Under the Hammer, Aberdeen

Official site of Under the Hammer - www.underthehammeraberdeen.co.uk

Official site of Under the Hammer - www.underthehammeraberdeen.co.uk

Excellent cellar bar with a single square room of traditional appearance below the 'Bonaccord Auction Rooms' featuring numerous small tables. Four handpumps can be found on the counter, and three of these were operational when I visited offering Fyne Ales Jarl and two from Cromarty: Happy Chappy and a splendid Ghost Town porter (£4.00). With a Monday quiz night just starting, I thought this had an great atmosphere for something in the city centre but slightly off the beaten track.

Blink-and-you-miss-it subterranean bar, located underneath auction rooms in the building above (ho ho). It's a bit of a gem actually with square tile flooring, bare stone wall, bench seating and an atmospheric feel with candles in spirit bottles on the tables. All the framed sketches on the walls are for sale. Four pumps with three on; Cromarty Happy Chappy, Fyne Ales Jarl and Inveralmond Lia Fail (the latter was in great shape). Friendly barmaid with a smile and a nice lively feel in general – certainly more pub than wine bar. Should be on your Aberdeen pub ticking list, certainly my experience of it was much more positive than the reviews elsewhere on this page (I did visit on a Saturday night though - did I get very lucky?).