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Ben (TheAberben)

@theaberben

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followers

4743

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📍Aberdeen Foodie Coffee & Local Spots Creator
Restaurants, Cafés & Things to do in Abz
Supporting Local Businesses in Scotland
[email protected]

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Who said coffee dates have to end at 5pm in the Granite City?!

Sometimes you just want to catch up with a pal after work, enjoy a decent coffee and have a good blether without heading to the pub.

But finding somewhere in Aberdeen city centre that's still open after 5pm can be surprisingly tricky.

But dinna fash yersel, I've put together an UPDATED list of 7 great local businesses/spots where you can enjoy a late(ish) cuppa, whether you're after a cosy café, somewhere to unwind after a long day or a wee sweet treat to go with your caffeine fix.

And because I've visited all of these places myself, I've included some of my personal favourite drinks too!

Here's where to go:

☕ @fiveloaves_cafe | George Street
☕ @commonsenseabz | Union Terrace
☕ @35castlegallerycafeabz | Castle Street
☕ @krepesnkones | George Street
☕ @mackies19.2 | Marischal Square
☕ @7thheaven.aberdeen | Union Street
☕ @thecraftsmanaberdeen | Guild Street

Some are open until 7pm, others until 8pm, 10pm or even 11pm, so there's a decent variety depending on how late you're planning that catch-up.

Swipe through for opening hours, locations and my personal recommendations for each spot. 👉

Of course, there are a few other places around the city centre that stay open later too, but these are seven I've personally enjoyed and would happily recommend.

And before anyone asks, yes, I know there are plenty of pubs that serve coffee, but sometimes you just want a proper café atmosphere without the pints and chaos flowing around you!

Hopefully this gives you a few ideas for your next evening catch-up, especially as the darker, colder nights start creeping in.

📌 SAVE this post for the next time you're wondering where to go for a coffee after work!

And tell me, have I missed anywhere? Where's YOUR favourite spot in Aberdeen for a late-night cuppa?

If you know somewhere else that deserves a mention, drop it in the comments so we can all discover a few more places!

Follow me for more Aberdeen news, local recommendations, 'hidden gems' (real eens nae cafe andaluz or Siberia 🤣) and things to do around Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland.

1️⃣ FIVE LOAVES CAFÉ | @fiveloaves_cafe

📍 171 George S taken in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK by @theaberben

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6 days ago

2026 continues to be a HUGE year for new businesses in Aberdeen!

Here’s another update on some of the newest cafés, restaurants, bars, shops and independent businesses that have opened recently, plus more coming soon.

OPEN NOW

📍 Nancy’s – Rosehill Drive
@nancysrosehill
Mon-Fri: 9am-2pm

📍 Five Loaves Cafe – 171 George St – @fiveloaves_cafe
Mon-Sat: 7:30am-7:30pm

📍 AK Positive, 2nd Branch – 308 George St – @ak.positive
Daily: 12-5pm

📍 IOLLA – Schoolhill
@iolla
Mon-Fri: 10am-6pm | Sat: 9:30am-6pm | Sun: 11am-5pm

📍 Spinlab – South College St
@spinlababz
Mon-Fri: 8am-10pm | Sat-Sun: 8am-8pm

📍 SLŌ – 144 Rosemount Pl – @slo.living.studio
📍 Chilo’s – 401 Union St – @chilosburgers
📍 Gamersheek – Union St – @gamersheek_aberdeen
📍 Kaizen – 500 Union St – @stay.kaizen
📍 7th Heaven – 252A Union St – @7thheaven.aberdeen
📍 Video Games Aberdeen – Netherkirkgate – @videogamesaberdeen
📍 Miller & Carter – Great Southern Rd – @millerandcarterriverside
📍 Casa Del Fuego – Academy Centre – @casadelfuegobars

COMING SOON

📍 Ines’ Cabinet of Curiosities – Justice st – 14 Sep
📍 Damaged Society – Bon Accord Centre – Sep/Oct? – @damagedsocietystore
📍 Fibbers Irish Snug – 51 Langstane Pl – Q3?
@fibbersirishsnug
📍 Marie’s Kitchen – Bridge St – Opening shortly
📍 Beef King – 196 George St – End Sep –
@beefkingaberdeen
📍 Zee’s Bar/Club – Academy Centre – Sep? – @zeesbaraberdeen
📍 Royal Asia – Academy Centre – Sep?
📍 Gourmet Boutique – 156 Union St – Sep/Oct
@gourmet_boutique_aberdeen
📍 Mezzo – 155 Union St – Oct
@Mezzo_Aberdeen
📍 Allegro – 150 Union St – TBC – @allegro.aberdeen
@allegro.aberdeen

It’s brilliant seeing so many new businesses continuing to pop up across Aberdeen.

