Beer Gardens in Aberdeen: Where to Drink Outside

What Outdoor Drinking Looks Like in Aberdeen

Outdoor space in the city centre is mostly squeezed onto pavements, decks and back gardens rather than spread across lawns. That shapes what you get: a handful of tables, a view over a street or gardens, and a roof or canopy doing much of the work. Treat the garden as a bonus rather than the main event and you will enjoy it more.

The Northern Bar and Revolution both sit in the centre, which makes them easy to pair with a wider evening. For the full picture of the city's pubs, including the indoor rooms worth your time, our guide to the best pubs in Aberdeen arranges them by what you are actually after.

The Northern Bar, George Street: Beer Garden and Match Days

The Northern Bar sits at 325 George Street, a roomy community pub that has been pouring since 1839. It lists a beer garden among its facilities, alongside a pool table, dartboard and Sky and TNT Sports. It runs an over-18s policy, so leave younger family members out of this particular plan.

The pub's own listing names the beer garden, dog-friendly status and cashless operation, so bring a card rather than a note. Match days are the thing to plan around: it sits up the road from Pittodrie Stadium and gets especially busy when Aberdeen play at home, with three Sky boxes and televisions throughout. If you want a quiet garden pint, check the fixture list first; if you want company and noise, pick the match and arrive early. Current hours and food times are worth confirming with the pub before a long trip.

The building's history gives the place some weight beyond the sport. If old rooms and long-serving bars are part of the appeal, our guide to the oldest pub in Aberdeen is a natural companion to a George Street afternoon.

Revolution, Belmont Street: The Deck Above Union Terrace Gardens

Revolution occupies two levels on Belmont Street and describes its lower bar as opening onto an outdoor deck with views over Union Terrace Gardens and a retractable roof. That roof is the practical advantage: it means the deck can function come rain or shine, which in Aberdeen is not a small claim. Expect a livelier, younger crowd than the Northern Bar's local regulars.

This is a drinks-led city-centre terrace with food from the kitchen menu, not a garden for a quiet read. Groups and birthdays are its natural territory, and the venue takes bookings, so table reservations are the sensible move for a Friday or Saturday. The venue publishes its opening hours and food service times by day, and both are worth checking before you build an evening around the deck.

If a session on the deck turns into a longer crawl for something hoppier, our craft beer Aberdeen guide covers where to head next.

Which One Suits Your Afternoon

Choose the Northern Bar for a daytime pint with the dog, a casual catch-up or a match on the screens. Choose Revolution for a group, a birthday, or an evening when the weather is doubtful and the retractable roof earns its place. The Northern Bar is the better bet if you want a proper pub room and a local crowd; Revolution is the better bet if the outdoor space itself is the point.

Both are central, so transport is not the deciding factor. Walking between George Street and Belmont Street takes little time, which makes a two-stop afternoon feasible. Book ahead for Revolution at weekends and accept that the Northern Bar will be standing room only before a home game.

Practical Points for Aberdeen Weather and Dogs

Covered space matters more than garden size here. Revolution's retractable roof makes it the more reliable option on a changeable day, while the Northern Bar's garden is a fair-weather draw unless you are there for the sport. Carry a light waterproof either way and treat the forecast as a suggestion rather than a promise.

Dogs are welcome at the Northern Bar according to the pub's facilities list, so it works for a walk that ends with a pint. Revolution makes no dog-friendly claim on its own pages, so assume it is not the one for the hound. The Belhaven site carries an 18+ notice, so check the age policy with the pub directly if you are bringing a family group.

Eating, Booking and the Rest of the City

Revolution serves food from its kitchen menu throughout the day, making the deck viable for a late lunch as well as a drink. The Northern Bar runs pub deals and a student discount, details of which the pub publishes itself. For a more food-led sit-down, our pub food Aberdeen guide picks out kitchens worth building an afternoon around.

Bookings are advised at Revolution, particularly at weekends, while the Northern Bar is a walk-in sort of place that fills on match days. A whisky after the garden closes is a decent way to round off the day; our whisky Aberdeen guide covers where to find a decent dram near the centre.

Our Aberdeen pubs and food landmarks page has a short guide to each named place we cover.

Which Garden Do You Book?

If the forecast is shaky and the group is large, book a table on Revolution's covered deck and make the view over Union Terrace Gardens the draw. If you have the dog, want a proper pub and fancy watching the football, walk to the Northern Bar instead and check the Pittodrie fixtures first. Either way, a quick look at the venue's own hours and food times the day before saves a wasted trip.