What's on offer at the Ashvale for Aberdeen Restaurant Week?

We are driving to The Ashvale to review the chipper’s Aberdeen Restaurant Week menu, and the topic of conversation turns – perhaps unsurprisingly – to food.

I tell my friend Kathryn about the worst meal I’ve ever eaten – a fish soup I was forced to eat as a child while on an exchange trip to France.

Kathryn snorts – her own French exchange trip horror story beats that.

She thought her hosts were trying to poison her with uncooked bacon. They weren’t, of course; Kathryn had just never seen prosciutto before.

The Ashvale has been delighting customers since 1979. Image: Andy Morton/DC Thomson

There is little chance of encountering the unknown at The Ashvale.

People have been flocking to the Aberdeen institution since it opened in 1979, and not with the expectation of trying something different. It’s because The Ashvale does some of the best fish suppers around.

It’s no surprise, then, to see the menu The Ashvale is running for Aberdeen Restaurant Week does not stray far from the tried and tested.

That said, Kathryn and I do make a few ‘oooh’ sounds when we are shown the lunch menu (the Ashvale’s ARW offer only runs over lunchtime).

The Cullen skink got things off to a great start. Image: Andy Morton/DC Thomson

Maybe it’s the lingering thought of that fish soup, but I’m delighted to see Cullen skink and haggis bon bons available as starters.

The price, too, is a pleasant surprise. £15 per person for three courses that (spoiler alert) filled me up so much I waddled out of the door.

The food

My Cullen skink starter was almost a meal in itself, especially as it came with a bonus “Aberdeen roll” on the side.

Kathryn had the excellent haggis bon bons, one of which I ate myself.

For the main course, I ordered a cheeseburger and left the fish and chips to Kathryn.

Both were excellent, though even The Ashvale knows that you probably won’t bother with the burger, or the scampi and veggie burger that were also on the menu.

The Ashvale operations director Stuart Devine, who popped in to check we were OK, told us that nine out of 10 customers go for the fish and chips.

Fish and chips are the logical choice for most. Image: Andy Morton/DC Thomson

And with good reason. The batter was golden brown and the chips were plump on the inside and crisp on the outside.

I realise this is hardly the insight of the year, but The Ashvale know how to make a good fish and chips.

By the time we’d finished the first two courses, dessert was hardly needed.

The excellent cheeseburger with sides. Image: Andy Morton/DC Thomson

But I couldn’t resist a hot fudge sundae and Kathryn felt duty-bound to have one of the three cheesecakes on offer.

In fact, our friendly waiter told us that the dessert offering for the ARW menu is wider than published on the official website. Just ask for what’s available when you visit.

I recommend the sundae, though. Creamy on top and hot and chocolatey on the bottom.

There was still room for the hot fudge sundae. Image: Andy Morton/DC Thomson

The verdict

You know what you are getting at The Ashvale, which is no bad thing. The restaurant clearly knows its way around a fish fryer, and the desserts both looked and tasted fantastic.

Finally, a word on the venue’s dining room. The restaurant is spacious and spotlessly clean – a long way from the typical idea of a chip shop. A great place for a lunch outing.