The Botanist couldn’t be more Sloane Square if it tried. Perched on one corner of the square, it honours Dr Hans Sloane, noted scientist and, of course, botanist.
On Friday nights it is heaving with people eager for a drink after a long week, and trying to get in can be intimidating. But the restaurant, which is separated from the bar by a sliding door, is pleasantly quiet, even if you have to fight your way into the calm.
The airy room is adorned with art deco light fittings and illustrations of plants, and is set with simple wooden tables. The menu is full of English classics and punchy flavours, and there’s also an extensive wine list, although we had the house red and it was very good.
For starters, an endive, Roquefort and walnut salad was tasty, if not startling. It was slightly over-reliant on a not too astonishing pile of leaves, although the cheese and nuts were good partners.
A plate of Severn and Wye oak smoked salmon, with horseradish cream and Irish soda bread was similarly underwhelming, with not enough bread to go with the lovely fish. The waitress also brought us two lonely rolls to start, presented in a basket. Bountiful it was not.
However, the rest of the meal made up for the shaky start: the braised lamb served with anchovies, capers, garlic and shallot potatoes with red wine jus was tender and complimented perfectly by the strong flavours in the accompaniments. The confit duck leg, with puy lentils and sautéed girolles was also delicious – the meat fell of the bone and the lentils were sticky and nutty.
The list of puddings is mouth-wateringly long – as well as the usual offering there are also two amazing sounding sundaes and a cheeseboard laden with unusual offerings.
We opted for a golden syrup sponge with orange ginger syrup which was sweet and light. The crème brûlée, served slightly incongruously with a millionaire’s shortbread, was also devilishly good. The perfect crunch of the caramelised top gave way to a creamy dessert within, and the biscuit on the side was lovely.
The Botanist also offers breakfast, lunch and coffee – and it’s location it would be daft not to. Skip the starters and get stuck into a main course after a day’s shopping on the Kings Road. It’s well worth fighting your way through the weekend drinkers.
Three course dinner for two with wine is around £100.
Rhiannon Bury
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