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Picture of The Botanist
Image posted by Jonathan Wilde
Submitted on Saturday, 8th September 2012
With picture contributions to 4509 other pubs
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The Botanist, Clifton, Bristol

Pub added by elizabeth mcgraw
20a Berkeley Square
Bristol
BS8 1HP
Phone: 01179277333
Correct details

Pub Type

Premium Country Pubs (Mitchells & Butlers)

Served areas

Tweets by The Botanist
The Botanist Bristol The Botanist Bristol We still have positions to fill! Do you have what it takes? https://t.co/JCDJjkHZIZ 4:40 PM May 13th 2019 from Facebook
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Reviews of The Botanist (Average Rating: 5 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blackthorn _ left this review about The Botanist

Recently rebranded from Bar Ha! Ha!, the layout is pretty much unchanged with just a general spruce up and paint job to reflect it’s new incarnation. Accessed through a small doorway in a high brick wall in a side street off of The Triangle, it’s easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there, but is spacious and airy once you get in.

Outside there’s a good sized courtyard surrounded by the high wall. There’s an glass canopy around the pub to keep off any inclement weather, as well as a couple of patio heaters and wood slatted tables and chairs. This is a popular spot and was full to capacity on a recent Friday evening visit. Oddly, since it was outdoors, there were a couple of signs up saying “Thank-you for not smoking” which were being completely ignored. In keeping with the pub’s name, there were various herbs planted around, both scattered about in small pots and in larger beer barrels. We spotted rosemary, oregano and thyme but there may well have been others.

Inside it’s split in to a few different areas, with a large central bar with a couple of roof windows, a small area off to the left known as The Potting Shed and a dining room to the right. The kitchen is also up a few steps to the right, and is pretty much open to view. The flooring is mostly parquet with some tiles around the bar, and the paintwork a mixture of cream and grey. Service was quick and efficient at the busy bar, and my pint was topped up without asking. However, the place has far too many rules and regulations for my liking – on taking a seat in “The Potting Shed” we were swiftly ejected as we did not wish to eat. Now the table was not laid for food, there was no sign to this effect, it was 9:30 in the evening when there were unlikely to be more diners arriving and if there were we would happily have moved then. Was this really necessary? In addition to this, a stag party that turned up were refused entry to the bar – not unusual per se, but the policy was not one against stag parties, but against dressing up. In this case, only the groom to be was dressed, and not offensively, but as a diver complete with snorkel and mask which I thought was quite good. They were happy for them to remain in the courtyard, explaining that you “couldn’t dress up inside”. Odd.

Beers on tap were Tribute and something called Ubu Purity which is a new one on me. Ciders were Aspall’s Suffolk and Thatcher’s Heritage.

On 23rd August 2011 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1937 recommendations about 1850 pubs]

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Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Dave McNally
Clifton Down, 0.75 miles, 14 min walk (show)
Redland, 1.24 miles, 23 min walk (show)
Montpelier, 1.44 miles, 27 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for The Botanist, Bristol
31st Dec 2015, 09:22
Picture submitted by Jonathan Wilde approved
 
30th Dec 2015, 17:42
Picture submitted by Jonathan Wilde

Pub Details

Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.

  • Accommodation : No last updated 15 January 2024 by Tris C
  • Beer Garden : Yes last updated 15 January 2024 by Tris C
  • Hot Food : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
  • Micropub : No last updated 15 January 2024 by Tris C
  • Real Ale : Yes last updated 23 September 2013 by Dave McNally
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