Siam Cottage

kenmcewen

29 Apr 2023

Authentic Thai food in the heart of Aberdeen

4

4

Date of visit: February 2023

I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: moving around

Overall Rating

Good

Siam Cottage is a small, friendly Thai restaurant right in Castlegate, right in the traditional heart of Aberdeen. The food is freshly prepared and that is obvious from the sounds emanating from the small kitchen. The historic Merkat Cross, with its portraits of the kings and queens of Scotland is right outside the door.

Disabled Access In and Around

Poor

There is a small step a the door, but the staff were welcoming and very helpful. The restaurant itself is small and cosy, but I was able to choose a seat that was easy to access.

Parking & Transport

Poor

Although it is in the heart of the city, this is not the easiest place for disabled access. The Castlegate is a pedestrian area, laid out in flagstones. We could not find any nearby disabled parking bays, so we simply had to park sensibly on a yellow line behind parked cars and display our blue badge. Walking the couple of hundred yards with crutches on uneven flagstones was quite scary and Aberdeen's civic authorities really need to look at improving disabled access. A wheelchair or scooter would have been better.

Accessible Toilets

Bad

In a historic building like this it is almost impossible to accommodate spacious toilets, with disabled facilities. So, the toilets are far from ideal. They are down three or four steps (I was too busy negotiating them to count and remember the number!) at the back of the restaurant.

Staff

Excellent

We've been to Siam Cottage a few times and the staff are a small, friendly and enthusiastic team. On one visit the manager sat down with a member of our party to help them decide what would suit their tastes. On our most recent visit the menu now has symbols to show how spicy the dishes are and what ingredients are in them, such as fish, or potential allergens. But, the personal advice is still willingly offered,