Scone Spy: Our cake expert visits Aberdeen’s Cognito At The Cross

The sun is splitting a clear blue sky on the day Scone Spy visits Cognito At The Cross in the Granite City’s leafy west end. With every table on the outside terrace taken, your spy has no choice but to head inside.

It’s been four years since your favourite spy visited this eatery with a global pandemic in between, so were not sure what we might find, but are thrilled to discover it thriving. Cognito At The Cross is the third in Cognito brand, with another in nearby St Swithen Street (which Scone Spy has also visited in the past). It’s latest addition, Cognito At The Museum – run in conjunction with the Gordon Highlanders Museum staff and volunteers – is a five-minute drive away in Viewfield Road.

Settling into a window seat, we take in our surroundings. The place is buzzing. On the terrace, languid customers sip the lattes and espresso and watch the world go by, while inside a steady stream of clientele keep smiling and enthusiastic waiting staff on their toes. On the neighbouring table, young women discuss the pros and cons of tattoos, while across from us a doting gran spoils with sweet treats the wee one she’s just picked up from school.

The menu has a great selection of toasties, focaccia, bagels, paninis, salad boxes and jacket potatoes with a range of delicious fillings.

But we’re here for the scones – made daily from scratch on the premises. The options are fruit, plain or cheese, although we’re told there is an occasional seasonal special. We opt for the fruit variety, warm, with butter and jam. It arrives in no time, generous in size and bursting with fruit. With just the right degree of crumble, it slices easily for the butter which melts into the fluffy bake. Now the jam, followed by heaven in the first bite. It’s the only time we are silent as we savour the taste – scrumptious.

The bill is equally agreeable. A homemade scone here with butter and jam will set you back £2.75. There are tarts, gateaux, muffins, tray bakes, cookies and gluten-free brownies too. With our tea, the bill came to under £6, pretty reasonable for the quality and location.

Scone score

Super-scrumptious and reasonably priced. 9/10