Books and Beans in Aberdeen City

I had the ham, brie and english mustard croissant and it was very good. The service was really good, they were very kind and patient with us. While the interior was very cute, giving us a well rounded experience. I would definitely return

Nice and very quiet atmosphere, great mocha and delicious cakes

This spot is amazing for a brunch and some studying. Our waitress was very kind and conversational. I highly reccommend.

The vibe is nice, it is as the name suggests and it’s pretty cosy upstairs. I was going to order the pancakes originally until I realised it’s a single pancake for £8-9, with an additional one for another £4 and not a stack! It seems a bit pricy for egg, milk and flour. I opted for the breakfast bap instead which was just fine. The cakes are really good. When paying at the till, you get asked straight up if you want to pay a 10% service fee(?). Bit awkward.

The place itself is nice and something different from all the other cafes, how ever the food is ridiculously bad. The omelette was drier than the Sahara with the other ingredients just folded in without any cooking. They also added a bacon on my plate for £1 which I never asked for - I did ask for beans which was about 50p, ended up not getting it as they ran out - as told by the server 5 minutes after they served the food. The only positive I can say is their cheesecake was nice. Overall wouldn’t recommend as we paid £22.50 for an omelette, 2 small orange juices and a cheesecake - there’s also a service charge which you can take off the bill, however the server I paid to made sure we know it’s their tip…

Sat out in the marquee as a table of 6 (including kids) and had a fresh made pancakes, the new apricot toastie, a full breakfast and a lovely plate of scrambled eggs on toast. Everything fresh and delicious. We also had hot chocolates that looked the full part and I had the seasonal Black Forest Gateau hot chocolate which was delicious! Gutted I didn’t take photos but the food looked so good we got tucked in! Service was quick and polite, very happy table! Will be back!

Lovely little place. The pancakes were SO big and very tasty. It was nice to see vegan options too.

Soup was terrible wrap and crisps was nice

Nooks and crannies, filled with a huge range of books. Like a magical library where you get sucked into a story!

The young girl who served us was lovely , but the cooked breakfast is truly awful . It’s something you’d expect in Benidorm for €3. The tattie scone and tomato wasn’t cooked and the coffee was spilt . And to add insult to injury they have a 10% service charge automatically applied. Please don’t waste your money 💰

The idea of this place was great but so unfriendly and no love in the food. No sauce , no garnishes,

Just left this cafe....so sorry to give this review but it's just not acceptable...2 toasties on the cheapest of white bread...cheap cold meat and cheese. .and tasted bland....not made in a toastie maker as the cheese and meat was spilling out from soggy bread and a rather messy plates were handed to us

Great place for lunch. The three of us really enjoyed our experience. The atmosphere, food and service were terrific. Relaxing and in the centre of the City.

Definitely worth a visit. The pancakes were a bit too sweet for my taste but nothing major. The dirty chai was very good. I loved the ambience

I loved this used bar and bookstore. The staff is very friendly. The food was excellent, I ordered the pancakes and they were delicious. It is worth a visit to take a break from the day.

Took the "Spicy" 451 Fahrenheit wrap. It was bland, lifeless. No spice. Coffee was nice. Seagulls entering enclosure scavenging off tables. Staff need to be attentive to tables to prevent vermin.

Charming wee cafe and second hand bookstore right in the centre of Aberdeen. Has long been a firm favourite.

Only there for a hot drink. Matcha latte. Lovely ambience. Nice to be amongst the books upstairs. Short visit to Aberdeen and I loved it.

I've been there twice now (gave them another go) and they are so understaffed that the service is so slow. The staff are nice, but they desperately need more hands on deck. Our brunch today was not worth the money or the wait to be honest. Management need to get a grip on the place.

Cool combination of two of my favorite things!

What a hidden gem, off a side street, I as just strolling and found it. Lovely choice to sit sheltered out side or inside. Very helpful staff and service. Perhaps a slightly smaller choice of food than the bigger names, but great quality served with a smile. Good coffee choice as well, everything was freshly prepared quickly. Bacon plus the sausage bap were filled to overflowing! Ooooh and their choice scones flavours, we will be back to try more.

