Pavarotti’s: Union Terrace, Aberdeen
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THE bargain hunter in me loves pre-theatre meal deals.
More often than not you have three courses for less than it costs to order one main dish from the a la carte menu.
Of course, it’s not going to be the same restaurant experience as a full-priced blow out. You get what you pay for.
But it’s like wee tester pots of paint. If you like it, you can go back later for the whole shebang.
This time, however, we did it the other way around.
I enjoyed a sumptuous feast at Pavarotti’s a couple of years ago, and returned with my friend and her parents before a trip to the theatre.
It’s a beautifully snug, calming restaurant in a prime spot close to His Majesty’s Theatre.
And the staff have never been anything short of friendly and attentive, vital if you’re to enjoy a relaxing meal instead of watching your time before curtain goes up.
For £13.95 each, we had three courses.
Some choices were better than others, but all in all it was an enjoyable meal in very comfortable surroundings at a price that didn’t break the bank.
My friend’s dad enjoyed the vegetable soup while her mum’s toasted ciabatta with tomato and seafood toppings also hit the spot.
But the buffalo mozzarella salad my friend and I had would have been much better if the cheese and tomatoes had been served at room temperature instead of chilled.
My pal made the best choice of main course with the chicken in a garlic cream sauce which was light and tasty.
The rest of us plumped for the daily special. The pork had been flattened into medallions and chargrilled. The meat was perfectly tasty, but the tomato sauce was overwhelming.
As for pudding, my friend’s family is something of an authority as her mum serves up six home-made sweets on Christmas Day.
And they loved the tiramisu, praising its lightness and flavour.
A bottle of red wine and glass of white wine followed by four coffees took the bill to a little over £80. The big test is – will we go back?
Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the theatre – something which appealed to the part of me which cares not a jot about bargains.
I spotted a diner tucking into a huge slab of rare fillet steak which looked as good as any beef dish I have seen.
At £21.90 it was more than our rate per head, but some things in life are worth pushing the boat out for. We’ll be back.
