The Esslemont Bar & Restaurant in Aberdeen City

Nice place to go for pizzas and drinks. Nice ambient and service.

Really lovely atmosphere and good food at the Esslemont. Every tapas dish delicious, but I am so glad I found room for dessert. The rhubarb and white chocolate mousse was fantastic. The place has been done very well and was comfortable and relaxing. Good service from the polite and attentive waiting team too.

This place seems to get worse everytime we come, so we probably won't be back. The starters were alright, but the mains were dry/severly undercooked. I could barely crunch my way through the risotto and my colleague's beef was incredibly dry, even with the jus. Service was good though, waitress was attentive and quick to grab us drinks/refills.

Lovely place and our server Simon was so wonderful! Would definitely recommend

Great food and efficient and friendly service. Only criticism is the restaurant good have been warmer

Unfortunately the heating within the restaurant has been broken for several weeks therefore we had a very uncomfortable dinner. It was also extremely disappointing to learn that senior management has actively chosen not to tell prospective customers about the issue. Tell customers about this when booking and allow us to make the choice if we still wish to dine with you, instead of the present deceitful approach which results in an unpleasant evening spent frozen. It's such a shame for the pleasant staff that they also have to work under such conditions.

Disappointed with our visit. Been twice before once for a lovely lunch and once for a works Xmas night out so expected a great meal. Unfortunately we had to ask to be moved from our table close to overflow of people who had just finished an afternoon booking who were just standing and being very loud near restaurant reception. New table was lovely, quiet but freezing, fire exit doors open as they changed over. Starters and wine very nice but sorry main course Hallibut totally ruined, overcooked and not edible. Had asked for mushroom cream sauce on the side but came with mushrooms in a dish but smothered in a terrible cream sauce. I think a problem with waitress language understanding. When she saw I was not eating she did try to resolve so appreciate that hence the tip but sorry totally ruined the meal. Sorry a real downer to my birthday and will not be back but will return to the bar for lovely cocktails and maybe the tapas menu but please if you are going to put this beautiful fish on your main menu make sure the chef treats it with the respect. Gutted with my menu choice

Food was delicious service a bit slow and they need to put the heating on it was cold which made it uncomfortable saw girls with coats on

Booked dinner to celebrate my birthday. Tried to book the Private Dining Room but was told it was not free at that time, decided to book anyway. When we arrived, we were shown to the PDR, someone had cancelled last minute, lucky for us! We had the best time, lovely drinks, food and the two waitresses (poor them :) ) serving us were just a delight! Good selection on the menu, lots of small plates / tapas available aswell. I would highly recommend this place, so much so, we are returning in a couple of weeks for my son's 18th!

The Esslemont bar and restaurant always deliver. They use fresh ingredients of the best quality and prepaid them to optimize flavours and textures. This time, we were surprised by the bacon chutney on the scallop dish. A treat we will bring back home and trie to replicate.

Nice concept and good service. However, the music was too loud to talk and the food was nicely decorated but pretty average taste-wise.

Great restaurant - excellent food, service and overall a great atmosphere. Can select from Scottish tapas or main dishes. Good selection and tapas is amazing.

Came for dinner on Hogmanay… we didn’t have a reservation but the staff were kind enough to squeeze us in at the bar area. The food was delicious - we had the chicken burger and the salmon which were both delicious. The service was really good, and our bill came to £55 for two including drinks. We will definitely come back again.

Fabulous family meal today. Great menu and really family friendly. We will visit again.

Booked for 7 of us on christmas eve & what a great experience start to finish. You could safely say at least 5/7 of our group wouldn’t be the easiest to please, and I can confirm 7/7 left very happy, having cleared plates & all with willingness to return. We had a warm welcome from genuine, friendly staff who showed us to our booth style table, it was decorated beautifully with a festive garland & felt pretty special. We had all been excited to try the menu, and we all liked the concept of Scottish tapas using locally sourced ingredients. It was genuinely difficult choosing what to have, as everything looked so good. Without listing what everyone had & how they found it, I will just summarise by saying everyone enjoyed everything they ordered, and there was quite a variety from fish, to venison, to burgers, etc. My daughter (5) had macaroni cheese & didnt quite manage finish it, so I had a try and it was distinctively good, better than any other macaroni cheese I have tried to date. I hate onions, and its a constant issue when eating out to ask not to get them, despite being really clear I often still end up getting them, even at a certain Michelin starred restaurant. However at The Esslemont my simple request was listened to & honoured no problem. (Thank you!) Would 100% recommend and actually cant wait to return. Brilliant afternoon had by all!

A great meal had. Washed down with a fabulous Romanian white wine. Steak cooked to perfection, mussels to die for and a chocolate pud to finish off. Scrummy!!!

