The Botanist, located in the leafy borough of Kirribilli, is a hub of mixology and sophisticated bar chow. I had been wanting to visit for some time. I had imagined a kind of conservatory; that lovely mix of greenery and glass. There are some plants placed throughout the venue, but somehow I just felt a little let down with their design concept. It just didn’t go the whole hog.
Having an audition early the next morning, I shied away from the cocktails but managed to handle a beer. Vale Ale is on tap. Yes. Very good. If you haven’t tried Vale Ale, this beer is packed with floral notes and finishes with a brightness and refreshment perfectly suited to balmy summer weather. Sitting at the bar though, I did watch the boys in action and the drinks being served looked amazing. They know what they are doing.
There is nothing average about the Sichuan Pepper Salted Squid with Chilli and Lime. Large twists of juicy squid are protected by crispy jackets of spicy batter and they just pop with the coriander and heat of the chilli. The serving is generous and is enough to fill me up, but that doesn’t stop me cramming in more food.
Cauliflower seems to be back in vogue and is cropping up on menus all over town. The Cauliflower Fritters are packed with spice, the cinnamon sings particularly well, its sweet soprano notes lingering. These fritters are large. For $13 you get a heap of food, again enough for one person’s dinner (one small girl-person’s dinner, perhaps not enough for a large man-person’s).
As the night sinks in, the lights get dimmer and the noise escalates… Time for this little lady to exit.
