The seafood platter for 2 people was the best I've ever had. I often buy my own seafood from Melbourne's wonderful markets, but they don't have prawns or oysters that flavoursome, and I can't cook scampi to perfection like they do here: not raw, nor ceviche, not cooked. How do they do it? I don't care. When I want perfect seafood again I'll come back here. That's a big call for me. Most restaurants can't get seafood right. Not even in Melbourne.
Went for some wine and a graze on a Sunday. Got a good table in the front downstairs section open to the outdoors without too much of a wait. Coffee orders to start with we’re forgotten. Excellent tasting plate to start, then Lobster rolls and Calamari were both delicious. Not too expensive for what we had.
Food is good and the pizza is amazing! Near the botanic garden and the seats outside looks very good. Definitely will go for the pizza or other tastes next time.
Now I know what all the fuss is about. What a beautiful venue! It is very spacious, beautiful and inviting.
Only downside was that the food took a while to be prepared, almost making us late for the Fire Gardens. Plus it wasn’t that busy.
I ordered the mussels. Yum! The sauce was divine and serving size was very generous for a starter, with a good serving of fries. Because of this I wouldn’t suggest ordering the main size.
White House wine was also delicious.
I would definitely return.
Amie was our waitress and she was amazing. We had the best time ever because of Amie! Amazing food also. Loved it so much! Thanks to Amie I will definitely be back
Excellent!!. and the food was great, staff were very professional and friendly, not many times we drive all the way to the city but we will definitely come back, keep it up
Always great for a coffee, or for a drink at the bar in front of the fireplace throughout winter! Start your weekend right with a morning run around the Tan and then enjoy a coffee catchup in the sunshine on domain rd!
Stopped by for a midday catch up with a friend. Nice outdoor seating area for a warm summer coffee. Good coffee and really cute mis-matched cup and saucer combo!
Had the burger and chips which was good.
Nice view of the park across the road, airy and relaxed atmosphere :)
Another Christmas lunch with clients. We arrived and when I asked for the table under my name was only told it was inside. Lucky the others were early so I found it straight away but I was told they experienced the same and struggled to find the table. Not the best first impression. Then it took them ages to bring us the menus and only took our drink orders after I gestured we were ready to order. After that the service got better. We had the pop chicken for entree which was good. We also had the tuna sashimi which was amazing but not really meant for sharing as it was on the menu. For main I ordered steak as I heard the botanical were good at that. The first bite was a bit chewy but overall really good actually (I loved the salty outside you didn’t even need any mustard etc). The chips were really good as well. The location and atmosphere there is great, I’ll definitely be back for a drink on the weekend!
Had the burger and vego risotto. Underwhelming but edible. Definitely not worth the price. Coffee was good and service started off “South Yarra” cold but finished warm and friendly. High chairs available. Despite the great location it’s unlikely we will go back.
I had a pleasant meal with my friend at this place a few years back and decided to revisit.
As the menu changes all the time, it’s hard to really recommend anything, but I did enjoy everything we ordered.
The standout for me was the lovely service we got.
A Chronicle Of Gastronomy
+3.5
Despite all the infrastructure works going on in the vicinity, the Royal Botanic Gardens is still a beautiful place to stroll through or jog around. Whether or not a visit to the gardens is on the cards, the row of restaurants along Domain Road are good places to gain sustenance for the day. We come The Botanical, which has introduced their first menu change in a while. Various sections of the restaurant provide a different feel, catering for different crowds. There’s the casual bar and bistro, the more formal restaurant area, and the sunny courtyard that’s popular for functions.
Constantine Arvanitis
+4.5
The Botanical. A nice setting for a sunny late morning coupled with some delicious breakfast and quality service made for a very delightful experience. Definitely worth a visit if your seeking to enjoy a lovely late morning with loved ones. Thank you for the very enjoyable experience. Melanie Thornton
Nice Lunch on a beautiful day. The place as an amazing outdoor area opposite The Botanical Garden. The food is nice, the service pleasant and efficient. We did eat in the Bistro area. Wild mushroom & pine nut
arancini, parsley puree, Botanical charcuterie board. Gnocchi, sauce vierge, shaved fennel & green
olive. Hanger steak ‘Tagliata’ wild rocket, grana padano, olive oil. All nice dishes at a reasonable price.
I love coming to the Bot. You get a little South Yarra snobbery from the staff but the courtyard is idyllic in the warmer months. I don't often eat here as I usually pop in for post work drinks but if I do I order the hanger steak (with a killer martini) and it is utter perfection. Head outside get into the aperol spritz and enjoy the atmosphere and beautiful people
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Been coming here for 3 years.
Initial encounter was with the older male waiter at the front doors. I asked if the Botanical could provide take away. His reply was, 'try seven eleven around the corner'.
This was my official introduction to the restaurant scene of my neighbourhood.
