Soul in the City: Itchycoo features in The Scotsman

3.12.05

Hotel bars used not to enjoy the most enviable of reputations. At best they were soulless spaces frequented by out-of-town businessmen in ill-fitting suits. At worst, they were pick-up joints, the atmosphere as tacky as the décor.

Thankfully, owners have now woken up to the fact that with a little imagination hotel bars and restaurants can appeal to people who live in the area as well as catering to those who happen to be stranded for an evening or two attending the latest conference on the car industry.

One hotel bar and eating place that oozes style is Itchycoo in one of Edinburgh’s most popular hotels, Radisson SAS on the Royal Mile. Jim Hamilton, of the Glasgow-based design company, Graven Images, has created a distinctive, bold space here with a warm, minimal feel that’s cool enough to compete with any of its rivals in the capital. In fact, it would not look out of place in Manhattan and indeed much of the thinking behind Itchycoo was influenced by the more relaxed approach to dining that is so prevalent in New York.

The menu, for example, has been created by the New York-based chef, Christer Larsson, and reflects the current trends of the restaurant scene over there, where the standard three-course meal is almost a thing of the past.

Diners can choose from a series of small platters, giving them the freedom to eat as much or as little as they like—think tapas, except with locally sourced fresh produce and appetiser-size portions. Larsson explains; “How often do you look at a menu and think, I want that, that and that, but then have to make the choice in order to fit the format? At Itchycoo you are invited to try them all, with small portions designed for you to take your time and enjoy the experience of quality food served within a relaxed and stylish environment, with no pretensions.”

To complement the informal dining ethos of Itchycoo Bar and Kitchen, Hamilton has incorporated a range of seating types. The high, dark wood tables can seat 12 people comfortably on chrome and cream leather stools. Malcolm Rann, the hotel’s general manager, says; “These high tables are good for groups who want to share food. And I love sitting around them, I can spread out a newspaper or magazine if I’m on my own.”

Couples, or those wishing for a little more privacy to enjoy dishes such as the steamed mussels and carpaccio of beef tenderloin can sit at the wall-mounted tables with their low-backed, olive-green leather seats, or the series of dark wood tables in the centre of the dining area, which have Scandinavian-style seats.

Meanwhile, what could have been an awkward space in the corner created by a turret is now an attractive, intimate booth. With his bold use of black and gold Napoleon Bee wallpaper by the renowned Timorous Beasties, and charcoal leather seating, Hamilton has made the spot a feature rather than a dead space, a fact cemented by the eye-catching, contemporary Big Bang chandelier by Foscarini, which hangs overhead.

The same Napoleon Bee wallpaper hangs on the back wall where additional impact comes in the shape of a series of photographs in Perspex cases. Entitled Facets, the five images of iconic figures including Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol have been rendered in 3D by intricate folding of paper, the idea being that the faces change depending on the position of the viewer. It’s the work of artist Bob Kingdom. Also an actor, Kingdom is perhaps best known in this sphere for Edinburgh Fringe performances of his one-man show, Dylan Thomas.

To the left of this wall, the leather bar stools that sit at the high dining tables can also be found around the main bar, which is of dark wood with a Silestone top. Beyond the bar is a third seating area beneath elegant ceiling arches.

Opened since September, Itchycoo is the latest refurbishment project since Radisson took over the hotel two years ago. The work, again completed by Graven Images, includes new interiors for the 238 bedrooms.

The main lobby and meeting area has also had a complete facelift by Hamilton and now includes a stylish seating area that is thankfully devoid of the usual kitsch tartan coverings. Instead, a nod to the hotel’s geography comes in a series of black and white photographs of the capital by the Glasgow photographer, Renzo Mazzolini. What was the main bar is now closed, mainly because it looks dated and is so far from the street that no passers-by would ever have found it.

The space now occupied by Itchycoo was once used as a fine dining room and latterly as a conference facility. Now, however, its design and its welcoming, arched glass entrance directly opposite the reception area helps ensure anyone who does venture in won’t be tempted to turn on their heels and flee. Indeed, with its timber walls and ceiling washed in a tropical oil stain, and its dark wood furniture and low ceilings, Itchycoo has a distinctly cosy atmosphere.

According to Rann, much thought went into the name of the bar and kitchen. For anyone old enough to remember the Small Faces hit of the 1960s, Itchycoo Park was the name the band gave to a place where homeless people gathered.

Hamilton must be a big fan because, according to Paul Williams who penned the song, the name Itchycoo was also a reference to the number of stinging nettles in his local park. Sure enough, a nettle motif has been incorporated into the design of the glass doors at the entrance.

A trip to Williams’ local park may have been a painful experience but at Itchycoo, it is comfort and style all the way.