You can tell a lot about a place when you first walk into it.
Like a date, first impressions matter and if I was to mark The Albyn in Aberdeen on face value, I’d have easily given it five out of five all round, especially with its stunning interior and attention to detail.
But when reviewing restaurants, it is our job, as the reviewer, to critique to the highest standard and to give a non-biased, true representation of our visit.
The Albyn
A few weekends ago when I wasn’t quite feeling up to the task of cooking, I suggested to my boyfriend that we head to The Albyn for dinner. I’d booked in advance, as I knew I wouldn’t be the only one keen to avoid slaving over a hot cooker on a Sunday evening.
I’m also aware The Albyn has been in hot demand since reopening under new ownership last year and I didn’t want to risk my chances.
We’d driven up to Albyn Place, just along from the venue, as it is free to park on a Sunday.
When we walked in the place was bouncing. It was loud and there was so much energy in the room. We were greeted quickly and then shown through the bar to the garden room which is a gorgeous area with a glass ceiling that definitely makes you feel like you’ve been transported to warmer climates.
The menu of Scottish bistro dishes had changed slightly since my last visit and I spotted the special I had on the main menu. I was told it was due to its popularity and was now a staple best seller.
We ordered drinks (Diet Coke) and were read the specials by our server. It had just gone 6pm so it was still light outside and no one seemed in a rush to leave.
Kyle Jackson, the head chef, popped his head out of the kitchen into the dining room and I managed to get a few words with him. His wife was also in for Sunday roast and I looked on in envy to her table as she and a friend tucked in.
The food
Service was slick and things were moving along at a reasonable pace.
We received our starters within 15 minutes and both looked the part. My boyfriend fancied the baked Camembert (£12), which is big enough to share, so I said I would give him a hand.
The molten, runny cheese oozed its way down the rind of the cheese and sizzled as it reached the bottom of the piping hot skillet.
Roasted garlic cloves and a few springs of rosemary has been stuck into it. Both added a nice flavour, albeit subtle.
The oozing continued as my boyfriend made his way into the centre with the thinly sliced crust bread it came with. The bread was soft and soaked up the cheese, but its crisp edges made it easy to dunk.
From Bakery Lane’s chilli onion jam was a sweet addition and there was a good helping of it in the ramekin. He layered the jam onto the bread and then submerged it into the cheese. The combination worked very well.
My posh prawn cocktail (£10) did in fact look very posh, but it wasn’t very practical.
Served in a scallop shell it made things a little difficult when trying to cut and fork the ingredients.
The seafood sauce was gorgeous but I just wish I had more of it to smother all of the five prawns, which differed in size, in. The lettuce was crisp and the micro herbs and edible flowers added to its aesthetic.
I was oblivious to the pile of sea salt the scallop was sitting on to try and keep it steady until I had poured my deconstructed prawn cocktail onto the plate, took a forkful of lettuce and got an unexpected mouthful of salt that I could have done without.
I scooped what I could away from the salty mass to salvage the rest of my starter.
Despite my slightly chaotic start, the prawns were delicious.
I couldn’t help myself and had ordered the sesame and soy seabass fillet (£22) with tenderstem broccoli, pak choi, spring onions and fresh chillies.
While the fish was cooked to perfection, I couldn’t help but notice the pools of water and oil that had formed all around the dish.
I initially ignored it as I began to work my way through, but water seemed to be appearing from every crevasse of the dish.
The fresh chillies brought a warmth to it and the spring onion and broccoli were vibrant, but it was the pak choi that seemed to be weeping and was tempering with the flavours which was a bit of a shame.
The spiced lamb cutlets with lamb and garlic kebab (£20) on the other side of the table looked delicious and his plate too looked vibrant.
There were two bits of meat on the bone which were moist and tender. Although the kebab was a little dry, the flavour was there and so didn’t pose too much of an issue. It was incredibly rich in spices and the sumac yoghurt dressing went well with the tangy chickpea tomato and red pepper stew.
A grilled flatbread helped soak up any of the leftovers and the chickpeas added a different texture and complemented the meat well, too.
We’d toyed with the idea of dessert and decided to share the vanilla raspberry cheesecake (£7.50).
The cheesecake itself was very soft and there was a thin layer of buttery biscuit at its base. The raspberry sorbet was tart and refreshing and you could see the seeds of the berries throughout.
It sat on top of a white chocolate crumb and was served with frozen berries on the side. It was a safe dish to end with.
A few weeks later I returned with friends and ordered a chicken Caesar salad (£12.50 plus £4 for chicken) which was delicious. The chicken was succulent and it was a hefty portion. The only downfall would have been the lack of dressing, which was quickly resolved with an additional pot brought to the table.
Their steaks were a bit overdone to their liking, but the pink peppercorn sauce helped.
My side of truffle parmesan fries (£5) was enjoyable and had plenty of cheese and truffle oil, although I do think fries with toppings are usually priced quite high for what they are.
We also sampled a few cocktails which went down a treat.
The verdict
The Albyn is a plush place that clearly is quite popular. Every time I have visited it has been busy, but every experience has also been quite different.
Service is consistent and the staff can never do enough for you and I like that the menu has something for vegans and veggies, too.
The setting is stunning, too, with hanging plants, faux greenery, mirror and brick detailing and beautiful blue and burnt orange hues
However I can’t help but think there’s a few things on the food front that maybe need tweaked.
I will definitely be back as I love what the owners have done with the place, however I think I may play it safe next time.
Information:
Address: 11 Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB10 1YE
T: 01224 973855
Price: £85.50 for two starters, two mains, one dessert and four pints of Diet Coke.
Score:
-
- Food: 4/5
- Service: 4/5
- Surrounding: 5/5
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