Cocket Hat: North Anderson Drive, Aberdeen

PASSING a pub with a huge menu on my way back from work was always going to be a recipe for disaster.

I’d managed to resist so far, but after a particularly busy day, the call of the Cocket Hat was just too strong for me and my girlfriend.

The deceptively huge pub is a maze of booths and crannies, with plenty of tables to choose from.

After much umm-ing and aah-ing over the vast menu, my girlfriend went for an old faithful – prawn cocktail (£3.95).

These juicy critters came bathed in the usual seafood sauce, but the warm baguette that accompanied it was a nice touch.

There was definitely more of the cheese than the chilli about my breaded camembert and jalapeno sticks (£3.75) – with tiny green freckles on the breadcrumbs being the only evidence of any peppery influence.

Unlike the starter, my main course of prawn bhuna didn’t lack bite, with plump seafood doused in a creamy-yet-sharp sauce and accompanied by rice and mini naan.

It was an impressive meal and wouldn’t have looked out of place in many a curry house.

My other half went for a blast from the past with the chicken Kiev, which was moist and garlicky with plenty of chips and salad.

With both mains falling in the ‘two for £10’ meal offer, I had to tip my hat to the value of this cosy pub.