Quick info
About The Archibald Simpson
The Archibald Simpson is a Wetherspoons pub in Aberdeen city centre, at 5 Castle St, housed in a former Clydesdale Bank building. The building keeps its original high ceilings, tiled floor, chandeliers and marble pillars, and the interior spreads across several rooms and seating areas with the tables placed close together. Orders go in at the bar, and the staff bring food to a numbered table. The kitchen serves Eggs Benedict at breakfast alongside lattes and coffee, and the rest of the menu runs to pub classics such as burgers and curries. The drinks list covers real ales, craft beers and gins. Tea and Lavazza coffee come with free refills.
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention eggs Benedict, renovated historic bank building, chips and curry sauce and real ale.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention eggs Benedict, renovated historic bank building, chips and curry sauce and real ale.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers most often single out the building itself, a converted bank with high ceilings, a tiled floor, chandeliers, marble pillars and a huge bar, and several praise the restoration. Prices come close behind, with food and drink described as good value and affordable. Specific orders include the eggs Benedict at breakfast, a lasagna with a large portion, breaded scampi, chips and curry sauce, hot chocolate, and real ale that is kept well. Others mention coffee refills and pasta. Service at the bar is called quick and staff pleasant, helpful and efficient. The caveats are practical. One reviewer found the tables cramped and hard to move between, with toilets up several flights of stairs. Another was told a tonic water refill had to be fetched from the bar, and the bartender was being mentored, so patience was needed. One found the burger meal heavy on chips, onion rings and mayonnaise, and noted steaks are no longer served. A couple note that city centre parking is limited to a little on-street space.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers most often single out the building itself, a converted bank with high ceilings, a tiled floor, chandeliers, marble pillars and a huge bar, and several praise the restoration. Prices come close behind, with food and drink described as good value and affordable. Specific orders include the eggs Benedict at breakfast, a lasagna with a large portion, breaded scampi, chips and curry sauce, hot chocolate, and real ale that is kept well. Others mention coffee refills and pasta. Service at the bar is called quick and staff pleasant, helpful and efficient. The caveats are practical. One reviewer found the tables cramped and hard to move between, with toilets up several flights of stairs. Another was told a tonic water refill had to be fetched from the bar, and the bartender was being mentored, so patience was needed. One found the burger meal heavy on chips, onion rings and mayonnaise, and noted steaks are no longer served. A couple note that city centre parking is limited to a little on-street space.
Featured reviews
- Stewart Tough
“Went in recently for some lunch. Place was relatively busy, but service at the bar was very quick. The lunch we had was not bad at all. Staff were pleasant and efficient. Prices for food and drinks are about as good as your going to get in Aberdeen. There is parking available within a 10 minute walk. Recommended.”
- Kenneth Williamson
“Great atmoshere all round. The place to be for a casual meetup or a night out. Great prices for drink in a nice historic building. Always a good start to a night.”
- Tyler Sorrie
“Honestly can say it's what you would expect, pub food is pretty decent with pretty good costs. I have noticed it is pretty hard to gey around with all the tables being quite cramed together. Service was good and the barstaff were very helpful (as you would expect the toilets were up about 3 flights of stairs but in pretty good condition.) I think overall its a good place to go for you're pub classics and a pint without breaking the bank.”
- Don B Leask
“This is a wonderful pub restaurant right in the centre of Aberdeen. In fact, it is directly across the street from the Aberdeen sign. This used to be a bank, the building was built in the late 1800s and is named after the architect. The interior is quite large with different seating areas and there is free Wi-Fi and free coffee refills. The beautiful interior architecture fills the space up to the original high ceilings. There are large windows that let in lots of light. There’s a large selection of great food and drink. The eggs Benedict for breakfast is highly recommended. You order everything at the bar and it is brought to your numbered table, service was quick. There is a small outdoor seating area, which gets the afternoon sun. It has a grand exterior and uses the original entranceway to the bank, through four tall columns.”
- Michael Taylor
“Ex Clydesdale Bank designed by the pub it's named after. Amazing tiled floor and ceilings with chandeliers and dark wood and marbled pillars and a huge bar Atmosphere is very old school. No music TV's on but muted airy Very chilled out. I had a lasagna and chips.The lasagna was a large portion and the chips were okay. The young man behind the bar was being mentored so I had to be patient Food came quick. I asked for a refill of tonic water but was told I had to go to the bar. Cost £10.90. Just the place to go to chill out”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“The pub is open for breakfast until 12 noon and offers free refills (all day every day) on tea and Lavazza coffee. For lunch and dinner, there are lighter bites, with deli deal options and vegetarian choices, gourmet burgers and freshly made pizzas. Wetherspoon has championed a wide range of drinks, including real ales, craft beers, gins and soft drinks. Table service is available via the Wetherspoon app, using our unlimited free Wi-Fi. This pub has step-free access.”
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible entrance · Wheelchair-accessible seating · Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Amenities
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 3
- Wheelchair-accessible seating
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet
- Wheelchair-accessible car park
Location
Bars near The Archibald Simpson
- Old Blackfriars4.41,5550 mi
folk music sessions, crispy squid, cask ales
- Ma Cameron's4.31,7210.3 miReservationsWheelchair accessibleOutdoor seating
real ales and cask ale, neeps and tatties with haggis, Korean burger
- Northern Bar4.46250.5 mi
haggis fritters, chicken tenders, rump steak melt
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Archibald Simpson | 4.03,012 | — | eggs Benedict, renovated historic bank building, chips and curry sauce |
| Old Blackfriars | 4.41,555 | 0 mi | folk music sessions, crispy squid, cask ales |
| Ma Cameron'sReservations · Wheelchair accessible · Outdoor seating | 4.31,721 | 0.3 mi | real ales and cask ale, neeps and tatties with haggis, Korean burger |
| Northern Bar | 4.4625 | 0.5 mi | haggis fritters, chicken tenders, rump steak melt |
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