Now and again we enjoy a trip to Inverurie on a Saturday. They have a plethora of independent shops where you can pick up something different, and with a few birthdays coming up I managed to purchase them quite quickly so we had plenty of time to fit in some lunch before heading back to Aberdeen.
Chapter One bistro situated just minutes from the shops has a lovely welcoming façade. Painted in shades of grey with elegant planters in the doorway, it certainly looked inviting and we couldn’t wait to get inside. The grey palette continues inside the fresh and modern restaurant which boasts about 10 tables with a small bar at one end. There is a spectacular glass brick skylight on the roof that provides an abundance of light.
We were greeted warmly by a smart young gentleman who took our coats and invited us to our table.
The first thing I noticed was the drinks menu and the gin-tasting flights where you can choose any three gins from a flight served with a tonic. You can choose to go economy class for just £10 or upgrade to a fruit flight that contains fruity gins and also includes a glass of prosecco. They all sounded delicious, but as it was only lunchtime I declined, but vowed to return.
The fairly small lunch menu consists of soup, sandwiches, house favourites such as the Chapter One burger and macaroni cheese and sharing platters. Some girls at a neighbouring table looked to be enjoying a selection of nibbles, tucking into chunky chips, warm Brie and bread and oils which all smelled delicious. Like Joey from Friends, my husband and son aren’t keen on sharing their food, so like the gin flight this wasn’t an option today!
My husband chose tomato soup to start followed by the Chapter One burger served on flatbread with cheese and hand-cut chips. My son went for the soup and sandwich deal, a snip at just £9, while I treated myself to the langoustines flatbread.
A bit disappointing was the rather lengthy wait that we had to endure before our food arrived and then it arrived in a strange order. My husband’s burger arrived first followed by my langoustines and then the soup and sandwich. We exchanged rather puzzled looks when the waiter then appeared with my husband’s soup. Shouldn’t the soup be served before a main course? Apparently not, said the waiter, they just serve it all at the same time here. So we juggled all the dishes on to the table and tucked in regardless.
My husband declared the homemade moist patty served on a flatbread dripping in melted cheese just delicious. As so often when we eat a burger, we discard the top part of the roll anyway, so the flatbread was a fabulous lighter alternative.
I managed to pinch a few of the accompanying chunky chips and can vouch they were also top notch – fluffy on the inside with a nice crisp exterior. My son’s chicken sandwich was a little different too; the open sandwich was covered in chicken and drizzled with pomegranate seeds and chopped spring onion, while the accompanying soup was a rich and hearty accompaniment.
My langoustines served in their shells with parsley butter and presented on a flatbread looked spectacular, but unfortunately there wasn’t a lot of meat inside the shells. The parsley butter was the perfect simple flavour to complement the delicate flesh of the shellfish, and the flatbread below soaked in the butter was incredibly tasty. I did mention to the waitress about the langousotines and after a discussion with the chef they did agree they looked a bit small and she said they would take half the price of my dish off my bill; a nice gesture that was gratefully accepted.
For review purposes (the things I do for our loyal YL readers), I requested a look at the dessert menu. With only three options on the menu we decided to try the assiette of desserts, a splendid option for someone like me who loves a pudding and can never make up my mind which one to choose. Skilfully presented on a large rectangular plate were two small bowls, one with sticky toffee pudding, one with rice pudding and a larger portion of chocolate brownie smothered in cream. The brownie was the winner; rich and chocolatey with the perfect gooey centre that stuck to your teeth. I didn’t get a look in with the sticky toffee but my son gave nods of approval from the opposite side of the table, while the old-school rice pudding topped with berries was creamy and light.
After settling up we visited Chapter One’s loo before driving home. This must be one of the nicest toilets in Inverurie, complete with glowing scented candles and toiletries – it resembled a mini spa. We hope to return to Chapter One in the future; their dinner menu looks enticing and worthy of a return visit and I will be sure to upgrade to the first-class gin flight to accompany it.
CHAPTER ONE
4 NORTH STREET, INVERURIE
PHONE 01467 628828
SOUP £5
SOUP AND SANDWICH £9
BURGER £12
LANGOUSTINES £12 (HALF PRICE)
ASSIETTE £9
PINT OF TENNENT’S £3.50
SODA AND LIME £1.50
WINE SPRITZER £5
LATTE £3
TOTAL £60
SERVICE 3/5
FOOD 3/5
ATMOSPHERE 4/5