When we headed out for lunch as a family over the weekend, it was in the knowledge that our five year old might not be the worst behaved there.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s never allowed to run riot or leave a mess.
But there’s normally 27 trips to the toilet, and an embarrassingly loud conversation about the people sat next to us.
But our chosen venue is the go to place for dog owners taking a stroll at Aberdeen beach, there’s even a ball pit for four legged friends.
The Venue: Barking Mad Coffee & Cakes Aberdeen
Welcome to the aptly named Barking Mad Coffee & Cakes, which is very much aimed at the canine companions in your life.
From a separate doggy menu to dog treats, dog décor and a general pooch inspired vibe, we’ve often nipped into Barking Mad when out with our own Jack Russell.
We’ve only ever stayed for a quick ice cream however, and on this occasion we left Alfie at home having been furniture shopping prior.
Thankfully there’s no rule that states you must have a dog to enter, and we saw plenty of fellow diners minus a dog at their feet.
When we arrived it was strangely quiet, and we had our pick of the tables.
One of the things I love about this place is that you aren’t crammed in like sardines, perhaps because some eager wagging tails could easily send the cutlery flying.
With plenty of space to squeeze a German shepherd or two, we were greeted by a friendly server who gave us the menus with a smile.
The decor is bright and fresh, and there are of course plenty of dog pics to study.
If you’re dining with your pup, there’s delicacies such as chicken pancakes and doggy ice cream, and we did feel rather guilty that Alfie wasn’t there to join the feast.
The Food
The menu has been kept simple for lunch, with a selection of toasties alongside specials – which included the Barking Club Sandwich and The New Yorkie.
I was really impressed by the children’s menu, which offered cheese quesadilla, soup of the day or a tasty Nutella and banana toastie.
Not a chicken nugget in sight, amen to that.
Having debated our food orders, we were really impressed by the drinks offerings which go beyond the standard café affair.
My husband, who is on a health kick, immediately settled on a concoction called cleansing apple.
This consisted of apple, spinach, honey, almond milk and chai.
Duly ordered, he also went for a black coffee, whilst I selected a frappe, and our son had a kids hot chocolate with marshmallows, plus a strawberry milkshake.
My frappe was deliciously smooth and creamy, and really hit the spot after a morning spent debating the merits of different dining room tables.
I managed to get a sip of my son’s milkshake and wish I had ordered one for myself.
Swirled throughout was strawberry puree, so it was fruity as opposed to sickly sweet.
The hot chocolate came served in a lovely dachshund decorated mug, and the cream of course went down well.
I must confess, the cleansing apple smoothie was definitely not to my taste, but my Aberdonian husband who is normally short on compliments, described it as “beautiful.”
Our food arrived relatively quickly, and was very well presented without appearing fussy.
Naturally, my son had decided the children’s menu wasn’t to his liking.
The chef had no problem with instead cooking up his request of sausages, bacon and a fried egg.
The portion size was perfect and it was served on a children’s plate.
I really appreciated the fact that it wasn’t a problem to order off menu, and my son tucked in immediately.
It was also still priced as a kiddy offering, and was great value for money at £2.50.
The smell had both me and my husband begging for a bite, but our son declared the dish to be so delicious that he couldn’t possibly share.
Fair enough, the sausages in particular looked juicy while the all important fried egg was neither too greasy or overdone.
I had settled on a chorizo, cheese and chicken panini complete with sweet chili sauce and priced at £8.
It came with a colourful salad, coleslaw and crisps.
When I say salad, I don’t mean the wilted type which sits limply on the plate as an after thought.
This was a generous helping of fresh tomato, peppers, shredded lettuce, cucumber, you name it.
I loved the purple cabbage slaw in particular, and didn’t know quite to eat first.
The star of the show was absolutely delicious.
Cheese spilled out of the panini without leaving a trail of grease behind, and the chicken mixed with sweet chili sauce had my taste buds alert and ready for more.
The chorizo was thinly sliced, and if I was being super critical it would have been nice to see it diced and worked through the mixture.
Overall the dish was so tasty though, and I’d definitely order it again.
My husband went for a tuna mayo jacket potato, which again came with salad and crisps and cost £6.75.
The filling had just the right mayo to tuna ratio, and the potato had clearly been oven baked instead of whacked in the microwave.
It was fluffy on the inside with crispy skin, and my husband cleared his plate.
The café filled up as we enjoyed our meal, and our son gave us a running commentary on each dog which came in.
That’s part of the fun of Barking Mad, from the noble looking golden retriever sat poised on a seat, to the terrier ready to take on every fellow four legged customer … until a plate of doggy sausages arrived.
You can’t help but smile when surrounded by dogs and their owners, and the staff kept everything running smoothly.
Before paying the bill, we went to look at the numerous tempting treats displayed in a glass cabinet at the counter.
Brownies, tray bakes, you name it.
My son settled on a jelly tots cookie pie, which came from local producer, Bakeology with Matt.
It was lovely to see small businesses supporting one another, and we course couldn’t leave without buying some veal sticks for Alfie.
The Verdict
We really enjoyed our meal, from the relaxed atmosphere to the delicious food.
Barking Mad clearly knows what it’s about, and we’ll be back with Alfie in the not so distant future.
Address: Barking Mad Coffee & Cakes, Unit 2, 9 Esplanade, Aberdeen AB24 5NS
T: 01224 210626
W: Barking Mad Coffee & Cakes on Facebook.
Cost: £43.95 for three meals including one kid’s meal, five drinks, one cake and two dog treats.
