Mediterranean (Aberdeen)

Walk down Thistle Street towards the city centre and you'll find yourself in a place that doesn't feel like it's trying too hard to be anything other than genuinely good. The menu reads like someone's actually spent time around the Med rather than just Googling recipes, with the kind of dishes that make you wonder why more places in Aberdeen bother. You're looking at proper tapas, seafood done right, and enough wine knowledge on the staff to point you somewhere decent without being insufferable about it. It's the sort of spot where regulars clearly know what they're after, and newcomers tend to stick around longer than they planned.