My husband and I went for a pre-Christmas lunch. Again after seeing some of the reviews I would certainly agree with the tables being close together, too close in my opinion as when other diners say behind me they made contact with my chair. It was busy which I feel is refreshing to see as Aberdeen Union St isn’t what it used to be. My husband had the roast chicken and I had the venison. I had to ask for my dish to be cooked more as it was too rare for me personally and feel the menu should specify it’s served rare to allow you to make the choice or be asked when ordering, but have to say nothing was too much trouble for our very attentive waiter Simon, who was outstanding and clearly takes huge pride in his work. His eye to detail was sublime, and he is a credit to the restaurant. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his meal, and we left happy. Would have given 5 stars had it not been for the few negative things mentioned .

Great service, attentive staff and most importantly, really tasty food

We went for dinner on a Friday evening for our son's 16th birthday, thinking it would be a bit special, but it wasn't. It was quite busy and the tables are quite close together, so it wasn't a pleasant atmosphere and the service was very slow, even though the staff was running around doing their best. The starters were OK but my wife and I had the venison for our main course and it was a strange experience: it had the look of medium, the consistency of well-done (quite dry and chewy) and it didn't taste of anything. To us, it felt as if it had been cooked ages in advance and stuck in a microwave to warm up. I had a taste of our son's burger and at least that was OK. We didn't bother with desserts - we could not be bothered with the wait. It was not worth the price.

Went for late lunch. Well, was it late, 3/4 an hour for starter we did receive an apology and no charge for this. Both mains were great but then we ordered a second drink, a soda water and a water never received water Great food pity about service

Amazing, beautiful place with antique stuff all round. Mac's pizza 🍕.

Saturday fizz lunch. Food and service were outstanding but live music was so loud we couldn’t hear each other speak. We had to move on early to have a conversation.

Loved this. The menu has something for everyone and the building is fantastic. A lovely way to remember a fantastic shop. Sorry, but i just had to take the photo of the loo! 😳

Very enjoyable meal, we enjoyed 2 courses with a bottle of wine and some cocktails. Attentive, professional service throughout. Allergies/intolerances are catered for and some dishes can be tweaked to accommodate. Good atmosphere but the restaurant did feel a little on the cold side. Food beautifully presented and we thoroughly everything we ordered. Will recommend to friends/family and definitely will return.

Lovely dinner here and super gluten free options. We booked in advance and I'd stated one of us was gluten free, when we arrived they provided a gluten free menu without asking. The service was great, staff were really friendly. Gluten free catered for really well and when the waitress brought everything over she made a point to say gluten free and mention that the bread with the mussels was GF also which is always helpful as someone who worries when they go to restaurants that they might accidentally be given gluten. Tapas was lovely - only downfall was the halloumi salad. The halloumi was raw and quite tasteless. Everything else was lovely - chicken skewers, mussels and the brie croquettes.

Had a meal in the private room for 10 of us. It's a really nice room, with plenty of space for an intimate mea. Just a shame it only seats 12 people. We all loved the food and had a great time. Most had 3 courses. We've never had a bad experience in The Esslemont. Only criticism is, we asked if either of thec2 Rose wines were sweet. They came back with a bottle of the Freeda, Melilla Beretta @ £32 per bottle without trying it or answering the question. It was not Sweet, however it was drunk by others. I am looking forward to our next visit.

First time here last night for a friend's birthday meal. The food was excellent and we had attentive service from our waiter. The food was reasonably priced and our per person cost included lots of drinks & service tip!! Our table was from 4 - 7pm and then we reserved the area in their bar for a few drinks afterwards. Great place and I'll definitely be back.

We had a wonderful afternoon for Sunday Lunch to celebrate a friend's birthday. We booked the private dining room and had a fantastic time. The food was excellent and the staff were very friendly and attentive.

Food and service was excellent and specially our waiter who i think was simon and couldn’t have been nicer even came down the street after us to give me my brolly which I left behind

Enjoyed a 3 course meal and bottle of wine with my partner. All highly enjoyable from start to finish, and made all the better by the great service received from Simon who was both friendly and attentive. Will certainly be back.

This was my first ever traditional Sunday roast (the british way). I always wanted to try this. No dissapointment at all, just lovely food. Chrispy Yorkshire pudding. This will not be the last time I have this meal. The restaurant is central, clean and the staff was nice. A little bit long too wait for both ordering and the food to arrive, even though the place was not crowded. Anyway, just a lovely Sunday afternoon and lunch.

Wonderful experience tonight! Great food, good value for money, would definitely come back here!

