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A bowl of beef pho at Mai's Vietnamese Kitchen, with sliced beef, a beef ball, spring onions and herbs in clear broth, the restaurant's name on the bowl.
Aberdeen

Mai's Vietnamese Kitchen

A Vietnamese restaurant on Back Wynd in Aberdeen, cooking the food of Hanoi, from 24-hour beef pho to bun cha, and bring your own bottle.

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Welcome

A steaming bowl of pho on a cold Aberdeen evening is hard to beat, and Mai's Vietnamese Kitchen on Back Wynd makes a lovely one.

Just off Union Street, opposite the Kirk of St Nicholas, it's a warm, welcoming restaurant devoted to the cooking of Hanoi. The beef pho starts with a bone broth stewed for 24 hours and comes with flank, rare tenderloin, beef balls and soft rice noodles, with herbs and bean sprouts on top. Try bun cha too, Hanoi's grilled marinated pork with vermicelli and fresh herbs, and Mai's own special Hanoi spring rolls, filled with crab, prawn and pork. For something lighter, there are fresh rice paper rolls and a mango and prawn salad. Inside, rustic wooden furniture and pictures of old Hanoi set the scene. It's bring your own bottle, so pick up a favourite on the way. It opens from Wednesday to Sunday, from noon into the evening, and you can book a table through its website.

Round the cornerMoonfish CaféA relaxed bistro on Correction Wynd in Aberdeen's Merchant Quarter, cooking a short, changing menu of modern British food since 2004.1 min by roadSee itRestaurant dining room with globe pendant lights and tall windows overlooking stone walls
Before you go

Open Wednesday to Sunday from noon, closed Monday and Tuesday.

Bring your own bottle.

Where
12B Back Wynd, Aberdeen, AB10 1JN, just off Union Street.
Open
Wednesday to Saturday 12pm to 10pm, Sunday 12pm to 9pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Booking
Through its own site, or by phone.
Drinks
Bring your own bottle.
Children
Welcome, with a children's menu.
Access
The entrance is not wheelchair accessible.
Phone
01224 961188

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
noon–10pm
Thursday
noon–10pm
Friday
noon–10pm
Saturday
noon–10pm
Sunday
noon–9pm

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Where it is

On Back Wynd, just off Union Street in the centre of Aberdeen, AB10 1JN.

Close byBack Wynd and the city centre.
  1. Weathered statue and gravestones in a churchyard framed by autumn leavesKirk of St NicholasAberdeen's Mither Kirk in the city centre, a church founded in the 12th century and rebuilt by Gibbs and Simpson, with the largest carillon of bells in Britain.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Aberdeen Art GalleryAberdeen Art GalleryAberdeen's great art gallery on Schoolhill, free to visit, with 700 years of art from Monet and the Scottish Colourists to Joan Eardley and Barbara Hepworth.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. Kultura's front on Belmont Street, its wooden sign reading Filipino Restaurant & Bar above open doors in a granite wall, with potted bay trees by the step.KulturaA family Filipino restaurant and bar at 47 Belmont Street in Aberdeen, for crispy pata, sizzling sisig and an all-you-can-eat tapas feast.Under a mile as the crow flies
  4. The long bar at Casa del Fuego under a red wall and a neon sign reading Viva la Fiesta, with high stools and tables on a patterned tiled floor.Casa del FuegoA Latin American and Spanish bar and kitchen in the Academy courtyard off Belmont Street in Aberdeen, with tapas, tacos, cocktails and salsa nights.Under a mile as the crow flies
  5. Pedestrian crosses between First and Stagecoach buses under festive light decorationsUnion StreetAberdeen's grand main street, a mile of granite from the Castlegate to Holburn Junction, carried over the Denburn valley on a single great arch.Under a mile 2 min by road
  6. Juniper shop front beside a stone church with a rose windowBelmont StreetA cobbled street of granite buildings in the centre of Aberdeen, between Union Street and the Art Gallery, lined with independent cafés, bars and restaurants.Under a mile 2 min by road
  7. Mural of a girl's face on a curved wall behind lit lamp postsThe GreenOne of the oldest corners of Aberdeen, a cobbled street below Union Street where people lived 8,000 years ago, and where friars later built two friaries and markets were held.Under a mile 3 min by road
Directions
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Ninety Nine Bar & Kitchen window, reflections of people at the counter insideRestaurantsNinety-NineA step away
Restaurant dining room with globe pendant lights and tall windows overlooking stone wallsRestaurantsMoonfish CaféA step away
Whisky bottles lit on shelves beside a tartan booth and patterned ceilingRestaurantsThe Tippling HouseA step away
Restaurant interior with leather booths, blue chairs and set wooden tablesRestaurantsVovem Meat & LiquorA step away
The granite front of Cup on Little Belmont Street, with hanging baskets and window boxes of flowers.CafeCup Tea SalonA step away
Latte with tulip art sits on a periodic table table, element eight labelled "GrubCafeGrub SchoolhillA step away
Aberdeen Art Gallery's granite facade topped with a bronze-slatted extension at duskCafeArt Gallery CaféA step away
Plates of seafood at Bistro Verde seen from above on a wooden table: langoustines with salad, scallops, smoked salmon bites and a bowl of fries.RestaurantsBistro VerdeA step away

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