“The best café aroon” are the first words I hear when I step inside Café 83 in Kemnay for the first time.
They were said with confidence by one of its regulars, and were repeated once more to make sure I was aware of what was in store.
I spotted director Andrew Hutcheon letting out a laugh behind the counter before introducing myself and having a quick browse of the bustling Station Road café.
It was 11am on a Tuesday – a time I’d assume would be quiet. But after chatting with Andrew, it seems there’s rarely a quiet period at Café 83.
As colleague Andy Morton, P&J photographer Kenny Elrick and I made ourselves comfortable at one of the tables, customers of all ages flooded in. Some enjoyed coffees and home bakes, while others were diving into breakfast, brunch and/or lunch dishes.
The atmosphere was fantastic.
More than just a café, the business also serves evening meals, cocktails and beers. It seems as though there’s something for everyone.
Read on to see what dishes and drinks we tasted at Café 83 in Kemnay, and our ratings for each…
Dish 1: 83 breakfast
I asked Andrew to suggest a few dishes for us to try. The £10.95 83 breakfast came up, however, he went on to say that the majority of the breakfast options are popular.
Indecisive as I am, I swiftly stuck with the first pick – to avoid any delay.
The 83 breakfast comprises two bacon rashers, a fried egg, sausage, hash brown, tattie scone, haggis, black pudding, mushrooms, tomato, beans and toast.
The pair of us sampled some of the meat items to kick things off. The sausage was firm on the outside yet smooth and soft on the inside, while the black pudding had a subtle spice.
I would have loved the tattie scone to be slightly fluffier in texture. In saying that, I did keep going back for more… and I soon got that fluffiness from the hash brown.
It’s a superb portion considering the price, and could even be enjoyed to share.
Ratings:
- Andy: 4.5/5
- Karla: 4/5
Dish 2: Smashed avocado
When it came to the smashed avocado (£7.50), it was vibrant and inviting.
However, a lot was riding on the all-important egg test.
I pierced into one of the poached eggs and to our delight, they were cooked perfectly.
We watched as Kenny snapped some pictures of the runny yolk oozing onto the layer of creamy avocado, sliced tomatoes and sourdough bread.
This dish was lovely and would be great for fuelling yourself ahead of a busy day.
A tad more tart lemon flavour would have gone down a treat in the smashed avocado, but that’s personal preference.
Ratings:
- Andy: 4/5
- Karla: 4/5
Dish 3: Café 83 loaded mac and cheese with bacon toastie
A loaded toastie? Don’t mind if we do.
There are various £7.75 loaded toastie options at the Kemnay café, with fillings including katsu chicken and cheese, and mac and cheese with bacon.
I chose for us and went for the latter.
This was right up Andy’s street. I could see him eyeing up the dish as soon as it was placed in front of us.
The bacon, salty with a subtle smokiness, paired great with the gooey mac and cheese. More sharp melted cheese featured across the top and the toastie as a whole held together nicely.
It isn’t a dish I would go back for – purely because I enjoyed our other dishes so much and it was very much on the heavy side, but what do you expect with a loaded toastie?
Andy, on the other hand, loved it.
Ratings:
- Andy: 5/5
- Karla: 3.5/5
Dish 4: Smothered breaded chicken goujons
Next up, the smothered breaded chicken goujons, priced at £13.25.
The sauce options are honey chilli, cheesy BBQ, katsu curry, fajita, and nachos and cheese. The honey chilli had my name written all over it.
Served with crispy fries, coleslaw and a zingy salad, the goujons looked and tasted the part.
The meat was soft, juicy and tore away with ease, and the sauce was stellar. It had a faultless balance of sweet and spicy, with finely chopped peppers in the mix that added some crunch.
Andy and I definitely saved the best dish for last on the savoury front.
Ratings:
- Andy: 4/5
- Karla: 5/5
Dish 5: Mo’s homemade apple and summer fruit scone
There was a tempting treat counter full of goods, too. A selection of bakes are supplied by Danielle Smith of Sweet Toots Cakery, while the scones are made by Café 83’s very own Mo.
Both being scone lovers, Andy and I secured one (flavoured with apple and summer fruit) for £3.30.
We were delighted with our decision. Fluffy, light and flaky with a crisp exterior, the treat – teamed with a layer of butter and jam – was incredible.
The sweet flavours of the summer fruits shone through, whilst the soft apple added some tartness.
We were lucky enough to meet Mo after our meal, and she was equally lovely and inviting as the rest of the team.
Having also sampled a scone from neighbouring business Kemnay Farm Shop in the past, Andy and I could confirm that the village sells the best scones around.
Ratings:
- Andy: 4.5/5
- Karla: 5/5
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