Nice food. Excellent grilled salmon .Thanks for the lovely staff

Quiet, dignified and well decorated. I like to dine alone often for peace and this restaurant gave me just that. Minimul interaction with the staff without being left to feel uncared for. I was served quickly both courses and drinks and was even shown a table where I could plug in on request. Realy genuine hospitality at the Esslemont.

Local muy bien decorado , sobresaliente. Comida bien presentada y de sabor fantástico, muy buen ambiente . Muy recomendable.

Enjoyed the food, service great

Lovely food. Funny smell when you go in. Some of the tapas/starters are not worth the money - especially the halloumi and tomato salad and the scallops

The food was good. Vegetarian tapas offered alongside the meaty one. It was a great night out. Staff were great, helpful, and friendly. Definitely recommend.

Outstanding service and food. Highly recommended

Fantastic food with service that alot of other restaurants could learn from 👌

Wow, just wow. We had the Sunday dinner and it was just amazing. Service was perfect, it was busy but we felt looked after and not rushed. It was a real pleasure seeing staff take it all in their stride. From offering a drink whilst we were looking at the menu to a perfect wine service, we were well looked after. The food was amazing, perfectly cooked beef, lovely veg, gravy was to die for and we ordered some sides which were excellent. Exemplary meal and I am looking forward to going again

Lovely restaurant in city centre! Good food, really good service and lovely surroundings. Highly recommend it.

Excellent choice in Aberdeen! Their dishes are really well presented and the flavour of every dish is amazing. The scallops were amazing and dessert was a must. The Ginger and Rhubarb cheesecake was one of the best ones ever. The mains have a nice balance of flavour and texture so that even a chicken supreme enjoys a unique twist. Definitely not the last time!

Simon went above and beyond for not only ourselves but the tables around us. He is so attentive and charming - a true asset to this restaurant. They are lucky to have him 😊.

Just had the roast dinner for lunch with my wife and I have to say it was the worst food I have eaten in a long time , the skirlie was swimming in grease, it was inedible. The waitress who was very pleasant passed my complaint on to the chef and the manager but they obviously couldn’t care about their reputation because they didn’t even bother to come to the table. We paid for our meal with a gift voucher so ended up overpaying for substandard food. I definitely would not go back in a hurry. The 2 stars are for the waitress.

Had a fantastic meal here last night the chicken supreme was 10/10 would definitely recommend for service, quality and price

We had the Sunday roast and the best sticky toffee pudding ever.

Lovely! Good solid comfort food for a cold Scottish winter's night 😊

Incredible atmosphere, amazing food, and lovely service from our waiter. I made a reservation, noting it was our wedding anniversary, and they did surprise us with a kind gesture when it was time for dessert. My children haven't stopped talking about it. The ribeye steak definitely is one to try in medium rare as I like it. The starters were lovely as well. We had their amazing sausage roll and beef chops. Definitely going back.

This is the second time we have been, and we can't fault it at all. Lovely food in a lovely environment with great service. Can't fault it at all.

Had our works end of year do there, was superb

Nice place, good atmosphere, good food and service but limited menu

Excellent Excellent Excellent thank you 👌

A very nice meal spoiled by the view out of the window. A begger being treated for a meal by 3 well wishers pushing a mobile food bank. Just felt so guilty 😔......for a couple of minutes then downed a bottle of Red 😵‍💫

We arrived at The Esslemont Bar & Restaurant after being at the Panto a few days after Christmas. The atmosphere was good, our waitress was very attentive and ensured we, a party of 8, had everything we required. The food was excellent and everyone was able to get what they wanted. Glad to see the old style toilets still in place, a memory from 50 years ago. A very enjoyable experience, we will return.

Lovely Xmas meal with very friendly staff

Great food selection and attentive staff. Well worth a visit.

Very nice meal. Great friendly service - sorry can't remember name of server.

Very disappointing group booking on a Saturday afternoon for a Christmas meal. A large group of 18 people, we ended up being split over two tables which was the first disappointment. The pigs in blankets were raw, the turkey was cold and to top it all off, we were told that we couldn't order a round of cocktails because we were too large a group to serve (despite the other table in our group getting them when we first arrived). We then approached the bar to order them ourselves to be told by a very rude member of staff (rudest memeber of staff I've ever encountered in a restaurant) that we could not order drinks. It's so good to see a business doing so well in these tough times that they don't need to serve all their customers. All in all a very disappointing experience for what has become something of an annual tradition. Won't be back, don't recommend. If you do darken the door as a big group I would say, don't expect to sit with the entire group or be able to order anything more complex than a vodka coke.

When for a meal before a show the food was excellent as we're the staff and very friendly

The staff are excellent, very helpful, we had a very nice and helpful Simon serving us tonight. Thanks to the chefs for a excellent well presented meal, we both thoroughly enjoy our visit. We'll done to you all.

