Today sees the opening of Cheltenham’s newest bar and restaurant, The Botanist. Situated in the ideal location of the Cheltenham Brewery Quarter this new and “on-trend” restaurant definitely offers something a little different, and my husband and I were lucky enough to be invited to try out two courses in exchange for honest feedback on the menu.
With its plant and floral themed decor, Th Botanist already boasts a number of bars and restaurants around the country.
After much deliberation over the menu we settled on Camembert to share, a seafood paella for me and belly pork for my husband, and baked cookie dough to finish. The camembert was honestly one of the best starters I have ever had. The cheese itself was baked in a tear-and-share type bread, drizzled with plenty of garlic. It was accompanied by an apple for dipping, and also a spiced apple sauce.
The presentation of the belly pork was really cool, and the waiter poured a sauce over it which then dripped onto the fries at the bottom. The belly pork was cooked well and was really tender. I enjoyed the seafood paella, it had good flavour and was cooked well with chicken and prawns.
The pudding was delicious, there was plenty of gooey-chocolate within it: perfect for a chocoholic like myself!
We will definitely be returning to The Botanist again. I have it on good-authourity that the cocktail menu is amazing, they also do an amazing selection of “fancy-gin”, and have an “Ale Inventory”. As we were driving, we both did not sample these delights and stuck to the soft drinks! They also plan to run ale, cocktail and gin masterclasses – so watch this space!
Mama Bear 