aberdeen tavern

on a nice thursday evening at the end of april we decided to try aberdeen tavern.  we had driven by many times and had heard a lot of good things about it and it seemed time to see for ourselves what good things were happening here. there is a lovely outside patio that is always busy during the summer months.  in its previous life it was a bank and a quiet restaurant, but the new owners breathed new life into the space and it is quite different now. the bar space is large and inviting. the layout works well. the three of us were seated at a table near the bar area and were immediately greeted with a rather classy menu folder. we selected a bottle from an extensive list of wines. it was one of their house reds quattro fontamara red and it was quite smooth and reasonably priced.  we then selected our appetizers. my son mark chose (as he always does) the pork belly - it was the hoisin glazed pork belly - he was quite impressed.

a friend and i came here for small plates and were really happy sharing several appetizers. the mussels were sooooooo good! the broth was so tasty i asked for more bread to soak up the goodness. we had the meatballs. there are hands down the best i've ever had. there were so many things to choose from and it was all well timed and delicious to the table.

before i roll out a new series called belly monster battle - let me introduce you to my posse - we like to call ourselves the #bellymonsters and we like to spend 9 hours eating our way through the city - check out goat roti  chronicles  for the full details here . my partner in crime for belly monster battle will be justin baisden from eating your content . as far as foodies go in hamilton - justin is your man. you name it, he's reviewed it - this guys is pretty legit. creep him , stalk him - just go make friends with him already - he is good people!  anyways, onto our thoughts on newly opened resto aberdeen tavern.  justin: i chanced upon the aberdeen tavern accidentally. i was a bit overzealous in getting to food truck alley a few weeks ago and was 1/2 hour early. i figured i'd take a walk and then come back. on my walk i noticed the restaurant and popped in. they were in the midst of a soft open. i had a quick word with pr rep andrea cassis, she laid out the idea of a great spot whe

service and quality was top flight without crushing your wallet’s soul.

enjoyed a dinner here recently, and had an amazing meal.

atmosphere - dark, rustic, classy tavern, with warm wood, comfortable chairs, and a nice patio.  just screams classy but not unapproachable when you walk in.

service - fantastic.  our server was attentive, but not intrusive, funny, but not irritating.  multiple servers walking by filled our wine glasses if they needed it, and let us enjoy our conversation without interrupting.  food came in a perfect amount of time.

food - absolutely outstanding.  we started with the fried buffalo cauliflower, which was to die for, just enough bite, not too greasy, and cooked perfectly.  i had the lamb and my wife had the scallops, and we were both blown away.  the lamb was simply perfect, and a healthy portion with delicious potatoes and vegetables.

value - excellent.  while not inexpensive, very reasonable at 20-30 for an entree.  no more than a meal at the keg, and far superior.

quite honestly, is now one of my favourite restaurants in the city, and i will return.

went here for lunch with my 2 daughter.
atmosphere- absolutely lovely. the windows give this space so much  light, the wood around the room makes it cosy.
service- very good. the waiter we had must have filled our glasses of water after they were half full. we never had an empty glass all through the meal. 
food-  we started with fried cauliflower- we just loved them. we had 2 kinds of paninis- turkey- so much filling . the portabello- flavour was really good. my daughter had the trout- thought the dish should have more vegetables.  we tried dessert- creme brulee- excellent. and a chocolate cake- very creamy and nice. 
impression- i like this place a lot. i just want to warn people that when hearing the word tavern it does not mean pub food. this is a more high end place and prices reflect this.

service was top notch. the food was excellent! 8 of us went for brunch and i had huevo rancheros ( vegetarian option even though i am a meat eater ) i chose salad instead of the fries. the dressing on salad was very nice and light but, still flavorful. the caesar was very nice as well. our server was the best. i will definitely go back.

had a fantastic night here with friends a few nights a go! always busy! loved the carpaccio so much the table ordered it 3 times! we were a group of 4 and still managed to eat out way threw the menu! we sat by the bar over looking the "tavern" as in beauty of a place! service was great!
i have been here a few times and haven't been disappointed!
all i can say is yum

i'm really a fan of the environment at the aberdeen tavern. the outdoor patio is where we ate and it was beautiful. the dishes were very flavourful and presented nicely. they had a fairly wide range of dishes. we ordered pumpkin ravioli, smoked salmon, scallops and tiger shrimp risotto, hamburger, tomato salad and breads and dip. everyone was very pleased with their meals, except for me, i had the risotto. maybe it's just not my thing, as my sister said "that is a good risotto". anyways, overall experience was great and the food was delicious.

