Traditional roast beef every Sunday: succulent Aberdeen Angus, roast and mash potatoes, seasonal vegetables, a Yorkshire pudding, gravy, and skirlie, because being in Aberdeen it has to be. We serve it from midday straight through to eight in the evening, in a restaurant that looks out at the North Sea from the old fishing village of Cove, on the south side of the city.
What is on the plate
The beef is Aberdeen Angus and it is roasted properly. I would rather say that plainly than dress it up, because most people reading this already know what they want from a roast dinner and are only checking that we do it.
Alongside it go roast potatoes and mash, both of them, since the argument over which one belongs on a roast has never been settled in this building. Then seasonal vegetables, a Yorkshire pudding and gravy. And skirlie.
If you are not from the north east, the skirlie is the part of the plate you will not recognise. It is oatmeal fried with onion and fat until it crisps, it is savoury and slightly nutty, and it does a job on a roast that stuffing does not quite manage. We sell it as a side in its own right at £2.95, which tells you how often people ask for more of it.
When we serve it
Sunday is the one day of the week our kitchen does not shut in the afternoon. We serve from twelve until eight, straight through, with no second sitting to clear the room for.
The rest of the week is split: twelve to two and five to eight from Monday to Thursday, and twelve to two and five to nine on Friday and Saturday.
The straight-through Sunday is deliberate. It means a table booked at half past one is not being politely hurried, and it means somebody walking back off the coast in the middle of the afternoon can still sit down to a roast rather than a packet of crisps.
Where the sea view comes in
Cove Bay sits on a small peninsula above the North Sea, and the restaurant faces the water. That is the part people travel out from the city for, and it is not something a roast in the middle of Aberdeen can offer.
The tables along the windows are the ones everybody wants, so if the view is the reason you are coming, say so when you book and we will do what we can. From the window of our public bar, The Cover, guests watch dolphins go past. I make no promises about the dolphins. They do not take bookings.
If a roast is not what the whole table wants
The rest of the food runs as normal on a Sunday, which matters if you are bringing a family where one person does not eat beef and another has decided they want fish.
Our Cove Bay steak pie is £17.95 with seasonal vegetables and a choice of chips or mash. Fresh North Sea haddock, breaded or battered, is £21.00 with chips and peas. There is a macaroni cheese at £16.50 and a vegan gnocchi arrabbiata at £18.95. If you want a starter, the Chef's Cullen skink is £8.50 with crusty bread, and there is a gluten free bread option.
There is a kids menu, The Wee Captains Menu, and a seniors menu as well. Everything is set out on the menus page with the prices on it, so there is nothing to guess at before you arrive. The food is cooked to order and the main menu asks you to allow up to thirty minutes.
Allergen information is available on request, though I should say honestly that our kitchen cannot guarantee any dish is nut free.
Booking a table
Book ahead. We recommend it strongly for any Sunday, and particularly if you want a window seat or you are bringing a larger party. You can book online through the restaurant page, or telephone us on 01224 897211 and speak to somebody here.
The restaurant was named North East of Scotland Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year in 2022, which is a nice thing to have on the wall and also a reasonable warning that Sundays fill up.
Getting here, and staying over
We are at 15 Colsea Road, Cove Bay, Aberdeen AB12 3NA, close to the Aberdeen ring road. The city centre train and bus stations are around fifteen minutes away by taxi, and the nearest bus stop is 250 metres from the door. Dunnottar Castle is roughly twenty minutes further south if you want to make a day of the drive.
If you would rather not drive home afterwards, we have rooms upstairs. The sea view ones look out over the same water as the restaurant. They sit above our public bar and may be subject to noise on busy evenings, which I would sooner tell you now than have you discover at eleven o'clock on a Friday. They are all on the rooms page.
Sunday times, what is on the plate and the booking link all live on our Sunday lunch page if you want it in one place.
- We serve traditional roast Aberdeen Angus beef every Sunday, with roast and mash potatoes, seasonal vegetables, a Yorkshire pudding, gravy and skirlie.
- Sunday service runs from midday straight through to eight in the evening, rather than the split lunch and dinner service we keep the rest of the week.
- The restaurant faces the North Sea from the old fishing village of Cove, on the south side of Aberdeen.
- Booking ahead is strongly recommended, and it is the only way to ask for a window seat.
- The full menu runs alongside the roast on a Sunday, so nobody at the table has to eat beef to come along.
Questions people ask
What time is Sunday lunch served at Cove Bay Hotel?+
From twelve noon until eight in the evening, without a break. Sunday is the one day of the week the kitchen does not close in the afternoon, so a late lunch at half past three is as easy to arrange as an early one.
Do I need to book a table for Sunday roast?+
We strongly recommend it, and it is the only reliable way to get a table by the window. You can book online or telephone us on 01224 897211.
What comes with the Sunday roast?+
Roast Aberdeen Angus beef, roast potatoes and mash, seasonal vegetables, a Yorkshire pudding, gravy and skirlie. Being in Aberdeen, the skirlie is not optional.
Is there anything for somebody who does not want a roast?+
Yes. Our full menu runs alongside the roast on a Sunday, with fish, steak, burgers, a macaroni cheese and vegan dishes, plus a kids menu and a seniors menu.
How far is Cove Bay from Aberdeen city centre?+
We are just off the Aberdeen ring road at 15 Colsea Road, Cove Bay. The city centre train and bus stations are about fifteen minutes away by taxi, and the nearest bus stop is 250 metres from our door.