You know when the interior of a restaurant blows you away just as much (or maybe even a teensy bit more, shhh!) as the food does? Yeah, that's exactly how I feel every single time I come to the Botanist. Since the very first day they opened I've loved every detail of their decor - the vintage bottles, the greenery, the eclectic mix of lightbulbs on their extravagant chandeliers. Even if you were to just go there to drink a bottle of your favourite crafts beer & listen to the live piano, it'd be well worth it. The food's bloody good too though.
My most recent visit was with Terri (read her version of our date here - maybe I should have read it before linking it, just imagine if she thought it was really crap and I'm here like - oh, I had the time of my life haha!). Every single time I've eaten there I stuck to the very same starter (you might even call it love) - Pan-fried garlic mushrooms with truffle butter & toast. They never disappoint - I mean, it's difficult to not love something that comes served on an actual gardening hand trowel!
Although I'm a huge fan of their Scampi & chips I went berserk and tried their Prawn & chicken gumbo with rice and peas. What is a gumbo, I hear you ask. (As I've found out long after stuffing it into my belleh) gumbo is a stew originally from Louisiana, USA. Its usual base is a very strong thick stock with some meat & shellfish thrown in plus a trio of vegetables - celery, bell peppers and onions. Which is exactly what this dish was - very hearty and absolutely perfect for this chilly late autumn weather we've been having.
Not that I wasn't completely full by then. I was. But when has a full stomach ever stopped anyone from eating a Baked chocolate chip cookie dough with salted caramel sauce & toffee ice cream? Well, not today. Definitely not today. I might be slightly dribbling just thinking about that dessert now. Aaaah.
Have you been to the Botanist yet?
Find out more here.
Find out more here.
💠The delicious food was provided by the Botanist, delightful company by Terri Lowe, a hungry belly by me.