Summer 2023 in the UK – particularly Scotland – has been a capricious one and so difficult to plan a solid outdoor time, where you wouldn’t have to pack your waterproofs and shorts for what might come that day. That, combined with my planned travel abroad (psst…post on Turkish coffee coming soon!) meant that I was quite happy to stay put in Aberdeen over most weekends, to save myself petrol costs while finally being a tourist in my home town – something I failed to do before, most notably when living in Edinburgh (yes, today that stings a bit).

And I’m glad I did because one of my recent excursions has opened my eyes to the revival of the hospitality scene in the Granite City; granted, it still a long way to go to compete with its only two larger siblings in Fife and the Clyde, but the hints of a more vibrant, hipster scene are there, and I feel that’s something that had been in short supply in the former Oil Capital of Europe.

That weekend it was my second visit to the City Centre – area roughly nestled between the historic Marischal College and the controversial Union Terrace Gardens; on Saturday it was business (shopping, to be specific) and while being short of free time, I made a mental note of a few new places that I was keen to visit.

Then on the Sunday – which, despite it now being September, was a scorcher (proving my initial point) – I decided not to delay my exploration trip, making the most of the late summer weather.

Alas, the cafe I headed for as my primary destination was shut on a Sunday; my plan was to stop for a coffee and visit the beach, so I continued with my original plan, half-hoping (but not expecting) to see another pop-up that would tickle my fancy by the coast. No surprises there, so I only armed myself in an ice-cream and continued on a circuit through one of my favourite districts: Old Aberdeen.

As I was wondering if Kilau Coffee – which to this day reigns in my head as a top cafe pick in the City – is still open and as good as ever*, I bumped into a co-worker who was heading to that exact location (*both points proven as a consequence, including my warning that it would probably be closed on Sunday…)

Our chat about great coffee shops revived my tastebuds and so I decided to complete the circuit at my first point of interest that I originally bypassed, ‘for another day’.

Common Sense occupies one of 3 standalone pavilions in the revamped Union Terrace Gardens; I actually stumbled upon it a couple of months prior and was instantly charmed by the so uncommon sight of patio tables outside the pavilion, packed with people enjoying hot drinks, wines and the sunshine; with the gardens in the foreground and Aberdeen’s beautiful granite architecture in the background, it was a truly inviting sight.

On this occasion, despite the heat, it was beginning to feel autumnal in this part of town, particularly with it being shaded in mid-afternoon. My first instinct was to sit inside – you walk through the entrance on one side of the pavilion to be greeted with plenty of airy seating space to the left and contrastingly tight-looking bar to the right; all basking in light from the full-sized windows. I followed the curve of the building to the right, choosing a windowsill seat, but with the view of the outside and a few empty tables there, I relocated after putting down my order.

I sat quite content doing some research on my devices, but that didn’t distract me from thinking the service seemed a bit patchy; table next to me had their drinks delivered one by one, with some 3-5min intervals, even though they seemed to have ordered as a party. My mocha was served up afterward and I got a good feeling about the staff – they made no fuss of me relocating, and asked me to just pay inside when I was free. By that point I had realised that there are different payment systems for inside and out – when you’re dining in, you can square up your bill using a QR code on the table. I only recognised my error when I sat outside with no QR codes in sight – but that didn’t ruffle any feathers.

Finally, I had my coffee… Now, while I appreciated the whole feel around the pavilions and what they bring to Aberdeen, I did not have huge expectations on the quality of the brews. It may be the fact that indoor/outdoor concepts rarely support cafe craftsmanship (albeit I’m sure London could prove me wrong there!); or maybe the knowledge that you can’t be a jack of all trades, so if the patio tables carried the weight of more beer and wine glasses than coffee cups, to me that already spoke volumes.

And so, I was not blown away by Common Sense‘s mocha. It was a big brew for starters (I was never asked a size when I ordered) but it held its temperature – it was on the hot side, but drinkable, which is a plus.

The taste was average; more chocolate than coffee, but I certainly felt a caffeine kick; however, the balance (or quality of cocoa) wasn’t there, and the concoction ended up tasting a bit bland on the whole.

Having said that, it was not the worst cuppa; this, combined with the beautiful interior that holds a lot of promise, the unique peaceful outdoor sitting and the friendly staff would all have me come back for a glass of wine and a sharing platter.

While it’s not crème de la crème, it is the right step forward for Aberdeen’s cafe scene – and I’m all for it.

To learn more about Common Sense Coffee House & Bar, visit their website.