The Grill, Aberdeen

The Grill is one of the must visit pubs in Aberdeen for anyone with any sense of what good pubs should belike. It was originally a restaurant but was converted to a pub in 1925 however the restaurant name was retained. The exterior is quite drab and you could easily be forgiven for walking straight past without giving it much more than a cursory glance. The interior however is of great interest and warrants inclusion on the CAMRA Inventory for Historic Pub Interiors. A 1940’s photo shows a food counter near the entrance but the rest is pretty much as it has been since the 20’s. Until December 1975 women were not allowed inside and a ladies toilet was only added in 1998. A flat screen in one corner is also one of the few modern concessions. The long single room has bare floors, leather seating and some beautiful polished wood paneling along one side. The centerpiece is the ornate oval ceiling which is emphasized by the lighting. Behind the classic long bar is an impressive collection of approximately 500 whiskies sourced from around the world including several rarities. On the beer front there were 4 Real Ales; Caledoninan 80/-, Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, Shepjherd Neame Spitfire and Deeside Talorcan on my visit although the pumps are widely spaced along the bar so it is easy to miss one. The food on offer is little more than very cheap microwaved bar snacks but for the money you can’t go wrong. I found this to be a fascinating pub with real character, friendly locals and chatty bar staff. To walk past the admittedly faceless frontage would be a gross error of judgement.