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Detail Pages
The Botanist, Birmingham
Birmingham
B2 5BG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Botanist
Part of a small chain of upmarket, gardening themed (yes, really) gastro pubs, this is a very smart, well presented bar in the heart of the city centre. You enter into an unusual lower seating area in a strange space that feels completely disconnected from the rest of the pub. The room is quite pleasing, with bare floorboards, lots of detailed iron work, some dovecotes, birdhouses and old clocks on the walls and a selection of smart seating options. Steps lead down from here to the toilets and up through a door to the main bar and restaurant area. The room is split in two through the middle by a nice etched glass partitioning screen, with drinkers to the left and diners to the right. The restaurant space is easily identifiable on entrance as there was a greeter stood next to it at a lectern, guiding people to the row of tables along the right hand side under a green wall hung with floral paintings, or beyond to a wider space with padded banquettes and standard chairs in front of an open kitchen. This space is half panelled with what appears to be skirting board covering the ceiling and there were a lot more pictures and paintings on show, mostly of a horticultural theme. The left hand side of the room sees the servery along the left wall with a row of high, pewter topped tables opposite. The bar has a rough wooden counter with a pewter top and smartly presented bar back. The whole space is under a large skylight which has a remarkable chandelier comprised of numerous coloured glass light shades hanging from the centre. At the end of the bar I noted a row of small watering cans, but I have no idea what these were for - maybe they serve cocktails in them. Inoffensive lounge music played throughout my visit, but the relaxed atmosphere was ruined by the bar staff who kept yelling at one another in short staccato bursts which destroyed the atmosphere - they could have been playing thrash metal instead of lounge music, such was the totality of this shattering of the peace.
Four fake cask ends on the bar back were used to dispense the ale options, although quite what the actual method of dispense might be is anyone's guess. The board behind the bar listed Oakham Bishop's Farewell, Salopian Golden Thread, NWTC Passionate Blonde and Byatts Phoenix as the options and I had a pretty good pint of the Oakham, served by a very nice trainee barmaid. A few interesting keg options included Samuel Adams Boston Lager, whilst a bottle menu listed over 80 different brews in the fridges.
This chain clearly aims for a slightly more upmarket clientele than your average city centre bar and judging by some of the other customers, this tactic seems to be paying off. I felt a bit out of place here but could imagine returning for a bite to eat with the other half. To my mind, this is a major upgrade on chains like All Bar One or Slug and Lettuce and deserves to do well within its own little niche.
On 18th May 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Botanist
We popped in here on a Friday afternoon and the place was full. The layout consisted of an open front façade with sculptured wrought iron screen, this area had a some wooden seating, leather settees and a wood burning stove at one end.
The main interior consisted of a seated restaurant area on the right and the bar area on the left, which was seperated by a low screen. The bar area had reclaimed timber ceilings and walls, some distressed timber finished in a lime green colour. A solid Ash counter and a glass roof atrium over the bar. There were four ales to choice from, Two Towers Electric Ale, Oakham Bishops Farewell, Salopain Golden Thread and Salopian Passionate Blonde. The Two Towers was ok and came in at £4, which is steep.
On 6th December 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Botanist
There are a few of these Botanist bars around and they are all identical and they are all pretentious and they are all crap. This is no exception. Go somewhere else, there are much better places.
On 23rd September 2015
- rating: 1
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Botanist
Fancy bar / restaurant with the two sections separated by a 3/4-height screen. Features a light colour scheme and rather twee decor (that certainly won't be to everybody's taste). Also has an unusual covered terrace area at the front. Four real ales available from inconspicuous taps in fake casks behind the bar, but the stillages can be seen behind a glass screen towards the rear - the 'house' Passionate Blonde (£3.80), Two Towers Complete Muppetry, Oakham Bishop's Farewell and Salopian Golden Thread. All a bit odd, but I thought it worked a bit better than I was expecting.
On 5th July 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Botanist
New refurbishment of former shop/office area by a small chain, creating a distressed look shabby chic bar, specialising in cocktails with green leaves in them.
The pub is entranced through a small outdoor area to the street separated by quite impressive iron gates/fence with the long bar on the left seating by the bar and separated again with a larger more comfortable area to the right at the rear. Large chandeliers with green bits in again.
Its a little pretentious and themey, but its a nice feel, the frontage looks grand and there is an effort made with the food and drink, there are 4 real ales chosen well (Oakham JHB, Bishops Farewell, local Two Towers Complete Muppetry plus another I can't remember. The beer was a little warm and flat, but I think things will improve and this could be something a little different for Birmingham
On 2nd May 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]