No 7 Sloane Square,
Chelsea,
London,
SW1W 8EE
(020) 7730 0077
The ViewLondon Review
Hugely popular with celebs and even members of the Royal Family, The Botanist is firmly established as a Sloane Square institution.
The Venue
With a name inspired by Hans Sloane’s pioneering work in the field of botany, The Botanist, originally opened in the spring of 2008, is one of the most popular (and busiest) bar-restaurants in the area. Serving up a comforting mix of British and French-inspired cooking, as well as a reliable cocktail list, it has become a place to wine and dine, and to rub shoulders with the designer-clad Chelsea set.
Split into a formal restaurant space - complete with back-lit illustrated boxes of animal and insect species that wouldn’t look out of place in the Natural History Museum - and a rambunctious bar area, the management have had the foresight to install sliding doors to shield restaurant patrons from the frenzy of the sardine-like squeeze that is the bar.
The Atmosphere
On any given night, but particularly at weekends, The Botanist is absolutely heaving from the get-go. Its success means you’ll have to shimmy past boorish buckos in the bar just to reach the comparative sanctuary of your dinner table. Once at your table, things settle down and you’ll be attended to in a consummate manner by one of the courteous and helpful members of staff. Need a detailed recommendation of a dish from the menu? No problem, you’ll be fully clued-up in a jiffy. Other patrons range from well-to-do Europeans to dolled-up-to-the-nines blondes who, despite the fact that they’re clutching Jimmy Choo handbags and rocking Chanel clothing, order the cheapest thing on the menu.
The Food
The standards have always been high at The Botanist and, on the whole, they’re managing to maintain them. A black pudding (£7) starter is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the entire sitting. Forget any preconceptions of congealed blood, this dish uses a pulled consistency oxtail beef and plonks a tuft of buttery mash on top. A hint of apple puree livens things up a little and helps make it a delightful dish. A veal ravioli (£8) with Jerusalem artichoke puree is also well received, although it isn’t quite as satisfying on a cold night as the stodgy black pud.
Mains are a mix of fish, meat and game. A breast and leg of partridge (£18) is served on the bone and comes with a sizeable amount of pureed mash, rectangular carrots, and petite pickled onions. A liberal dousing of the gravy (jus) confirms this as a very pleasant cold-weather dish, although an unsuspecting mouthful of the sweetbreads (even though they are listed on the menu description) is enough to challenge all but the most offal-loving stomachs. Elsewhere, a wonderfully crimson coloured serving of Angus Longhorn sirloin is the most expensive main (£23), and whilst it looks the part, it is in actual fact surprisingly overly-chewy.
Puddings (£6) are again big on the comfort factor. A sherry trifle arrives in a skyscraper-tall glass, with a spoon that goes on for ever employed to excavate the jelly core. You need to fight through wads of cream and custard to get to the sharp sherry-infused jelly and sponge, which is the only downside from what’s a great version of the classic pud.
The Drink
It’s clear why the bar is so busy on sampling the cocktails – they’re excellent. The Lucky 7 (£8.50), a blend of Zubrowka vodka, lemon thyme, kiwi fruit and apple juice is a refreshing blast of fruit and herbs that works very well as an aperitif. Alternatively, a Damson in Distress (£8.50) blends Plymouth sloe gin, damson jam and lemonade into a sticky, tart mixture.
A comprehensive wine list is in place for oenophiles. France receives the biggest section and is split into regions for both white and red. You will also find astute selection taking in both the new and old world. The owners of The Botanist, the Martin brothers, are not the sort to take their duties lightly so, as legend has it - they’ve even gone as far as to print the story on the bottles - they travelled to France to help produce their own house wine. The result is the bold and spicy Cuvee Fres Martin from Languedoc, a mix of Grenache, Cabernet and Syrah grapes. It’s a labour of love that’s paid dividends – the red is bold, spicy, full of flavour and a snip at £15.
The Last Word
Although you might have to get your elbows out to navigate your way through the feverish atmosphere of the bar en route to your dinner table, The Botanist remains one of the best places to wine and dine in the area.
The Botanist has been reviewed by 19 users