Arcadia Bar & Games

You'll find yourself on Union Street pushing through the doors into something that feels properly different from the usual Aberdeen bar circuit. Arcadia's got that nostalgic pull—vintage arcade machines dotted throughout, the kind that actually work and don't just exist for Instagram—mixed with a solid bar operation that takes its drinks seriously enough. It's the sort of place where you can genuinely lose an hour feeding coins into games whilst nursing a pint, whether you're here with mates looking for a laugh or just wanting to escape the high street chaos for a bit. The crowd's mixed: students, locals, the occasional tourist who's stumbled in looking for something with more character than a chain pub.