Review: O’Malley’s Irish Bar & Kitchen, Aberdeen

A new Irish Bar joins Aberdeen’s hospitality scene and Grant Dickie heads along to see just what O’Malley’s Irish Bar & Kitchen has to offer punters.

Taking a wander down Aberdeen’s Crown Street after stepping off of Union Street, you’ll no doubt see the grand granite structure before you that once was a Post Office. Well, look left and you’ll find O’Malley’s Irish Bar & Kitchen, a new addition to the city’s hospitality offering.

Inside, the surprisingly spacious venue welcomes you into the bar area before wending further from its small street-front face, down some stairs to a dining area and off into alcoves, all gleaming in green tiles and adorned with vintage Guinness artwork and photographs.

Greeted by owner Neil, we chose to start our evening with a pint of Guinness each – because it would be rude not to when in an Irish bar, right? The menu has plenty of choices without feeling too large. O’Malley’s partnership with Aberdeen’s own Big Manny’s Pizza means you can order their tasty pizzas and burgers direct from the kitchen, while also offering some more standard pub fare. Further to its partnership with Big Manny’s, O’Malley’s prides itself on working with local producers where it can, including Castle Bay scampi.

After much deliberation we settled on the Guinness Steak Pie and The Irish ‘Spoice’ Bag with sides of Jalapeño Baked Dough Bombers and Korean BBQ Chicken Bites to share.

The steak pie was packed full of beef with just the right amount of gravy which was indeed rich in flavour from the Guinness. This was accompanied by some crispy fries and a side portion of gravy in case you wanted some more (in my opinion this was perfect for dipping my chips in). The Irish ‘Spoice’ Bag was interesting as I wasn’t expecting it to actually come in the bag, but this just added to the experience as you tore further into the bag to access the chicken and chips which were all fully-loaded and cooked in a salt and chilli spice mix and served with a great Chinese curry sauce. This is definitely a great choice if you like some heat due to the fresh chillis.

Our chosen sides also brought some heat. The fresh Big Manny’s dough used for the Bombers had just the right amount of cheese and marinara (sorry, Mannynara) while the chicken bites were slathered in a delicious Korean BBQ sauce and topped with sesame seeds and spring onion. If you want a dessert, be warned, you get a good feeding here so consider well if you will have room.

When you do pay O’Malley’s a visit, if Neil is around make sure to ask him about their Irish whiskeys. He is both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their drams and I guarantee they will be able to find one that fits your tastes. We tried the Green Spot Single Pot Still whiskey which was deliciously smooth with the citrus fresh notes and sweetness of apple and pear. But if a traditional dram is not for you, then you should definitely give their Irish coffee a go. This is hands down the best Irish coffee I have had in Aberdeen in a long time. Served shorter than you would usually see, this gives the whiskey more of a chance to shine, its flavours complimenting those of the coffee perfectly.

As well as offering up sections of the dining area (referred to as Snugs) for functions, the venue also comes complete with a small corner set-up for local and international musicians to entertain the punters.

Read more Reviews here.

Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field.