City Centre and the place is, as they say, hoaching. But we groan when we are shown to our elegant table: the place is empty apart from one other couple. Ah, the credit crunch, we murmur. Must be really tough. Less than an hour later we are eating humble pie: almost every table is taken. Even at over fifty quid a head, Michael Caines at ABode is packed. Fine dining, it appears, is alive and well in the city that remains glaringly devoid of Michelin stars. Caines himself has two stars at his restaurant at Gidleigh Park in Devon, and though he cooks here once a month he has said he’d love his Glasgow chef to get one for his only Scottish outpost.

The signs are good for the current head chef Craig Dunn, who has been cooking here for a year. As we admire our white linen and polished wine glasses an amuse-bouche of spinach and parmesan ravioli arrives, served in a white china cup and topped with an intensely rich, frothy parmesan cappuccino. It’s delicious – but rather tepid. I’ve since been informed that tepid is the new piping hot. Allowing a dish to cool slightly before serving allows its handcrafted flavours to come through, and avoids any suspicion of having been near a microwave. Fair enough. Nevertheless, I find my starter of crab cannelloni with spiced apple purée and lobster froth (£12.00) just a bit too lukewarm, just slightly marring an otherwise complex and thrilling flavour experience. By contrast, my partner’s seared scallops with confit of chicken wings, sweetcorn purée and foam (£12.50) are not only pleasingly hot but also melt-in-themouth and sweet, a sure sign of their freshness.

A deliciously gamey Mey select sirloin of beef with Jerusalem artichoke purée and dauphinoise Pithivier (£23.00) is served à point in thick strips with no visible sign of fat; all the flavour is from the wonderful marbling. My partner declares it ‘as good a steak as I’ve ever tasted’ – praise indeed from a well-seasoned carnivore – and that’s before we learn that it’s been hung for 40 days, 15 of them in the kitchen here, before being taken off the bone. But I bet my choice of cumin poached pheasant with puy lentils (£20.50) choucroute and baby onions tops that. It delivers a powerful punch without overwhelming the palate. It’s also unusually moist, an impressive achievement given the size of the tiny bird.

The masterful blend of flavours in the food means that a glass of Côtes du Rhone (£5.35) for him and a French pinot noir for me (£6.55) really are an elegant sufficiency. I love it that when I return from a trip to the Ladies, my white linen napkin has been deftly refolded. Staff are visible but not overly attentive, and their frequent visits to the on-the-level kitchen give tantalising glimpses of the activity within. A flambéed pear tatin (£7.50) is generously fruity and is delicious with its accompanying ginger pear sauce and clotted ice cream. He, typically, opts for cheese (£12.50) and is delivered a pungent slice of Normandy Livarot, meltingly blue Dunsyre and a goat’s cheese from Valency.

One gripe: the external double doors of the restaurant were left open throughout our meal, giving us a direct view of the hotel lobby – and of punters coming in off the street on their way downstairs to the bar. It felt cold and much too public. Maybe Glasgow’s just too cool for its own good. Tepid appetisers apart, why else would the Michelin inspectors give ABode the cold shoulder?

 

field facts

Price: Lunch menu, choose any 3 courses £9.95. 3 courses matched with 2 wines £16.00. Cate\\\'s start rating: 3.5 stars.