Malmaison: 49-53 Queen’s Road, Aberdeen

GETTING a bar lunch in Aberdeen’s West End after 2.30pm on a Sunday is a struggle, I have discovered.

After failed attempts at three venues we finally struck it lucky at Malmaison.

The restaurant had shut for the day – but the bar was still open for business. We took a seat at one of the high tables, which saw us manoeuvre some tricky stools to get comfy.

The bar menu had a mixture of favourites – like fish and chips – and some unusual choices, like oysters.

My pal went for the Mal burger (£13.95).

Cooked to the diner’s taste, the burger was topped with salad and served in a toasted bun.

My friend said the meat was tender and the meal was served with a little metal bucket of enormous handmade chips.

I opted for the croque madame (£7.50). A deliciously calorific grilled cheese and ham sandwich was topped with bechamel sauce and a fried egg.

It was heaven and, despite its hefty size, I polished off the lot – even managing a couple of chunky chips. With drinks the meal came to a reasonable £24.95.