Books and Beans in Aberdeen City

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Great books and atmosphere...just visiting from Canada so likely won't get to have coffee though I did last time and it was great . Location also awesome. But their responses to negative reviews take the cake :)

Wanted a morning coffee and also had some documents to print so headed to books and beans. The cafe was open but when I got in the front door the girl rudely told me they weren’t open yet, that’s why there’s seats outside oh and they were actually running late. It was a freezing blustery day so I wasn’t going to sit outside. I asked her if they still offered the printing facility to which she replied - no we haven’t for years. I made a swift exit and went to find myself a more welcoming coffee shop!

Tasty breakfast, tosties or omelets Cosy place

I did not love this as much as I had hoped. Service was quite rude, long wait times to order although they were not busy. Ordered a cold chocolate, which was a small glass of cold chocolate milk with a few ice cubes and that was incredibly overpriced (I think £4.50). I had expected some whipped cream at least. The bookshop stretches over two floors - although not busy the tables were full of dirty dishes waiting to be picked up. Overall disappointing experience.

Nice place for coffee or food.sit outside.inside and upstairs relax with a coffee and a book.

Thank you to Helen and the team for the excellent service at the new books and beans on Union terrace well worth a visit

not as nice and cosy as it used to be. the vibe has changed a little. still probably one of the loveliest cafes in aberdeen but not what it used to. feels so much less relaxed now. i dislike table service only and it being all electronic but i probably won't come back again

Great place, love the teas, coffees and the pancakes. Highly reccomend

Ridiculously expensive! Over £10 for two breakfast teas and 1 cake. Charging 25p for a side of milk with tea! Service wasn’t great either and won’t be back

Absolutely amazing service! I booked a table here for my birthday lunch and it was fantastic. The staff were unbelievably sweet and helpful, the food was delicious (I especially enjoyed the soup!), and the atmosphere was great! I will without a doubt be returning here many more times, I adored it!

Nice enough food but service was a quite slow and portion size was pretty small. Staff were friendly though and venue comfortable.

Friendly little place with lovely waitstaff. Nice coffee and scone.

Nice coffee, good food and second hand books as well! We enjoyed our visit.

Gone down hill compared with what it used to be. Still a nice central venue with the books but wouldn't rate food or atmosphere.

The atmosphere is very nice but the food is overpriced and the service is slow

Lovely food and service. Interesting cafe / 2nd hand book shop

Unusual cafe just off Union with a second hand bookstore. Open Sunday with is a bonus downtown. Nice terrace on a pedestrian street with reasonable seating areas. Ok coffee but lemon cake a little heavy.

Decent meals at affordable prices. The ambiance is lovely and comfortable, the staff is helpful.

Food was nice, timely, friendly service. Loads of really interesting books.

Interior was lovely, staff was very friendly but the food was not good at all. My burger was presented with minimal effort, just a burger slapped onto a plate with half a packet of walkers crisps thrown onto the side. The burger had a warm patty with a cold dry bun, very disappointing and for 8.75 I feel robbed.

Quirky and cosy interior with lovely seating. Love the book-themed personality of the place. The servers are very nice and efficient. I had the soup which was tasty, it came with a slice of bread. Only issue was the size. It just didn’t fill me up. It was a mug of soup. The cafe is nice but I feel it could upgrade its food standard a little bit, just so it’s more filling. My friends salad was a little overpriced too for what it was. The coffee was nice, but would be nice if sugar/sweeteners were served with it or were on the table - because the servers weren’t always around and observing, which is not their fault. The paying system was super simple and easy for splitting the bill. I probably won’t be back soon just as I don’t want to be left hungry again. Perhaps I should have ordered something different.

Nice Scottish breakfast. In a warm surroundings of books. Feels like eating in a cosy library. Good selection of cakes. Has decaf coffee too!

Nice food, nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Great for a coffee, lunch and chill.

Went for coffee, not overly busy, service good, staff polite and helpful.

One of our favourite places for breakfast, snacks, or just coffees. Very friendly and efficient staff. Nice to have real scrambled egg, rather than a mashed up omelette as is almost becoming the norm in other places. Not sure if this is wheelchair friendly, although I think they do have removable ramps.

Super fijne lunch room! Ik reisde in mijn eentje naar Aberdeen, en zat hier echt heel fijn. Ik zat boven bij het raam, waar het heel rustig was. Even tot rust komen met een mooi uitzicht. De latte en carot cake waren ook heerlijk! En het personeel echt heel aardig. Ik zou dit zeker aanbevelen!

Waited over 40 minutes for food order but still failed to arrive. They kept making excuses for food not arriving. Food never did arrive. Were not even offered free cappuccino due to inconvenience but eventually they did relent on this one. Eventually walked out. Won't be going back there again. Given 1 star because not able to give zero stars.

Not quite living up to the reviews for me. Coffee was just bland and nothing more than ok, pancakes I felt were dry and cold with the additional toppings not doing much to lift the experience. Despite the nice staff and relaxed atmosphere I felt I needed to leave where normally I'd have had another coffee. There are far better cups of coffee to be had nearby. Service charge was unexpected and unnecessary and despite the owners comments, unjustified from a coffee shop.

Very yummy food, wonderful service and atmosphere

Perfect place for people that love reading and coffe 🥰

Great location and setting. Been here a few times over the last year. Normally it's ok but now it is just disappointing. Menu has recently changed and is not good value or quality. My friend had scrambled eggs on toast. One slice of bread that had barely touched a toaster and very pale looking eggs. I had a small pannini with limp and plain chopped iceberg lettuce as a "side salad". Not good value. Shame the menu had been changed instead of the vases of dead tulips on the tables and fire place. Please have another look at your lunch menu.