I was so shocked that this middle aged waiter could dare to make such a comment. It showed no respect to my dining partner.
To this waiter, I will say, my dining partner is a qualified plastic surgeon and is able to practice medicine in four countries. She is a Fellow of General Medicine. She is elegant and beautiful. She may not dress like a trophy wife or park her Lexus out the front of the restaurant, but she deserves respect.
You, middle aged waiter, can eat dirt.
It took 8 months for us to go back to this restaurant. We usually get the gnocchi and steak. Both are good. I liked the sage and burnt butter gnocchi flavour the best, but it isn't available at the moment.
Sometimes the blonde female/male waiters ignore us. We usually browse the menu we retrieved ourselves, drink the glass of water we poured ourselves. Wait a few more minutes. And leave to go elsewhere. This has occurred 2-3 times during relatively empty periods.
I'll only come here if my partner pays for me. Otherwise, there is no pleasure eating here. Only out of desperation.
Botanical is the kind of place that is nice to stop by after a long walk for drinks. Especially as the sun sets on the park and botanical gardens.
It is pricey, but this is balanced by its good location, huge selection of beers and wines, and good food.
Ventured here on Saturday for a function. The food was sensational but the private dining room would have to be one of the nicest I've ever seen, the open ceiling is kicking goals for me - the sirloin with the beetroot salad was a highlight. Really good venue would recommend
The food here is not fantastic but the interior bar setting substitutes this loss. I keep coming back here for drinks! Not sure if it's because of the location, being that it is so close to my apartment, or that it just genuinely has a fun vibe! Worth a check out!
Fantastic wine list! Overall meal wasn't too bad but the Steak had sinew that was difficult to chew. Service was average, venue is beautiful and had great atmosphere though.
delicious food with very pretty plating. wait staff are very friendly with outstanding service.
top notch place for quality food in a nice environment to dine in.
popped in for lunch this afternoon, wait staff were extremely friendly and the service was great. food tasted delicious and the presentation was 👌 would come back!
The Botanical is a flexible, comfortable and chic space which seemingly caters for the entire spectrum of dining, from the bar in the rear, bottle shop and causal dining area as you enter and formal dining area running alongside the kitchen. Each space is distinct but harmonious.
The venue is pretty beautiful and the food is fairly average but the service leaves a lot to be desired for a fine dining restaurant. Not sure that I'd recommend the place but I don't really think I'll be back in a hurry.
Great food and service. Weekly specials menu has the best value. Steak night my favourite. Nice atmosphere for Friday night drinks after work.
Went here today for a brunch in their bistro area which also has a different menu. Charming staff , quick service. Contemporary fit out however the food was good but nothing mind blowing for us. Tuna Niçoise salad was good. Found the paper roll was decent. Scramble eggs were regular. Arancini balls were my favourite from what all we ate. Did not like the Pinot noir from yarra valley I ordered from their wine menu, it was abnormally light in taste and texture it was like water not sure why. But it did kind of wreck the overall experience to an extend. Strangely quiet for the weekend. But good view and great spot.
Came here to check out their steak night - a fabulous deal with steak, salad, fries and mustards and a glass of wine for $25. Service was super attentive and friendly, contrary to what other reviews have suggested. Also tried the cherry ripe with cocoa pops for dessert which was so good. Definitely coming back to try the full menu!
Better than a number of recent reviews would suggest. Service a bit aloof but reasonably prompt - although we did keep after the staff. Gnocci and linguine both good. Prices reasonable and a very comprehensive wine list.
So after having a lovely walk around the Tan with your little pup, fancy a bite to eat? Well, one look around and it’s clear that there are many options. But this one is one of our favourites! A dog bowl full of fresh water? You got it! Friendly staff who give you and your furry friend attention? Of course! Fantastic food? YES!!
Had dinner at the Botanical for the first time on a busy Friday night. Such a diverse venue; offering a bar, court yard, casual bistro and a fine dining restaurant. I dined in the restaurant section and was really happy with both the menu and friendly service. For entree enjoyed the oysters served with lemon and a mignonette dressing and for main ordered the Barramundi which was perfectly cooked and well presented. Would definitely recommend this restaurant to friends.
I celebrated my birthday at the 'Chef's Table' at The Botanical this weekend and the experience exceeded my expectations. Every staff member from the Event manager to the kitchen to the wait staff were fantastic. The seasonal menu is always great and our function menu didn't disappoint - each dish was uniquely designed with attention to detail and packed with incredible flavours! The extensive wine list offers a great selection of local and international wines. Absolutely love this place! A long-standing Melbourne favourite.
Just wanted to say a massive THANKYOU to all the chefs and front of house staff at the Botanical restaurant for making my 30th birthday celebration lunch yesterday, one to remember.
Everything just seemed to run like clockwork from the moment we arrived, the staff were very attentive and friendly, the food was delicious and the service was impeccable, we were made to feel as though the space was our own.
