Cooking, cleaning and catastrophising about what’s to come, Sunday nights aren’t usually my favourite time of the week.
So switching off BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, abandoning the ironing board and dressing up for dinner out felt like a joyful act of school night rebellion.
Our destination for our Sunday soiree was The Cults Hotel.
Despite having only lived in Aberdeen for the past 18 months, I’d already heard on the Granite city grapevine that this venue was well worth a visit.
The Cults Hotel, Aberdeen
Located in the well-heeled area of Cults, known for its jaw-droppingly beautiful homes, The Cults Hotel is nestled just off the busy but leafy North Deeside Road.
Slightly too keen for our 7.30pm booking, me and the other half headed through to the lounge for a pre-dinner aperitif.
Sipping on a ginger beer and lime cordial (guess who was the designated driver) while the pint of Heverlee beer across the table disappeared fast, we relaxed as we took in our surroundings.
Full of timber panelling complemented by stained mirrors, a Mediterranean style tiled floor and subtle sage decor, the interior was bright and fresh without trying too hard.
Leaving the bar, we only had to walk a few steps to the conservatory where the jovial Michael warmly welcomed us and showed us to our table.
Dressing slightly too optimistically for Spring, I felt rather chilly so I kept my scarf wrapped around my shoulders.
Noticing my fashion faux pas from afar, Michael quickly came over and popped the heater on which was a really lovely start to the evening.
The food
After a long beach walk earlier that day, we were both a tad ravenous as we stared greedily at the menu and the specials board.
Blue cheese obsessed at the moment, I instantly weighed up the blue cheese and beetroot salad with chicory and pickled walnuts.
Also catching my eye on the main menu was the crispy black pudding with wholegrain mustard remoulade.
But it was chicken liver parfait on the specials board which won me over.
Creamy in texture with a rich, gamey silkiness, the chicken liver parfait worked beautifully with the contrasting crunchiness of the oatcake and the sharp sweetness of the chutney.
When it comes to portion sizes, you certainly get your money’s worth as the thick slab of pate was served up with five mini oatcakes, a generous dollop of chutney and a fresh salad.
Across the table, the steamed Shetland mussels also hit the right spot.
Plump and bursting with that trademark salt and briny flavour, the mussels were served in a simple but extremely tasty cider, leek and apple dressing.
The deliciously thick and crusty sourdough bread was perfect for mopping up the last of the sauce.
Proud of our clean plates, the super friendly and efficient staff gave us just enough time to let our starters settle before our mains arrived.
Vibrant green in colour and served with Perthshire asparagus, pickled mushrooms and prosciutto ham, the wild garlic risotto was a feast for the eyes and tastebuds.
From the subtle wild garlic flavour of the creamy risotto to the saltiness of the prosciutto and the tanginess of the pickled mushrooms, I loved everything about this dish.
Sensational Sunday roast
With a mum whose roast dinners are legendary in the family, my boyfriend doesn’t usually order a Sunday roast dinner when eating out in case it doesn’t quite measure up.
But The Cults Sunday roast surpassed his expectations.
From the tenderly cooked sirloin of beef and the fluffy Yorkshire pudding to the braised red cabbage, roast potatoes, honey roasted carrots and skirlie, he devoured the lot.
Sensing my eyes on his plate, he kindly loaded up a fork for my to try and boy was it good.
That braised red cabbage – just wow.
Waistlines expanding we decided that another few inches wouldn’t do any harm and ordered desserts.
As a sticky toffee pudding kind of girl, I decided to go out my comfort zone and ordered the apricot and marmalade parfait from the specials board.
The combination of the cold parfait – a creamy frozen dessert made from a base of sugar syrup, egg, and cream – with the sharp taste of the marmalade and sweetness of the apricot was a triumph as was the accompanying raspberry sorbet and chocolate/coffee crumb.
Despite having a big sweet tooth, cheesecakes don’t usually float my boat that is until I tried The Cults Hotel’s citrus cheesecake.
Like a work of dessert art, the cheesecake, served with passion fruit jelly, Sicilian lemon sorbet and white chocolate soil, looked and tasted amazing.
The verdict
You know you’ve enjoyed your meal when you’re already making plans to return half way through dinner.
From the superb staff and relaxed atmosphere to the simple yet sensational food, we loved absolutely everything about The Cults Hotel.
An added bonus are the generous portion sizes and the reasonably priced menu.
Information
Address: 328 N Deeside Road, Cults, Aberdeen AB15 9SE
T: 01224 867632
Price: £92.90 two starters, two mains, two desserts, glass of dessert wine, two glasses of wine and a ginger beer
For more information about The Cults Hotel check out their Facebook page and Instagram page.
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