Rebecca Buchan: Is Aberdeen’s nightlife dead? I was surprised by what I found on my festive nights out!

If someone had asked me a few months ago what I would tell people if they asked about Aberdeen nightlife, I don’t think I would have said, ‘It’s really good, actually’.

But after the festive period, I would say that with chest.

As I rapidly get closer and closer to 40, my desire to hit the pubs and clubs gets less and less.

So I must say I haven’t had a proper picture of our nightlife for some time.

And if you listen to the critics, you could be forgiven for thinking “what nightlife?”

The last memories I have of a proper night out in the Granite City, really, revolve around places like Espionage, Liquid and Exodus, so you can take from that what you will.

But that all changed in December with festive nights out galore.

I have always thought for the size of our city, we have a fairly decent food offering to suit most tastes.

Whether you be in the market for a decent Chinese, some authentic sushi or a delicious Italian, it’s not hard to find.

I always thought we were lacking when it came to Aberdeen nightlife

But I always had the perception we were lacking when it came to nighttime entertainment.

As frequent visitors to London, we have somehow found ourselves forming a bit of fondness for interactive darts.

Flightclub was introduced to us by my boyfriend’s sister a few trips back and now we tend to play every time we go.

However, it can be pretty pricey with fees being charged per person, rather than per lane.

So you can imagine the sheer delight I felt when my best pal told me about Legends Sports Bar.

And when family came to stay, it was naturally the first place we wanted to take them.

It is a bit of a hidden gem, tucked away on Crown Terrace. If you don’t know it exists it’s not likely you would stumble across it, but once you know it’s there, it’s super conveniently placed.

It’s also a stone’s throw away from the newly-opened O’Malley’s Irish bar and kitchen where we found ourselves wandering en route to play darts.

It has a not too dissimilar vibe to Malones, which along with the Ivy Lodge, have become two of my favourite places to socialise with a drink since the pandemic… But it still has that new venue feel which, in Aberdeen, is a novelty.

Businesses are also getting innovative, too.

They’ve caught on to the fact that it’s not enough to have a decent cocktail menu, they need to offer something different.

So it was exciting to see the opening of Martini’s recently – an enterprise aimed at bringing a taste of Broadway to the Granite City.

And it doesn’t stop at bars.

I had been a regular visitor at Soul Casino in my youth, once the pubs and clubs turned out the lights.

But, until recently, I had never had the joy of visiting Union Kirk.

So when my friend suggested we join her table on New Year’s Eve for a formal event, I thought, why not?

And I must say – what a venue.

Unused churches make the perfect night-time venues

It helps that the structure of the former church, with stained glass windows, was already there, but I have to hand it to PB Devco – they have done a great job of refurbishing it from a casino to the luxury space it now is.

It perfectly fills a gap in the market, as very few city centre spaces like it exist.

The food was exceptional, too – having been borne from the talent at Vovem, which is currently out of action following the fire a few months back.

It made me think, like Union Kirk, how many more exciting hospitality venues could thrive within our currently abandoned church buildings in Aberdeen?

Rubislaw Church in the West End and St Marks Church on Rosemount Viaduct are two I can think of off the top of my head which are currently on the market.

Wouldn’t it be great if these beautiful buildings were turned into something that could be opened up for the public to use on a daily basis?

As my recent nights out have taught me, there is plenty life in Aberdeen’s nighttime scene.

But for it to keep thriving, let’s hear from some imaginative thinkers with big plans that could breathe new life into our architectural gems.

Rebecca Buchan is deputy head of news and sport for The Press and Journal and Evening Express.