The Mariner Hotel: Great Western Road, Aberdeen

WITH the kitchen looking like a storm had hit it, cooking was out of the question.

So when the hunger pangs struck, my friend and I set sail for a local bar at The Mariner Hotel.

The hanging lamps and wooden walls certainly gave the Cape Horn Lounge a nautical feel, and the trend was continued in the food on offer.

To start I went for a North-east favourite – Cullen Skink (£4). And few efforts could match this one – with hunks of fish swimming in a thick, creamy soup, it was real hearty sea fare and absolutely bursting with flavour.

My friend also went for the oceanic option, deciding on the filo-wrapped tiger prawns with sweet chilli sauce (£4.75). Plump and juicy, they were tasty enough although they lacked the “wow” factor of the soup.

The waitress pointed us to the list of daily specials which bulk up the standard menu and from this I ordered the grilled sardines (£8) with potatoes and salad.

Picking through the bones can be a fiddly business, but the delicious fresh fish made it well worth the effort.

My pal’s sausage and mash (£8) also went down a treat, with the onion gravy particularly popular. The huge portion of four sausages meant she couldn’t finish it, but I was happy to take one for the team and help her out.

Our stomachs suitably stoked, we steered a course for home, safe in the knowledge that we’d be back soon enough.