We’ve been waiting weeks for the doors of The Terrace at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen to finally open and the wait is almost over. Oh, yes it is…
Launching to the public from 5pm tomorrow, theatregoers and others can enjoy the cafe-bar and restaurant’s offering ahead of the first performance of this year’s pantomime.
Head chef Russell Jones, 29, says booking reservations have been stacking up as hundreds of Aberdonians look to get a taste of what’s on offer.
The redevelopment of the space has been part of the £675K spent on the dining area, Box Office and foyer area.
The stairway has been completely removed from the Box Office entrance, and those looking to get a bite to eat or enjoy a drink will have to use the central stairway within the heart of the main theatre building.
What is on offer at The Terrace?
Pulling away from its former 1906 fine dining-esque focused offering, The Terrace will offer a refined menu that has street food and comforting dishes at its heart.
Russell was determined to put his own stamp on the place in his first head chef role, and said modernising the menu was his main objective.
“I did some research and noticed that pre-theatre and theatre dining in general is so dated. Everything’s very fine dining and small fiddly things,” he said.
“I wanted to bring something new and fresh, and colourful! We’re Aberdeen Performing Arts, it has to be colourful and arty – that’s the kind of food I like doing.”
Local producers will be at the heart of the menu with all of the fish, meat and fruit and vegetables being sourced from the north-east.
Russell believes the monkfish and the burgers will be customer favourites. The burgers are handmade with beef sourced from McWilliam’s and all of the fish comes from Granite City Fish.
Other dishes across the small plate and big plate options include buttermilk chicken, nachos, mac and cheese, garlic and wine prawns, Cajun chicken skewers and four loaded fries options.
Chef also assures that there’s plenty gluten and dairy-free dishes as well as some vegan ones.
A children’s menu is also available with haddock and chicken goujons, tomato pasta, pizza taco and burgers to name a few options.
Hitting the bar
Dotted around the cafe-bar and restaurant, diners will find theatre memorabilia which includes prints, photographs, posters and other items from past shows. A picture of builders painting the statues in the Gods section of the theatre in its early days can also be found.
While the restaurant area with stunning views of the city and Union Terrace Gardens will be popular with those looking to get a bite to eat before the show, the bar area is just as stylish.
For those who love their cocktails a range of eight classics can be found on the menu.
With everything from espresso martinis, strawberry daiquiris, mojitos, whisky sours and a bramble to name a few, this will be the first time drinks of this calibre will be served upstairs.
Russell hopes to add bar snacks to the mix, too, ensuring those just coming in for a drink can pick away at nibbles if desired.
Specials will be added to the menus from time to time, with a festive range currently available. The Baileys chocolate martini is pitched to be a customer favourite, closely followed by the Frangelico old fashioned and the spiced chai Negroni.
A selection of red, white, rose and sparking wine will be available by the glass and bottle, with various beers, including local brewer Fierce Beer, spirits and other drinks available.
Russell also confirmed he and the team will whip up specials from time to time to complement the shows when in residence at His Majesty’s Theatre.
“We’ll add dishes to the menu when certain shows are here. For example, for Charlie and The Chocolate Factory we could do something really fun, and then have a specialty cocktail for the time the show is here, too,” he added.
The Terrace will be open from 9am Tuesday to Saturday and will be open for coffee and bakes in the morning, lunch and pre-theatre dining. Booking is advised throughout the month of December, however walk-ins are welcome subject to availability. From January the venue is certain more walk-in slots will be available.
Conversation