Aberdeen's iconic Esslemont bar and restaurant set to close its doors

The former department store was brought back to life with the creation of a bar and restaurant venue
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


A beloved Aberdeen restaurant is set to close at the end of February due to low footfall.

The Esslemont, located on Union Street, will cease operations on February 22, with the iconic city centre building now up for sale. The McGinty’s Group, which owns the business, is currently in discussions and taking enquiries from interested parties about the building with CBRE appointed to market the property.

The venue, which opened in August 2019 following a major refurbishment, will now be moving its staff to its sister site at The Ferryhill restaurant which is currently being transformed into a brasserie.

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The Esslemont's popular Saturday Spritz will be moved to the new restaurant at The Ferryhill with the same entertainment and style of event planned. The team's March dates will take place on Saturday, March 8 and Saturday March 22, with April dates on Saturday, April 12 and Saturday, April 26.

Allan Henderson, Director of The McGinty’s Group, said: “The Esslemont is an iconic building in the city centre but whilst recovering from the consequences of covid closures and recently, lower footfall in the area, we have made the business decision to close the restaurant for the time being.

“Although our group as a whole is performing very well, we felt it is the right time to change the direction of The Esslemont and concentrate our efforts elsewhere such as the current renovation project at The Ferryhill restaurant. Whilst we are disappointed to close the restaurant, we are delighted that we can move our hard-working staff to the new look restaurant at The Ferryhill.”

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Jillian Miller, Sales & Marketing Director of The McGinty’s Group, added: “There continues to be very tough challenges in the hospitality industry, but our passion for Aberdeen remains and we are excited to be launching a new stylish restaurant in the Ferryhill that will offer a new contemporary food and drink destination for our customers and the city.

“We want to thank customers who have supported us since launching and hope they will follow us on the journey of our new venture at The Ferryhill.”

The Esslemont confirmed gift vouchers will be honoured up to their closure date and then can be used in another McGinty’s Group venue.