No longer the cultural experience that made it famous. So missing the previous owner - lacking a book expert. Secondly worst of all the management have introduced a so called service charge which they say is optional but try to embarass people into paying it. Also service is too slow. It's a great pity as at least the tea and soup were good, but the pricing is bad as Prét's. Unfortunately the cafe has joined the chips and burger parade which has so damaged Aberdeen's reputation for healthy food.

It feels like you're in a private little library. The staff is friendly, it's nice and quiet, and the food is a very good price. I got pancakes from the breakfast menu and they were delicious. Would definitely come again.

Still waiting for my Brown Sauce... I believe the restaurant may be under-staffed as it was really difficult for waitresses and the kitchen to keep up with the simplest needs of the customers

Nice atmosphere, but my toastie arrived in a dirty plate plus the waitress advised me not to order pancake with my food so it doesn’t get cold but afterwards and it was literally impossible due to the long wait. Also, the effort that we had to place in order for the waitresses to pay attention to our table when she placed wrong things in our order &didn’t apologise. I can understand the rush hours of a coffee shop but there is also something called customer service for a business to run. Some suggestions maybe better manners & some hair bands for people working in kitchen.

This place is great. We have been coming here for a few years, a few things have changed so I am updating my review. There is now an outdoor undercover seating area with beautiful flowerbeds which is lovely in spring and summer although people use it all year around. The inside has been completely modernised and looks fantastic. You can still buy second hand books here though. Not sure whether the best bit is the awesome coffee, the vegan chocolate orange cake (maybe the best food on earth!) or the amazingly friendly staff here. Its my favourite cafe in Aberdeen, whether I am on my own, with my husband or with the kids too, even our dog is welcome, its good for everyone. I always head here and leave with a smile. Thank you books and beans!

A fantastic menu with a literature theme. Lots of choices with veggies and vegan things too. Upstairs you are surrounded by books you can browse and buy for £1, £2 or £3, absolute bargain! Very friendly and helpful staff who you could have some laughs with. Books and food, what's not to love?!

Friendly staff good food worth a visit

Great place for coffee or for lunch. Fewer bookshelves than there used to be.

Really nice experience and cosy environment!

Great food. Fantastic place to visit.

The place has an awesome vibe. The food was amazing!!

Summary: Expected a quiet, cosy bookshop with drinks service, instead got a stressful greasy spoon with a few bookshelves. Full review: After a lovely weekend visiting Aberdeen with my book loving partner, we were very excited upon finding out there was a second hand bookshop and cafe in the heart of Aberdeen. We were expecting a quaint and cosy establishment where you could peruse books, and then maybe sit for a little coffee. This is NOT what we got. When entering Books and Beans, I was greeted with a rundown corridor that either leads to a very odd smelling and looking "cafe" on the bottom floor, or a rundown staircase leading upstairs that we never got a chance to look at before a rather unfriendly member of staff ushered us back outside. We were given (no choice) a table in the cafe while being talked over. We instantly got an unpleasant smell when in the cafe (something other reviews have mentioned before, so it's definitely not just us!). It was cold, loud (the full kitchen was open plan and shared the room with the diners), and there was pitiful display of books (we were never given an option to go upstairs, which may be different). We ordered chips and couple of drinks (no soft drinks were available, only "organic" drinks), which were fine. Chips were good and large portion. Reasonably priced, although we specifically stated we didn't want the optional service charge, something incredibly rare for us (both of us have previously worked in customer service). I hope this is taken as constructive criticism, the owners seem to take bad reviews personally and snap back at reviewers. We love this concept, but rather than a quaint bookshop with coffee, this is a bad, rundown greasy spoon with a few bookshelves.

Really friendly and helpful staff. Relaxing visit.

Food was nice. Coffee excellent. But a long wait for the food. Butter portion should be given with toast ,and sugar or sweetener with hot drinks,without asking. The service charge is daft,you probably miss out more than you think,most folk will give a minimum £2. Be nice if the tips were just for the waiting staff.

The worst service I have ever had. 5 members of staff only 12 customers and took just over half an hour to take our order. I shad to raise my voice to be heard over the staff who shouted across the cafe at each other. The continual dropping of the cutlery in the kitchen the over exaggerated banging when emptying coffee grinds! We knew exactly why this was happening as staff shouted we are closing soon, this was 3-45pm, We are closing at 4-30start clearing up! Having grown up in and worked and worked in hospitality. I would be disgusted with my loud-mouthed, ignorant staff. To charge over £8 for 2 lattes, extortionate, that we're like warm! I will NEVER set foot in here again. If you do go here take a blanket it is freezing, Ihad to put my scarf over my knees!

Really slow service. Drinks came after the food. I waited outside the toilet for longer than five minutes while one of the waitresses was just chilling in there on her phone. Took ages to bring the bill over and the food was all pretty average (the giant pancake is nice). EDIT: It's a shame the owners are not taking the criticism constructively and instead are arguing back to their 'would be' customers. For clarification, the toilets are clearly marked female, male and disabeled and are not unisex.

Coffee served in a chipped glass, which was dealt with but it felt reluctant. Awful service overall, very slow and illogical. Waitresses walking past piles of dirty plates on tables and faffing around on iPads. The food was average and honestly you could get better quality for half the price in the spoons. Also, the shabby chic aesthetic is not working for them, it just felt like an underfunded community library.

First time back since lockdowns. Loved the changes. Staff very attentive. Looking forward to returning.