Eyes down and look in as Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks kicks off on Monday (February 23) – with the added bonus of a fun bingo card for discerning diners enjoying the biggest ever Foodie Fortnight.
Some 90 restaurants, cafes and bars are taking part in this celebration of the Granite City’s exceptional hospitality sector, running to Sunday, March 8, making it the biggest event of its kind in Scotland.
With a dizzying array of cuisines on offer, you can eat your way around the world without leaving Aberdeen, all at some very tasty prices with special dinner and lunch menus ranging from £10 to £30, plus specially curated a la carte and tasting menus.
To add to the special atmosphere of the Foodie Fortnight, organisers Aberdeen Inspired have introduced a fun bingo card – created with original Aberdeen Restaurant Week ambassador Julia Bryce – to help diners explore the best eating experiences the city has to offer.
Instead of numbers, you can tick off achievements such as visiting a fine dining restaurant, indulging in a dessert, taking a selfie with the chef or trying out a new spot.
You can either fill a line or keep going complete the whole card and achieve honorary Food Champion status.
Shona Byrne, Aberdeen Inspired’s project manager for Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks, said: “We always strive to add a special ingredient to every outing of the Foodie Fortnight and we thought throwing a fun bingo game into the mix would be something diners would savour.
“I intend to tick off as many as I can ... although I am especially looking forward to completing the ‘join a secret supper’, ‘clean plate club’ and ‘new spot’ squares. I know a lot of people will be looking forward to shouting ‘house’ on this new addition.’
Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks aims to bring fun and a sense of excitement to the city but also has the serious purpose of boosting local restaurants, cafes and bars in what is a particularly tough time for the hospitality sector.
Aberdeen Inspired is delighted it seems to be paying off already, with many participating venues already reporting an increase in bookings for the next two weeks, while looking forward to welcoming customers, old and new.
Parveen Sood, owner of Glenhouse and Social Monkey, both on Union Street, said:
“We are looking forward to welcoming customers – old and new – to what will be a very busy Foodie Fortnight for both Glenhouse and Social Monkey.
“Reservations have been rolling in since we announced we would be part of Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks and that is a very welcome boost.
“I am sure every other venue taking part will agree when I say that this celebration of the best in dining in Aberdeen is a fantastic showcase for the city’s hospitality sector and gives everyone taking part a real lift.”
The Foodie Fortnight will also see the return of the Secret Suppers, with three unique dining experiences, where diners won’t find out where they are eating or what’s on the menu until the day of the supper.
They have proved to be hugely popular since going on sale, with the first on February 25 already sold out and the other two – February 26 and March 5 – selling fast.
Shona said: “You had best move fast if you want a seat at the table for supper in an unusual space, some with real historical significance, with food championing locally sourced ingredients from around the region featuring dishes that celebrate both the land and sea.”
The tasty line-up for the Foodie Fortnight includes many spots making their Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks debut – including Maggie’s Grill, Madame Mews, MEXIKCAL Street Food at Durty Murphys, The Silver Darling and Wild Goose.
Favourites are also on the menu, such as Amarone, The Terrace at His Majesty’s Theatre, The Atrium, Six by Nico, Poldino’s, Namaste Delhi, 8848, and Cup.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks is a shining example of what the city centre Business Improvement District strives to achieve.
“We want to attract people into the city centre, give them something to enjoy and then discover the other attractions in the heart of Aberdeen, all while supporting local bricks and mortar business.
“Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks ticks all of those boxes and we are so grateful for the ever-growing support from both the people of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire and the restaurants, cafes and bars in making it such a huge success.
“All that is left is for me to urge as many people as possible to tuck into the delights of our latest Foodie Fortnight.”
You can find more information on Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks here