“Leave that for now and let’s move on,” sighed the man in charge of service at Cafe Boheme as he delivered our gin and tonics and handed us the wine list.
He wasn’t suggesting I’d had enough to drink, I hasten to add, even although his advice might easily lead you to jump to the wrong conclusion.
Let’s face it, there have been plenty of occasions down the years when one more overflowing glass of red wine in a restaurant has left me with a sore head.
This wasn’t one of them, I’m happy to confirm.
No, he was simply replying to a question which he must hear several times a day.
“How have you been coping with lockdowns and all the other pandemic restrictions,” I asked. Hence his cryptic answer, but it was not brusque in any sense; it was delivered with a good-natured smile.
I think his words were code for “we’ve had more than enough to put up with, thanks”.
“We’re fully booked tonight and tomorrow,” he added, as if to prove that this popular French restaurant – a permanent fixture at the top of the Aberdeen dining-out hierarchy for years – was making a storming recovery.
Cafe Boheme
I was glad the “best restaurant in Aberdeen” was alive and kicking despite the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It’s not my sobriquet, but an accolade from one of its legion of admirers on social media.
But on the strength of our Friday night visit I would find it impossible to argue against.
Another fan online said Cafe Boheme was the most authentic French restaurant you would find outside France itself.
I could not argue with that either as I’ve only visited France three times, but I do have vivid memories of two establishments in the Languedoc region near Montpelier.
One was a boisterous village restaurant you could hear from halfway down the street.
We didn’t like the look or sound of it, but eventually plucked up the courage to step inside.
It was very rustic and its long wooden tables were packed with locals. But we enjoyed the warmest of welcomes and lovely French country food.
The other place was more remote; classy, elegant and expensive. For some reason the woman in charge was dressed in a leotard, tails and a top hat – and carried a whip. I often wondered afterwards if it really was a restaurant we had stumbled into.
As I gazed up from the Cafe Boheme menu, I drank in the surroundings.
Stylish wood panelling around the walls complemented the floorboards, while soft lighting and flickering candles reflected in a mirrored wall created a warm atmosphere.
Another delightful discovery was that our charming and excellent waitress was actually French; from Normandy in fact. She settled us in and took our order.
The food
My starter was salmon cured with citrus and gin, with sweet cucumber pickle and lemon and chive mascarpone.
Delicate strips of salmon were laid out on the plate with the cream cheese and pickle making a tasty combination.
For my wife, venison carpaccio with honey roast celeriac, puy lentils, beetroot and apple.
It was refreshing to see venison instead of the usual marinated raw beef version in many restaurants; fleshy and rich, the meat also combined well with the celery-flavoured topping and diced add-on items.
What struck us about both starters was how much care and detail had gone into the presentation.
For mains I found pan-fried sea trout irresistible as I don’t come across it that often.
It was served with pomme dauphine – crispy potato puffs – cauliflower sauce, braised leeks and topped with a saffron-scented poached egg.
My wife’s choice was fillet steak, with ox cheek and black pudding rissole, Parmesan potato puree, buttered spinach and ox jus.
There are few dining treats which match the sensory pleasure of a poached egg opening and its gooey yellow oozing out. It was the same view from atop my trout.
What a pleasure this dish turned out to be.
Steaks are a staple of every menu as diners never tire of what is still a special treat reserved for going-out occasions.
Cafe Boheme does steak in its own style.
The fillet here was incredibly tender and rich in flavour, but the star of the show for my wife was the ox cheek and black pudding rissole, which involved pressing ingredients together inside a breadcrumb or batter casing before cooking.
This one little ball of joy packed quite a punch in terms of its wonderful deep flavour.
We rounded off with a stunning combination of dark chocolate torte, banana and honeycomb with ice cream, and a trio of marvellous petit fours.
Just to enhance the illusion of being across the Channel, classic French popular music played in the background.
The verdict
Come to think of it, Cafe Boheme is still playing a fine tune despite the pandemic.
David Knight is the former deputy editor of The Press and Journal and he has been reviewing restaurant’s for The Menu for many years.
Information
Address: Cafe Boheme, 23 Windmill Brae, Aberdeen, AB11 6HU
T: 01224 210677
W: cafebohemerestaurant.co.uk
Price: £97.50 for three courses for two plus drinks
Scores:
- Food: 5/5
- Service: 4/5
- Surroundings: 4/5