The Silver Darling — Restaurant in Aberdeen City

We were quite regular and very devoted clients. For today (our wedding anniversary) we booked a table before hand and arrived to The Silver Darling in a great mood. As always When I was writing during the booking I mentioned that we are having anniversary today and we would like a nice table with a view. We always got the same table. We were 3d couple who arrived at 17:00. 2 previous couples got big tables. We didn't get our normal table (obviously the waiter didn't find us deserving), ok but we were the only couple who got table in the corridor and small one. And we were always order quite a lot of food. The waiter guy gave our favorite table to the next couple after us and not hesitate making up story that they book that table in January! Come on! Really???? Why not 2 years ago? I told this guy that fully understanding his fairytale, but he wasn't interested to change our table for bigger one and not on the way of other people. I was ready to leave. Couldn't even thinking to choose meals. But another girl very nice and polite went to supervisor and changed our table for a bigger one and in a cosy place. Later on we were the only one who ordered oysters and full plato, mostly people ordered fish & chips. But my point is not that. I was given very strong feeling by that guy that nobody need us here. Lovely. This restaurant is not on our list anymore. There are other places in Aberdeen where good clients are welcome. Good luck to this business with such an employee. And we spent 156£ + my husband gave tips (by card) for 2 of us. It is VERY EXCLUSIVELY RARELY I write bad references. 95% of places we visit i love and we come back. But we will...

Overall just a bit disappointed. Had heard so many great things so we decided to go for my husband's birthday last night. After ordering it took quite a while for the starters to arrive. The scallops were lovely but my husband didn't enjoy the fishcakes as he felt they didn't taste very fresh and had a rubbery texture. Luckily it didn't take mains too long to come out. Unfortunately, our 2nd drinks didn't arrive until my husband had eaten all of his halibut and I was about 2/3 through my sole goujons. Again, I enjoyed mine but my husband said there was something in his dish that was just over powering the halibut so he was disappointed. After ordering dessert it took a very long time to come (especially since we ordered sorbet and creme brulee) the waiter did come and apologise and said he would take them off the bill which was very nice of him. The top of the creme brulee was burnt so I couldn't eat it and maybe being picky here but the sorbet came on a flat plate and not a bowl which made it difficult to eat. When I had booked the table the confirmation email said they needed the table back by 8.50pm so I was slightly concerned when waiting for dessert that we would be rushed in eating it as earlier I had heard the table behind us try to order something else but where told they couldn't as they needed the table back.Thankfully we weren't rushed at we didn't receive our desserts until about that time anyway. On the plus side the views are stunning out of the restaurant. It is clearly a busy place and maybe we just got unlucky but for the price I doubt we'll be going back as we know we can get guaranteed better meals elsewhere...

For all that it'll be worth to them, this is directed at the restaurant staff and management more than it is a guide for potential customers: Please don't take customers for granted. Learn to treat all customers equally well. It is your privilege to have the paying public visit your restaurant; it is not our privilege to be granted the opportunity to visit. If a customer is motivated to voice a polite criticism of aspects of their experience - try not to belittle and dismiss. It's not a good look. Do away with the awful table beneath the bar.

Other than that, our starters were a solid 6/10, our mains an 8/10. The restaurant building, views and decor are all very nice. But that's it.

What could have been a really nice experience was compromised by - and I have hovered over the keyboard in writing this, but sadly have to write it - arrogant and entitled service reminiscent of the worst of Aberdeen's hospitality trade in years gone by.

3 stars on the strength of the main course, and the earnest apology at the end of our visit.

(PS - It's our understanding that a high-falutin' restaurant critic may have been in the building that same evening. Unsubstantiated but, if true,...