Stumbled across Books & Beans, what a great find. Good choice of drinks, cakes & lunches. Woukd thoroughly recommend, enjoy!

I ordered what was described as a 3 egg omelette filled with cheese, chicken and peppers. Served with a slice of toast and butter for £8.95. I only wanted the cheese filling and am following a low carb diet so declined the toast but figured a 3 egg cheese omelette would be filling enough on its own. What arrived was a very flat, dry omelette which I seriously doubt had been made with 3 eggs. I didn’t ask there would be any discount because I appreciated I was the one to decline the other options but it was the most expensive lack lustre meal I have ever eaten for a very inflated price. Not to mention my friend had to ask for a clean glass as hers had lipstick on it and I swapped my cutlery as it was also dirty. Will not be back.

4 Cheese scones were warm but butter was enclosed in the individual boxes and had melted. Need to be in separate cotainer

Cosy place and nice people. However, very slow service and rather uninspired food. Will not go again.

Very tasty breakfast (White Queen and Harry), good prices, very nice service, charming corner on a charming street.

Unfortunately the service was dreadful. Waited over 15 minutes to place my order, then was made to wait 50 minutes for a fairly average breakfast roll. Other tables that complained were given a discount but I was not, in fact was asked to add a service charge to the bill....which I declined. The excuse of having a lot of big orders in is not good enough, it was not busy.

Gorgeous cafe with a cosy vibe, only reason I'm saying 3 stars instead of 5 is because it's a bit too busy to bring a book and read in here which was what I'd hoped for with the name, also was a bit difficult with other customers leaning over me to look at the books on the shelf next to my table. I quickly finished my coffee and left because it was just too busy for me.

Hadn’t been for ages and thought we’d go for brunch as in the area . A bit disappointed . Limited gluten free options and ordered a toast with Avocado and tomatoes . Really small toast with a scraping of mashed avocado and 2 cherry tomatoes with water for £11 . Won’t be returning I’m afraid

Would not recommend. The coffee was nice and staff friendly enough. However the food was basic and very overpriced for what it was. Long wait for order to be taken and then when our food arrived it was not what we ordered. I can understand that these things happen when busy, but the cafe was very quiet. The staff seemed preoccupied by chatting and giggling amongst themselves and constantly shouting across the cafe to chat to each other. This did not make a nice atmosphere for customers. No bill with the breakdown of items charged was given, just the girl coming over with the card machine with the total already entered. This makes it awkward to know exactly what you are being charged for. I worked out that we had been charged for the incorrect (and more expensive) item due to the previously mentioned error with our order. A tip had also been added on already which was a bit cheeky as we would not have left a tip and it puts the customer in an awkward position of having to ask for it to be removed. I doubt the owner will try to improve on these points, as looking at other reviews, any criticism is reponded to quite rudely and defensively, however I am leaving this review for others who may be thinking of visiting the cafe.

Great breakfast and loved their outside area to feel the sun, breeze and be covered. Had full breakfast, Macbride, no problem with changes and was spot on👍🏼

The coffee shop is a beautiful and cosy place and the service was excellent. For these reasons, I would recommend for a nice coffee and a read. However, the food was not a great experience. I ordered a fry up breakfast and some items were undercooked and the bacon was rubbery :(

Really just disappointed, wouldn't recommend anyone go until they improve the food. The concept is good, the staff were nice enough, but the food was poor. All the ingredients are cheap and cheerful, right down to the tomato sauce and butter portions. I wouldn't mind so much if it was more of a quantity over quality deal, but you get neither and I really don't think that's reflected in the price...

Books and a pot of tea - my idea of heaven! It's so lovely to sit and read among a sea of books. I had some pancakes for lunch which came with some fresh berries, honey, warm Nutella and slathered in maple syrup. Yum. If I could suggest one alteration to the menu - I'd love to see a book-themed loose leaf tea. Perhaps a collab with Bird & Blend? Will definitely be back.

