Botanical - Melbourne

In planning our first visit to Melbourne, I had gotten several recommendations for “the restaurant at the Botanical Garden,” which turned out to be Botanical, 1... read more In planning our first visit to Melbourne, I had gotten several recommendations for “the restaurant at the Botanical Garden,” which turned out to be Botanical, 169 Domain Rd, Melbourne.The restaurant has a lovely little “shop-like” entrance, and sidewalk seating for its “bistro,” but that was not in use, on this cold, rainy morning. As it was Lunch, we were seated in the interior area of the bistro section. The more formal dining room was lovely, and I can imagine that Dinner there would have been nice, as well. There is also an interesting bottle shop, but I only browsed. Our seating area was very comfortable, with well-spaced tables, and as the front of the building mostly glass, it was bright (even on a cloudy, rainy day) and airy. Though nearly full, the noise level was very low, and general conversation across our table was easy.For a “bistro,” the Lunch menu is very adventurous, so we were definitely in our element.We started with a couple of glasses of the Jansz “Premium” Brut Rosé (Yarra Valley), and the Airlie Bank (Tasmania) sparklers, while we studied the menu.We sort of mixed things up a bit on the food:Smoked Kingish w/ quail egg, enoki mushrom, radish and yuzu (Entrée) – extremely good, and a good choice on our part – we sure did a lot of Kingfish on this trip!Local Bay Calamari w/ pink pepper, roquette and lemon oil (Entrée) – Another very good choiceCorn-fed Duck Breast w/ confit of leg, salt-baked celeriac and purple kale (Main Course - split) – A very good Duck dish, and glad that we did split this.Cheese Plate (4), with Perenze Ubriaco goat’s milk, The Mountain Man washed cow’s milk, Charlton Blue sheep’s milk and the Brillat-Savarin soft cow’s milk – we had a bunch of wines to match with these cheeses.We added:Castagna “Inguene” Viognier (Beechworth) B-T-GIncognito Chardonnay (Adelaide Hills) B-T-GCraig Lee Chardonnay (Sunbury) B-T-GMount Mary Chardonnay ‘10 (Yarra Valley) 0.75L – almost went with the Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey “Les Baudines” Chassagne-Montrachet (but that would have been a deviation from our Australian-centric wines)Rockford Basket Press Shiraz ‘10 – 0.375L (Barossa)With our sparkling water, the total bill came to AU$458, but remember the wines that we had.OK, before you worry, we were cabbing it, so no driving, and little walking involved.We spent most of the afternoon at Botanical, and as things turned out, I wish that I had scheduled Dinner there, rather than two of the places we later dined, as the wine list was so very much fun, the food excellent, and only matched by the service.The building looks small, from Domain Rd, but is extensive, with open dining areas (and private areas) throughout the building. Each was lovely, when we toured them. I was also impressed by the bar area. This is a very serious contender, and its recommendation by several on the TA Forums was an excellent one.Now, while we stayed in just a few parts of the wine list, it, plus the drinks list, is about 78 pages long. I loved the diversity of the main list, but also the B-T-G list, and even the half-bottles (something that we often seek out, when dining as a couple). Besides a lot of the heavy-hitters (we did not even scratch the surface there), there is also a “value” area, called “20 under 20.” With the bottle shop attached, the options are truly limitless. Looking over their events calendar, I only wish that we had been in town, for a few of those, as well.Botanical does everything well, and we are so glad that we got to experience it, even if it was only Lunch in the Bistro. On our return to Melbourne, we will definitely schedule dinner – and maybe get lucky with one of their wine events.

A colleague invited me to The Botanical for an early dinner. It has a smart bistro feel and an enticing menu. Had the hanger steak special - excellent. A nice I... read more A colleague invited me to The Botanical for an early dinner. It has a smart bistro feel and an enticing menu. Had the hanger steak special - excellent. A nice IPA before dinner and a Vic Shiraz with the steak - very happy. Service was good and all up I would definitely return.

We had just spent 2 glorious hours wandering around the Botanical Gardens on an unexpectedly mild Melbourne April afternoon and were looking for a beer and a sn... read more We had just spent 2 glorious hours wandering around the Botanical Gardens on an unexpectedly mild Melbourne April afternoon and were looking for a beer and a snack. Exiting the South Gate, drawn by cooking aromas

We hosted our sons’ christening lunch at Botanical and couldn’t have been happier with the experience. From start to finish, the team were absolutely incredible... read more We hosted our sons’ christening lunch at Botanical and couldn’t have been happier with the experience. From start to finish, the team were absolutely incredible — warm, attentive, and so accommodating. Nothing was too much trouble, even with three little boys running around! The food and service were seamless, and it was such a joy to be able to fully relax and enjoy the day knowing everything was being looked after. We received so many compliments from guests, and honestly, we’re already looking for excuses to host another event there. Highly recommend for a beautiful, stress-free celebration! Meal type: Lunch Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

I have been here 2nd time and again disappointed , sadly , the food is avrage …the stake what I ordered was overcooked,and the portions are preatty small at my... read more I have been here 2nd time and again disappointed , sadly , the food is avrage …the stake what I ordered was overcooked,and the portions are preatty small at my first visit I had the beef tartare tiny portion the bigger size but the most disappointing was the staff …. They just dont know how to be polite … everybody is arrogant , not friendly at all … I wouldnt recomend to my friends. Food: 3 Service: 1 Atmosphere: 4 Price per person: A$80–100 Kid-friendliness: They could put a changing table in the toilet so that the person doesnt have to do it on a table what its right next to the tables