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The front of Mara on Thistle Street at night, its dark shopfront lit and signed Italian Wine, Bottle Shop, Small Plates, with tables and wine shelves seen through the windows.
Aberdeen

Mara

An Italian wine bar, bottle shop and small-plates restaurant on Thistle Street in Aberdeen's west end, with a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide.

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Welcome

Mara is a small Italian wine bar and bottle shop on Thistle Street, in Aberdeen's west end, and it's one of the loveliest places to eat in the city.

It holds a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide, given for good cooking at a fair price, and it's in the Good Food Guide too. The husband and wife team behind it are Ross Cochrane, an award-winning chef who cooks Italian-influenced small plates from fresh Scottish produce, and Carolina, who chose the wines, every one of them from Italy. Order a few plates and share them: warm focaccia with white bean hummus, the truffled Marancini, hand-rolled gnocchi with n'duja, confit duck leg, and tiramisu to finish. The team know the wine list well, so ask them to match a glass to each plate, and pick up a bottle from the shop on your way out. It opens Wednesday to Saturday from noon until late, and you can book a table through its website.

Round the cornerGrape & GrainA wine bar on Thistle Street in Aberdeen's west end, with award-winning wines, Scottish gins and craft beers, and sharing slates to go with them.Under a mileSee itThe bar room at Grape & Grain, under a ceiling hung with flowers and copper lamps, with high stools, velvet tub chairs and a large clock on the far wall.
Before you go

Italian-influenced small plates and an all-Italian wine list, Wednesday to Saturday from noon.

Where
40-42 Thistle Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1XD.
Open
Wednesday to Saturday, 12pm to 11pm; closed Sunday to Tuesday.
Booking
Through its own website. Also available for private hire.
Dogs
Not allowed.
Access
Wheelchair access.
Phone
01224 454826

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
noon–11pm
Thursday
noon–11pm
Friday
noon–11pm
Saturday
noon–11pm
Sunday
Closed

Eaten here? Tell others what to order and when to go, and the best go on this page with your name.

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Where it is

On Thistle Street in Aberdeen's west end, a short walk from Union Street, AB10 1XD.

Close byThistle Street and the west end.
  1. FoodstoryFoodstoryA warm, homely vegetarian and vegan cafe on Thistle Street in Aberdeen, with its own sourdough and baking, speciality coffee and an open mic every Wednesday.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. Burger with pretzel bun, chips and pickle on a metal trayThe AlbynA family-run bar and restaurant on Albyn Place in Aberdeen's west end, with a leafy garden room, a terrace, weekend brunch and afternoon tea.Under a mile as the crow flies
  3. A table laid at Amuse with wine glasses, white napkins, a candle and a vase of orange flowers, in front of a wall of wine bottles.Amuse by Kevin DalgleishKevin Dalgleish's restaurant in the basement of a granite townhouse on Queen's Terrace in Aberdeen, in the Michelin Guide and holding two AA Rosettes.Under a mile as the crow flies
  4. Grilled salmon sushi roll topped with chives on a rectangular white plateYorokobi by CJA Korean and Japanese restaurant on Huntly Street in Aberdeen, the city's first, open since 2005 and recommended by the Michelin Guide, for sushi and Korean dishes.Under a mile as the crow flies
  5. Parx CafeParx CafeA bright basement cafe on Rubislaw Terrace in Aberdeen's west end, overlooking the gardens, cooking its own meats for fresh rolls, wraps, bowls and brunch.Under a mile as the crow flies
  6. Wooden bar with hanging wine glasses, bottles and a lit fireplaceCafé BohemeAn intimate, candlelit French restaurant on cobbled Windmill Brae in Aberdeen, cooking French classics with Scottish produce, listed in the Michelin Guide.Under a mile as the crow flies
  7. Granite steps lead up to a statue and His Majesty's Theatre in AberdeenUnion Terrace GardensA Victorian garden in a green valley in the centre of Aberdeen, opened in 1878 and reopened after its restoration, with lawns, a footbridge and pavilions.Under a mile as the crow flies
Directions
Inside Cafe Moyo on Thistle Street: a counter of pastries and buns, an olive tree, and a dog bed and water bowl by the wall.CafeCafe MoyoA step away
RestaurantsMediterraneanA step away
The bar room at Grape & Grain, under a ceiling hung with flowers and copper lamps, with high stools, velvet tub chairs and a large clock on the far wall.BarsGrape & GrainA step away
Round sourdough loaves and floured tin loaves on dark wooden shelves against a white wall at Bandit Bakery on Rose Street.CafeBandit BakeryA step away
The Bread Guys Bakery at 16 Thistle Street in Aberdeen: a granite corner with a purple sign over the open door and a board outside for coffee.CafeThe Bread GuyA step away
Light of Bengal's front on Rose Street at night, its name lit above a window into the dining room and an open door.RestaurantsLight of BengalA step away
Ross of Chapel Street, the Chapel Bakery, on Chapel Street in Aberdeen: a red sign reading Craft Bakers, Est 1954, over the shop window and an open door.CafeRoss BakeryA step away
Coloured parasols hang above a green-walled restaurant with gold plates and framed artworkRestaurantsMadame Mew'sA step away
Restaurant interior with leather booths, blue chairs and set wooden tablesRestaurantsVovem Meat & Liquor0.2 miles

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