Brasserie and Bar at Malmaison - Aberdeen

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre.

Malmaison Aberdeen is a note-worthy addition to the Malmaison family formerly known as Queen's Hotel, where guests receive the treatment befitting royalty. The 80 bedrooms are all that one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing, blending in period features with modern designs in everything from the art-nouveau style cast iron entrance to the large bedrooms and suites. The Slains Suite might allure the sporting enthusiast, with a private terrace overlooking the local rugby pitches, a football table and a massive eight-footer sleigh bed.

The brasserie is a haven of fine foods selected from local produce such as Aberdeen Angus sirloin, a knickerbocker glory or line caught sea bass The brasserie seats 100 and is complemented by two luxurious private dining rooms, The Chef's Table and The Hauf, with elegant décor in cerise, pinks and blacks. Their Josper oven is unique to Aberdeen and powered only by coal to give all the meats the smokey full flavours they merit.

An inspired choice amongst the main courses is the confit belly of Packington pork with apple aaroncini, cèpe cream and crackling while the duo of beef with roast autumn root vegetables and sauce bordelaise is just perfect for those seeking by this time a slightly more carnivoristic approach. Which leads us neatly to the, wait for it, Mal burger, a 250 gram burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and gruyere, served with homemade relish and some fries.

But at Malmaison Aberdeen the signature steak is not for the faint hearted and The Butcher's Favourite is a 700 gram 'bone in rib steak', only one example of the quality meats supplied by local butcher Donald Russell. Vegetarians are well looked after - the courgette and gruyere soufflé with bitter leaves, wet Italian polenta with wild mushroom and poached egg and the sweet corn risotto with basil pesto sound appealing.

Heading the puddings is the House crème brûlée, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find the warm Dundee cakes with whisky ice cream and a steamed blueberry sponge with custard. Their homemade ice creams and sorbets are dreamy while their renowned cheese trolley has a selection of British and French farmhouse cheeses served with an assortment of breads, biscuits and a choice of fig, apricot or date loaf.

Their wine list is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them. Thank you, Johnny!

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in Aberdeen. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations online on their Website.