TL;DR: The sort of cafe aimed for those more concerned with health than anything, that is what Botanicafe is. They keep it all simple, knowing their wide audience base.
Right on the cusp of Brisbane's Little Africa, Botanicafe is one of several options around the Woolworths complex to go and get a small bite to eat. With this part of town being one of the more relatively pedestrian-friendly areas outside of the general core area, how they have set the complex up works pretty well especially with the coffee spot being the first thing to spot right as you walk in from Beaudesert Road. It has a slight advantage over a lot of the local watering holes for coffee, which one of them was the aforementioned but also being hidden away from the road. It is less about getting here because of any attraction, and more so a meeting point in the right part of town.
This time around, when meeting my good friend, it was arranged around his house. As with any sort of meeting like this, the way to christen it was to find the nearest, the best, or even just his favourite coffee shop. There was one specific one that he had told me about a whole lot over the months, and it seemed to be the chance right then - but things happen, and it was time to find a back-up option. When it comes to getting a coffee, I am far from the most particular man out there so any option would have done. In choosing here, it was a case of "this place good?" followed up a shrug and a "sure".
Botanica has not been blessed with a whole lot of space. Within the shopfront confounds they only have a couple of tables plus a bench near the window. That means that for clients dining in, they will be sitting within the center of all the action. For the aesthetics they have gone with, they have kept it really simple. Wood is where it is at, and the choice may remind some folks of Scandinavian design. In other words - a phrase I generally avoid - less is more could be the case.
Service here is fairly standard fare. How it goes is you line up at the counter, place your order and pay as needed, then find a table. Before you know it, the food has arrived at your table. Give it that much credit, they are fairly fast. What could improve is how they orchestrate getting everything to arrive either at once or in quick succession - when that happens, you know the degree of difference right then and there.
What they got cooking in the kitchen is a range of basic cafe standards. These days that often means the all-day breakfast, which at this place is pretty basic throughout. Even so much with the "big" breakfast options, they still remain pretty simple - especially as far as big breakfasts go. To put it another way, fans of getting a fry-up in the works might be disappointed. Also, they have a focus on being healthy without outright putting it in your face. Even the lunch time options become pretty simple. Think of burgers, sandwiches, toasties.... that sort of fare. Add onto that the range of treats and such which are in the cabinet, and you have the sort of food they are going for.
Add drinks into the equation, the main focus is coffee with the possibility of tea somewhere there - I didn't see any this visit. Lots of cold beverages are also present - milkshakes, smoothies, the iced drinks, frappes. The fridge is also full of sodas, waters, iced teas, and the ilk - so at least there is something for everyone in that case.
All of that does sound nice, and when the time is right.... The raison d'etre about this visit was a mere coffee, in my case to get a review underway that meant a coffee and cake. The first aspect was the usual doppio, and with a few seconds glance into the cabinet I came out requesting a coffee cake. This pairing was pretty nice, working well for those without too much of a sweet tooth. The beans that they use, if memory serves me correctly, are courtesy of Botanica which is a coffee lovers dream. This sucker is quite strong, so much so that an extra shot is not particularly needed; merely one shot is enough to perk you up, and a second one will merely hype you right up.
With the coffee that I had, having one of the strongest beans that is around helped create a memorable drink. Whatever the blend they used, it was pretty nice with a bit of a chestnut note behind the beans. Each element was pretty much right - the texture of the brew was smooth and went down the throat fairly well, they did not serve the drink tepid nor scorching hot, and it had a decent crema on top that was fairly thick. Also if the memory is serving me correct, the presentation was also good going for the classical shot glass instead of the mini-mug; correct or not, that amplifies and brings forth the best aesthetics of well-made coffee.
Pairing up that drink, the cake also came out and it was a decent enough portion. Concerning the quality, and the taste, both were at a pretty decent standard. It must have been freshly made, or at least recently, as the texture was still pretty soft and retained the flavour. Being coffee cafe, the taste was not so sweet and more of an astringent palate. That works fairly well if you are not too much of a sweet tooth, but still don't mind dabbling in the odd pastry. Adding to the cake, they had a smooth cream cheese frosting and finished it off with some coffee beans - a tad cliche, yes, but nice touch regardless.
Looking around at some other reviews, it is apparent that they have their loyal fans and customers. Perhaps with the rest of the menu, it is up to the high standard that they are talking about. As much as I have made it obvious in the past that the coffee's quality is a linchpin for how overall enjoyable I find the cafe, ultimately the coffee is just a mere aspect about it. The review is based off the basic coffee and cake, which was a standard sort of good. Not implying mediocrity at all, merely saying both were good enough and the combination of the two worked as well. Supplanting itself right in the middle of the shopping district, and just out of the way of busy traffic, putting those aspects into perspective Bontaicafe knows what to aim for, and it has hit its target.
Final rating: 3.5.
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