Cute atmosphere. Delicious lattes and smoothies. I did not try the food but it looked great as well.

Nice place and staff, expensive though and they add on a tip which is a bit cheeky.

This place surprised us with extraordinary decor! Breakfast with coffee was delicious! ☕🥐

Cheese and ham sandwich 2 out of 10 very poor

"I regret to report our recent experience fell short of expectations. Despite a 25-minute wait for two toasties and two soups, the quality of the food was disappointing. Specifically, my partner's ham and cheese toastie lacked adequate cheese, considering the wait time. Additionally, the crisps appeared crushed, resembling remnants found at the bottom of a bag. Upon requesting a refund, we encountered rudeness from the counter attendant, who cited staffing issues as a reason for dissatisfaction. While the owner kindly processed the refund, our disappointment with the overall experience remains. We hope for improvements in the future."

This place has been on our list for the longest time. The decor and interiors are amazing. Must visit for any book lover. Even non readers will end up picking up something to browse through. Cozy table arrangement makes it ideal for a sit and read type visit. The food was the disappointing bit. Menu is very creative but doesn't match the taste and general quality of what is served. If they can find a way to up the quality and range of it then I think this can be a much bigger attraction for locals and tourists. Looking forward to going back some day to try out lunch options.

In between many books you can eat delicious food and very nice coffee❣❣. From Holland we can recommend this absolutely 😉

Love it here. The seating is homey. I would rather give my money to independent coffee shops rather than a franchise.

Sorry Really gone downhill. Used to love it here. But lacked atmosphere. Took 10 minutes to take my order of soup then 10 minutes more to deliver. Only appeared to be 1 girl running around serving etc. A lot of others not doing anything. A real shame as I used to like coming here.

I have been here a few times and it is always pleasant. The food is usually very good and the drinks are nice too if a little more expensive. The dining areas are very cosy and the staff always welcoming I will be back.

Just popped in for a coffee but will go back and try more. The food and cakes on display looked yum! Nice cosy atmosphere and friendly and efficient service.

Great food combined with a small cosy book store

Excellent food and friendly staff. Pleased to let us bring our dog in as well.

Good food, good service. Enjoyed the omelette and choice of comfy seats. Son loves looking through the comics, and there's always a few interesting books to look at and/ or buy.

Lovely place to spend an afternoon with a book and a coffee. Had a nice view near the window. The place is very cosy to relax with your book. The staff was also friendly to help you find a book in their collection. Definitely will come again when I visit Aberdeen.

My bill was wrong, and I was overcharged. Very dissaponting visit will not go back.

Books and Beans! WOW! Kind and friendly from the very start as you walk in. Feel like going to the cafe or sitting the book shop, the choice is yours. Personally I love the bookshop, reading and eating man what a time. And if you’re hungry and want a bit of everything, I would highly recommend having the Egg, Bacon and Sausage Bap. Super filling, tastes amazing and really affordable. Will definitely be back. A definite stop if you are passing through, and if you live in Aberdeen come and support this amazing place.

Came in here for a quick coffee. Nice cappuccino along with friendly staff and service

Incredibly good shop. Great ro drop in for reads too.

A really lovely place to get some food. The big pancakes were fantastic! Staff were super lovely and polite. Would go back again (a lot)

Doesn't matter how nice staff are... Nearly £18 for two breakfast rolls one for a toddler basic ingredients of poor quality meat and eggs in a simple small white bap and small coffee?!?. Ripped and exploited me as solo Mum charged a same price for egg roll as there ingredient full roll for an adult for a child and altogether cost more than a full meal for two adults in similar type of establishment... AVOID recommended. Had to ask for tip they charged back to redeem some money after clear extortion for portions they were. :(

Very nice little place. Everyone friendly, good espresso for a good price. Highly recommended. Will be back. Maybe for breakfast next time! 😃👍

Used to really like this place however I was so disappointed I had to leave a review. The service was poor but still felt I should leave the service charge to avoid embarrassment! I was almost finished my (decent) coffee by the time my food order was taken. They returned to say they didn’t have what we ordered but we were happy with the alternative. When it came we were very underwhelmed with the “panini”! The bread was the cheapest of the cheap with a severe lack of filling for the price! On a positive note it was dog friendly and they both had no complaints about their water! 😀

Sat at table 10 and no one took my order for over 15 minutes. It was not busy but clearly the girl serving the floor was not checking everywhere for customers.

