Aberdeen, GB

A small, modern-British kitchen tucked in the medieval alleys behind the Kirk of St Nicholas, leaning hard on North Sea catch and a daily-changing menu. The cooking is the most adventurous in the centre without being fussy, which is why locals book it for a treat. Good for a longer lunch or a quieter dinner.

A glass-walled seafood room atop the old customs house at Footdee, looking straight down the harbour entrance as boats come and go. It is the special-occasion choice in town, with the view doing half the work and the fish doing the rest. Best at lunch or sunset when the light is on the water.

A relaxed fine-dining room in Rosemount with globally minded plates built on local land and sea produce. It picked up Scottish hospitality awards for a reason, and it is where Aberdonians go when they want something ambitious without white-tablecloth stiffness. A date-night or celebration spot.

A family-run southern Italian on Union Street with rough-plaster walls and exposed beams, doing classic pasta and Sicilian-leaning plates. It is the dependable Italian locals name first, generous portions and a warm room. Good for groups and an easy mid-range dinner in the centre.

A family-owned, award-collecting Indian on Belmont Street serving both North and South Indian cooking in a stylish but homey room. It is the centre's go-to curry house, broad menu and reasonable prices, equally fine for a group or a quick pre-night-out meal. Reliable and well run.

A community-built vegetarian and vegan cafe on Thistle Street, made from salvaged materials, serving organic, locally sourced plates plus strong coffee and cake. It is the daytime hangout for Aberdeen's creative crowd, busy and informal, with plenty of gluten-free options. Good for brunch or a long working lunch.

An independent Spanish-and-Mexican kitchen doing tapas and Mexican classics with a Canary Islands twist from the chef. It is the city's more interesting option for small plates, fresh and made to order, and a fun spot for sharing over drinks. Good for groups who want to graze.

A serious specialty coffee bar in Rosemount with a rotating cast of guest roasters and a tidy brew bar for slow pours. Baristas here actually talk you through beans and methods, which is why coffee people make the trip out from the centre. Cakes are good, and you can buy beans to take home.

A smart bar-and-grill on Queen's Terrace in the West End, doing Highland beef burgers, steaks and a well-regarded battered haddock. It is the neighbourhood's reliable grown-up dinner, locally sourced and consistent, sitting among the granite townhouses away from the centre. Good for a relaxed evening.

A long-running Italian-Scottish family gelateria making ice cream on site with dozens of flavours, plus waffles, crepes and proper Italian coffee. It is the city's classic sweet stop, generations deep, and an easy treat after a beach walk or a centre wander. Good with kids.

A central Thai restaurant that has built a loyal following over years with classic, well-priced cooking and a cosy room. It is the dependable Thai pick locals send people to, generous portions and friendly service, with vegan options on the menu. Good for an easy mid-range dinner.

A flat, paved seafront path running about two miles from the harbour's North Pier up to the Donmouth nature reserve, hugging the sand the whole way. It is the easy everyone-can-do-it walk, level and accessible, with North Sea views and surfers off the south end. Wind-exposed, so layer up.

A riverside park along the Don beneath St Machar's Cathedral, with formal flower beds, a walled garden and wooded paths down to the water. The easy loops link the cathedral, the river and the medieval Brig o' Balgownie, making it the most history-rich short walk in the city. Calm and green.

A large wooded park on the western edge of the city, 180-odd hectares of mature trees, rose gardens, a pets' corner and Scotland's oldest hedge maze. The signposted woodland walks are easy and family-friendly, with a real chance of spotting red squirrels. A good half-day with kids.

A classic Victorian park on the north bank of the Dee with a boating pond, fountains, rose mountain and the huge Winter Gardens glasshouse. Flat, paved and pram-friendly, it is the southern green lung of the city and the start point for the Deeside Way path west. Easy and central.

A coastal-path walk south of the city along wind-blown rocky bluffs from Nigg Bay toward the old fishing harbour at Cove Bay. It is the moderate option, undulating clifftop ground with sea-bird cliffs and big North Sea views, away from any crowds. Wear proper shoes and check the wind.

