First taste: What did we make of the newly-opened Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish in Aberdeen?

By Julia Bryce

July 6 2022, 5:00 pm

The large serving of monkfish.

Some would say it isn’t hard to do something different in a city like Aberdeen.

While our restaurant scene may not be as diverse or bustling as Edinburgh’s, I think what people forget is that you need to look beneath the surface to uncover those hidden gems.

No.1 Bar and Grill was one of those hidden gems that sadly closed down recently as a result of the challenges of the pandemic.

But the venue lives on and has had a new lease of live injected into it by local chef Kevin Dalgleish.

The esteemed chef is undoubtedly one of the best in the north-east, and after his stint as the executive chef at The Chester Hotel for the past decade, it has been refreshing seeing him take on this new, exciting challenge.

Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish

Amuse, which is named aptly after amuse bouche, is elegant. It has the familiarity of No.1’s interior with a sprinkling of sophistication that has been added by interiors specialist Nikki Brown of Westholme Interiors.

The first thing you notice when walking down the steps to the basement venue’s entrance is the new snug area Kevin has created outside to the right hand side. There’s seating and small tables to perch glasses on for those drinking alfresco, and somewhere I don’t doubt will be busy on warm days.

Through the main door you’re welcomed with planters piled high with greenery and a new bar front. The bar area is still to the right, where dogs are welcome, and then the more formal dining area is round to the back.

My friend Katie and I were greeted with open arms by general manager Michal and bar manager Nicola – who Kevin also worked with at The Chester Hotel – and got a drink at the bar area to enjoy some of the snacks on offer.

They included large Gordal olives, vegetable crisps and smoked house nut mix selection (£5). The smoky nuts were delicious and my friend commented on how tasty the olives were.

Other snacks included a jamon Iberico de bellota and manchego cheese plus crispy monkfish cheeks.

The food

The venue was busy but had a relaxed feel to it. There were lots of people in both areas and diners were being led through to their tables booking by booking.

And it is through in the restaurant where the real magic unfolds.

After nibbling in the bar, we were led to our table where were left with our menus.

The first thing I noted was the fish course, which isn’t something you see on many menus in Aberdeen now, and having been recommended the langoustine (£15) from this section, we decided to order one portion between us.

Out of the four starters the risotto (£12) and quail (£13) stood out the most. For mains we picked the beef and monkfish to try, and for dessert it was the chocolate (£10) out of the lemon tart, pavlova and cheese.

The freshly made bread from Bandit Bakery.

To kick our meal off we were treated to complimentary Bandit Bakery bread and Edinburgh Butter Co. The sourdough was warm when served and the soft buttered slid easily over it when spread.

Our server had collected our drinks from the bar just after our starters arrived. We ordered the Jasmine and Grapefruit cocktails (£12.50 each) which looked fabulous.

Katie’s Teasmith gin-based drink with blueberry Italicus, jasmine tea, butterfly pea, lavender bitters and lemon was incredibly refreshing.

There was a small sprig of lavender frozen in the large cube of ice and a separate small bottle of liquid was poured into the drink, making it change from purple to pink in front of our eyes.

My mezcal drink had a lemon sorbet in the middle with grapefruit, rosemary and agave. It was smoky with a hint of sweetness and the sorbet melted slowly into it.

Both dishes looked great but while the quail was better presented, it seemed the flavours of the risotto that won us over more.

Featuring wild mushroom and shallots, the truffle and parmesan coated soft rice was heavenly. The crisp rice puffs on top added a delicate crunch to the dish which was sprinkled with parmesan, too.

The quail dish boasted leg, which was breaded and fried, and succulent breast, and the grelot onion was packed with flavour. Thinly shredded carrots sat on creamy leeks that were topped with a deliciously rich red wine jus which went perfectly with the bird.

The fish course of lasagne of West Coast langoustine with scallops on a bed of buttered hispi cabbage was to die for.

The shellfish bisque it sat in was the most flavourful liquid I have ever sampled, and because the paper thin pasta had been steamed, it was soft and like no pasta I had tried before.

We dipped the remains of our bread to soak up every last morsel of it.

With our mains Katie ordered a glass of Malbec while I opted for a house gin and tonic which was Rock Rose with Fever Tree.

Her medallion of aged beef fillet (£33.50) was gently covered in Diane sauce. Like all steak, it wasn’t cheap, but the quality of the beef and how it had been cooked to perfection justified the restaurant charge.

Spinach and layered pommes Anna added texture to the plate while the beef fat roscoff onion.

My grilled whole tail of monkfish (£28.50) was very different to anything I’ve seen on menus in Aberdeen. While I was slightly intimidated by the sheer size of it, and the fact it was on the bone, it was one of the best things I’ve eaten in a restaurant in a while.

Topped with green peppercorn sauce, there was a side of fluffy pomme puree and sautéed hispi cabbage. Both sides were light, which meant I could devour as much of the meatier fish.

We didn’t need dessert, but after Michal told us how good the chocolate one was I couldn’t refuse.

The 55% Valrhona chocolate mocha mousse was served topped with white, milk and dark chocolate 100s and 1000s and Kevin stepped out of the kitchen to pour the hazelnut cream over the dessert.

This was probably the only dish of the night that I wasn’t really sold on. It tasted good but in comparison to the other dishes I felt it wasn’t on the same level with presentation or flavour.

I’m also unsure if a chocolate dessert is the best thing after a rich meal, so I would opt for one of the others on my next visit.

The verdict

Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish brings something different to Aberdeen’s dining scene. Not only is the food impeccable but the service and the knowledge of the team has to be commended.

While the menu may be small, there’s still plenty of choice and you are guaranteed freshly made dishes with

Bring your appetitive as you’ll want to go for all four courses. But if in doubt, I’d pick a fish course over the dessert as that langoustine lasagne can’t be missed.