First time here and highly recommend!

Very loud clientele but everything else is great

Came here for my birthday celebration. The atmosphere was awesome. The staffs were so welcoming. I enjoyed the food. Shared some platter with friends and also steak with finneeeee wine 🍷 😋

Great overall experience on our first visit for Saturday dinner before a concert. Looking forward to returning to try more off the tapas menu. We highly recomend the salmon!

Lovely meal. The wine was excellent too

Ok staff. Nice location, although to noisy. Ok food, even though the wild mushroom crostini had absolutely no wild mushrooms and the bread was a mini bun, instead of slice of bread. The vegan brownie was super sweet. Ginger mocktail was nice.

Wonderful meal and welcoming service. I‘d stay here longer just for this.

Cold food, staff not very attentative

Excellent food and service. Really great relaxed environment too. Will definitely be back.

Amazing meal at the weekend along with excellent customer service from Simon. Thank you again.

The dining experience here is brilliant, I had a fillet steak and wow, it was just superb. The only reason I put 4 star is that you still feel hungry afterwards, but everything else including the service wad dynamite

Shared starter was excellent. Main course of Pork schnitzel dry and cream sauce bland.

Great pizza quick efficient service

Just had drinks but the staff were superb and has good atmosphere. Will return here and have food next time 👍👍

Came here with my wife for our wedding anniversary, we were well taken care of by the staff, please atmosphere and the food was delicious, would def come back here. Prices were reasonable for three course meal and drinks

Had a memorable dinner experience at the Esslemont thanks to your lovely server Nicole. She made excellent recommendations for food and wine. I enjoyed everything that came and would recommend to others as well. I came on a Saturday, solo, but was able to sit at the bar and order. Glad I stopped in!

Good service, not too attentive staff. Food good. Noisy when seated on lower floor. Overall, great night.

Overpriced. The presentation is good-the substance not so good. The pork with the linguini was just a No. Overcooked linguini, no salt at all and didn't match the big piece of pork with bread crumbs. The food came cold. Positive aspect: staff is super kind and professional. Nice location and nice wine. But the food is a nonononoNO.

Excellent food and good, friendly staff.

Struggled to find somewhere for Valentine’s Day dinner, and was very disappointed when I saw the esslemont was fully booked. Simon was an absolutely Angel and managed to help us our and did everything in his power. We are so grateful and can’t wait to visit! Coming from someone who works in hospitality, their customer service is fantastic!

Very nice surroundings, excellent meal . Very efficient and enthusiastic floor staff. Very good all round experience and will definitely dine here again.

Visited for the first time a few days ago and what a gem the food was excellent, the staff all very friendly and helpful would definitely visit again.

Lovely meal, roast beef, serving person very sociable and attentive, would recommend.

Always enjoy it here, food and service are top notch and the environment is very pleasant. This time they had a special dinner menu for Aberdeen restaurant week and it was superb value for money. Looking forward to the next visit

The food was fine, and the service good. It was very clean although a bit cool.

Never had a bad meal yet, good quality food and accommodatng staff

Excellent service from Simon tonight. Food was delicious.

We were here on Saturday (a big table of 9) and had an excellent meal. The staff was attentive and friendly, and the food was amazing & the cocktails! Highly recommend.

Food was excellent and the waitress was equally excellent. It is a lovely restaurant, I would definitely recommend it. ❤👍

Very nice bar clean tidy and good staff

Food, drinks, and service are excellent.we had food in the restaurant and had drinks at the bar. Highly recommended the after eight martini.

Food was gorgeous and staff lovely!

Great cocktails, very friendly staff. Good, solid food which was enjoyable.

Lovely place to go for a drink. Cute we seating area in the bar. Beer was nice. Got seated in the restaurant and it was super busy. Will go back for food👍👍

Accueil chaleureux, service charmant, produits locaux et frais, cuisine excellente. Parfait.

Paid £24 for a steak that was meant to be medium cooked , it came rare,struggled to eat it, but was offered a free sweet, I expected another steak.

Not good for the price. Firstly, they served our main before our starter (which was sent back). That in itself took half an hour, another 20 minutes for the starter to then come. (Cold meat platter). The mains then took another 40 minutes to come out after starters (Ten minutes after we were told we needed to vacate the table). Sadly when that came out, one of the meals was so insanely salty it was in fact inedible. The steak was removed from the bill, however, given everything took so long in the first place, we didn't have time to reorder anything and had to ask for the bill almost immediately. The waiter tried his best but it was incredibly slow and frankly, I would have expected a further discount since we basically had to leave half way through our meal.

Thoroughly enjoyed dinner here. Staff were very attentive but at the right times. Food was really good as was the cocktails.

The service was good and the meal was very nice. Would go back again.