And as always, I’m only one man wandering around Aberdeen taking suspicious amounts of photos of shopfronts, so if I’ve missed one, tell me in the comments!

Follow me for more Aberdeen openings, hidden gems and local tips. taken in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK by @theaberben

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If you’re new here, hello and welcome. And if you’ve been following for a while and ever wondered a bit more about who’s behind the posts, this is a wee reintroduction...

I’m Ben, a marketing and communications professional based in Aberdeen, passionate about supporting local businesses, shining a light on good food, great coffee and the people behind them, and championing the Granite City whenever I can.

I’m fond of photography, technology, travelling, walking, helping others, and spending time in nature, with a soft spot for charity shops, car boot sales and a decent latte. Dogs are my absolute favourite animal; growing up we had 6 dogs (3 at the same time at one point)

I split my time between work, content creation and travelling back and forth to the US to see family, which isn’t always easy, but it’s shaped a lot of who I am and why I value community so much. Aberdeen has its challenges, but it also has huge potential, and being a voice for local businesses is a big part of why I do what I do. It's been very influential in why I decided to go back to Uni after being made redundant, from my phone sales job when Covid hit, and get my master's in Digital marketing! 🎓

If you’re here for honest opinions on local food finds, coffee spots, new businesses opening, beautiful nature spots in Aberdeenshire, small business support, creator tips & guides, or just a bit of real-life content from the North-east, you’re in the right place.

Please do drop a follow, leave a comment and say hello 👋

Aberdeen content creator | Aberdeen marketing expert | Supporting local businesses | Aberdeen food scene | Aberdeen coffee spots | North-east Scotland | Local business marketing | Food and drink Aberdeen | Aberdeen photography | Scottish content creator | Small business support | Life in Aberdeen taken in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK by @theaberben

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9 months ago

AD A pal opened up a cool new business down in Stirling.

So of course I had to come check it out while I was down here visiting friends...
@saffronclay21

Saffron & Clay takes the ceramic painting concept, the great coffee, the delicious baklava and cheesecakes from Eyup's old business in Aberdeen and refines it all in a brighter, neater, cosier store that has just the right relaxing vibes.

I had a latte and rather enjoyed the taste of the coffee, and went for a coronation chicken panini, but they ran out so I opted for a chicken tikka instead... it was delicious!
Sadly they ran out of baklava (not surprised!) but we tried this walnut loaf thing and it was quite good!

They offer ceramic painting options from £15 and above, provide all the tools, paints and comforts you need and don't worry about skill level as all skill levels are welcome and encouraged. Even if it is your first time picking up a paintbrush! 🖌

It's a really fun concept that worked well in Aberdeen and I am delighted for the people of Stirling and nearby, who can now enjoy this activity too. It's a great thing to do with friends, as a family or for a lovely date night.

They soft opened a couple of weeks ago and are going to have a grand opening when they are ready. For now they operate on a booking-only basis so do message ahead. @saffronclay21

Cheers for having us in Eyup, already looking forward to my next visit when I'm next down near Stirling!

📍Saffron&Clay
73 Murray Pl, Stirling

Open 10-18:00 - Seven days a week taken in Murray Place by @theaberben

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6 hours ago

There is loads happening in and around @bonaccordaberdeen this weekend, and the @artbazaaraberdeen is definitely worth a look if you are heading into town.

The Art Bazaar is taking over @curatedaberdeen on the lower mall from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th October, with around 30 independent creative businesses taking part.

Expect art, design, craft, samples, seconds, one-off pieces and even a first-ever material sale, all with a minimum of 40% off across the event. It is a great chance to pick up something unique while supporting local artists and makers.

A portion of exhibitor fees is also being donated to @charliehouse, which makes the event even better.

Opening times:
Friday 16th: 10am to 5pm
Saturday 17th: 10am to 5pm
Sunday 18th: 11am to 4pm

Location:
Curated Aberdeen, Lower Mall, Bon Accord Centre

Event link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/28122146010776195

----
That isn't all!
There is even more happening in Bon Accord tomorrow too.

