A part of the ETM restaurant group, The Botanist delivers modern British cuisine with flair and polish.
Serving familiar favourites in a very fine style, The Botanist on Sloane Square brings a lightness and elegance to many traditional dishes. Its name is an allusion to the Square’s namesake, Hans Sloane, as he had a lifelong interest in the natural sciences and was particularly keen on botany.
Upon our arrival Friday evening, the attached bar was packed and buzzing with the sound of several well-heeled Londoners having post-work drinks. A lively spot to stop in on your way home from the working-week, the bar at The Botanist feels cosy rather than crowded.
After checking in with the maître d’, we were led to a table near the window in the dining room which proved the perfect place to take-in all the gastronomical action around us. Furnished in a palette of rich browns and soft green, the décor of the restaurant picks up the plant-based theme quite nicely, and feels fresh, natural and clean. Simple place settings and beautiful botanical touches create a relaxing atmosphere by bring together all that’s soothing about the organic world indoors.
Service throughout the evening was warm, attentive and unobtrusive. The staff was knowledgeable about the dishes and their specifics and were happy to help us with our requests and queries.
Our cocktails were expertly mixed, and my gin martini made to the exact measures of my request: dry, with just a splash of olive juice. Not too briney and not too chilled, it went down nice and smooth with a little bit of kick, which was just what I was looking for after a busy week in London.
Every dish we sampled at The Botanist was expertly prepared, well-presented and full of flavour. Classics like oysters on the half-shell with 
Champagne, seared foie gras salad to share, and a steak tartare were familiar, but still felt fresh and exciting in their subtlety.
From the mains menu we selected a 280 gram Rib-Eye streak, with cress salad and hand-cut chips and the pan fried fillet of seabass, served in a light sauce of butter and white wine sauce with chive and accompanied by sautéed potato gnocchi and Scottish giorelles, a type of trumpet mushroom.
The steak was cooked superbly and arrived medium-rare, just as ordered. The meat was tender, flavourful and came with a rich butter and herb sauce to compliment the taste of the beef. Crispy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside, the hand-cut chips were a treat as opposed to a bog-standard side.
With all of the fish served at The Botanist purchased fresh each morning, I felt especially confident in ordering the seabass. Tender and delicious, it certainly did not disappoint. The subtle flesh of this white fish soaked up the buerre blanc beautifully, as did the Scottish giorelles. The gnocchi were rare in that they had a wonderful texture, instead of being the sticky, starchy mess that so often passes for this Italian dumpling.
Our desserts were rich without being heavy, classic without being cliché. Flavoured with vanilla, the custard base of the crème brulee was silky smooth and perfectly complimented the hard caramel crust. The tiramisu came with a scoop of mocha ice cream and added an extra kick of coffee to this riche little cake.
Lingering over a relaxing meal at a lovely restaurant like The Botanist was an ideal way to end a busy week at Your Coffee Break!
To make a reservation at The Botanist call +44(0) 20 7730 0077.
