Restaurant of the Week: Foodstory Cafe, Thistle Street, Aberdeen

The cafe hosts monthly “roots and reggae” nights with resident DJs, vegan and veggie food, and dancing. Punters are invited to: “bring your dog, pet lizard, granny or your five-year-old cousin.”

Location

On a busy street in the Granite City’s West End.

First impressions

Laid-back, trendy and very, very friendly. Bare floorboards, pre-loved furniture, and an upright Monington and Weston piano combine to create a carefree and fun vibe.

Service

There’s no standing on ceremony here, so don’t expect to wait to be seated, or to be pandered to. Here YOU go to the counter to order your food, help yourself to water and to pay. That said, you will find smiles and banter aplenty waiting for you.

Menu

Designed to cater for almost any dietary requirement – so you’ll find vegan lasagne and vegan scones and cakes which are also gluten free. We ordered from the dinner menu with this reviewer chosing the chilli bowl with brown rice, tarted-up with vegan tzatziki along with salad and rocket. My companion opted for the hot pot bowl with brown rice, along with popadoms, chutney, toasted almonds and rocket.

Taste

As non-vegans we have to confess we were a little worried about the taste, but we needn’t have been. The main courses were truly flavoursome, light but extremely filling. The vegan cakes were also surprisingly palatable.

Price

Outstanding value for money. The most expensive dishes were the Mexican Buddha bowl with brown rice, chilli, avocado, refried beans, tzatziki, nacho cheese, salsa and salad at £10 and £9.

Ambience

Relaxed. You can really kick back in this chilled-out restaurant.

Something special Take your own containers along to top up on daily essentials from planet-friendly cleaning products, to organic veg and fresh, home-baked wholemeal breads.

Toilets

Simple, functional and clean.