Nothing was too much of an effort for them, the staff were more than happy to accommodate. All of our guests were so impressed it made us feel proud that we chose this venue to celebrate this milestone.
Thank you for your professionalism, genuineness and attention to detail in helping us achieve the desired setting and ambience, Bravo 👏 we will be back!
Lovely picturesque location to share an afternoon with a delicious generous serving of food entree and main only, too full for dessert. The cocktail penicillin was delicious
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Amy Foyster 02.2015 Cafes , Coffee , Food 3 Comments Mr Brightside is a homely surburban café with a twist. Tait Crespin and his business partner George Redwan have an illustrious background in the Melbourne hospitality industry, having had experience in high caliber eateries such as Circa the Prince , The Point , Verge and Pantry Brighton to name a few. A few doors down from the café is Hendrick’s Food Store , also owned by Crespin and Redwan, which has a whole host of ready-made take home café style meals, salads, soups and gourmet ingredients. All the food is cooked fresh in Mr Brightside’s kitchen. Crespin says that one-year-old Hendrick’s is there to compensate for Mr Brightside not opening nights, a novel idea and an underutilised way of extending the life of a café. The menu at Mr Brightside’s, which Crespin says is “designed around familiar dishes that have ingredients the people can relate to, with a Mr Brightside twist,” has plenty of café staples, with a few welcome surprises. The coffee is sourced from Coffee Supreme , who pride themselves on roasting coffee beans from all over the world. As Coffee Supreme say on their website, every coffee bean will have differences and during the roasting process, it is important to juggle temperatures and airflow to ensure the full potential of each individual bean is reached. “Darker roasting suppresses acidity and enhances body and sweetness, up to a point… too dark and the best flavours just go up in smoke. Lighter roasting enhances acidity and fruit flavours.” If you find yourselves at Mr Brightside for more than just a coffee, the food on the menu is full of fresh produce from Fruit Talk and dense crusty bread from artisan baker, Bakery Lievito . Around 15 other suppliers bring in various produce to Mr Brightside constantly, to ensure the ever-changing menu is well serviced. Aside from sampling the coffee and bread (neither of which disappointed), Trading Plates also checked out the Shashouka (middle eastern bake
...comprised of a cold chocolate mousse with a liquid chocolate centre, yuzu cream, coffee spheres, chocolate sorbet and caramelised white chocolate. Despite the various chocolate elements, the yuzu added a lovely acidity to the dish, resulting in a great balance of flavours and a subdued richness
This was easily the most amazing work dinner I’ve ever been to. Places like Cutler & Co and The Point had better food, but they didn’t have several wines that I feel privileged just to take a sip of. Having worked with almost everyone in the room at some stage, and enjoying all of their company meant that Catherine and I were always going to have
The Botanical is on my weekend running route and have been wanted to try it out for a few weeks now as it’s always packed when I run by in the mornings. The food here is very reasonably priced, and the menu has a large-ish selection of dishes to choose from.
The snails from the Botanical came swimming in a serrano and tomato sauce. With the sauce rich and hearty and mopped up by the fluffy pastry, it was a nice change from the usual butter and garlic mix. The Moroccan braised lamb was so soft and tender, easily falling apart when we dug into it with a fork. The accompanying bed of almond and dry fruits cous cous was, however, a little underwhelming in flavour.
I would definitely recommend you all head over to The Botanical and try out their food! They also have a very extensive wine menu for all you wine lovers out there, as well as cocktails and many many other beverages.
Absolutely hard to fault. This place is perfect for any celebratory occasion. The decor of the bar, restaurant and cellar are incredible. As you walk into the restaurant, you can see the dry aged meat on display - great.
We started off with glasses of Moët which we enjoyed with some simple French fries.
For dinner it was the cauliflower, broccolini, scotch fillet, jumbo prawns, calamari and cocktails…several cocktails then wine
Great spot. I imagine lunchtime would be amazing also with the view of the gardens right opposite.
The meal was simply delicious!! Great service, incredible bread and delightful atmosphere!
You have to try the Lamb Neck - seriously incredible!!
Went to this venue as a guest for an engagement party in the back room. The food was absolutely amazing. The service was phenomenal. Nice intimate private room with an outdoor/ smoking area accessible. My only fault of this venue was that at the time of our party, unfortunately the cubicle doors in the male were taken off the hinges. This made privacy a concern when using the bathroom. This should’ve been fixed as soon as possible in my opinion, especially when you have people spending large sums of money for an engagement party and want the experience to be as positive as possible. Overall, great food and customer service. Try the steak!
We had a great evening at the Botanical. We started with cocktails in the bar expertly prepared by experienced staff. Delicious they were! Then we headed to the restaurant where friendly and attentive staff ensured we had the best experience! Angel hair crab and pork chop with roasted cabbage highly recommended. Nice evening altogether! Suggest you go there!
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