The Botanist

I are here a few weeks ago. It was the mode of the week yet the bar was banging! Live music too. The bar area was a bit loud for proper conversation but we moved on to the restaurant where it flowed. My boyfriend ordered steak and ale pie — probably the best looking pie and mash I have ever seen in my life — taste to match. I had a lovely and once again healthy option of chicken and feta salad — the presentation was fabulous!

Visited the Botanist for drinks before but never food, until last night that was, I do love the atmosphere of The Botanist, the live music is fantastic. Our table was booked for 8pm but wasn’t ready until 8:20pm, being seated later than expected wasn’t a trouble however 7 of us were crammed onto quite a small table, I did ask to move but they were too busy.
Me & my friend shared two starters, the Scotch Egg — HUGHLY recommend. The second being mini Chipolata Sausages with a honey & mustard dip, nice but just a standard sausage. I did try a little Humus too, I thought it lacked flavour.
Main I had the obvious choice, Hanging Chicken Kebab with garlic butter. It really is just chicken cubes with a few bits of vegetables with a bowl of chips at the bottom, it was OK. I tried my friends couscous that came with the Holloumi — I wish I had picked the couscous and not the chips it was delicious!
Cocktail wise the Strawberry & Cucumber Breeze was very nice (Gin based).
I probably wouldn’t rush back for food, it was nice but there is definitely better.

Once again I find myself having had one two many wines on a school evening — with only two of the party left we headed to the botanist for a cocktail and decided ordering some food would also be a good idea.
We only went for a few small plates to accompany our fruity drinks (i’m terrible remembering the names… there was too many options to choose from!)
Our order did take a while as we perused the menu stood at the bar and this place was fairly quiet so we got a few recommendations from the bar staff too!
We soon took a seat in the front entrance which has big sliding doors to let some fresh air in and more light. Tastefully decorated this place is very fairytale with the a woodland feel. We were slightly put off by how quickly the food was served (it must have been minutes!) however it was tasty.
We shared a little plate of pork crackling and some cheesy chips. The crackling was great — not hard enough to break your teeth and served with a little watering can of apple sauce. The cheesy chips arrived slightly after (we did order at the same time however on separate bills so this might have had something to do with it!) The chips themselves were good but I wasn’t as sold on the cheesy part which wasn’t evenly spread with the chips being in an upright basket. I wouldn’t order them again however thee main menu looked good!
I’ll be back to try the food properly so watch this space!

The service here is brilliant! We came in January when they had the 40% discount, it was really busy but the staff were great and made sure we were served quickly.
The hanging kebabs were really yummy and I had the banana kebab for dessert (don’t leave without trying this one or the strawberry version!).
The bar is a great addition to Deansgate. Very glad it’s just around the corner :)

It is always busy. So I booked a table. We ordered Calamari as starter and mains are beef kebab and lamb tagine which I don’t recommend with 3 cocktails.

Visited on a Friday evening and the service was amazingly quick considering how busy it was.
I opted for a deli board, there was a slight hiccup with one of the items I’d chosen as part of my board (it was very noisy due to the volume of people) but it was rectified very quickly. The hummus had a lovely honey roasted walnut crumble with mini shoots and beans on top, served creatively on a red cabbage leaf. I’d have preferred fewer spring onions with my vegetable crudités, the mini Caesar salad and flat bread were very yummy, and I got a good amount of Parma ham with my selection too.
As it was a Friday and I’d already started on the G&T’s, so I had a watermelon and gin based cocktail which was refreshing and not overly sweet. The smoked Russian tea was also something nice and different to see on a drinks menu.
All the staff were great, friendly and efficient, I will be back!

Came here on a Thursday night and really enjoyed it. The décor inside is like a garden theme and rather pretty, with wooden tables and greenery.
It was rather busy but the host at the front desk seemed a bit all over the place and didn’t know who was waiting for a table, so took quite a while to be seated.
It’s the sister bar of The Oast House and so has the same menu– I didn’t try the cocktails but I hear they’re supposed to be good. Had a cider, one of the deli boards to share, with poached salmon, pomegranate cous cous, Brie and bean salad. Had to get the hanging kebabs, it’s what they’re known for. Ordered the chicken kebab, which was great and comes with a bowl of chips beneath it.
All the food is great and reasonably priced. Lovely atmosphere and there was live music later on– two fellas on guitars who were really good.

I love this place! So much character and so beautiful inside. The hanging kebabs are to die for. Barmen had very good cocktail knowledge and very friendly. I also can recommend the chippolatas with mustard! Very tasty!!!

