Boozy brunches are most definitely the flavour of the moment, and quite rightly so if you ask me, because there really is no better way to spend a Sunday – or any given day for that matter! Whether it’s a leisurely catch up with friends, or more of a necessity in order to refuel after a bit of a rowdy night out, delicious brunch treats and refreshing cocktails are always the ultimate combination.

When the Bobbin asked me to go along and try out their boozy brunch offer, sampling not just one, but EVERY SINGLE item on the menu, I had to pinch myself and check that I wasn’t still in the midst of a lazy weekend morning dream. Drafting up some recruits – i.e. a gang of hungry pals – to cover all angles, we set off on a Sunny Sunday morning to check it out. Challenge accepted! All in the name of research of course…

COULD THIS BE THE BEST BOOZY BRUNCH OFFER IN ABERDEEN…?

The rise of the boozy brunch has been a swift and steep one, with everyone from the ‘ladies that lunch’ crowd to the penny pinching student masses wanting in on the action, and the options on offer locally are expanding rapidly. In true Bobbin style, they have created not just a quirky menu that caters to any and all with a passion for breakfast goods, but also an offer that not only rivals, but stomps all over the majority of others I’ve come across so far.

For just £20 per person you’ll receive one brunch item plus up to SIX boozy or soft drinks – now how’s that for a deal?! You can choose from a range of tasty cocktails, refreshing prosecco or even a selection of cool and crisp beer or cider. It really is an absolute steal of a deal! Highlights from the no frills cocktail menu include the Aperol Spritz – a firm favourite of mine for inducing memories of sun-shiny mornings from holidays gone past, and the Raspberry cooler, which is basically summer in a glass. 

Feel like something a little fancier? Your group can choose to upgrade for £10 per person to a selection of premium cocktails such as an Espresso Martini, which will sure as hell beat your usual morning coffee.

WHAT ABOUT THE FOOD THOUGH?

Whether you’re a sucker for a sweet treat or if you’re all about the savoury snacks, there’s an awesome selection for everyone. Full Scottish breakfasts available in both meaty and veggie, come plated full to the brim with all of the classics. The tattie scones and crunchy hash brown bars on the veggie serve are a must for that salty carb fix.

You’ll find a welcome change from the usual pancake or waffle stacks that seem to dominate most brunch menus at the moment, in the form of tasty crumpet stacks – and who doesn’t love crumpets?! Available in a vegan friendly jackfruit, cheese and avocado, or with pulled pork, avocado, cheese and egg. The flavour combinations of these were on point, but my one wee gripe would be that if you’re going to do avo, it really needs to be fresh, unfortunately ours was brown and unappetising and so didn’t get eaten.

Personally I’d be happy to eat Brunch all day every day, and at the Bobbin, you actually can! Unlike some venues where bookings are limited to weekends, one of the greatest things about the Bobbin’s boozy brunch is that it’s available every single day from 11am to 4pm, so for those of us that like a more leisurely start to the day this is ideal.

I know that while for some, tucking in to a full brekkie at 3pm is the dream, its not everyone’s cup of tea, but this menu means that if brinner isn’t your thing, you don’t need to miss out on all of the fun.

Also available are breakfast Quessadillas and even burgers; you can pile ’em high for the meat lovers with ‘The Melt Burger’ smothered in bacon, cheese and bbq sauce or ‘Keep it simple’ with the vegan burgers in a choice of ‘no beef’ or ‘Louisiana Chick’n’. I quickly scranned my way through the ‘Chick’n’ burger which was crisp and nicely seasoned, it really hit the spot, especially thanks to the mound of skinny fries on the side.

All about the sharers….

It’s no secret that my favourite food is all the food. Seriously, the more I can fit on to a plate the better. I absolutely love digging in to a big sharer plate with the other half or with friends, there’s something about the shared experience that just makes me happy.

For just an extra £5 per person, you can upgrade to either a sweet or a savoury sharing platter.

I’ll start by saying that I’d be absolutely over the moon if the breakfast sharer was available in a veggie alternative (veggies like to share too!) but thankfully our meat eating pals were more than happy to oblige in putting it to the taste test on our behalf, and the verdict was a resounding success.

While meatballs and nachos may seem a little unconventional for a breakfast platter, this would make an ideal snack selection for those middle of the day meet-ups. The Marinara pork meatballs were without a doubt the winning dish of the day, with our taste testers raving about how flavoursome and delicious they were. The ‘nduja pork topping on the nachos also went down a treat, bringing a little heat to this plate full of brunch based delights.

Thankfully we were able to get fully stuck in to the sweet platter, managing to simply avoid the bacon and marshmallows and firing in to the selection of delicious donuts and array of toppings and dips. I mean bowls of salted caramel, cookie dough and chocolate sauce with sweet sugary Oreo adorned donuts? It’s a huge yes from me! Sure it was total sugar overload, but on a Sunday who the hell cares.

After working our way through as much as physically possible of this brunch banquet, and let’s face it, ending up slightly tipsy, we left having had an awesome day at the Bobbin.

The sharing platters came out on top as our number one must-try recommendation, but there’s nothing on the menu that I wouldn’t advise giving a go. This is tasty, no frills, casual dining at its best, and in terms of value for money, I guarantee that you won’t find a better deal in Aberdeen, so what are you waiting for? Grab some pals and go book your boozy brunch at the Bobbin now, good times and great eats guaranteed!

Until next time,

B x

* This meal was very kindly gifted, but as always all views are my own.