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Inversnecky Cafe |
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Founded in 1908, the Inversnecky Cafe is a familiar sight
to visitors to Aberdeen's Beach Esplanade. With a reputation for "one of
the best breakfasts in Aberdeen", it prides itself on its simple good food
and friendly service. Perhaps the best testimonial is that customers are
prepared to wait for a table during a rush period.
A brief history
The Cafe was conceived by Lui Vicca, an Italian immigrant
from Gaeta, close to Naples. He left there to seek his fortune, like so many
others from that area, by working building the railroads in South America.
After some time in Venezuela he caught a ship to Canada to work on the building
of the Canadian Pacific line. Unfortunately the Ship took him to Preston in the
north of England. From there he and his wife worked their way north before
finally coming to Aberdeen, where they opened a small ice-cream shop.
Lui Vicca was a great entrepreneur who tried his hand at a number of different
businesses; a zoo, a lemonade factory, a fruit and vegetable shop and the
seafront Café. Of these different ventures only the café survives to this day.
His son, Peter, took over in 1923, changed the name of the Café and set about
establishing the successful business that it is today. The Café takes it's name
from a fictional character created by local comedian Harry Gordon, a regular
visitor to the Beach Pavilion in the 1920's. A similar age to Peter Vicca,
Harry Gordon played his summer season at the Gaiety Theater south of the shop,
and the two men subsequently became firm friends.
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Harry created
the fictional village of
Inversnecky, portraying the villagers in songs and monologues. |
Of course, Harry Gordon wasn't the only famous visitor to
the Café. Between the wars the Beach Pavilion was host to many vaudeville acts,
whilst in the fifties Peter Sellers paid the Inversnecky a visit. More
recently, "Scotland the What?" featured the Inversnecky in one of
their acts, and members of the trio have been known to drop in.
Today, these acts, along with the Gaiety Clubs
they performed in, have long since disappeared, and the Inversnecky Café is run
by Lui's great-grandson
Martin, formerly a solicitor. Visitors are more likely to find themselves
rubbing shoulders with football players from Aberdeen F.C than vaudeville
stars, while the Esplanade itself has undergone a great deal of modernization,
with the creation of the Beach café, Jimmy Chungs and T&C’s Chipper from
the old Café Continental and Harry ramsdens.
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The front of
the Café however, |
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Whether you require a full breakfast, a slice of homemade cake, or simply
a coffee to keep out the Aberdeen wind, you can be sure of a friendly reception
at the Inversnecky. Children are welcome, and you should find that Martin makes
as good a cappuccino as he does a bacon softie.
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To see our full menu, click here. |
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Projects
- The Search for a Soup. Summer
is fast fading from memory and so our thoughts begin to turn to Soup
(Don’t ask why just accept that they do). We like to do things a little
differently here so along with the standards (Lentil and Bacon, Scotch
Broth and Chunky Vegetable) we hope to bring you a variety of slightly
more unusual tastes to tempt your palate.
If you have any comments you would like to pass on, or if
you wish to contact the Inversnecky,
please E-Mail Martin or otherwise
contact him at:
Inversnecky Cafe, Sea Beach,
Aberdeen, AB24 5NS Telephone: 01224 596531