Date Night at the Botanist, Newcastle

Simon and I have a bit of a running joke, if I love somewhere I tend to finish a blog review by stating that we'll definitely return, even though it's not often I keep to my word.  Although I have every intention of returning to the places that I love, unfortunately my ever growing list of restaurants that I want to visit, delays me revisiting my favourites.

So it's pretty amazing that since the Botanist opened in Newcastle in mid December I've been 3 times!  I really must like it!  

Both of my previous visits had just been for drinks so when we heard that the Botanist were offering 50% off food in January, we arranged a return visit.   Being completely broke after Christmas we decided to celebrate pay day with a cheeky date to the most popular new bar in Toon.

The Botanist is so popular that when we arrived at 6:00pm on Friday there was already a hefty queue forming outside for the bar.   Fortunately as we had a reservation we were able to bypass the line and head straight up to the restaurant.

We were shown to our table in the restaurant and I was so thrilled to see that we'd managed to bag ourselves a window seat looking out over Grey's Monument.  What a view!  

The restaurant was busy with every seat taken.  At times it was a little loud and we did find that some of the tables were squashed a little close together - but there was a great atmosphere.

I couldn't go to the Botanist without ordering one of their famous cocktails, the only problem was deciding which one.   The list is huge, I'd already sampled a few on my previous visits and it was really a struggle picking which one to have with my dinner.   In the end my addiction to cherries won and I ordered the Cherry and Sage Sling - Amaretto (always a winner) mixed with Cherry Marnier, Fresh Sage, Apple Juice, Cranberry Juice and Fresh Lime.

It was even better than I remembered it being (although this could have been due to the fact that this time I hadn't attempted to make it myself!)

Picking out our meals wasn't much easier with a menu crammed full of delicious food.  I was immediately drawn to the "choose your own" Deli Board but decided to resist this time as I was desperate to give myself room for dessert.

Instead we went straight for the mains with a lovely selection of Home Comforts as well as Burgers and Hanging Kebabs Off the Barbeque.

After a lot of mind changing I eventually settled on the Steak and Ale Pie, served with gravy and chips.  Our meal was out in a flash, which was great as we were very hungry!

Now that I'm a northern gal, it wasn't long before I'd picked up my jug of thick beefy gravy and poured it all over my chips.  Yes it may have ruined the beautiful crispiness of them but damn they tasted good!  The pastry on my pie was gorgeous - buttery and thick without being too stodgy,   The Steak melted in my mouth and my entire plate of food was wolfed down, despite me beginning to feel full.

Simon, forever on a mission to find the best burger, ordered himself a Beef Burger with Salsa, Lettuce, Gherkin and Tomato with an added slice of cheese.  I managed to steal a bite and it was delicious, a burger in its simplest form, there's no mucking about at the  Botanist!  I'd barely touched my pie before Simon was wiping the last of the Salsa off his plate with the chips.  He was a happy man.

A brief pause to get our breath back (who am I kidding ... we full on charged ahead!) we were on to desserts.    There was much debate about what to order for dessert, mainly because I was torn between three things and was struggling to decide.

For Simon the decision was easy, Sticky Toffee Pudding, his ultimate favourite.  He had a rather large grin on his face as he tucked in, describing it as the best Sticky Toffee Pudding he'd tried for a long while.  In fact he's already insisting we go back, just for that!

Curiosity got the better of me and despite really wanting to try the Warm Chocolate Fudge Cake I decided to go for one of the dessert kebabs and ordered the Strawberry and Marshmallow Kebab served with Sailor Jerry Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream.

It was a bit of a masterpiece, so gorgeous to look at!   A pot of chocolate sauce sitting above a swinging line of fruit and marshmallows.   You wont often catch me ordering fruit off a dessert menu but there were no regrets here, my pudding was fun and absolutely delicious!

 

Believe the hype folks!  The Botanist is THE place to be this Winter and judging by the crowds at the bar, the novelty isn't going to wear off any time soon - just make sure you book yourself a table well in advance if you are wanting food. 

We will be back, and this time I really, really mean that. ("we'd better be!" - Simon)