The Botanist brings some floral and flavoursome creations to Kirribilli
It’s the not-so-secret drinking and dining spot amongst Kirribilli locals, and since its opening just over a year ago, The Botanist has made an impression on foodies near and far. Named after the historical botanist Gerard Fothergill, we can thank the team behind Bondi Beach restaurant, Bondi Hardware for these new digs.
From the decor to the menu, the entirety of The Botanist draws inspiration from the travels of Mr Fothergill, including drinks with botanical themes and a food menu that focuses on share-plates.
Walking down the narrow stairs dotted with tea-lights, you enter a space that modern food and drink aficionados have come to recognise as the standard decor for the newer Sydney bars and restaurants. Think low mood lighting, high bar tables and stools, lounge seats and soft mood-music playing in the background. It’s rustic, botanical and homely, and it’s evidently what we all want when we head out for a meal: a home away from home.
To start – cocktails (of course). A large selection of cocktails, wines and ciders are on the drinks menu to whet your whistle. I advise trying the blue bullet ($18) blueberry infused Bulleit bourbon with peach liqueur, a dash of orange bitters, spiced vanilla & blueberry syrup and a splash of lemon juice.
Also try the house zombie ($18), (mainly for the fact it comes in a tiki cup), with goslings Black Sea Rum, pampero especial & blanco Rums shaken well with citrus, pineapple juice, passion fruit syrup and bitters.
The menu isn’t huge but there’s something for to suit most diners. They’ve got your choice of 4 different sliders (4 for $20), or 4 different tacos (4 for $20), a selection of pizzas like prawn, chorizo and chilli ($20), and share plates including haloumi with cauliflower tabouleh ($16) and standard salt and pepper squid with a coriander and lime twist ($17).
I opt for a half and half serve of sliders – two classic beef & cheese with red onion, pickles & relish sliders and two southern fried chicken with lettuce & chipotle mayo. Another fresh and sweet dish is the sweet potato salad, with labna and rocket ($16). Great chunks of tender sweet potato, complemented by the tartness of the labna and bitter rocket. The lamb kofta with spicy harissa sauce ($8) was a hit, with a great spice flavour and combination.
Their dessert menu changes often, and the special of the night I dine is Chocolate, berries and honeycomb. Velvety chocolate with sweet and crunchy honeycomb bits, and a hit of fresh berries. The chefs decided to add a swipe of panacotta beneath the chocolate, which certainly made for an interesting flavour combo.