The only reason I would ever head to Dyce in Aberdeen is to catch a flight – and that means no stopovers in the neighbourhood. However, I was attending a full-day workshop at a hotel in the area and since it was a lovely Spring day, I decided to spend the lunchtime break outside – even better, with a walk and a coffee.

It took a bit of expanding my Google map horizons to find anything within walking distance that wasn’t a Costa machine inside a convenience store – and then Twenty One popped up and I eagerly headed in that direction.

My enthusiasm waned when I realised the coffee shop is adjacent to the train station (which I thought had been terminated – shows you my ignorance!); past experience never delivered a quality coffee in such context. But I was on a mission (and skipping a free lunch for this) so I followed the GPS around a seafood-themed restaurant and to the cafe at the back. 

It had a nice area outside which I considered briefly, but seeing that all the patrons – and quite a few of them – were indoors, I decided to follow suit. Although the decision wasn’t mine as after signalling I’m in just for coffee, not lunch, I was still sat in a sun-drenched table by the window – granting me a view of the train tracks as well as the airstrip beyond. 

The mocha was served promptly, looking promising. Sadly, it confirmed my prejudice. 

Not knowing any better, I blame the espresso – the coffee had an old or poor quality taste to it (ironic, because they hype their supplier Red Box on their website, as I later learnt). But then the cocoa used also wasn’t high grade: a bit dusty and bitter on the tongue, making it all resemble a typical off-beat food stop where coffee is a secondary offering (which does not, however, align with the “cafe” denomination… or their website tagline “Life isn’t perfect, but your coffee can be!”)

To make things worse, it was a bit too hot to drink – which was a problem when I realised I mistimed my break and needed to dash to make the second half of my workshop. 

I still finished the drink, mainly from politeness because this genuinely feels like a very  pleasant venue ran with love by genuine people. It seemed pretty popular and if the food is any good, I reckon it’s a better option than a usual high-street chain adjacent to a train station; but not a destination for a spoilt coffee snob like me. 

To learn more about Cafe Twenty One, visit their website.