For seven long years of my life, I walked up and down Midstocket Road twice a day on the way to and from primary school.
On the corner with Kings Gate I used to admire an interesting-looking building with a rounded front, sort of like Aberdeen’s small-town answer to the Flatiron Building in New York City.
This building was always a bank and neat as a pin, until it suddenly wasn’t. Then it was a boarded-up, sad old building left to rot.
Years went by and though I was no longer walking past every day, every time I saw the smooth rounded front of the granite I couldn’t help but think it was a waste.
Fast forward a decade or so, and it was converted into a small successful restaurant called Cognito on the Corner, which I happily visited several times.
I felt a sense of deja vu then when I heard that it too would be closing. Was this building cursed?
It turns out, however, thankfully, that the restaurant has merely been taken over and renamed – Milton on the Corner.
It was time to head back for a visit.
The Venue
If you visited this restaurant when it was Cognito, you’ll notice more than a few similarities.
The beautiful marble-topped bar still takes centre stage, with diners sitting both at the bar itself on high stools or on small lower tables and booths around the edges.
It creates a great atmosphere as you get to watch the bartenders shaking cocktails and pouring pints all evening.
There are plenty of nods to the local area, with lighting spelling out the names of nearby places like Mile-End or Victoria Bridge.
It was slightly disappointing therefore to be led through the busy bar and into a smaller room at the back of the restaurant – but I had booked last minute and was grateful to get any table.
Another plus was that despite being seated away from the main thoroughfare, the staff were very attentive all evening.
The Food
The menu was similar to how I remembered it on my last visit; full of classics like steak, fish and chips and burgers but with a few interesting dishes thrown in like pork chops with mango and chilli salsa and cod with chorizo croquettes.
For starters, my boyfriend Ollie picked haggis bon bons which came served with a fig and chilli jam.
They were spiced and peppery as haggis should be, and burn-the-roof-off-your-mouth hot, as any good deep fried bon bon should.
I had decided on bruschetta but panic-ordered Cullen skink when the waitress came to the table. It’s one of my favourites and I didn’t regret it.
The chunks of smoked fish were generous and served in a thin but creamy soup, rather than the thick stick-to-your-ribs soup Cullen skink can sometimes be, and which I find can be too filling for a starter.
Soon our mains arrived and I had picked another fish dish (yes I know this is not the “done thing” but you’ll see why I simply had to have this main course).
The fisherman’s platter arrived on a wooden board and consisted of huge king prawns, lightly battered haddock goujons, grilled shrimps and two different kinds of smoked salmon – the cold raw kind and hot smoked flaked kind.
This was served with crusty bread, pickled vegetables and tartare sauce.
Technically it’s called a “sharing platter” and presumably meant for a starter to share or for nibbles with friends and a few wines, but it made an excellent main course for one and everything tasted wonderfully fresh.
My fingers were sticky with garlic from pulling apart shells and my mouth tingled from the sour capers.
Across the table, Ollie was tucking into a ribeye steak with chips and a blue cheese sauce.
It was cooked rare and slightly charred on the outside just as he liked it, which isn’t always easy with ribeye.
However the blue cheese sauce – although tasty – was a bit on the liquidy side which made it hard to get much to stick to the chips and steak on your fork.
Both portions were an excellent size and Ollie helped me out by finishing up the last bites of my smoked salmon.
We were tempted by dessert, particularly the special which was a Biscoff brownie with honeycomb and banana ice cream, but ultimately were too full.
I finished with a nightcap of peppermint tea and Ollie had another beer.
It was lovely just to sit and enjoy the restaurant’s setting and late evening buzz, and the staff were more than happy to leave us to it which was just what we wanted.
The Verdict
Milton on the Corner is a lot like its predecessor, but in my humble view, that is no bad thing.
The food is lovely and cooked well. The restaurant also offers coffees, brunch and Sunday lunches so there’s lots to sample.
Milton also has a private room for small groups and has a great cocktail menu offering.
I’m so glad this restaurant has survived, it would be an incredible waste to walk past it and discover boarded-up windows once more.
But for now, this neighbourhood restaurant appears to be thriving and I have my fingers crossed it stays that way.
Milton on the Corner
Address: 1 Midstocket Road, Aberdeen, AB15 5NE
What we ate: Two courses for two people plus two cocktails, three beers and a tea.
Price: £96.80
Conversation