Used to be such a cute little cafe with nice decor and food but has been deteriorating over the years. Will never go back after my last visit when I had a sandwich that I couldn’t eat because it was slathered in so much cheap mustard my mouth felt raw. The whole vibe and decoration has also collapsed. Such a shame.

Called in for a coffee. Had cheesecake which was not great. Serving staff lacked training. Very disappointing..... toilets well not the worst toilet in Scotland but definitely trying!! Need some work and could be better. Location in town is good.

Gemütlich,,, nicht teuer,,, super freudliche Crew,,,ein MUSS in Aberdeen

Unfortunately Book and Beans have gone downhill over the years. Slow service. Very overpriced. £19 for soup and sandwich and a hot drink is just too much.

Cozy place, but food is very tasteless. No dressing on salat and no taste on toast. Cola is not the normal one, and tastes terrible. The coffe is just ok.

A lovely sunny day to sit outside on Belmont St, a bit of a rarity in Aberdeen. My son and I dropped in at lunchtime and treated ourselves to pancakes. Son declared his pancake with bacon and maple syrup to be the best he's ever had. Looking forward to returning!

Delicious food and great service. Amazing café

Half the order was served the wrong plate, by the time the correct plate was located and brought to table the food was cold! Coffee not hot either Won’t waste my time or money again, not the same since it changed hands.

Excellent local cafe, great selection of fairtrade drinks and yummy cakes and mains, lots of books inside as advertised and a nice seating area outside in the summer.

Came here for a brunch date. Service was prompt. I explained to the staff that I had an appointment and needed to depart quickly and they delivered my food on time. Will be back again to try more things

I last visited Books & Beans a couple of years ago so I thought while passing I'd nip in for breakfast. At the time I did not know it'd changed hands. This became apparent when my food arrived. Scrambled eggs with a sausage and black pudding. The sausage was the same as I'd get offshore (just enough meat to be legally called a sausage) and the eggs were bland. I expected more quality, to be honest. The service was good though. Be aware of the 10% service charge, yes it can be removed if you ask but it's still a bit cheeky. Edit: going by their responses to honest reviews, the owner clearly thinks they are perfect? Take it as constructive criticism and use it to make your business better?!

Had a very enjoyable morning breakfast and coffee here. Would certainly like to spend more time here at some point. The staff is helpful and friendly. Seems to be great prices on their books! If I wasn't traveling, I would have bought some.

Gøy kafé med tydelig bokkonsept. God meny med tradisjonelle retter, riktignok litt mer moderne enn de mest typiske. Hadde en toast som ble servert med litt salat ved siden av, den var riktig så god! Pluss for koriander på salaten, det var en uvant vri. Noen andre på bordet hadde pannekake med bacon, og lønnesirup, og for en utlending er det litt uvant med såpass kraftige kjøttskiver 😊

Went there with a friend for lunch. Food and the coffee taste awesome. Sadly the cheesecake was sold out so I order a lemon cake. It is quite good but a bit too sweet.

Amazing food. Value for money. I had the Brie, mustard, apple n red onion panini. Perfect. American pancake with honey, lemon and blueberries. Gorgeous.

Nice atmosphere and lovely spot to read a book or have a beverage. But very disappointing food quality for the prices charged, sausages and eggs were not great at all. Good service, but the obligatory 10% charge is not good (yes it can be removed but still not a fan).

