Best Aberdeen Restaurants: Where to Eat in Aberdeen Scotland (2024)

We’ve visited Aberdeen a number of times, and have always been really impressed by the variety and quality of restaurants on offer. So impressed in fact, that we decided to put together a whole guide to our favourite places to eat in Aberdeen.

Of course, this only scratches the surface of Aberdeen restaurants, but if you’re visiting Aberdeen, this should start you off on the right foot at least.

We’ve done our best to include a wide range of Aberdeen restaurant options, including vegan, seafood and steak restaurant options in the city. So hopefully you should find something you love!

Table of Contents:

11 Best Aberdeen Restaurants

This is our list of our favourite places to eat in Aberdeen. For each entry, we’ve given you an idea of what to expect, as well as information such as website, contact details and address.

We endeavour to keep this information up to date, but do always check the restaurant’s official website or call ahead before turning up as details can change.

If you know of a change to the info below, please let us know in the comments section below and we’ll be sure to update our info!

Books and Beans

If you like books (who doesn’t like books?), you need to make a beeline for Books and Beans. This cafe is the perfect breakfast location that offers everything from pancake to porridge. They also have a comprehensive all day menu of toasted paninis, sandwiches, and salads.

The real draw though is the fun setting, because Books and Beans is also a local book store, with the walls of the upstairs cafe seating areas absolutely jam-packed with thousands upon thousands of new and secondhand books. This makes for a wonderful environment for enjoying a coffee or breakfast, and is a great way to start your day exploring Aberdeen.

Address:22 Belmont St, Aberdeen AB10 1JH
Telephone: 01224646438
Website:http://www.booksandbeans.co.uk/

Foodstory

Foodstory is a vegetarian / vegan restaurant that offers excellent value dining with a focus on healthy dining options. They also cater to a wide variety of dietary requirements, so if are looking for gluten-free or sugar-free options, you definitely want to check them out.

And if that’s not you, you should still check them out, because the space is fun, the food is excellent, and the prices are great! Plus, they’re open all day serving wraps, salads and coffee, and they also have a full evening menu as well as hot and cold drinks.

Address: 13-15 Thistle Street, Aberdeen
Telephone: N/A, see website for contact options
Website: https://foodstorycafe.co.uk/

Moonfish Café

Despite being called a Café, Moonfish is more of an upscale bistro dining experience, with a focus on fish dishes and modern British cuisine. They serve lunch and dinner, with lunch following an a la carte option (special deals are available for lunchtime dining from Tuesday – Friday).

Café Bohème

If you’re after French fine-dining, look no further thanCafé Bohème. This is an intimate venue offering lunch and dinner menus, with a cosy, candelit atmosphere and a French focused menu – think pork cheeks, snails and duck confit.

There are some great value offers to be had here too. The lunchtime menu, served Tuesday-Saturday from 12-2, offers two courses for only £10, whilst the early evening table d’hote menu offers great value with three courses for £20 (available from 17.30-18.45). We took advantage of the early evening dinner option and really enjoyed our meal. It’s a popular option though, so booking in advance is recommended.

Address: 21-23 Windmill Brae, Aberdeen
Telephone: 01224 210677
Website:https://www.cafebohemerestaurant.co.uk/

The Silver Darling

Found in the village of Footdee at the south end of Aberdeen’s Esplanade, the Silver Darling offers excellent views of the seafront, and just as excellent Scottish based fine dining for lunch and dinner.

The menu focuses on local produce, and being so close to the sea, naturally there is a strong seafood selection to choose from – although there are plenty of land based options as well. We had the seafood platter which is an excellent way to try a variety of lovely seafood options.

Address:Porca Quay, Aberdeen, AB11 5DQ
Telephone: 01224 576229
Website: https://www.thesilverdarling.co.uk/

The Marcliffe

A short way out of Aberdeen’s immediate city centre is the Marcliffe – a luxury hotel which offers a full fine dining restaurant. They are particularly well known for their afternoon teas and Sunday lunches, as well as their King Crab and Lobster dining meals.

If you’re looking to celebrate a particularly special occasion, this is a good place to do just that. They also have good deals on rooms with include menus – check out the special offers section of their website for full details. As you can see, we stopped in for breakfast!

