Restaurant group Rusk & Rusk are set to open the doors to the Spanish Butcher, which arrives at 80 Miller Street in Glasgow’s bustling Merchant City, on the 1st of December, and already the anticipation for the group's latest venture has seen over 1,000 people making reservations in the first two weeks since bookings were officially opened.
The new venue will continue in the same vein as its sister restaurants, with premium meats high on the agenda, this time the focus being very much as the name suggests, with Spanish meat & fish taking centre stage.
Grade 9 Galician Prime Rib Steak. Picture: Reuben Paris
With Grade 9 Galician steak, 30 month salt-cured Iberico Jamon, whole Turbot and grilled octopus on the menu, along with some of the best home-grown produce from Scotland’s larder, the emphasis is firmly on delivering a unique interpretation of steak & seafood.
Group Development Chef John Molloy said: “The menu is inspired by Spanish & Mediterranean flavours, but we’ve always been champions of great ingredients grown here in Scotland, so we’ve looked where possible to merge them with the best produce from Spain."
Whole-baked Seabass with Green Beans, New Potatoes and Jerusalem Artichoke. Picture: Reuben Paris
Co-owner James Rusk believes the focus on Spanish cuisine gives the new restaurant the chance to showcase the group's focus on offering the best meat and seafood, not just from Scotland, but also from across Europe, he said: "We’re renowned for using the very best of Scotch steak in our restaurants, so for us, this was opportunity to showcase our passion for world class beef by introducing steak from Spain’s Galician region.
"The unique difference between the two is the length of time the cattle are reared, Spanish cows are considerably older than ours, by over a decade, so the flavour profile is something else altogether, and it’s very exciting to be sharing that with the people of Glasgow”.
Co-owners James & Louise Rusk say they wanted to deliver a highly stylised decor, taking inspiration from New York’s dining scene, with the end result being a mature, Manhattan loft-style vibe to the venue.
Picture: Reuben Paris
To realise their vision, Rusk & Rusk engaged the services of renowned architects Mosaic, lead-designer Stuart Black said: "The brief was to design a city centre venue that felt like a destination, with a real energy and freshness about it.
Picture: Reuben Paris
"New York has a massive history and great design language, and we’ve aimed to capture that with this project."
Louise Rusk added: “Restaurants, for us, are about evoking emotion and creating memories, people not only expect great food and service, we believe our customers want to experience great spaces, so it’s pivotal that our restaurants are designed with that in mind. Whilst the best quality produce and excellent customer service are crucial components, so too are the settings in-which they’re housed”.
