The Botanist - Monument Mall, Newcastle Upon Tyne
The latest addition in Newcastle's pilgrimage to get me drunk and fat, is The Botanist. Promising "a concept like no other", the restaurant/bar does not disappoint. Be prepared to be "wowed" from the outset; welcomed inside by a host and guided into a lift which escorts you up to the first floor, where the magic unfolds...
The room is characterised by a giant tree, reaching up to a beautiful domed roof and filled with glimmering candle jars.
- The bar area.
The bar itself is bounteous, giving birth to its extensive menu of flowery, herby, fruity cocktails, extensive wine list and array of ales.
- Cocktail menu.
I opted for the "Cherry and Sage Sling", of which I had two. Fresh, fruity and far too easy to drink! On each table, there is also a beautiful hand-designed alchemy of a wide-range of international ales.
- Cherry and Sage Sling cocktail.
The surroundings are rustic and artistic, echoing its title with paintings of plants and glass cabinets filled with laboratory flasks and beakers.
Botany, also called plant science(s) or plant biology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology.
A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who specializes in this field of study.
- Fish and chips.
Now to the important part... The Food. In a nutshell - simple food, done exceptionally well. We both opted for the fish and chips, which, while a simple dish, is hard to be blown over by. Suffice to say, we both were! The fish was cooked to perfection, the chips were delicious - coated in what tasted like a garlic salt - the condiments were again inexplicably impressive. The presentation paid further homage to the Botanist title, including a mini watering can to home the tartare sauce and the mushy peas dwelling in a petite plant pot. The meal was in every way, delicious.
- Dessert menu.
For those with a larger appetite than mine, the dessert menu is inventive, including delights such as a "Strawberry and marshmallow kebab" (which I overheard positive feedback about in the ladies').
After our meal, I had a mooch upstairs where you can look down and really appreciate the work that has gone into Newcastle's latest addition. That is, of course, if - unlike me - you are not crippled by vertigo and end up clinging to the wall and squeezing the life out of your boyfriend's hand while he escorts you back down the spiral staircase. Still worth it.
All in all, it was a fulfilling and rewarding experience at Newcastle's Botanist; we came out feeling as though we had escaped into our own secret garden for two hours. The passion and imagination that has gone into the production is evident and every element lives up to its name - a plant-filled Eden in the centre of Newcastle's busy city centre.
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