Home of the rowie and the mealy puddin', there's little doubt that Aberdeen has roots in the past - but it's also staging a quiet rebellion against its more southerly city sisters one new restaurant or fancy bar opening at a time.
But where's good to go just now?
Here's our pick of the best places to eat, drink and stay.
The night before
Newer than the latest reserve found off the north east coast, the Village Urban Resort in Kingswells is something of a one-stop shop. As hotels go it's not the closest to Aberdeen city centre, so getting there by car is advised. The good news is that there's little point in leaving once you've arrived: on site is a well-equipped beauty spa (complete with boudoir-esque relaxation room to recline in after the sumptuous treatments), 20 metre pool, spa and steam room, plus a nicely configured restaurant and bar. The surf and turf lobster and steak is undoubtedly a highlight, but drop all prior engagements for the crème brulee - smoother, silkier and more difficult to resist than the freshly moisturised face of Adrien Brody.
11am
Begin your day in the city stopping in at the Aberdeen Art Gallery. Just now there's new work from owner of arguably the best barnet in the business Jim Lambie, whose installations seem to get better and better. Exhibiting just now is Lambie's piece Head and Shoulders (with Conditioner) - rows of record sleeves with the credits obscured by electrical tape in order to anonymise each artist. Other work on show comes from luminaries Joao Louro, whose piece Blind Image No 92 reconsiders our relationship with the world of celebrity, and creator of the world's hippest garden Little Sparta, Ian Hamilton Finlay.
2pm
Head up Broad street past Marischal College - one of the best examples of Gothic Revival Architecture this country has to offer (only this writer's opinion, sure, but seriously: that white Kemnay granite! Those pinnacles! The way the spires look like they've been constructed out of some kind of bonkers Lego!). Down Littlejohn Street lies Six Degrees North, a Belgian beer cafe boasting enough brews from around the world to make your head spin. At the time of visiting, Snowy - a dark 'Christmas' beer made by the cafe's off-site brewery - was the perfect accompaniment to the cheddar and beer soup served in a giant hollowed out bread roll. Forget Gravity or Interstellar: this is the most visually moving thing you'll see all year.
4pm
Yes it's super trendy, and yes you might strain your eyes in the low lighting trying to make out the words of a punk motto on the back of some hip young thing's leather jacket, but just roll with it because Bar 99 will reward in its drinkable dividends. Situated on Back Wynd, the premises has existed as a watering hole from as far back as the 1920s but only as its current form in the last seven years, which means that patrons are more likely to find custom-made cocktails than a dose of diphtheria. As well as traditional dishes like Cullen skink and more modern choices including hot oak smoked salmon with beetroot carpaccio, some really classy drinks abound here - try a Gatsby Julep (Havana Especial, Cointreau, mint, orgeat and peach bitters) or a Tiffany (gin, apricot brandy, lemon, Earl Grey marmalade and egg white). Like the acquired tastes in life, you've got to suck it and see.
7pm
Casc, located on Stirling Street, is similar to Six Degrees North in so far as they both employ Belgian-style serving techniques with a specially designed tap at the bar used to run glasses under before filling with the beer of choice. By twice-washing (twashing?) the glass and bringing it to the temperature of each beer, optimum flavours can be coaxed from each brew - and there's quite a few of them. On the specials board, drinks are colour-coordinated by type (dark, IPA, wheat, fruit and so on) and more than a couple on-tap belong to what must be the most gloriously titled brewery of all time - The Yeastie Boys *blubs tears of molten joy*.
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