A no-frills approach
Situated in a prime position on Aberdeen's busy Union Street, Q Brasserie opened just two weeks ago. Housed in a former training college for church ministers, the restaurant looks set to become a place to be seen in.
The 120-seat restaurant with a bar and delicatessen has retained its 19th century mock-gothic church style with stone walls and stained glass, while the interior takes in features from the London brasserie scene.
It is privately owned by Aberdeen-based bar and nightclub owner Stuart Clarkson. Heading up the kitchen is Paul Whitecross, who previously owned Whitecross restaurant in Inverness. He is supported by a team of four other chefs, many of whom have moved to Aberdeen from the capital.
The emphasis at Q Brasserie is on quality food at low prices as its main competitors are pizza restaurants, burger bars and cafés. Its fare is as equally well-presented as that in London brasseries, but Whitecross uses less expensive cuts of meat, such as in his roast chump of lamb, boulangère potatoes, garlic and thyme essence (£10.50).
Many of the dishes on the à la carte menu are well-known Scottish dishes, for example, cullen skink (£3.25), and home-made meatloaf (£7.90) served with a potato purée and shallot sauce, but Whitecross has interpreted them in his own way. The à la carte menu is served in the evenings only, while a set-price menu is offered at lunchtime (£8.95 for three courses).
A difference that Whitecross has noticed between London and Aberdeen is that people North of the Border want to be served quickly. "People finish their starter and expect to be served their main course immediately. It's not like London where people will wait 20 minutes between each course." As a result, few dishes have garnishes: "but I find that people aren't looking for them anyway. They just want value for money."
Whitecross plans to change the à la carte menu every four or six weeks, while the set-price menu changes daily and carries dishes such as bruschetta of niçoise vegetables and goats' cheese with pesto sauce, pan-fried chicken breast and courgette confit, and dark chocolate parfait and caramelised hazelnuts.
Downstairs in the Deli and College Bar, customers can eat-in or take-away and choose from a selection of sandwiches, rolls, croissants, pittas or baguettes, soups, salads, cakes and soft drinks.
Although Whitecross and his team have been working from 8am till 1am, six days a week, he is nevertheless delighted with the new venture, which drew 55 covers on its opening night - "although it felt like 80," he says. "This is probably the nicest place to eat out at in Aberdeen. There's nothing like it and it is a chance for us to prove ourselves."