Not being from the UK, I was pretty amazed by all the restaurants offering 50% off of all food for the month of January. It really makes sense, after the Holidays I imagine restaurants are slow as everyone’s on a diet and not spending money so this is a great way to get people in. Of course alcohol isn’t 50% off and we really didn’t need 4 bottles of wine between 5 people on a Thursday night but hey the bill still wasn’t that expensive.
Now this is a neat place, I loved the vibe when you walked and the food was fabulous. To start I had the salt & pepper onion petals and they were delicious, I was thinking they’d come out as a big fried onion like you get at the Outback Steakhouse in the US but these were slightly breaded so you could really taste the soft grilled onion. For dinner I personally had a board where you could choose 4 things out of several meats, cheeses and sides. My board consisted of the Hummus, Home Dried Tomatoes, Four Bean Salad and the Poached Salmon Fillet. I wasn’t keen on the salmon, I like salmon either hot and cooked or raw in sushi, having a cooked piece that was cold was a little strange for me so I didn’t finish that. The board came with Turkish flatbread that went great with the hummus and it was a type of bread that I’d never had before, it was a good sized portion also. This board was great for dinner for me but you could easily get 1 or 2 of these as an appetizer for a group.
The presentation of the food here was really neat. My cousin had the fish and chips which came out in a wooden box, my other cousins had the hanging kebabs and the server poured the sauce down the prawns and vegetable’s when she brought them to the table. One of their husbands had the scampi & chips and it came out in a cute little basket.
Fabulous food, good wine, great prices even if you’re there when a 50% discount isn’t taking place, wonderful service, nice atmosphere and I thought the bathrooms were pretty neat also!

I really like the Botanist. I’ve never visited one before so was looking forward to seeing it. Was very impressed with the fit out of the place.
I met some professional contacts for dinner, having met at a networking do before Christmas. I was the second person there, and the host showed me to the table when I told her the name it was booked under. Nice start.
In case I haven’t mentioned, I’m on Dry January, so had to go for a non-​alcoholic option. They had a very good selection and was hard to choose, but went for the Grape Raspberry and Elderflower Cooler. At some point I’d like to try the chocolate milk. My companions were drinking beer, although I couldn’t tell you what.
Food wise, I went for a burger. It was a very good burger indeed, and very nicely presented. My companions both went for the kebabs — one chicken and one halloumi and both seemed satisfied.
For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse, and it was very nice and a good size portion, which makes a change from the usual small mousses restaurants usually serve.
Price wise, it is very reasonable.
The only reason I haven’t gone for a 5* is because I haven’t tried the alcoholic cocktails and/​or wine. They seemed to have a good selection of both. Once February is here and I am able to have a normal social life, I shall be back and then update the rating as necessary.

Well, happy birthday to me. A meal out with the folks, who were heading into Manchester from East Lancashire, so I selected this venue for a few reasons.
I was really impressed with the beer choice at it’s sister restaurant, Oast House in Spinningfields, and after a quick pint tastrer previously, I confirmed it was indeed a very good selection of beers and they tasted great too. Essential as my dad is very much a Camra type. Well, and I like good ale also. Something in the family perhaps?
It’s also handily close to the Witch Express /​X43 bus stop which they needed to get home. And I think new places are worth checking out — especially when they’ve gone to the effort of spending a lot on a refurb. I also hoped that this venue would be quieter than Oast House — reliably noisey.
There’s various different sections, front of house /​bar area, and the main eating area which had a garden house feel to it. My mum (and me) were impressed.
We had a starter to share, and then selected hanging kebabs for the main. These were popular amongst many of the other patrons. I think perhaps if there was a slightly wider menu choice my parents may have picked something else, but they were eaten without complaint. I went with Lamb tagine with (an extra) side of veg. For the price, I think this could have been included. Though, obviously with the Deansgate location it’s going to be middling to pricey.
I liked the venue, beer and food, and would have probably given it 4, but towards the middle of the meal, the music got too loud. The music itself was a live acoustic covers artist who was fine & inoffensive enough, but when you’re eating you generally want to talk to the people your with. It wasn’t ear blasting loud. But for me, just a bit too loud. I’m sure many would say this is my common comment on a lot of venues, and given it was my birthday comments on me getting too old are welcome, but too old to go to clubs? Sure. But to eat out? Hmm.
Anyways I would certainly go back again. And then end of Deansgate doesn’t have much in the way of quality places. Especially quality ale places if you rule out the Weatherspoons a couple of doors down — which I generally do.

