210 Bistro is among the city centre restaurants that I have adored for some time.
It looks the part, has excellent staff, and the food and drink offering is (from personal experience) superb. The view overlooking Aberdeen Harbour tops it all off – and if you don’t believe me, then a visit needs to be on the cards.
Despite being located on arguably one of Aberdeen’s busiest roads, Market Street, 210 Bistro has a relaxing ambience to it. Even the pesky gulls outside fail to tarnish it.
I’m partial to stopping by the venue during Aberdeen Restaurant Week (ARW).
This time, I was joined by my boyfriend Josh, and we tested out one of the independent restaurant’s four ARW menus. Yes, there are four. The more, the merrier.
Dinner with a view in the 210 Bistro sky bar
While there is a £10 lunch menu and a weekday dinner menu on Wednesdays and Thursdays up for grabs until next Sunday (August 20), the pair of us sampled the weekend two tasting menu.
You can tuck into the five-course meal next Friday (August 18) and Saturday (August 19) for £39 per person. If you fancy paired drinks alongside them, it’ll be an additional £18 a head.
We decided against the paired drinks and let the food do all the talking as we admired the sights from the 210 Bistro sky bar. This is located on the restaurant’s upper level.
Eclectic ingredients that ‘married together perfectly’
First up, the aesthetically pleasing chicken liver parfait choux bun with caramelised red onion.
I sliced through the flakey choux bun and discovered a smooth and earthy pate. It was everything Josh had hoped for – creamy and rich.
We couldn’t think of a better pairing for it than the accompanying sweet and buttery caramelised onions, which the choux bun was perched on top of.
I say sweet and buttery, but there was a slight savoury note to them too.
The next dish arrived just moments after our first set of plates had been cleared, which delighted us. Our faces said it all when our server placed the pork belly and black pudding in front of us – this was the dish we were most looking forward to.
Again, the eclectic mix of flavours and textures married perfectly together.
The pork belly and black pudding, which had a slight kick to it, had a crisp outer coating and was teamed with celeriac remoulade and apple gel. We agreed the remoulade was the star of the show.
Now, time for a palate cleanser – bring on the strawberry and black pepper sorbet
Course three’s aim was to cleanse the palate, and that it did.
Neither of us knew what to expect when we read the words “strawberry and black pepper sorbet” on the menu, but it certainly achieved its aim.
Light, zingy and refreshing, the vibrant sorbet was a delight. Our only criticism would be for more pepper. Nevertheless, our stomachs were prepped for the remaining dishes.
The final courses exceeded expectations…
The restaurant remained fairly quiet for a Friday, which meant our dishes were making their way out of the kitchen swiftly.
Our four oz steak dish turned out to be the stand-out course. I’m still thinking about it one week on.
It was cooked medium. Result.
The steak was tender and topped with a silky-smooth pepper sauce that had a little bit of heat. The commendable 210 Bistro chefs even provided us with extra should we have needed it.
There was smoked carrot puree and green beans underneath the fillet. The puree was stellar and pulled everything together. If it were sold in supermarkets, I’d be buying it by the bucketloads.
And it doesn’t stop there, a side of potato and ox cheek pave was also on the cards. I can’t speak highly enough about this either.
The dessert – dark chocolate fondant with passionfruit compote, mango gel and stracciatella ice cream – brought the show to a close. If you’re a chocolate lover, like Josh, then you’re in for a treat.
The gel was refreshing and slightly sour, complementing the ice cream.
When our spoons pierced the fondant, a stream of melted chocolate poured out. What a treat it was.
The verdict
As already mentioned, this menu is available for two days only. Not only were the dishes visually stunning, but they tasted the part too, so I’d urge you to get booking.
As per usual, the staff couldn’t have been more attentive. And to have the head chef come out for a brief chat with the pair of us as our meal came to an end was superb.
210 Bistro remains one of my firm favourite restaurants in the city, that’s for sure.
Information
A: 210 Market Street, Aberdeen AB11 5PQ
Price: £76
Aberdeen Restaurant Week promotions:
- Lunch menu for £10
- Weekday dinner (Wednesdays and Thursdays) – two courses for £20 or three courses for £25
- Weekend two tasting menu – Friday, August 18 and Saturday, August 19 Aug £39pp/ £57pp paired with drinks
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