Archibald Simpson

Upmarket «Spoon» in the heart of Aberdeen.
The building itself, a former bank, is a beauty, and the huge Wetherspoon Pub fills the space nicely. The food is Wetherspoon 1−0−1, of course, with the now-​familiar «clubs» on weekdays, i.e. certain parts of the menu (like chicken dishes, Mexican, curry, fish) are further reduced in price and there’s usually a number of dishes on offer that aren’t otherwise available during the week. I had a Mexican tortilla filled with pulled pork there (on a Monday, «Mexican Monday») which was actually quite nice, and later 10 «Buffalo Wings», which were standard quality.
Wetherspoon’s are an advocate of British beer, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a decent range of real ales is on offer at all times. There is a frequent rotation, and when I was there they were offering two Broughton ales, which are superb quality beers. Of course, there’s the usual array of lagers and stuff (like The Devil’s Backbone, Stella, Foster’s (ugh!), Moretti’s, etc etc).
The décor is mostly streamlined, but the sheer size of the place (look at those ceilings!) is mighty impressive. Service is also Wetherspoon 1−0−1, i.e. try not to confuse the bar staff.
Wholly recommended for what it is. Many Spoons are a little greasy or rough around the edges. Not this one.

So half an hour has passed since ordering breakfast and there is still no sign of it. We enquired with the shift leader (who appeared to be unsure of either his whereabouts or name) to check on our order and, without even looking at out receipts or table number, assured us that it will be coming. We guessed that, but we’re hoping for a more accurate time frame.
Our meals started arriving 30 – 35 minutes after ordering, and the confused shift leader apologised for our wait. When the final plate was brought out, by the far more cognitively capable and competent Manager, we were offered complimentary tea/​coffee to apologise for the delay, which we duly accepted.
It was standard Wetherspoons fare, cause let’s face it, no one goes there for quality dining. You go for quickness and affordability, and without the quickness what is there? Apparently there was staffing/​other issues that morning, which would have been fine had we been notified at ordering, but a 40 minute wait for what still looked/​tasted like a reheated breakfast just isn’t good gravy.

The only reason this review is «only» three stars is because it’s a chain which thrives on affordable grub that’s not exactly haute cuisine.
I was up in Aberdeen for a day of meetings and somehow, my homemade tuna salad wasn’t looking as appealing as it had at 6am. A burger! My kingdom for a burger! My colleagues suggested this place as a cheap, cheerful and quick option for lunch.
I ordered a burger with cheese and onion rings and at the same time, I ordered chocolate fudge cake (look, don’t judge me). This was a mistake. The meal was so large that I struggled to finish it! A really tasty burger, crunchy onion rings and chips that were edible — a novelty in a venue like this one.
Definitely worth it if you’re looking for a quick hot lunch that’s inexpensive. This place thrives on what I think is «good honest fayre» — it’s sausages and burgers and gammon steaks, this isn’t where you’d go if you were trying to impress a date. A tenner for a soft drink, burger with onion rings & chips and a slab of chocolate fudge cake with ice cream. Cannae whack it.

This is a huge bank that has been turned into a Wetherspoon’s owned pub at the end of Union and the beginning of Kings St. The front bar area is huge and cavernous as you first walk in. All granite tiles, columns, and bar. Some high and low top tables scattered about, with some couches as well. Plenty of TV’s, gambling machines, and loud music playing that really annoys me. Kind of over stimulates the senses. There is a dinning area off to the right past the bar with an area for kids also.
The service is spotty depending on who you get. If it is a manager, all good. If not, well the rest of the waitresses don’t really know squat. The first time I was here, I sat at a table and asked what real ales they had? I got a blank stare in return. So I walked up to the bar, the bartender was still no help. Seriously, how many people working at a place with a cask marque sign don’t know what real ale is? I just looked at the clips. The next time, I guess I found a manager, because he was on top of everything.
The food is very generic. Fish n Chips of coarse, but a bit more American for some reason. Wings, burgers and such. There are much better places to eat around the area. Though I guess it is par for the coarse for a Wetherspoon’s place.
On to the beer! Lots of cask options which is great, and I found everything was in good condition. Around 10 – 11 hand pumps. It seems the manager does know cask and how to care for it, but nobody else has a clue. There are always lots of offerings from Deeside, which is an excellent little Scottish brewery that I am glad has reopened recently. Plenty other Scottish micros on cask as well as some of the better English cask options. You will be able to find something to drink.
Overall, a place I visit just for the selection alone. Though there are plenty of other pubs in Aberdeen that I enjoyed a lot more (like Prince of Wales, Old Blackfriars, and No 10 Tavern).

Hands down, this is the best JDW in Aberdeen. It’s a converted bank and the exterior (and, to a just slightly lesser extent, the interior too) is quite striking. Pints are like £2, so coming from London this is a bargain. Happy to say I was in here before noon at least once during my long weekend in Aberdeen.

I can’t fault this place. Even though it’s usually busy, there are plenty of tables and the food is good and really cheap. Not to mention that they frequently have a few local brews on tap at low prices. I just wish it was a bit closer to my house.

this is more than a pub… fabulous breakfast, no music, great service, good value, gormet burger is delishand iconic pub feel. Love it. by the way the guest beers are a wonderful idea and the house wines are always very good.
keep up the good work Alex

converted bank, great size usually pretty busy as I believe its part of the wotherspoons chain so the beer is cheap and the food while not brill is reasonable and well priced unfortunately cos of the cheap beer it gets a lot of students so can be noisy but no great harm there but it does get more than its fair share of borderline winos.

A very large establishment, which looks very impressive from the outside, with lots of sitting place. They never seem to have many people working on the bar so it can take a while to get served if it is busy.
The food is ok and very cheap. There are often food and drinks promos on such as burger and beer for around £5. The food is served quickly and is quite tasty though nothing special. Basically typical pub food.
They often show the football here so it can get very busy, though overall I have never found it difficult to get a seat in here.
It’s an ok place, though I find it a very impersonal pub which you wouldn’t stay in to drink for very long, maybe just long enough to take advantage of a few cheap drinks.

What a shame to turn such a lovely old building into a cheap drinks chain bar. No music, your ears hurt with all the banter echoing around, and the toilets are miles away. This is like hell done on the cheap.

this pub is located at the castlegate end of union street. it has plenty of tables and chairs but does get pretty busy at weekends. this is a good option if you are looking for a cheap lunch and drinks as the food is good but at a very competitive price
only bad things are they dont play music and the toilets are a bit of a walk!