Cafe 52

Between Aberdeen's main street (Union Street) & its railway station lies a space called The Green, once home to open-air markets. There have been no stalls here for many years, but Cafe 52 has been building a reputation & helping put The Green back on the map since 1995. The exterior is unassuming (beer & coffee signage, hanging baskets) while inside the atmosphere is informal, even slightly bohemian. It's also where you'll find some of the most adventurous food in the north-east of Scotland. The head chef is David Littlewood, a local culinary talent whose CV includes junior chef awards & spells at country house hotels. For dinner, he might serve Welsh rarebit with Roquefort & cheddar, topped with crayfish tails & chutney ahead of loin of venison, spiced couscous, & vegetable tempura with grapefruit & ginger sauce, then coffee bean mousse for dessert. In addition to lunch & dinner, Cafe 52 also has tapas from 4-6.30pm: red pepper & black bean tart perhaps, or rabbit meatloaf. Book ahead - this is a popular spot.