Our son invited his girlfriend up to our home in Aberdeen to meet the family for the first time and tour the area.
Thankfully the weather was kind and we took her to one of our favourite tourist spots, Dunnottar Castle, near Stonehaven.
We walked along the cliff edge drinking in the magnificent views out to sea as the sunshine sparkled off the waters that lapped the shore.
The dramatic cliffs and the fortress ruins were the perfect photo backdrop and we ended our morning with a delicious ice cream from Giulianotti’s in the town square.
No.10 Bar and Restaurant
All of this fresh air and exercise had given us an appetite so we were glad we had booked a place at No.10 Bar & Restaurant that evening.
I have seen so many Instagram posts featuring their roast dinner recently and was so keen to give it a try.
My son and girlfriend are both vegan and we were delighted to see that No.10 have a separate vegan menu.
With all the Covid marquees now gone from the outside the venue we descended the stairs to No.10 and our eyes had to adjust from the bright sunshine outside to the dimly lit basement restaurant below.
There is a sleek bar on the left hand side but we went straight to our table in the restaurant.
For a Sunday tea time it was relatively busy, with young families and couples dotted around the room. A group of young ladies arrived all dressed up and headed into the eatery’s private dining area.
They promptly shut the blinds so I’m not sure what the occasion was but we did see some balloons decorating the room.
The décor is modern and relaxed; deep green leather seating with dark wood tables and chairs sits on a contemporary wooden herringbone floor. An exposed brick wall runs along one side of the room and in front of this is an open prep area for the waiting staff while leather-clad booths adorn the other walls.
A young waiter offered to take our drinks order and distributed menus. As it was sunny outside a few of us fancied a cocktail and requested the cocktail menu and also the vegan menu.
The bar has a delightful varied cocktail menu and the waiter said they can also make any of the classic cocktails, so I ordered my favourite Aperol Spritz while others enjoyed the “Ten time ten” consisting of Tanqueray No.10, kwai fei, mango, charred rosemary and lime; all went down a treat.
The food
The menus have ample choice with the starter offering of Scottish king scallops, smoked cheddar and leek croquettes and curried crab and apple all sounding equally enticing.
Eventually I plumped for the garlic and chilli prawns with The Bread Guy’s Mediterranean loaf, and we also ordered a hoisin tofu crispy noodle and a paprika and smoked garlic hummus from the vegan menu.
My prawns were fabulous, giving me Spanish holiday vibes of enjoying tapas by the beach. They had just the right amount of spice and the bread was perfect for mopping up the sauce.
Both vegan starters were elegantly presented on rectangular plates. The cucumber dish was declared “alright” with a bit too much cucumber to hummus ratio and no roquito peppers that were mentioned on the menu. The noodle dish was superb with pak choi, bean sprouts, peppers and tofu encased in hoisin sauce. The crispy noodles on top provided some crunch to the dish.
There is an ample selection of enticing dishes for main courses too, with salad, grill and fish sections, as well as the more traditional dishes. My Ultimate Sunday Roast dinner should have arrived with a fanfare I was so excited about it!
Served on a large wooden board it really did have the wow factor. I chose the Scotch beef rib roast as a nice change from my usual chicken. This was served with about five roast potatoes, some roasted parsnips and carrots, two Yorkshire puddings and my favourite ingredient skirlie.
The beef was tender and juicy and I loved the miniature pot of red wine jus for pouring over – a triumph of a dish.
There are also enticing sides on the menu; maple glaze pigs in blankets, parmesan cauliflower cheese or even a mac and cheese which would be ideal for sharing.
My husband loved his cider roast pork belly with spring onion mash. The pork had the perfect crispy skin but the piece de resistance was the mustard dressing with white wine and hazelnut that fused all of the delicious flavours of this dish together.
Across the table Shwarma chargrilled kebabs with red onion and peppers looked a delightful summery dish served with rice, pitta bread and a garlic and chilli sauce that certainly packed a punch.
The Meditteranean vegetable enchiladas didn’t fare quite as well with the enchiladas fairly small, and the avocado salad could have done with a dressing to liven it up a bit.
We sat back and relaxed, commenting on how busy the place was for a Sunday evening. Unusual for me I declined a dessert as I really was full to the brim, but my husband cannot go past a panna cotta, while a vegan warm chocolate fudge cake and salted caramel ice cream was shared across the table.
The fudge cake could have been slightly warmer but it oozed with rich velvety sauce and was polished off in no time. Possibly the dish of the night was the coconut rum panna cotta with exotic fruit salad and crushed meringue – like summer on a plate.
The creamy, sweet panna cotta had the “perfect wobble” and was encircled with tropical pineapple, mango and passion fruit and the crushed meringue. I was only supposed to have a taste but ended up having almost half of this Italian delight.
The verdict
Service was slick and professional from the young waiter but he did appear quite serious; perhaps a little small talk would have been more welcoming.
It’s great so see that No.10 changes up its menu according to seasons using fresh, local produce. The standard of food is well above the usual pub grub with an interesting twist on many of the dishes.
What a lovely end to a great weekend of sunshine and sightseeing around the north-east.
Information
Address: No.10 Bar & Restaurant, 10 Queens Terrace, Aberdeen AB10 1XL
T: 01224 631928
W: no10aberdeen.co.uk
Price: £140 for three starters, four main courses, two desserts, three cocktails and a beer
Scores
- Food 4/5
- Service 4/5
- Atmosphere 4/5
Conversation