The highly popular Aberdeen Restaurant Week gets underway today, with around 40 city centre restaurants and cafes taking part.
Food lovers will be able to enjoy a wide range of cuisines on offer for two simple price points of £10 for lunch and £25 for dinner.
Returning to the city for its eighth edition and organised by Business Improvement District, Aberdeen Inspired, the 12-day promotion runs from Monday March 7 to Friday March 18.
Diners can choose from a range of cuisines including Asian, American, Indian, Italian, Spanish, Scottish and Nepalese, as well as sample some of the best coffee, cakes and ice cream the city has to offer.
Every restaurant signed up for the event has their own unique set price dining offer available.
Aberdeen Restaurant Week aims to showcase the city centre hospitality scene and gives diners the chance to experience a wide range of food choices while taking advantage of the special deals offered by all the participating places.
What’s on offer?
Lunchtime newcomers to the event include family-run The Pigs Wings, The Jewel in the Crown, Cup and Kirk View Café and Bistro who are now operating from their new home on Belmont Street.
The dinner options include some innovative menus from late-night tavern The Tippling House and award-winning Nepalese restaurant 8848, and The Esslemont is offering the option to substitute one of the courses on their £25 menu for a glass of house wine or a cocktail.
There are also a few spots where two people can dine for £25 including newcomer Faffless, a relaxed and friendly café and wine bar, Handmade Burger Co., 99 Bar and Kitchen and the Under The Hammer which reopened in November last year.
Nick Gordon, general manager of 99 Bar and Kitchen, said: “Aberdeen Restaurant Week has always been a brilliant venture for both restaurants and consumers alike.
“By partnering with How Bao Now, a kitchen team that specialises in Asian street food, predominantly bao buns, we are able to provide a unique culinary experience, allowing our guests to sample the whole menu at a really attractive price point, as well as rewarding our regular guests with the discounted price.”
Newcomer to the event Soul have put together a three-course dinner menu which can be enjoyed with a glass of house wine or beer for £25.
Sarah Wheeler, general manager at Soul, said: “We have devised a unique menu which we feel will excite regular and attract new diners to the venue during the 12 day promotion.
“We feel what Soul has to offer diners fits well with the ethos of Aberdeen Restaurant Week and we believe that events like this, where we work together to promote all the city has to offer, brings tangible collective benefits to the city.
“There’s no doubt that confidence in eating out needs to be restored and events like this go a long way to help.”
Foodies looking for a sweet treat at any time of the day might want to head along to Mackie’s 19.2 in Marischal Square for their £10 crepe and hot drinks deal, and other cafes such as Aberdeen Art Gallery, Books and Beans and Foodstory will offer lighter bites.
Get out and support local
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, added: “There’s always a noticeable increase in people in the city centre, particularly during weekday nights when Aberdeen Restaurant Week is on. Diners really get behind the promotion and the set price deals seem to encourage people to eat out more often than they normally would.
“I’ve heard from numerous contacts who’ve taken the opportunity to go for lunch every day, enjoying what the city has to offer with colleagues and they’ve gone on to add in a dinner or two with friends and family.
“This is what it’s all about, opening up the city, building confidence around getting back out and about.
“The struggles facing city businesses as a result of the pandemic are well documented and Aberdeen Restaurant Week is the catalyst which brings residents and visitors to the centre of Aberdeen to enjoy what’s on offer.”
