The Botanist (Bar, Restaurant)

If you are on the lookout for a prime spot to dine and watch the whirlwind of central London life go by, The Botanist in Sloane Square is full of the right attributes.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, bar snacks and even a traditional afternoon tea are all available in an elegant dining room which offers an excellent view of the square. In addition, sliding windows create the ‘al fresco’ effect in fine weather which means one can enjoy the warmth of the day without even venturing outside.

The dinner menu is an enticing mix of creativity and originality. A number of starters vie for the attention including a smoked chicken and foie gras terrine with a smooth truffle oil which was rich and full of flavour. It was also refreshing to see actual quail on the menu rather than the eggs and the grilled quail starter really lived up to expectations, with succulent meat that slid off the bone with ease and tangy honey mustard vinaigrette.

Fish lovers are also in with a treat when it comes to the mains – it is a challenge of the highest order to choose between the stunningly plump and fresh wild sea trout which tastes as if it had been caught just minutes before and the roast halibut, a crisp and delicately salty delight. The halibut steals it by a nose thanks to the perfect tenderness of the accompanying Palourde clams and an indulgent bacon cream which is luxurious without being overwhelming.

As for desserts, The Botanist would do well to keep the recipe for its baked lemon tart under lock and key: just one slice tastes as if it has been made with the juice of a sack-full of lemons. It is pushed all the way by the blackberry soufflé and chocolate sorbet, a light and dark combination which amply demonstrates the benefit of combining soft fruit with the cocoa bean.
The name of this establishment is a homage to botanist Sir Hans Sloane, but if he’d been around to experience this mixture of attentive service and fine cuisine he’d have wished he’d been a restaurateur....read more