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Under the Hammer, Aberdeen

11 North Silver Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1RJ

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Under the Hammer

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.

On 22nd April 2019 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Under The Hammer

This is a very pleasant basement bar set down the backstreets in what appears to be quite a nice part of the city. You descend an external staircase to reach the front door, which leads you into the tile-floored single room with exposed stone walls and a long servery to the rear. The bar has a dark wood counter and a nicely lit bar back, giving the place more of a pub-feel than it might otherwise have had. Padded banquettes can be found along the left-hand wall whilst some rock hard pews offer less comfortable seating to the right and standard tables and chairs fill the space between. Every table has a lit candle on it, set in an empty spirit bottle, which was quite a nice touch. The walls have been decorated with some contemporary photography and there was a board near the bar which read “Let me paint you”, which seemed to be some sort of portrait service offered by one of the bar staff! To the rear right there is a small nook popular with the pub’s regulars, which offers a drinking ledge, lots of flyers for local events and a few random pictures, some of which may well be the aforementioned portraits. Folk music played quietly in the background on my midweek evening visit and there was a very slow dribble of customers through the door, so the atmosphere was rather flat.
There were three ales on the bar – Broughtons Winter’s Fire, Cromarty Happy Chappy and Fyne Ales Jarl. Whilst my experience was nowhere near as bad as Will’s, my pint of the Happy Chappy wasn’t exactly on top form and I did have to wonder at the pub’s inclusion in recent editions of the Good Beer Guide. The lone barmaid was supremely upbeat and spent much of her time engaging the locals in idle chit-chat.
I thought this was a really nice looking bar with potential to be great on a livelier evening, but having had an indifferent pint and reading of further beer quality issues experienced by other visitors, I’ll perhaps be giving it a second thought before deciding to return.

On 3rd July 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Will Larter left this review about Under The Hammer

Amusingly named by reference to the auction rooms in the building above, this is a basement bar par excellence. The tiled floor, bare stone walls and interesting background music seemed to promise so much. The bar counter is at the rear, with four hand pumps. The young woman at the bar broke off from the conversation she'd been having with her friend (boyfriend?) to serve me. When I immediately pointed out that the beer was not right she was reluctant to accept what I said. I explained that I'd had the same beer, Fyne Highlander, only a few days before, and it didn't taste like what she was selling me. Her friend joined in, tasting it for himself and agreeing it was off; she wasn't going to accept his word for it either, but grudgingly offered me a different beer anyway, while still maintaining there was nothing wrong with the first one. A few minutes later, on my return from the toilet, I noticed she had turned the pump clip around! Way to save face.

My replacement beer, Fyne Jarl, was ok but not what I preferred of the beer choice on offer, and the reluctance to accept my reasonable and reasoned explanation of what was wrong with the beer left almost as sour a taste as the beer itself.

Date of visit: 7th June 2018

On 29th June 2018 - rating: 4
[User has posted 3699 recommendations about 3440 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about Under the Hammer

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?).

On 20th March 2018 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Roger Button left this review about Under The Hammer

This intimate basement bar is situated underneath an auction house hence the slightly awkward but rather ingenious name. It is quite easy to walk past the sunken entrance, especially as the Globe next door is the focal point as you approach.

The low ceiling interior has a tiled floor, exposed stone walls and a mass of discreetly hidden air conditioning pipes. Being underground the natural light doesn’t penetrate too far so the emphasis switches to candle power, mostly stuck into the top of wax encruststed bottles. A small snug fits nicely into one corner below the pavement. Local artwork (for sale) adorns the walls and low piped music creates a relaxing and quite intimate ambience. There is a solitary small basic TV in one corner. Despite having all the trappings of wine bar, it does have more of a pub approach with pews and solid furnishings preferred to loungy sofas and ankle high tables.

They are a regular Good Beer Guide entry with up to 4 ales available (Caledonian Deuchars, Bombardier, Inveralmond Ossian and 1 unused on my visit). I didn’t note any food details and I would also mention that it has more limited opening times than the average pub (it was closed when we came here a couple of days earlier) so worth checking if you are making a specific visit.

It isn’t the most obvious choice as part of Aberdeens pub circuit but it is certainly worthy of taking the time out to pop in.

On 17th August 2010 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


General Staal left this review about Under The Hammer

This is a very interesting basement level pub. Very busy on a Friday night. Also very warm and humid. However, this was the best 'pub' of the night with a very comfortable atmosphere. It is small, open plan and has undressed stone.

The usual beer with three real ale pulls, Inveralmond Ossian (delicious) Greene King Abbott (untried) and a third ale which I did not note.

This is well worth the visit - a very nice pub.

On 1st August 2010 - rating: 8
[User has posted 142 recommendations about 125 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Betty Swallocks left this review about Under The Hammer

Nice friendly pub with good staff. Can get very busy and noisy at weekends but in general, a nice place to go.

On 2nd August 2008 - rating: 8
[User has posted 17 recommendations about 17 pubs]