A big dune-and-beach reserve about a 20-minute drive north of the city, with miles of empty sand backed by marram-grass dunes. The Blairton Burn circuit is an easy loop through the dunes and along the shore, and the beach itself runs for miles if you just want to walk straight. Bring wind protection.

A free four-floor museum spread across buildings including 16th-century Provost Ross's House, telling the city's story with the North Sea, from clipper shipbuilding and fishing to the oil-and-gas era. The ship models and the harbour-view galleries are the draw, and it is a solid rainy-day couple of hours. Central, by the harbour.

A granite city-centre gallery, reopened after a major refurbishment and an added floor, holding one of the strongest collections in the UK with works from Monet and Degas to Bacon and Currie. It is free, well laid out and the obvious indoor anchor for a grey afternoon. Good for an unhurried browse.

A 1906 Frank Matcham proscenium theatre, the grandest stage in the northeast, hosting touring drama, opera, ballet and the big annual pantomime. Even the building is worth it, all gilt and plasterwork, and a show here is the city's classic night out. The evening, dressed-up option.

A five-star regimental museum in the West End covering two centuries of the Gordon Highlanders, with medals, kit and a walk-through First World War trench reconstruction. The trench is the emotional centrepiece and lands hard. A focused, well-told indoor visit away from the centre.

The beachfront funfair at the south end of the Esplanade, with rides, arcades, a big soft-play and seaside-amusement noise. It is the family-with-kids option, straightforward fun rather than refined, and the obvious pairing with a beach walk and ice cream. Best in the warmer months.

The first distillery in the city in nearly 80 years, set in a converted railway arch, making small-batch gin and running tours and make-your-own gin schools. It is the grown-up, hands-on evening or afternoon option, friendly and informal. Good for couples or small groups who want a tasting.

A long-running live venue near the harbour with a 550-capacity lounge and a smaller studio, programming touring music, comedy, theatre and dance. It is the city's go-to for an intimate gig or a comedy night, the kind of room where you are close to the stage. The evening, adult-leaning pick.

Scotland's oldest science and discovery centre, reopened after a multi-million transformation with 60-plus hands-on exhibits across six zones plus live science shows. It is built for families and curious kids, fully indoors, making it a strong rainy-day call. Plan a couple of hours.

A fortified medieval kirk in Old Aberdeen built largely of granite, with twin sandstone-capped towers and a flat heraldic ceiling painted with 48 coats of arms. The painted nave ceiling is the thing to look up for. Pair it with a wander through the cobbled cathedral precinct.

The second-largest granite building in the world, a wedding-cake facade of grey spires now used as council headquarters. You go for the exterior, which catches the light differently through the day and rewards looking up. Quick to see, and right in the centre.

A grid of early-1800s fishermen's cottages at the harbour mouth, locally called Fittie, where residents have filled the shared squares with eccentric sheds and garden bric-a-brac. It is a lived-in conservation village, not a museum, so the charm is in slow wandering. Good on a clear day with the harbour traffic alongside.

The oldest building of the University of Aberdeen, an early-1500s chapel in Old Aberdeen topped by a distinctive crown spire. Inside, the original carved oak choir stalls and screen survived the Reformation, which is rare in Scotland. It anchors the cobbled High Street worth strolling around it.

A single-arched medieval bridge over the River Don, reputedly the oldest in Scotland, set in a quiet cobbled pocket below Seaton Park. It is a short, atmospheric stop rather than a big sight, with the steep gothic arch and the wooded river below. Locals come for the calm and the views downstream.

A two-mile sweep of sand between the Dee and Don rivers backed by a long Esplanade, busier at the south end near the funfair and emptier as you walk north. It is a proper working-city beach with the North Sea wind and surfers out in most weather. Good for a bracing walk and chips afterward.

One of Europe's largest covered gardens, inside Duthie Park, with zones running from arid cactus through tropical to a Japanese garden. It is the city's go-to warm escape on a grey day, free to enter, and good with kids who need somewhere dry to roam. The cactus house and the koi are the favourites.

A 16th-century townhouse, one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city centre, now a museum celebrating local figures from the arts, sport and science. The painted ceilings and the contrast of the old house against modern Marischal Square next door make it worth a look. A compact indoor stop in the centre.