why cafe 52 is a prime number

First rate cooking, second to none in the Granite City
By Ron Mackenna, The Herald newspaper.

I barely get the question out before the woman answers. No, she says, before abruptly walking off. That’s it. I’m left standing there. Adrift. The second woman I ask merely shakes her head and looks at me like I’m the village idiot. Which I’m beginning to think I may well be. What was the question? Just this: excuse me, do you know where the Green is? Nothing more.

Aberdonians: uptight? Quite possibly. The Green turns out to be a few short yards from the very point where I have been standing on Union Street asking for directions. I eventually find it myself. Thanks. But, even when I get there, nobody seems to know where the bloody restaurant is. Strange, that, because I was assured just last night by a taxi driver that it is indeed Aberdeen’s best. Could Jack finally be wrong?

Anyway, I won’t bore you any further with my journey. I’m here now, inside Cafe 52 eating a bowl of apple and kale soup. Wondering how a restaurant which is so patently surfing on top-level karmic waves can flourish amid this frigid northern exposure.

Cafe 52. I got a déjá vu feeling the minute I walked through the door. Did it used to be a student pub in a previous life? Did I get puggled here one day? I do seem to recognise that ventilation shaft thingy running along the roof.

I’ll be frank: it’s not what I expected. From what Taxi Jack said, I had pictured somewhere, umm, sophisticated. But this is earthy and warm and wholemealish; the sort of place where you suspect they’ll let you linger and chill all afternoon, should that be your thing. Man. The waitresses are friendly, the chef has wandered by twice and said hello to everyone including me - and I’ve never seen him before in my puff. There’s a table of young women against the wall, clearly having a giggle. Were it not for the chalkboard affixed high on the wall, I would be convinced I’d taken a wrong turn. Into an ordinary student caff, possibly. But no. Look at the specials. Nothing ordinary about them.

Wait: let’s do this soup first. Kale and apple. It sounds explosive and it is - but only on the palate. Wow, it’s fabulous. Thick, dark, lentilly, with a slight apple tang that bounces against the edge of the tongue. And that kale thing they’ve got going here. Cow food, you’re probably thinking. No, no. It’s been elevated: deep fried, crisping the outside and moistening the bite. This soup’s good. Very good. So good, in fact, that I’ve just asked for the dinner menu, boggled briefly at what’s on offer tonight (haddock and coconut soup with a battered haddock on top; venison with white chocolate), and am at this very minute trying to book a table for this evening. Now, I have never felt the need to do that before. “Can’t,” says the waitress. “Really sorry. Fully booked all weekend.” Ah. Some Aberdonians have heard of this place. Back to the lunch main courses, then. A more modest selection, certainly, amid sandwiches and bruschettas, but still refreshingly different. Why do so many restaurants still think we only switch our tastebuds on in the evening? Why do so many places get away with offering the dullest, cheapest choices? How about this instead: leek, bacon and risotto cakes with curry sauce? Odd sounding, interesting eating. Creamy, thick risotto tumbles steaming on to the plate and mingles with a light curried sauce. As a combination of flavours, it works. Really. Again, very good. I’ll pass on the roast vegetable and cider pie with cheddar sauce and puff pastry, heading instead for what looks like an interesting take on the traditional fry-up. Toulouse sausage, Scottish black pudding, egg and Arran mustard. What we have here, folks, is a firm, flavour-packed Toulouse sausage with that characteristic deep, dark colouring; a nice bit of black pudding which has not, thank gawd, been deep fried but instead has been nicely crisped on the outside; and, atop, a runny egg. Oh, and some nice mustard to set it all off. You can’t get simpler than that. Nor, frankly, better. It’s been a first-rate meal. Wonder what dinner’s like?

Don’t be put off by the slightly hippy-dippy wholemeal feel: Cafe 52 is exciting, unusual and exceptionally good.

Rating

Menu

Exciting, exotic and maybe a little bit dangerous. How about smoked haddock and coconut soup with a battered fish fillet on top? Or lime-pickled scallops? Lunch is more sandwich-based, but check out the chalkboard for signs of culinary flair. 5/5

Atmosphere

Very unAberdonian. In fact, so laid-back you’ll think you’ve dozed off and woken up in some peacenik nirvana in the Californian foothills. 4/5

Service

Ditto. Laid-back but very friendly. 5/5

Price

Reasonable, at around £7 for lunch dishes and £12 for dinner mains. 3/5

Food

Swashbuckling approach pays off big style. It’s bold, it’s brave and it’s very good. 8/10

Total 25/30