Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

The Pig’s Wings – where you’re guaranteed ‘big flavours and good times’ this Aberdeen Restaurant Week

The Upperkirkgate venue is offering £15 and £25 menus.

The upstairs dining area in The Pig's Wings. Image: Wullie Marr/DC Thomson
The upstairs dining area in The Pig's Wings. Image: Wullie Marr/DC Thomson

Aberdeen Restaurant Week (ARW), I’ve missed you. That’s right, the fabulous foodie fortnight is set to return on Monday (August 7) – and trust me when I say the list of participating eateries is stellar.

Some caught my eye instantly, one of those being The Pig’s Wings on Upperkirkgate.

I didn’t even have to look at the restaurant’s ARW menus to know that I’d be paying it a visit.

There’s more than tasty food to admire at The Pig’s Wings

With that said, I contacted co-owner Marcos Sasso to confirm a table for two last week.

My boyfriend Josh joined me.

I told him all about what to expect and it’s safe to say he was looking forward to our visit, as was I.

The interior of The Pig's Wings in Aberdeen
Some of the artwork on the upper level of The Pig’s Wings. Image: Wullie Marr/DC Thomson

The dog-friendly restaurant boasts two levels. We were escorted upstairs which allowed us to appreciate the eye-catching pieces of wall and floor art throughout the venue.

The setting is unique, and the atmosphere is laid-back.

Comfort food meets restaurant quality

As we checked out the two menus available at The Pig’s Wings during ARW – running until Sunday, August 20 – it was our mission to ensure we tried as many different meats as possible.

The offering was substantial, to say the least. I was equally as hungry as Josh for a change, which he was delighted about as it meant we narrowed down our choices swiftly.

Some food from the pig's wings
The steakhouse special loaded fries. Image: Karla Sinclair/DC Thomson

There are burgers and loaded fries options galore, but Josh decided on the chicken jalapeno popper tacos as his main dish.

I on the other hand requested a portion of the steakhouse special loaded fries. Comprising a pile of thin, well-cooked fries topped with tender slices of seared flank steak (although fillet is also an option), peppercorn sauce and onion rings, the portion was hefty.

The pair of us adored the savoury sauce, which had an incredible depth of flavour combined with a nice heat, while the three golden-brown onion rings were both sweet and sharp.

The steak was cooked just how I like it, medium rare.

Across the table, Josh’s hand-pressed corn tacos looked the part. Spiced grilled chicken, homemade jalapenos and melted cheese had been placed inside the uniform tortillas which were finished off with tomato salsa and garlic and herb sauce.

Tacos on the menu
Tacos are among the options on the venue’s ARW menus. Image: Karla Sinclair/DC Thomson

The jalapenos were the standout for us, closely followed by the salsa. Both added citrusy, fresh flavours to the mix that lingered on the tongue for some time.

The dish was served with a pot of chilli cheese dip. We weren’t fans, unfortunately, as it proved far too thick, but we didn’t fret as the garlic and herb sauce was superb.

Meet the supporting acts that stole the show

Up next, the sides.

Firstly, we each secured a halloumi fry from Josh’s chosen dish – there were six in total, so plenty to go around – and proceeded to dip them into the pot of accompanying chilli jam.

Halloumi fries and chilli jam
Halloumi fries and chilli jam. Image: Karla Sinclair/DC Thomson

Both the fries and the jam itself were incredible. The halloumi was slightly salty and springy, yet melted in the mouth while the jam was tangy and sweet.

I had the option of buffalo hot wings, buttermilk chicken strips and crispy jalapenos (to name a few of the other side plates on offer), however, I opted for the teriyaki pork belly bites.

pork belly bites in teriyaki sauce
The pork belly bites had been coated in a teriyaki sauce. Image: Karla Sinclair/DC Thomson

Spicy teriyaki sauce had been drizzled across the succulent pork belly bites which sliced away with ease. Again, there were six.

It didn’t take long for the sides to be demolished, and it’s safe to say we left The Pig’s Wings with full stomachs.

The verdict

I now fully understand why The Pig’s Wings is considered a go-to eatery for many.

Out of all the plates Josh and I tucked into, each meat was cooked to perfection and big flavours were never scarce.

Three dishes from The Pig's Wings in Aberdeen
The Pig’s Wings is offering £15 and £25 menus. Image: Karla Sinclair/DC Thomson

There is also plenty to choose from on the business’ ARW menu, so you’re bound to find a dish (or several) that tickles your fancy.

Information

A: 22 Upperkirkgate, Aberdeen AB10 1BA

W: thepigswings.co.uk

Price: £40 (not including drinks)

Aberdeen Restaurant Week promotion: Two courses (main dish and a side) and a soft drink for £15, or two courses (steak dish and a side) and a soft drink for £25

For more Aberdeen Restaurant Week August 2023 reviews…

Conversation