Popped into the Botanist for a meeting and then followed it with a drink with a friend. It’s a great little bar that’s obviously had a lot of thought put into it and is a lot more spacious than their Alderley Edge branch.
The staff were really friendly and knew their stuff, helping my friend pick out a mojito from a number of different types that they do and on close inspection the beer selection is a good mix of lagers that you’d expect to find with a really good range of ales from local and still close to home breweries. Their Blackjack one was excellent!
There’s a restaurant in the back and a lovely outdoor/​indoor courtyard out front — a cool place to hang out on Deansgate.

We went to The Botanist in Alderley Edge over summer whilst house hunting, and despite it being a rushed affair, was pretty enjoyable. Stuck for somewhere to go on Saturday after a bit of Christmas shopping then, we were glad to remember this little place had recently popped up on Deansgate.
Nestled between a Whetherspoons and a few other questionable establishments, it was nice to see the door staff making some effort to control who was entering (no baseball caps etc). The place was busy, but a promise we’d be quick meant they found us a table where we could enjoy some refreshments before the long walk back to Castlefield.
The menu is virtually identical to Alderley Edge, which isn’t a problem as such, and we opted to share a number of small dishes rather than trying the main courses.
The drinks selection is good, but I’ll need to be cautious of returning with Victoria now she has a taste for their Strawberry Bellini’s! An equally extensive beer menu means you could easily spend an afternoon on a global tasting here, but I opted for something closer to home with the Innis & Gunn Rum Finish — one of my favourites.
So the food… salty, peppery chicken wings in a cute little basket — delicious coating, superfluous BBQ sauce. Funky little garden pâté setup with a flower pot of pâté, a wheelbarrow of chutney, and a good chunk of bread on the side — my only gripe is the bread isn’t best suited to spreading a good chunk of meat paste and jam on…
Scotch eggs — runny yolk, juicy meat, crispy crumb mmmmm! And finally a rarebit fondue. Nice concept again, good selection of dippy bits, but the fondue itself was a bit slack to get a good scoop of.
Overall, really happy with this place. The live music was a nice little touch as well. Will definitely be back.

I wasn’t expecting to be as impressed with this place as I was actually… It was one of those quick decisions to go that was taken out of my hands. My friend had got a discount voucher and had booked the table weeks before meeting up in Manchester for our girlie lunch date.
I had briefly looked at the website for which I was very impressed, good start… when we arrived I was instantly hit with the distinctive décor and fantastic atmosphere and mood of the place. The tables were very crammed in however and I think we did get an unlucky spot as were had to almost climb over each other to leave the table! Once seated we had very attentive staff take our drinks order, we went for a bottle of the Trebbiano which was stunning and at a very reasonable price.
Shortly after we ordered starters and mains both of which arrived promptly, fab sized portions and with cheeky and quirky additions to the presentation. The quality of the food was excellent, tasty and no sign of bottle sauces or under seasoning, this was a busy Saturday afternoon. My calamari was fab, crunchy and varied rather than just the squid rings, I followed it with Piri Piri Chicken and chips which was juicy and tasty with the sauce on the side in a mini bottle.
Just wish we had more time to stay for pudding and more drinks as I would love to try the cocktails! The food is well priced and with our discount voucher… excellent value. however the drinks were pricey… but this is Deansgate!
Loved the live music and general awesome atmosphere it really made my day!

Off to a rocky start in the Botanist when the host couldn’t find my booking (confirmed by text and email) and then I was waiting at a very quiet bar for about 10 minutes. I decided to go for the Bloody Porcini — Bloody Mary is one of my favourite cocktails and a little mushroom twist I thought would be perfect. However, I really did not like this cocktail at all, and neither did my friend and between us we’d drink pretty much anything. Something about the tomato/​lime combo seemed way too sweet, it was unfortunately basically undrinkable. The staff were extremely nice about it, the made another but decided it tasted the same so offered me a free alternative. Given they’d already wasted a lot of alcohol I opted out and ordered wine instead, enjoying the Il Banchetto Ross (it’s very sweet btw if you don’t like sweet wines). I was really impressed by the efforts they made to deal with my complaint, which I was pretty embarrassed to make but they were so nice about it.
Food was great, the flattened rump was tasty and the garlicky chips sensational: all chips should taste like that. The price is on the right side of £15 and a few mains are around the £10 mark which I think is exactly right for this kind of place.
Meanwhile the décor is lovely and the live music (Sting!) highly enjoyable. It was full on a Tuesday night and I would echo the concerns of others that Fri/​Sat could be a bit miserable, but for somewhere bustling midweek it’s ideal.

