My girlfriend and I visited The Ferryhill House Hotel on Saturday, 7th June. We’d been to the venue before — once together last year, and I’ve visited a few times previously with family — so we had reasonably high expectations. Unfortunately, this visit was a bit of a mixed experience.
We arrived slightly early, knowing we likely wouldn’t be seated straight away, and were directed to the bar to have a drink while waiting — no problem there. We found a table, ordered drinks, and were enjoying the start of our evening. However, things took a turn when a male member of staff began trying to seat some new arrivals. A couple approached, looking for somewhere to sit. Since we were finishing up, we told them (and the staff member) that they could have our table in 5–10 minutes. I even said to the staff member, “I hope that helps,” to which he rather abruptly replied, “No it doesn’t.”
It wasn’t said in a joking way — just quite rude. I’m generally easygoing, but the attitude was a bit unnecessary, and judging by the expression on the couple’s faces, they picked up on it too. We left the bar area shortly after, a bit disappointed with the tone it had set for the evening.
Dinner started on a high note with the bruschetta — we both ordered it and it was excellent! We also had some bread for the table, which was really nice — warm, fresh, and delicious.
For mains, I ordered the ribeye steak (medium rare) with a side of tenderstem broccoli, while my girlfriend went for the fish pie. Unfortunately, her dish was very overcooked — the fish was rubbery and unpleasant, which made the whole thing difficult to enjoy. My steak was cooked great and tasted perfect, no issues, however the “tenderstem broccoli” side turned out to be standard chopped broccoli, lightly grilled.
I asked the waiter about it, and he explained that the kitchen had run out of tenderstem. While I appreciated the honesty, it was frustrating that no one mentioned the substitution — not when we ordered, nor when the food was brought out. It’s not a massive issue, but it felt a bit dismissive to serve something different without even a heads-up.
To their credit, when we gave feedback about the fish pie, the staff were receptive and polite about it. We then ordered dessert — the chocolate tart — which was excellent. Rich, well-presented, and genuinely one of the high points of the meal. When the bill came, we noticed they had kindly removed the charge for the dessert to make up for the disappointing main — a gesture we appreciated.
On a stranger note, there was an unintentionally amusing moment during the meal. An Italian couple seated near us asked a staff member for a local beer recommendation. Given Aberdeen’s great craft beer scene — with options like BrewDog or Fierce Beet — we were expecting one of those to be suggested. Instead, the staff member recommended Tennent’s, which isn’t local to Aberdeen and, in our opinion, not a great introduction to Scottish beer. The real surprise was when it was served in a wine glass of all things. The gentleman looked understandably confused and sent it back, only for it to be poured into a slightly larger wine glass and returned. He smiled politely, but the whole interaction left us quietly baffled. For a venue representing Aberdeen’s food and drink scene, it felt like a missed opportunity to showcase something more fitting.
Overall, the setting is still lovely and the interior looks fantastic after the refurbishment, but this visit left us with mixed feelings. The service had several rough edges, and while some food was excellent (like the bruschetta, steak and dessert), other parts were well below expectations — especially considering the price point. At this stage, we’re not in a rush to return, which is a shame given our previously good experiences.