The Aberdeen Collectables Card Show (@aberdeencollectables) is on the top floor on Saturday, while the Swipe Vintage clothing sale is also taking place on the lower floor. (@swipevtg)

As well as that, the new Damaged Society (@damagedsocietystore) store has now opened.

AND Beef King (@beefkingaberdeen) opens today just outside Bon Accord on George Street. They are offering 25% off their entire menu all weekend from 4pm today until 11pm Sunday.

It's all coming up in Aberdeen! taken in Curated Aberdeen by @theaberben

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3 days ago

So, I’ve got a client who already owns a couple of businesses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, and they’re keen to open another one...

The interesting part is they want to do something a little different. Ideally, they’re looking at hospitality and something we don’t already have much of in Aberdeen, although they may be open to retail too.

So not another Indian, Turkish or Italian Restaurant, not a vape or convenience store. Definitely not a barbers 🤣

After being inspired by a great post about improving Aberdeen by @tokofthedeen,
It got me thinking, why not ask you lot?

What are we genuinely missing in Aberdeen?

Have you ever been in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London or somewhere else, gone for lunch or dinner and thought, “Why don’t we have one of these in Aberdeen?”

It could be a franchise, a completely independent concept, a certain type of restaurant, café, bar, food hall, experience-led venue or potentially even a retail idea.

Personally, I’d love to see another proper smokehouse-style BBQ place, especially in the city centre. Big smoked meats, brisket, ribs, loaded sides, the lot.

So, if you could bring one type of business to Aberdeen, what would it be?

Drop your ideas in the comments. I’m genuinely interested to see what keeps coming up.
You never know it might become a reality in the near future! taken in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK by @theaberben

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3 days ago

"Funcy a cheeky Chinese tonight?"
Aye, fit een?
@royal.asia2026 Royal Asia in the Academy of course.

Got around to trying this new Chinese restaurant the other day. I'm delighted to see a new sit in Chinese as they are fairly scarce in the city centre of Aberdeen.

I tried their Satay chicken and chicken cheese rolls for starters, and look at the size of them! Humongous.
But they were also fairly big on flavour too. Although I would have liked the satay sauce to be even more peanuty but I'm a peanut 🥜 fiend so might be fine for your average satay enjoyed 😅

Next was the main with my goto order of Salt & Pepper chicken and plain chow mean with beansprouts and veg. This is a staple order for me when ordering takeaway Chinese, and I like to use it as a test for seeing how a place is that I've not ordered from before.

They passed! The salt & pepper was well seasoned with that addictive S&P seasoning so many of us adore amd the portion sizes were pretty generous.
The noodles were great (I opted for thick rather than thin) and weren't too oily or dry.

Every main order comes with two pricing options one with a soft drink (inc juice) and one slightly more expensive choice with a alcoholic drink.

The staff were very friendly too and they said they've been open for about 3 weeks now, and currently offer order for collection but are hoping to have delivery options set up in the next couple of weeks.

Royal Asia doesn't do anything unique or truly outstanding but it does offer decent tasting, big portions of staple Chinese food at reasonable prices in a restaurant with a nice atmosphere that's bang in the middle of the city.

It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it really doesn't need to. 🤷‍♂️

As Chinese is one of my favourite cuisines, I'll inevitably be back in coming weeks and months!

Also, while I was there I also fed back that more and more people do not like the use of AI posters or AI food in their marketing and recommended using real photos, design tools like canva, or hiring local graphic designers and marketers to help out. Hopefully they will take that on board 🙏

📍Royal Asia, The Academy, off of Belmont St
Aberdeen
12:00-21:00 Daily taken in The Academy Shopping Centre by @theaberben

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4 days ago

There’s loads happening at or nearby Bon Accord this weekend, so if you’re heading into town, these are three events worth knowing about 👀

Swipe Vintage -
@swipevtg
Saturday 17 October
10am to 4pm
Bon Accord Centre, near Superdry

Expect a packed vintage pop-up with clothing and big-name brands including Adidas, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Champion, Vans, Lacoste, Levi’s, The North Face, Wrangler, Converse, Puma, Fila and more.

Aberdeen Collectables Card Show -
@aberdeencollectables
Saturday 17 October
10am to 5pm
Upper Bon Accord Centre

A full day for collectors with 20 tables offering trading cards, sealed products, collectables and more. Buy, sell, trade or just have a look around. Entry is free.

