After enjoying a lavish lunch for our first instalment of Society lunch club, we decided to spoil ourselves again.
Each month, we’ll be seeking out some of Aberdeen’s top lunch spots and putting them under our taste test.
Our first lunch club venture took us to Parx Cafe on Rubislaw Terrace.
Spicy chicken gyros and burritos were winners all-round here. But this time, we set our sights closer to home.
Joined by Society writer Rosie Lowne and team photographer Wullie Marr, we made the small trip across the road to tuck in to a lunchtime feast.
The venue
Upperkrust Aberdeen is somewhat of a local delicacy in the Granite City.
Situated in Upperkirkgate, just seconds from our own Marischal Square offices, this sandwich shop offers nothing but joy from the minute you set foot in the door.
Doric phrases and customer pictures adorn the walls of this classic, homely cafe. It feels like one of those places that hasn’t changed for decades – but that’s what makes it so special.
There’s even a famous face residing in the shop in the form of a life-sized cardboard cut-out of actor Tom Hardy – a shameless bit of eye-candy.
But one thing is always guaranteed – any welcome at Upperkrust is always initiated with a bright “hello” from the shop’s staff.
New gossip comes with each visit and when it comes to the food, the staff couldn’t be friendlier in helping you decide from its mouthwatering options.
The panini specials adorning the upper wall immediately catch the eye. But glancing below to the homemade traybakes is a sight to behold.
Soup and sandwich deals are a great option for a first visit here – with homemade soups available fresh every day.
The macaroni cheese and baked potato specials also come highly recommended.
The food
In the end, I set my sights on the club toastie special (£5.70).
Three slices of toasted bread filled with chicken mayo, bacon, cheddar, ham and mozzarella make up this behemoth order, which was nicely presented in manageable portions.
I asked for some extra red onion to give some crunch to the toastie, which I’m glad I did. Salad and tomatoes would’ve perked this further, but its core ingredients were still thoroughly enjoyable.
The cheddar was nicely melted, the chicken mayo didn’t come in processed cubes and the ham and bacon combination added extra meaty flavour.
With its generous portion size, I would share this between two if ordering again.
Rosie opted for one of the venue’s most popular paninis: The crush a grape panini (£5.80).
Bringing a slice of elegant French cuisine to Aberdeen, this creation houses brie as its core filling with grapes, rocket and caramelised onion its sweet and peppery accompaniments.
Rosie is a self-confessed brie lover and she was pleased to see this panini living up to her high standards.
Perfectly toasted, a perfect portion size and the perfect balance of sweet and savoury. A perfect panini all-round.
Wullie went for one of the most bizarre lunch options I have ever heard of in my life.
A filled roll with square sausage and coleslaw (yes, you read that correctly) was what his heart desired and this is apparently one of his all-time lunch favourites.
Two slices of square sausage and a generous dollop of coleslaw were cushioned in the middle of this softie and the only words muttered out from Wullie’s mouth were, “lush”.
To round things up, we chucked in a few of Upperkrust’s irresistible homemade traybakes and soft drinks.
One of these was the caramel Biscoff slice (£2.30) and rarely is a lunchtime treat as indulgent as this.
The hefty weight of this piece said it all; a thick layer of chocolate, caramel and buttery shortbread biscuit rounded off with a sprinkling of Biscoff on the top was a dreamy combination.
This was a hearty portion and quite rich, but if you’re going to treat yourself you might as well go all out!
The other traybake came in the form of the blondie fudge slice (£2.30), which Rosie lapped up in glee.
It reminded her of Caramac bars with its sweet, fudgy flavours while the top coating of sprinkles brought a nice crunch.
Feeling generous, we also picked up a small piece of tablet from the shop counter and handed it to our office receptionist Theresa, satisfying her sweet tooth very contently.
The verdict
Overall, Upperkrust Aberdeen delivered a lunchtime feast fit for office kings and queens.
You won’t find the cheapest sandwiches in Aberdeen here. But what you will get is hearty portions, flavoursome ingredients, a great amount of choice and a smile to brighten up your day – which no amount of money can buy.
Stay tuned, and let us know where you think Team Society should head for lunch next?
Cost: £24.30 for a filled roll, panini and toastie plus two traybakes, two soft drinks and a piece of tablet.
Address: 44-46 Upperkirkgate, Aberdeen AB10 1BA
P: 01224 622334
