Now, moving from museums to theatres. It just so happened that a job took me to Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s in early hours of Saturday (for someone who cherishes her weekends off 10am is, indeed, early). Upon my arrival at the HMT I learnt, however, that the tour that I was meant to be doing was actually starting half an hour later – which gave me plenty of time to sit down at the theatre’s cafe and have a cup of coffee.
Although I had already known I would probably be reviewing HMT’s coffee offering that morning, I was setting my sights for the 1906 restaurant upstairs, which I have heard some positive comments about. Alas, when it came to a casual sit-and-snack affair, especially hours before any high-brow performances, I had to settle down for the rather unglamorous cafe downstairs, with its wooden chairs and limited bar space.
At least the view was pleasant on that sunny Saturday morning – on Rosemount Viaduct via the glass walls of the fairly new addition to the century old building – the foyer with its restaurant. I appreciated the peacefulness of the street as I waited for my coffee, after learning, to my surprise, that they offered the full range. There were a few tables taken and awaiting their order, so it took some – but reasonable – time for the mocha to arrive. And although I didn’t want to pre-judge the bevarage based on the surroundings, it did, unfortunately, live up to the expectations.
The brew was slightly too hot and not very sweet, while quite milky. It didn’t have a nice, thick consistency and any flavour quickly dissipated after drinking, leaving a bit of a void in the stomach of someone lusting for some punchy cocoa or caffeine offering. However, by no means it was the worst I’ve had… but it certainly didn’t entice me to come in early for an afternoon performance, if it meant waiting with a cuppa at the cafe.
Mocha: tbc
Verdict justification: A cup of milky coffee – fresh, but not chocolatey.
A Black Spot 