Despite staff being slightly too attentive, our restaurant reviewer found the seafood offering at the Silver Darling to be delicious.
Where’s your favourite place in Aberdeen?
Torry Battery is right at the top of my list. It offers some of the best views of the Granite City: golden sand stretching as far as the eye can see to the front; the spires of Castlegate to the far right; Girdleness Lighthouse behind and, of course, the harbour below.
Watching the boats gracefully gliding into the harbour, sometimes with dolphins playing in the waves they leave behind, just feels so peaceful.
The harbour itself is far from quiet, however, with the oil industry, fishing, shipbuilding, textiles and global transportation of stone from our quarries all using the gateway over the last 885 years. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the harbour is the oldest existing business in Britain.
And right there at the centre of it sits the Silver Darling in the former Customs House building.
It is here that my friend Joe and I decided to have our first post-lockdown rendezvous. I had been before, but it was Joe’s first visit and he was delighted that his preconceptions of a rather stuffy, deep-carpeted and red velvet-curtained kind of place were entirely wrong.
The Silver Darling’s upstairs dining area boasts floor-to-ceiling glass windows, allowing diners to take in the view of the beach, the harbour and Fittie – a quirky traditional fishing village which I bet a good few of you named as your favourite spot earlier.
The airy, modern and unpretentious restaurant, owned by the McGinty’s Group, doesn’t appear to have undergone too many Covid changes, with the tables comfortably spaced out to offer guests the best views of the comings and goings of the harbour.
What I didn’t remember from my last visit was the extensive cocktails menu, mostly made up of the classics with a few twists added for summer. Joe and I both picked the raspberry bellini, which was nicely balanced, and we got to work on deciding our food – and which bits of the last few months we should catch up about first.
The food
As a returning visitor, I knew the pil pil prawns were too good not to have again. The chunky, juicy prawns come in a deliciously tangy chilli and garlic sauce which was all too quickly mopped up with the freshly baked tomato and basil bread. Just thinking about them again makes my mouth water.
My pescatarian pal opted for one of the daily specials to start, monkfish cheek. He couldn’t ever remembering ordering it before but hailed it a successful experiment, enjoying the tenderness of the fish and its deep flavour.
For the main, Joe opted for seared halibut with a cheddar and chive crust, served on a green pea and lemon risotto. He was relieved the perfectly cooked fish was not overpowered by the crust and thoroughly enjoyed the refreshing risotto accompaniment.
Meanwhile, I wasted no time tucking into my homemade monkfish scampi. Piping hot, the breaded pieces were delicious both on their own or dunked in the wild garlic mayo.
For absolute greed rather than need, we also shared a side of the crab straw fries. Piled high in – you’ve guessed it – a crab shell, this dish was almost a meal on its own. The crab meat was fresh and tangy and we wolfed the lot.
Around us, the other tables equally looked to be enjoying their choices. The platters seemed particularly popular, and there was a moment of food envy as they were taken to the couple nearby.
Loaded with Loch Fyne salmon, mussels and oysters, Stonehaven langoustines, Shetland scallops and various other delicacies, they are a perfect showcase of Scotland’s fishing industry and are definitely on my must-try list for next time.
The menu does have options for those not so keen on seafood; there are some tasty sounding burger, steak and chicken options and a very reasonably priced kids menu.
We were happy to continue putting the world to rights and let our food go down, but the waiting staff were keen to get the pudding order in.
It was a quiet Tuesday evening and there were plenty of other tables around, so we certainly weren’t hogging a table while a queue built up outside, nor were we exceeding any of the time limits that the Scottish Government has put on hospitality.
It’s my only criticism of our visit – the staff were almost too attentive, and it began to feel like we were being rushed.
The verdict
I suspect that’s simply the Covid effect, rather than a true reflection of the Silver Darling. Everyone is keen to offer a good service and keep things moving, and perhaps with fewer people allowed through the doors, it naturally means the staff are slightly less rushed off their feet, so are therefore faster to come back to each table than we’re all normally accustomed to.
Anyway, we soon found our pudding tummies and ordered a crème brulee for Joe and a baked Alaska for me. Both were just the perfect size, and brought the evening to a very sweet, satisfying end.
As we headed back out, the haar began to close in on us – hiding the Torry Battery from view. It won’t be too long before I’m back up there admiring my surroundings, however, while glancing across to the Silver Darling and dreaming of another plate of that scampi.
Information
Address: The Silver Darling, North Pier House, 43 Pocra Quay, Aberdeen AB11 5DQ
01224 576229
thesilverdarling.co.uk
Price: £111.95
Scores
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Surroundings: 4/5
