12 of the best restaurants in Aberdeen

Need your fix of flame-kissed kebabs and mezze plates? Head for Nargile. Sure, the interiors are a little dated, but if you aren’t here for the instagrammin’ then you’ll be happy as a clam tucking into dishes like spicy chicken wings with yogurt and garlic sauce or one of their kebab choices that are served with rice, salad and sauce (and a side of fries, should the fancy take you). There’s are good vegetarian and fish sections, making this ideal for a mixed group of diners – plus the more people, the more mezze you can share. No brainer.

You might not expect to see a Thai takeaway in a round-up of Aberdeen’s best restaurants, but we hope we’re in a safe space when we say finding a good Friday night feed to enjoy in the comfort of your own home can be quite the challenge. All the favourites are present and correct – pad Thai, mussaman curry, jungle pork – as well as a few Chinese crowd-pleasers. Be warned, this spot is popular so you might have to wait a while for your food, but when you get your mitts on it, it will be salty and satisfying, packed with crunchy veg, well-cooked meat or fish and slathered in addictive combinations of Thai flavours.

Rustico in name and rustic in nature, this homely trattoria isn’t trying to be modern or cutting-edge, but it’s in this that its charm lies. Staff are warm and friendly while the menu recounts familiar Italian favourites: bruschetta, caprese salads, calamari fritti and a whole host of pastas. Everything is homemade, down to the biscotti that accompanies your hot drink, and there are regular specials to look out for too, like lobster spaghetti.

Housed within The Chester Hotel, a four-star spot on the fringes of city centre, this Aberdeen restaurant serves up plates of smart modern European food in a refined setting. There are monthly-changing menus to make use of the best ingredients at the time and there’s a Josper charcoal oven and grill for steaks (which are pretty constant on each month’s menu). The hotel sometimes hosts big name chefs from further afield too, including the likes of Angela Hartnett and Claude Bosi.

It comes as no surprise that Aberdeen has a whole clutch of seafood restaurants when you consider its seaside location. With its waterfront views, The Silver Darling makes a beautiful location for a special meal, just remember to reserve a window seat. The menu gallivants around the globe - pil pil prawns here, seafood linguine there – so there’s a good amount of variety to suit nearly every diner. There are even meat and vegetarian options for those who don’t eat fish, so everyone is covered.

This pretty bistro tucked away down one of Aberdeen’s oldest streets makes a comfortable and convivial setting for an evening out with friends. Bedecked with wooden bent-back chairs and cool grey wood-panelled walls, this has to be one of the city’s chicest restaurants. The menu at Moonfish Cafe has a seafood focus and uses the very best local ingredients for plates that are packed with flavour, and it's great value too.

There’s a lot to take in upon first arrival at Madame Mew's (which is owned by the same people as Bahn Thai). Mismatched colourful tablecloths, parasols hanging from the ceiling and gold walls make this a striking diing room, and the food is as pretty and punchy as the décor. Portions are huge, prices are cheap, and the ingredients used are fresh and vibrant.

This cosy trattoria does a good line in comforting classics, with enjoyable results. Let the menu lead you from antipasti and pasta through to risotto and fish dishes. The menu is packed with dishes you just want to eat, and the trick is saving room for pudding, when you’ll be able to treat yourself to homemade tiramisu or panna cotta. There’s a reasonable pre-theatre menu, making it a really good place to take the whole gang.

A sibling to Nargile, this subsequent opening from the same team serves up equally-as-good food in a slightly smarter setting. Kick things off with an easy order, mezze - a whole host of little dishes and dips all accompanied by hot pitta breads, followed by steak and prawn kebabs all round.

Six by Nico has been phenomenally successful over the last few years, opening new sites all over the country. That, thankfully for Aberdeen-ites, includes includes a spot on Union Street, where the team serves up signature six course tasting menus that are full of inventiveness and imagination. 

During the day this double-height space operates as a charming café, with the additional benefit of a tapas menu that accompanies its lunchtime mainstays, like sandwiches and soups. In the evening Cafe 52 is transformed into a candle-lit bustling bistro serving plates of modern British food. With a line-up that changes weekly to reflect seasonality and availability you can never be sure what you’ll get, but that's half the fun, and the cooking is always on point.

This family-owned restaurant and bar is set in a lovely old former Bank of Scotland building in Rosemount, and serves up easy-going gastropub-style food alongside cocktails and a compact wine list. The stylish brass, wood and exposed granite interiors make it a very pleasant place to spend an hour or three, which might explain why it's always packed.