The Bieldside: North Deeside Road, Bieldside

HIDDEN inside an unassuming stone building, The Bieldside is a bit of a surprise.

It’s a pub that thinks it is a restaurant – but in the best possible way.

With large, comfy chairs and plush booths, friendly staff and a varied menu, it ticks all the boxes.

My girlfriend started with the crispy duck spring rolls with sweet plum and sushi ginger sauce (£4.75). The large portion was fresh with crunchy vegetables, delicious tangy sauce and plenty of meat.

I opted for the avocado with baby gem lettuce, served with parmesan and a Caesar dressing (£5.75). The avocado was fresh and ripe – but the dressing a bit too overpowering.

For my main course I went for the chicken bubble and squeak (£12.75), partly because I’ve never seen it outwith my mum’s Christmas dinners.

It wasn’t quite the same as mum’s, but came with smoked bacon and a parsley sauce, which complemented it perfectly.

My girlfriend claims the measure of a good pub kitchen is its burgers and the Bieldside didn’t disappointment.

The 8oz steak burger (£10.95) was tasty and came topped with caramelised onion, mature cheddar and a hefty portion of chips.

With the rain lashing down outside, we were in no hurry to head out again and happily stayed inside, soaking up the pleasant atmosphere.