The Edinburgh Reporter February 2022

17
Devil’s in the detail
Stay over, stay in and order room service at the decadent House of Gods
COMMISERATIONS TO fellow
singletons who dread 14 February. I
received some very insightful dating
advice recently: “If you’re single, join
Tinder. You’ll still be single but will feel a
hell of a lot better about it.”
When Valentine’s Day rolls around I
console myself by remembering at least
I’m not in the restaurant business any
more. An evening that ought to be full of
romance and promise can be a bit of a
dirge. Restaurants require tables of four
and six to liven up the atmosphere and its
no fun to be full of rather miserable
looking couples who dine out once a year.
At least Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday
this year, making for an unexpectedly
prosperous night. Its a real snore when it’s
a Saturday and your restaurant would be
full anyway.
(Above) sexy
irreverence is in
abundance at House of
Gods in Cowgate
What about something a tad more
erotic for Valentine’s Day, or any old day
of the year if you’re the classy sort? I
recently caught up with Mike Baxter, who
with his brother Ross owns House of
Gods Hotel in Edinburgh’s Cowgate.
Although a fairly new establishment it’s
already caused quite a stir and no wonder
- the rooms are furnished with the sort of
decadence that might make burlesque
star Dita Von Teese blush.
Mike and Ross have had their finger on
the pulse of the hotel business for a long
time. After opening Kip, their
“flashpacking” hotel in London in 2014
they soon established their boutique
hostel in Edinburgh aptly named Baxters,
Mike said: “Well it was good enough for
the Hiltons!”
The entrepreneurial brothers decided
to focus on a new vision for the
Edinburgh luxury market.
“We wanted to recreate the opulence of
the Orient Express and Versailles but give
it a more contemporary, modern twist
and make it accessible and friendly to
everybody.” Opening in 2019 they were
soon hit by lockdown. “We used that time
to take a good look at what we were
offering and learned a lot about refining
our ideas. A popular experience is Treat
Me Like I’m Famous, where you can press
buttons in your room and a butler comes
running with all sorts of indulgences
from prosecco to a midnight feast.”
House of Gods doesn’t have a dining
room although residents can enjoy their
equally sumptuous Casablanca Cocktail
Club bar. “The experience is all about
enjoying a slumber party in your room
with your partner. We order in Civernos
Pizzas for our guests, which they love.
Most people check in at 3pm and don’t
leave their rooms until checkout at noon
the next day.” Breakfast is delivered in a
hamper, so lazy mornings are to be
actively encouraged.
It’s no surprise House of Gods has
already been voted as Edinburgh’s sexiest
hotel. “It’s all about experiencing an
other-worldy fantasy, falling down the
rabbit hole,” Mike tells me. “And the walls
are well soundproofed.”
Mike and Ross are already establishing
House of Gods in Glasgow, Manchester
and Cardiff. “The plan is to have a House
of Gods in every city.” With a concept so
glamorous and sensual it would be rude
not to.
Juliet Lawrence Wilson
Drinks that
reflect the
majesty
of nature
THERE ARE SO many
innovative drinks offerings
going on in Edinburgh and
the Lothians, it can be
difficult to keep up. Some
especially romantic tipples
have been created by Buck &
Birch creative duo, Tom
Chisholm and Rupert Waites.
Their ethos is to connect to
the landscape and shore,
creating exciting drinks that
reflect the majesty and
romance of nature. I tried
their Aelder Elixir, a dark and
fruity wild elderberry liquor.
Every sip was warming and
indulgent and rounded off a
good dinner with a nibble of
dark chocolate. A super
Valentine’s Day gift would be
a visit to their East Lothian
distillery where guests can
sample all their concoctions,
some wild foraged treats and
limited edition releases. To
book and purchase their
Elixirs of Love selection visit
buckandbirch.com
The ever innovative
Campbell and Giselle at
Eddie’s Fishmarket have
come up with something
incredibly special just in time
for Valentine’s Day. Vintage
Sturia Caviar is available to
purchase for £39 per ounce.
Follow @eddiesedinburgh on
Instagram for seafood
inspiration. Meantime pop
the champers open and
serve your lover these:
BLINIS WITH CAVIAR
Mix together 100g wholemeal strong bread flour and 70g
plain white flour. Add a teaspoon of fast action yeast and a
pinch of salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre of the dry
ingredients and pour in 225ml of slightly warmed milk and
one large beaten egg. Whisk the ingredients together until
a smooth batter has formed then cover with clingfilm and
leave in a warm spot for 1 hour. Heat a skillet with a little
oil and fry the blinis by dropping in small spoonfuls. Once
the blinis have started to bubble on the surface, turn them
and cook for another minute until golden. Serve with sour
cream and caviar.