Is the food at No 10 Bar and Restaurant worth the price?

I’ve only ever heard good things about No 10 Bar and Restaurant, nestled in Aberdeen’s West End.

With a rare Friday night off, my boyfriend Doug and I made our way to the Queen’s Terrace restaurant to see what we thought of the place.

It was a nippy night, and the streets were so icy that it was a slidey trek from the office.

But, I was pleased to see the steps down to the restaurant had been gritted and the warm light spilling out of the windows was a welcome sight.

The iconic street lamp. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

First impressions of No 10 Bar and Restaurant

Everywhere still seems quite quiet after the Christmas chaos — but I was pleasantly surprised walking through the doors to find it buzzing with people.

We had tried to book the restaurant earlier only to find it was full, but no matter, because we could get a table in the bar with the same menu.

At our cosy table near a display wall made up of what looked like staves and wine bottles, we ordered a bottle of merlot (£32).

The display surrounding our cosy corner. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

The atmosphere was exactly what you’d want on a Friday night.

Lively but not too loud that you can’t hear what the person across the table from you is saying.

It felt nice to unwind with a bottle of wine in the cheery atmosphere as we caught up while perusing the menu.

A hearty wedge of brie and juicy scallops to start

I always struggle to pick a starter, but the breaded brie served with cranberry and orange chutney (£9) sounded exactly like the comforting thing I sought.

However, my boyfriend is much more sure of himself and knew straight away he wanted the pan-seared Scottish king scallops (£15) — the most expensive dish on the starters menu.

The pan-seared Scottish king scallops and breaded brie. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

We weren’t waiting long until our friendly server wove her way through the throng of people carrying our plates.

I was given quite a generous chunk of brie, which is always a plus in my books.

The wedge of brie. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

As soon as my knife pierced the crisp coating, gooey cheese burst out.

It was mild and creamy, but it went so well with the tart, slightly acidic, chutney and the hazelnut crumble provided an extra crunch.

Doug’s three scallops arrived artfully placed on top of spiced parsnip puree and decorated with parsnip crisps. I am not a seafood lover myself, but even I can admit it did look impressive.

The immaculate presentation. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

He said the scallops were juicy, cooked well and tasted very fresh, and the sweet, earthy parsnip puree was just the right accompaniment.

The main event — and the best venison I’ve had in the city

We had toyed with the idea of sharing the chateaubriand, but in the end decided it was best to order our own dishes.

And once again we weren’t waiting long before two beautifully presented plates were set in front of us.

Roast loin of venison and Gressingham duck breast. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

I had opted for the roast loin of venison (£24) served with stovie mashed potatoes and buttered kale.

I can quite easily say this was the best venison I’ve had in the city.

The venison was cooked so perfectly that it almost melted in my mouth, and was seasoned just as well.

The balsamic baby beetroot and redcurrant jus again provided that tart, almost acidic, element to balance the dish.

No 10 Bar and Restaurant serves perfectly cooked venison. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

And the stovie mashed potatoes were a fantastic addition too. I don’t know what I had been expecting from the side, but the mash was smooth and filled with small tender chunks of meat.

Meanwhile, Doug ordered the Gressingham duck breast (£22.50), which was served with caraway roast sweet potatoes, wilted pak choi and a five-spice and orange dressing.

The duck was beautifully presented too, and cooked just as well. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Across the table, Doug was enjoying his meal just as much as I was. He said the duck was also cooked perfectly and was nice and pink in the middle, which made it succulent.

The sauce drizzled over the dish was “nice and tangy” complimenting the game bird well, and there was plenty of pak choi bringing a crunchy texture.

Pudding followed by tasty tipples to end the night

I managed to convince Doug that we needed something sweet to finish off — he didn’t need that much convincing though.

My boyfriend doesn’t really have a sweet tooth, but is a dark chocolate fan.

So he went for the dark chocolate tart with red wine-poached pears (£9.50) and ordered an espresso to go with it.

The dark chocolate tart was a work of art. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

I, on the other hand, very much love desserts and was faced with a much more difficult decision.

But I eventually settled on the sticky toffee pudding (£9.50), which is a firm favourite.

While Doug’s dessert looked prettier than mine, I found that the pudding was light and fluffy and the sauce was perfectly sweet.

My friends had recommended the sticky toffee pudding, and I was not disappointed. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

We decided to order a couple of cocktails while we were there to see what they were like.

Doug ordered Tom’s Espresso Martini (£10) made using Sailor Jerry, Kahlua, caramel syrup and a double espresso. He said his short drink was strong, but smooth, with the rum a nice twist in the martini.

I love an amaretto sour, so thought I’d try the Blueberry Sour (£10) — another classic tipple with a twist. It was made with tequila blanco and blueberry liqueur.

The cocktail was light and refreshing after our meal, but was nice and tart too, just what I love about a sour.

Before we could contemplate ordering another cocktail, we decided it was time to get the bill.

The verdict

This was our first time at No 10 Bar and Restaurant, and we were both left thoroughly impressed with the food, atmosphere and service.

While the food was prepared to a high standard, with every dish beautifully presented, well-balanced and delicious, I was almost surprised at how reasonable I found the bill.

The interior is simple, but gorgeous with the exposed brick walls and warm lighting. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Yes, it is a place to go if you fancy a treat, but the prices are probably much the same as any other restaurant in the city for the quality of food and service we received.

And it was the busiest venue we visited that cold Friday evening, after venturing back to the city centre and finding it very quiet in comparison.