The Botanical has been a long frequented place of mine, particularly for its proximity to The Botanical Gardens (located just across the road) and the consistently good food. The front section of the restaurant includes a small patio dining area which closes up on cooler days and there are also several tables outside the restaurant for outdoor dining that’s perfect for a casual drink. Be it a business lunch, post-run coffee, group functions or lazy afternoon drinks, the various dining spaces within The Botanical makes it suitable for almost any type of occasion.
One thing that The Botanical does particularly well is their daily specials, which, at $20 for a main meal (inclusive of glass of house wine or beer), offers excellent value. I generally come here for their Sunday roast however on this occasion, I ended up visiting The Botanical for their Thursday Steak Night – highly recommended.
The food
Steak special
With the Steak special, you are offered a sirloin served with a side of crispy fries, a small salad and a selection of complimentary mustards. As requested, the steak was cooked perfectly medium-rare with a charred crust and delicious compound butter.
Cold chocolate fondant
The Botanical offers a slight twist on traditional favourites with their dessert menu, such as a vanilla and pineapple creme brûlée and a spin on the bread and butter pudding. I ordered the beautifully presented Cold Chocolate Fondant on this visit which was comprised of a cold chocolate mousse with a liquid chocolate centre, yuzu cream, coffee spheres, chocolate sorbet and caramelised white chocolate. Despite the various chocolate elements, the yuzu added a lovely acidity to the dish, resulting in a great balance of flavours and a subdued richness from the chocolate – only wish that the chocolate centre inside the fondant was slightly more gooey!
The Botanical
169 Domain Road
South Yarra 3141 VIC