i was juggling between the tavern benny and the mississippi, but the mississippi won hands down. how can you say no to bacon and cheddar cornbread? the dish did not disappoint. the cornbread was flavourful, i could definitely taste the bacon and cheddar. the extra bacon on top and poached eggs were cooked perfectly. the only draw back was that the hollandaise was a tad bland for my liking. the dish was accompanied by a side of home fries with a corn and red pepper topping, as well as some seasonal fruit. my meal was accompanied with a cup of coffee, on the house. my coffee cup never went empty - although i had a little too much, but who's to say that's a bad thing?

my friend had the monte cristo sandwich, one of the three daily specials. she opted for no ham and had tomato instead, overall she was fairly happy with her meal.

to finish off, we decided to share the dundurn market carrot cake. the server insisted it was to die for and we would not be disappointed. the presentation was beautiful, but the carrot cake tasted fairly average to me. the cake itself was moist and light. i have to admit though, i am not a huge fun of carrot cake or cream cheese frosting. in fact, i prefer not to eat cream cheese frosting. from what i did eat, the cream cheese frosting wasn't over sweet which i like and it paired well with the carrot cake. it was not a bad dessert but it was a tad expensive for just a slice of cake. 

the aberdeen tavern is a great addition to hamilton and to the neighbourhood. the prices are a tad higher when compared to other typical brunch restaurants, but for the quality of food, service and the atmosphere you will not be disappointed.

since i moved to hamilton, the aberdeen tavern has been at top of my list for restaurants to try. why i hadn’t made it there until last night is beyond me. i mean, besides the fact that i work like a dog and only have time to sleep, eat and (sometimes) get to the gym, i don’t have much time for myself. in any event, around the month of april, my shifts with the city are cut down a bit and it gives me some free time in the afternoon and evenings. so it was with great excitement that i accepted an invitation to the aberdeen tavern’s 1st birthday bash from my new friend, justin baisden. justin is a fellow hamiltonian and runs the food blog,  eating your content . if you live in the hamilton area and love anything to do with food, you’ve probably heard of him. i have to admit, i was pretty damn nervous to attend this. i’m fairly new to the whole blogging scene, let alone being invited to media events full of professional foodies, so i wasn’t sure what to expect or how to act. once i got there, after a few minutes of chatting and two (delicious) cocktails, i realized i was in a room full of people who shared the same passion as i did. as the appetizers started to flow from the kitchen, i began to relax and find my groove. it’s amazing how food brings people together. i had the pleasure of meeting avi, who served me up a couple of cocktails (okay, a few) that were so delicious. my favourite was definitely the key west collins (left side of the picture) which incorporates bourbon, lime juice, bitters, soda and galliano liqueur, rimmed with graham crackers! it was a perfect balance between sweet and sour, super refreshing (will be an amazing patio drink in the summer) and paired beautifully with the food we were tasting. i also tried one of the draft beers which was also delicious. needless to say, it was a great start to the evening. the above dish is the hoisin glazed pork belly with avacado, pickled carrot, chili aioli and coria

great food and incredible cocktails. creative dishes that taste as good as they look! every cocktail is expertly created - definitely splurge on one!

a cute place to go if you want to really impress your date!. i went on a wednesday and it was busy but we got a table within 5 minutes. the staff were all very nice and adorable and the atmosphere was lovely. upscale, but comfortable. the service was great and efficient. with a bottle of wine and two entrees, it came in just over $100, which is expensive, but worth it. i felt that the food matched the price, and you aren't going to get the vibe and quality without paying a little more. honestly, my date couldn't have chosen a better place to have taken me.

the best salade niçoise ever!. i tried the aberdeen tavern today and i was delighted at both the decor and the food. i had a salade niçoise that was easily the best i have ever been served and the seafood chowder was no slouch either. if only the chowder bowl wasn't quite so ornate i could have enjoyed the last few drops. next time i'll bring a straw.

had a wonderful time there last night. the food & wine were amazing, while the staff were extremely welcoming & attentive. it was our first visit there and we will definitely be back.