The Botanist is a great addition to Deansgate. It is owned by the same team as the Oast House and is a very attractive looking bar. The décor is crisp and clean looking. I love the unusual chandeliers and white furniture. The food menu is pretty much the same as the Oast House. If you like hanging kebabs and burgers you can’t go wrong at the Botanist. For me though it was all about the cocktails. The list is extensive and includes some unusual herb based ones. The service was very friendly and the bar staff certainly know how to mix a great cocktail.

So I’m a bit meh about here.
I’m not keen on here maybe its the crowd that are here or maybe it because ita bit too posy for me. Can’t put my finger on it. Ther drinks are good and the dacor is lovely. What I’m saying really is if you fancy it try it, you might like it here but I don’t.

Sister pub to the Oast House and you can really see that with the style of the place and the food. That is a plus in my book as the food and look of the Oast House is where it shines! In fact the décor is very pretty with attractive white painted furniture, (mildly) distressed white walls and big ferns. There’s funky chandeliers made up of coloured glass decanters and lots of cute drawings in the menus. It’s a pretty slick operation but undeniably effective. The crowd is the same as the Oast House too.
I was at their first ever pub quiz on Sunday. Free to enter and £50 bar tab for the winners. It’s going to be a monthly event and was very popular with 21 teams taking part! This caused teething problems as the quiz started at 8 and the winners were announced at quarter to 11 when most of our team had already left to get Sunday service buses and trams home. Plus only first, second and last place were announced and no correct answers given for the same reason which was a bit disappointing. But, like I said its only their first and they did apologise. It was actually a fun quiz with a «beer tasting» round, an origami round and a memory round along with the usual. Plus 2 music rounds making good use of their resident pianist.
In fact there’s live music every night and a singalong every Thursday (same as somewhere mentioned above)! Although we were having a mini singalong Sunday at our table :) only quietly though, respecting the live pianist/​singer man! If he will insist on playing «Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me» he can’t be surprised!
There’s a really really tempting cocktail menu but sadly I was driving so just had the one virgin one. They still made the effort though, with crushed violets and jasmine syrup so it tasted like Parma Violets. I’m also keen to eat there as it all looked good from what I saw.
One negative thing is the pretty little stools in the bar area are annoying! They’re height adjustable but not well designed as this seems to make them all wobbly. It’s probably good for your core muscles but I felt like I was sliding off all night and had to keep moving myself back. Plus there’s only a small little foot rest on the front of maybe 30 cm so you have to find that before you climb on. We all agreed we’d get a table with proper chairs next time!
If I’m on the Deansgate strip I’ll be going to the Botanist.

Like Wood, Wine & Deli, the first thing you notice is the aroma. Unfortunately it isn’t a pleasant one. Saturday night is never the best time to try a new place, especially on Deansgate, and this weekend was no different. Lovely cocktails, but most of the people in there were asking for Guinness, Jaeger bombs and if they did 241. I’m all for thrift and personal taste, but it gives you an idea of the clientele.
The cocktail menu is extensive and very creative, and I’ll definitely be heading back for more and to try their food (which is apparently the same as other LV sites like Oast House, suitably, as they share the same drain problem — and I checked it wasn’t me).
The staff weren’t overly helpful but it was busy and they were dealing with cretins.
I’ll re-​review it soon.

So this is the latest offering by the guys that brought you the Oast House in spinningfields, The Botanist takes over the venue on Deasngate that was occupied by Label.
After being trendily refurbed and kitted out (the bar not me!) i ventured here on a Wednesday evening. It was surprisingly busy for a mid week night but it was well received as it gave the place a nice buzz.
They have live music on a Wed which is always a welcome treat and we had the chance of some good music a background to our meal.
Food all freshly cooked so they can change something that you cant eat — on of our group opted for an avacado salad which is normally served with stilton but they did it without the cheese at her request. i opted for the half roast peri peri chicken and seasoned chips with house salad. Was presented in a cute wooden sage box and was tasty. Chicken wasn’t dry and salad wasn’t drowned in dressing both good things in my book!
They do the most unusual range if cocktails with herbs featuring in most — not your normal cocktail but i think you need to push the boat out and give them a go– chilli and chive martini bring it on!