I,m yet to visit but I know the manager is a beautiful human being

Wonderful and helpful staff as well as lovely coffee at a great price. It was a little cold, faily empty and unfortunately, only the bottom floor was open on our visit.

Food was a bit disappointing, soup was bland and sandwich was a bit burnt. Smoothie was nice though.

Interesting place. 2 floors; bottom floor is a smallish cafe, and upstairs is a second hand bookshop kind of setup with some tables and chairs to enjoy a coffee and relax surrounded by books. Decent coffee and food, clean facilities. Wifi available. Probably my only complaint is that the room with most of the books upstairs was somewhat taken over by one table with about 4 people on it, making it impossible (or at least very uncomfortable) to browse the scifi and fantasy books.

Had a super delicious breakfast here one hungover Sunday morning ☺️. Was utterly delicious. Sat in a little secluded corner bit. Like a mini library was so good. Especially since a few of us were a bit delicate 🤣 Service could have been better. Was like pulling teeth trying to have a conversation or a bit of banter! Food amazing though

Imposible conectarme al WiFi aun poniéndolo el chico.

Nice cosy cafe with lovely staff. Cake was delicious, was just a shame I missed their main menu when visiting Aberdeen!

Great place, highly recommended. :) Super busy so make sure to get there early for breakfast 🙂

Nice cozy place. Nice drinks. Nice cake. Nice staff...

My expectations may have been too high, but doesn't really work as a bookshop, as much as a cafe with some books for sale. Cafe is ok.

Cracking little cafe , lovely staff and food , little interesting bits and bobs to look at while you wait for your freshly made meal 😋 you can't go wrong 🤩

We popped in while on holiday for brunch. Excellent food and service. I miss a good Scottish breakfast.

A bit disappointing really.. seems to have good reviews but I am sure there are better places in Aberdeen.

Lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff!

Been there a couple of times and the food is very nice and staff friendly.

Great place for breakfast. The omelet and pancakes are second to none. We went there twice. Highly recommend it. Staff are superb.

Very nice cute cafe. The staff are very friendly and welcoming also just have a nice chat with customers. The biggest let down is the drinks. The dirty chai latte wasn't mixed correctly and therefore all the powder had congealed at the bottom and wouldn't mix. This gave an awful uneven taste with lumps. The menu is very quirky and funny and the atmosphere is very nice. If you go go for the vibes and atmosphere not for the food.

Very Dog friendly. Simple but tasty food, staff attentive

Always had good experiences but got supplied off, watery clotted cream, better double check!

First time ordering. Ordered 2 soups and 2 Hayley paninis. Absolutely delicious and very warm on delivery. We will definitely be ordering again.Thank you. Much needed on this rainy cold day

Hugely disappointed, I hadn't been to Books and Beans since it changed hands. Very slow service, burnt coffee, and overpriced. Over 7 pounds for an underfilled panini with about 6 crisps and no salad. And 5.50 for 3 scrambled eggs and a slice of toast... Really sad to see this place go downhill, at one point it was easily the best independent cafe in Aberdeen.

Having grown up in Aberdeen, I’m very sad with the changes to Books and Beans since it’s changed hands, the cosy ground floor is now unrecognisable with the big counter gone and the kitchen now taking up most of the space at the back. We came in on Saturday afternoon, despite the number of staff walking about and mentioning to one that we hadn’t yet been served, no one made an effort to take our order. Tables were cleared and other customers were seated while we waited, we left after 10 minutes. I wasn’t sure whether to leave this review given the combative response from the owner on other negative reviews. I don’t mean this to be cruel and I understand that times are hard but it’s a real shame to see the downturn of an Aberdeen institution which didn’t need to be changed.

Only stopped for a drink but the food looked nice was cozy

Really nice breakfast and the staff were very attentive. Would highly recommend this place for breakfast.

Nice and cosy place, good food.

Waking up to a raging hangover I knew I was in trouble and needed a cure fast so it was off to Books and Beans to turn that frown upside down and they sure did! Super friendly staff and a nice atmosphere! No complaints here.