I’ve seen The Botanist crop up on Instagram many a time over the past year or so, and is a place mainly shown off by people up North, but hold that thought people. A Botanist has come down South! So okay, it’s not the first Southern one, there’s a Botanist in Farnham and Marlow but even better, one has come to Reading. Finally a place where you can hide from the uni students on the weekend.
I was invited down to The Botanist in Reading on 2 occasions recently, one prior to the opening; a stunning media/press preview dinner and then again on the actual launch night. Both were super lovely and impressive occasions. At the first event I had the chance to have a lovely sit down meal and properly explore the menu with a good friend of mine. We were super impressed by the friendliness of the staff and how knowledgeable they were of the menu. As someone who has a fair few allergies I also really appreciated the allergen cheat sheet that listed the individual allergens of each dish. Whilst we perused the cocktail list we enjoyed some nibbles, some green olives and delicious salt and pepper onion petals. Once we had decided on cocktails we ordered starters and went for the Baked Camembert and Creamy Truffle Mushrooms which came served in a crusty bread roll bowl! All the nibbles and starters were fresh and flavourful and set us up for our mains. As a new vegetarian I went for the tenderstem broccoli, beetroot and avocado salad which was delish (minus the radishes) and my friend went for the steak, which looked perfect! After we hit a slight wall and a few more drinks we both opted for the sam dessert, the baked chocolate chip cookie dough, and oh my this was HEAVENLY.
After the lovely dinner event I was super excited for the launch party! The Botanist kindly let me invite a few of my friends along and it was a lovely summers day, the perfect chance for a catch up. The event was a little over crowded at first but as people slowly spilled further outside the space got a little more comfortable! We enjoyed alll of the canapes which just kept on coming and coming, and of course a lot of prosecco, beer, wine and cocktails. We also had a little dance to the amazing live band before catching the last train home (well I did, some of my friends stayed out till the early hours – impressive). The launch night was a great way to show off exactly what The Botanist is all about and it did just that.
Over my 2 visits i’ve also managed to sample a fair few of the cocktails and mocktails and can certainly recommend the English Moijito, The Botanist, Botanist Pornstar, Strawberry and Cucumber breeze and Pimms Tea Cup! I adore the cocktail menu and I can’t wait to go back to try some more with friends. I love how the menu has a little something for everyone and some of the cocktails come served in teapots, plant pots, watering cans etc, adding to the fun and novelty!
I love the vibe of the Botanist, it’s a really chilled out place that quite often has some form of live music with amazing cocktails, a super extensive UK based gin list, a lovely food menu and a great crowd. I’m sure it’ll become a regular spot for my friends and I! If you’re looking for somewhere with quality classic but quirky cocktails with a botanical twist, tasty food and a great atmosphere then definitely check the Botanist out.
Sophie x