Address: The Marcliffe Hotel and Spa, North Deeside Road, Pitfodels, Aberdeen, AB15 9YA,
Telephone: 01224 861000
Website:http://marcliffe.com/index.html

Carmelite Hotel

A boutique hotel and event space right in the heart of Aberdeen, the Carmelite has an on-site restaurant which offers a variety of dining choices – including two afternoon tea menus and a brunch option. This is definitely a great centrally located choice if you’re into afternoon tea or brunch.

They also offer meals through the day in their Bar&Grill, including full breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Prices are good, and food is of a traditional British theme – think grilled & roasted meats, burgers, scampi and pies. Evening meals are a little more expensive, but still a good value.

Address: Stirling St, Aberdeen AB11 6JU
Telephone: 01224 589101
Website: https://www.carmelitehotels.com/

BrewDog

BrewDog is a Scottish Craft Beer company that was founded in Aberdeenshire in 2007, and has seen explosive growth. As well as a range of beers, they also have a number of bars across Scotland, the wider UK and the USA.

Their first bar though, was in Aberdeen, and it was launched in 2010. Now they have two central locations – BrewDog Aberdeen, which was the original, and Brewdog CastleGate, just across from the Tollbooth Museum.

Both offer a wide range of craft beers as well as a full food menu, with pub favourites including burgers, sharing plates and hot dogs, as well as a selection of vegetarian options. If you’re after more of a lively pub dining experience, these are a great option.

Address: 5-9 Union St, Aberdeen AB11 5BU
Telephone: 01224 586650
Website:https://www.brewdog.com/bars/uk/castlegate

Ninety-Nine Bar & Kitchen

If you prefer to accompany your meal with a co*cktail, you’re going to want to head to Ninety-Nine Bar & Kitchen. This bar serves up all the bar food classics you would expect, along with a variety of co*cktails. Plus, if what you want isn’t on the co*cktail menu, the bar staff will happily put it together for you.

Just note that this is a popular spot, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings, and they regularly host live music events, so come early if you want to get a spot to sit and a bite to eat on those days.

Address: 1 Back Wynd, Aberdeen AB10 1JN
Telephone: 01224 631640
Website:https://99aberdeen.co.uk/

Tippling House

Another option for co*cktail lovers, the Tippling House is a cellar bar that features booth seating, a wood panelled ceiling and, given that this is a list of places to eat in Aberdeen, an extensive food menu. The full menu is served until 11pm, after which bar snacks and platters are available until an hour before closing.

So if a late night food craving strikes in Aberdeen, this is a great place to come. Food is definitely a twist on what you might expect for a late night bar, with everything from poutine to marmite scallops on offer. There’s also a pre-theatre menu available.

Address:4 Belmont Street, Aberdeen AB10 1JE
Telephone: N/A, see contact page for details
Website: http://www.thetipplinghouse.com/

Vovem

If it’s steak you’re after, Vovem is an excellent option. This Argentinian inspired steakhouse opened in 2019, so is a relatively new addition to the Aberdeen restaurant scene.

We really enjoyed our meal here – I had a steak and Jess had a lamb chop. Both were wonderfully seasoned and cooked to perfection, and the flavours were delicious. Prices were also reasonable, for the quality on offer. Meats are sourced locally.

If you’re not after food, the restaurant also has two bars, one which is open to the general public, and one which is invitation only.

Address: 250 Union St, Aberdeen AB10 1TN
Telephone: 01224 566566
Website: https://www.vovem.co.uk/

Map of Aberdeen restaurants we recommend

To help you plan where you’re going to eat in Aberdeen we’ve put together this handy map. You can also see this on Google Maps here for easy navigation when in the city, so don’t forget to bookmark this page for quick reference.

Where to Stay in Aberdeen

If you’re visiting Aberdeen from out of town, you’ll need somewhere to stay, and we’d suggest a city centre location so you can get to the majority of these restaurants easily.

When we visited Aberdeen, we stayed at the Skene House Rosemount Apartment Hotel, which was a serviced apartment complex which handily came with parking, as we drove to Aberdeen.

Of course, there are lots more options in Aberdeen, from hostels to apartments to hotels. Take a look at the options on booking.com for Aberdeen to start planning your accommodation.