Society Bar: Union Street, Aberdeen

WITH a lot of gossip to catch up on my pal and I decided to head into town.

And Society Bar, with its comfy booths and party atmosphere, seemed like the ideal choice for an epic natter.

We were off to a slightly ropey start as the eatery had no record of our booking – but a friendly waiter soon found us a table.

The menu was packed with bar staple favourites and some more unusual choices.

My pal went for the vegetable cottage pie with a bubble and squeak topping (£6.95). The perfect little pot was packed with flavour and the browned topping added a tasty crunch.

I also went for a meatless option, the goats’ cheese and cherry tomato en croute (£7.95). The dish is usually served with chilli salad and boiled potatoes but I went for chips with my greens.

Flaky puff pastry was topped with roasted vegetables and creamy cheese. The dish was very tasty, with a fine balance of flavours and textures.

After even more gassing, we decided to go for a pudding. My friend went for the apple crumble pie (£4.95). Tangy layers of fruit were topped with sweet biscuit rubble. My pal enjoyed the dessert, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but said it could have been a little warmer.

My caramel and chocolate cheesecake (£4.95) was heavenly but – even with my sweet tooth – I couldn’t manage the lot.

With coffee the meal came to around £34 – a reasonable price for a meal which helped us put the world to rights!