THE BOTANIST - AN INDULGENT EXPERIENCE .....

LIKE NO OTHER

Sitting in the Botanist its hard to believe you are right in the middle of the hub of Leeds city centre.

To experience the Botanist is an experience like no other. Its vibrant but relaxing, sophisticated but simple with its many facets of back to nature design.

The simple rustic décor of a potting shed pervades in the restaurant with wooden tables, lamps suspended from the ceiling, hanging plants and dried herbs and a superb intimate atmosphere with live music that is just subtle enough.

The two outside terraces, which are lit beautifully, comfortable and warm in the most inclement weather are modern yet upbeat yet still retaining that rustic feel. I just cannot wait to see them all sparkling with their Christmas lights.

But it’s the service, staff and the food that really give The Botanist the edge over most of its competitors.

After a really friendly welcome and settling ourselves in the relaxing and quaint atmosphere the choice for our starter was a difficult one.

However, we decided to go for one of the sharing boards and were not disappointed with our choice The Whole Baked Camembert in fact we were over the proverbial moon with it.

It was drizzled with rosemary honey and was accompanied by roast chorizo and crispy porcini gnocchi. There was also a generous portion of crudites to dip into the cheese hot runny cheese.

This Camembert was hot, perfectly roasted and just the right texture and the bread around it was as you would expect wholesome. Having the cheese served inside the bowl of granary bread was excellent as you could dip without fear of any drips on the table or your clothing. A plus was also it was served in a cast iron dish to retain the heat.

We savoured our starter as we decided on our main course.

My colleague chose Thai Fish Burger and requested it without the bun which was not a problem at all.

The fish burger was very meaty and crispy on the outside and had just the right amount of spice in it to give it an admirable flavour. The spiced mayo was the perfect accompaniment with the pepper and rocket salad giving a lovely contrast to the dish.

For my main I chose the 8 oz rib eye steak. It was cooked to perfection exactly the way I requested and was tender and succulent. It came with chunky chips, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, mushrooms and a choice of sauces. It was served in a steel pan which assured it being hot to the last mouthful.

The menu says “indulge yourself in a sweet treat” and the desserts are truly sheer indulgence.

I chose the ice cream coupe with a selection of flavoursome ices that were just like no other – so delicious.

My colleague went for the Raspberry and Frangipane Tart. The pastry she declared was so light it must have come from the angels kitchen. The tang of the raspberries went so well with the almond flavour and she adored the vegan ice-cream that it came with.

After our meal we decided to sit out on the terrace and enjoy one of the Botanist’s famous cocktails which gave us the perfect end to a perfect evening.