This visit was part of a press trip I ‘attended’ on behalf of Visit Aberdeen for FoodFest15 (www.foodfest15.com). FoodFest15 is Aberdeenshire’s take on ‘The Year Of Food & Drink Scotland’ 2015 – and if it’s anything like the experience I had, a grand old time it shall be for anyone who goes. It runs all the way through January to December, though I only showed up for a few days at the end of June. As far as I’m concerned, it’s ALWAYS the year of food and drink – I don’t care where I am, or what year it is. Anyway, I shall now talk about the place you can see before you…
The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa, AKA ‘The Marcliffe at Pitfodels’ AKA ‘that place near Aberdeen where all the celebrity people seem to end up’ was the final leg of my Scotland tour, and a bloody good way to end things. Here I tried my first Caol Ila 25, which although delicious, wasn’t as immaculate as I had hoped, based on the Caol Ila 18. But I can’t blame the hotel for that! How about The Marcliffe then? AFAIK it’s the only official 5 star hotel around Aberdeen, and has something of a legendary reputation – which I have seen mainly on the form of people completely losing their shit on Tripadvisor.
The site itself has a history that goes way back, but its current incarnation opened in November 1993 by former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev (ya srsly). I’ve not stayed in the hotel proper (or made use of the spa!), but can tell you a little about the bar and restaurant. Marcliffe’s bar is called ‘the drawing room’ – has a piano overloaded with photos of said celebrities and a magnificent (100+) selection of whiskies (including ones I had never seen before! Oh boy!). All the bar staff are super clued up about the drinks and cocktails on the menu (and it IS an extensive menu). The restaurant is called ‘the conservatory’ and is, as someone else described it, ‘simply top notch fine dining’
The Marcliff is run by Stewart Spence and his family, and has been since the (re)opening in 1993. Ste