Art Bazaar Aberdeen - @artbazaaraberdeen
Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October
Friday & Saturday: 10am to 5pm
Sunday: 11am to 4pm
@curatedaberdeen
Curated Aberdeen, Lower Mall, Bon Accord Centre

More than 25 independent creative businesses will be selling art, design and craft at heavily discounted prices, including samples, seconds and materials. The event is also supporting local charity Charlie House.

And while you’re there, Damaged Society will be open in Bon Accord by this weekend too, plus Beef King will be open just outside the centre on George Street if you fancy grabbing something to eat.

Plenty of reasons to make a trip into town this weekend! taken in Bon Accord Centre Aberdeen by @theaberben

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4 days ago

ABERDEEN, A NEW ALTERNATIVE FASHION STORE IS OPENING TOMORROW! 🖤

(PS - Follow me for more Aberdeen and North Scotland news, openings, previews and events etc! 🫶)

Band merch, gothic fashion, quirky gifts and plenty of things you probably won't find in your usual high street shops... must be @damagedsocietystore !

Damaged Society is opening in Aberdeen's Bon Accord Centre on Wednesday 14th October at 10am, and there's a FREEBIE for the early birds!
@bonaccordaberdeen

🎁 The first 100 customers through the doors will receive a FREE Pride tote bag with any purchase!

So, what's all the fuss about?

Established in 2012, Damaged Society specialises in alternative fashion, music merchandise and accessories, with Aberdeen becoming its 13th UK store and third in Scotland!

Expect band T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, jewellery, footwear, bags, hats, gothic homeware and plenty of pop culture goodies.

🎸 Music fans can also find official merchandise from the likes of Slipknot, Nirvana, Sleep Token, Bring Me the Horizon and My Chemical Romance!

Basically, if your wardrobe is 90% black, you love a good band tee or just enjoy finding something a bit different, this could be your new favourite shop!

I asked the team (@dmgscy_hev) why they chose Aberdeen, and they highlighted Bon Accord's growing selection of retailers and its central location.

It's brilliant to see another business investing in Aberdeen city centre, especially one bringing something a little different to the high street!

📍 Damaged Society, Bon Accord Centre, Aberdeen

Opens Wednesday 14th October at 10am!

Opening hours:
Mon–Sat: 10am–6pm
Sunday: 11am–5pm

🎁 Remember, free tote bags for the first 100 purchasing customers on opening day!

Who's heading along for a look?

Tag your alternative fashion-loving pals and follow @theaberben for more new openings, local discoveries and things happening around Aberdeen! taken in Bon Accord Centre Aberdeen by @theaberben

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5 days ago

Remember Taste of Hong Kong on the Adelphi? I still miss it so much 😭

But there is some good news for the now-empty unit. A new food business is moving in, Nalan’s Home Food, serving Kerala-inspired homemade food here in Aberdeen.

@nalans_homefood

Nothing will ever replace ToHK for me, but I’m really glad to see another independent business taking over a vacant spot, and as a big fan of Indian food, I’m very excited to see what they bring to the Adelphi.

They’re currently putting the menu together and recently asked people what Kerala dishes they would most like to see, which I think is a really nice way to shape the menu around what customers actually want.

There’s no opening date confirmed yet, but you can absolutely bet I’ll be popping in as soon as they open.

Anyone else excited to try it? And if you know Kerala cuisine, what dish would you want to see on the menu?

Slides 2 & 3 captured from their socials.

Give them a follow for updates: @nalans_homefood taken in Taste of Hong Kong by @theaberben

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7 days ago

35 Castle Gallery Café & Coffee Shop at Castlegate

Have you been to @35castlegallerycafeabz yet?

This hidden away café (extra hidden because of the construction works at Castlegate) is run by Soran a well known photographer in Aberdeen. It serves as a gallery for local talented artists and photographers, a mini Aberdeen gift shop, a coffee spot and cafe all in one.

Best of all it also is open from 9am to 7pm daily which is great for people looking for a cuppa after the usual 4-5pm closing time of most other city centre cafés.

It's a real a shame this cafes business and footfall has been so drastically affected by all of the works at Castlegate and with no support or relief either.

So please do pop by if you get a chance, have a cuppa and try the baklava it's fab.

📍35 Castle St
Aberdeen
Open 9-7pm daily
Dog friendly (but on lead and well behaved) taken in Castle Street Aberdeen by @theaberben

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