Botanic Bar

How gorgeous does this little pub on the corner want to be?
I hadn’t been here for years and was pleasantly surprised by the décor when I recently visited. The staff went out of their way to facilitate for our large group and explain the drink specials and the fantastic array of delicious beers on tap.
To top it off, I could hear the tunes in the background and was loving the choice of music! Can’t wait to come back next time I need a drink down the East End!

I last reviewed Botanic in 2011. I wrote, incisively: «Adelaide’s best bar. Simple.» And it was, in my book. But that was a long time ago and before the small bar revolution took hold of Adelaide.
Now this city has a trove of brilliant bars of all sizes that compete in a space that use to be dominated by that classy bar on the corner.
First of all, Botanic has shrunk drastically since the opening of Golden Boy next door, in what use to be the pool saloon and back bar /​kitchen area. No more $ 6 pizzas, to be sure.
Many of the same paintings — I am looking at you Napoleon — adorn the walls, giving a sense of nostalgia to those that have been visiting this establishment for over 10 years.
At 11pm on a Friday night, we were one of the only groups. The place was quiet. But that was ok with us. We could take our time with the menu and slink back into the comfy Chesterfield style booths. Our gins — they have a good range — were nicely mixed and garnished and wet the whistle just right. Service was as friendly, if a little more relaxed, as it has always been.
Maybe not the best bar in Adelaide anymore — that’s just too hard to call — but certainly doing what it has always done well. And that is creating a warm inviting atmosphere, filled with quality drinks, and and air of laid back tunes.

Visited this place a few times while on holiday in Adelaide. Just love the décor/​style: it’s got some serious character, unlike most places these days. The leather booths are great for chilling with friends. The barman also knew how to make a serious martini (also a rarity!)

The menu in The Botanic is a short menu from Golden Boy next door. It’s actually nicer in winter to sit in the side room of the Botanic which has an open fire a a cool cocktail bar feel. Also the cocktail list is amazing.
The cocktails and drinks were very slow to arrive but the good came out amazingly quick. The cocktails were great and the food was fantastic. If you don’t like hot chilli you have to tell them as they are obsessed with putting it into every dish and often don’t mention it on the menu. I’m surprised they don’t just give you fresh chilli on the side as a precaution.
The sashimi was amazing as was the paw paw salad (even though It actually had no paw paw in it!). All the dishes were excellent.

This is one of the many pubs in Adelaide that hold dear memories for me. I remember being taken into a night-​club in the basement (which has long gone) and being dragged away from my beer and onto the dance floor. Since that time I have only irregularly visited this place, and in my most recent trek here has revealed that they have gotten rid of the bar out the back, which had a second, hidden, bar attached to it (I remember when a friend of mine disappeared behind the curtain leaving us wondering what had happened to him, and then each of us, nervously, pulling back to curtain to see where he had gone). These days this pub seems to be a fairly classy place which is not really my scene. However, the huge paintings of Napoleon on the wall certainly do add character to it.

We headed to Botanic Bar after an early Fringe Show on the weekend to grab some dinner from Golden Boy (located behind the bar).
It was packed! So packed in fact, that we ended up back in the front bar to eat. Golden Boy doesn’t take bookings for groups under 6, so I thought we’d get in easily, but by 6:45pm when we arrived it was full to the brim.
The waitress told us we were welcome to eat in the front bar though & that the majority of the same menu was available.
We ended up having just as good a time that I suspect we would’ve had in the main restaurant. The menu is a Thai/​Asian fusion affair. We ordered cocktails which were brought over to our table when they were ready (which saved us waiting at the bar for them) & ordered four dishes to share.
To food came out extremely quickly one by one (lucky they didn’t come out all at once, as we were in one of the booths where the tables are quite small) & each dish was explained to us, including a warning when a sauce was particularly hot.
Everything was delicious & I’ll be back. I’d still like to try out the main restaurant sometime, but if that is full then you certainly won’t miss out in the front bar. The worst part of your night will be trying to decide which cocktail to try from the enourmous list!

Love the décor and atmosphere here. Haven’t been for a while, so not sure how long ago it has been refurbished.
Lots of different sorts of seating options including outside and great location.
It was so busy on Sat 22^nd Dec and we had to wait so long for drinks, that it put a dampener on things a bit. Standing at the bar for 20mins while the rest of our party was on the other side of the room, didn’t make for a very sociable get-​together. They were just so very sort-​staffed.
They were friendly staff, but they weren’t keeping tabs on who was next at the bar and unfortunately not everyone is honest!
I’d like to go back when it’s not so busy.

I don’t even care that this place has become ‘hipster’ central, it was love at first sight when I plucked up the courage to enter this bar a number of years ago. I had never stepped foot in this place, the squawking flock of fashionable ‘young things’ seated outside may have had something to do with that, so I was therefore convinced that I wouldn’t feel welcome here. How wrong I was. For a bar that is aimed at those ‘young things’ it is surprisingly relaxed. Many times I have waltzed in there wearing a t-​shirt and jeans (I may have also had some havvies on too) and no-​one seems to give a hoot. You get the same friendly service that you always get regardless of how you look. Whilst the drinks are a little pricey, the warm décor and great tunes make up for that and I always just want to sink into one of those comfy chairs, study the impeccably stocked range of spirits, order cocktails and watch beautiful people walk by. It’s just so bloomin’ inviting and cosy!
Cocktails are boozy (Lions tail and Hanky Panky in particular), the staff are chilled-​out and friendly, and when they made their $ 6 pizzas they were my favourite in Adelaide (particularly the mushroom!). The new Thai restaurant ‘Golden Boy’ has taken over the food side of the Botanic Bar, and I must say, I cannot wait to try it. Please don’t let me down Botanic as I plan to keep loving you for many more years to come.

I tried to call them about 6 times while they were open one night to try and find out information about GF dishes and also to make a booking, but it turns out everything, and I mean EVERYTHING (they quite literally will not answer their phone… but they do make phone calls out from it) has to be done by email correspondence. Which was highly impractical.
It turns out they do gluten free bases for their $ 6 pizzas (albeit, $ 8 if GF) so long as they have some left. My friends ordered normal pizzas, and by the time they returned back to the table to sit down after ordering, their pizzas had arrived! Which would have been fine, had I already ordered. With the gluten free base, it took about 15 minutes for my pizza to come out. Which was not bad at all however unfortunate that my friends had nearly finished theirs by that point.
The pizza itself was very good. The GF base was nice and generally no complaints at all in the food area. The food was great, it was just those few other unfortunate things which stopped it from being a 5-​star review. (although if I had ordered a normal pizza and it had arrived that fast I would have been thrilled!)

Considering my University was on North Terrace and I spent three years of shift work at the lovely hospital across the road from this little joint, I found it mighty surprising that I hadn’t set foot in this great bar until just recently. The Botanic has luxe furnishings with moody lighting, Chesterfield booths, an extensive spirit menu and a decent wine selection (although, what is with the lack of top notch South Australian varieties?) with a delightful tapas menu to boot.
A popular spot for after work drinks, I love coming here on Sunday evenings with mates drinking a gin and tonic with a spritz of grapefruit and then making my way through the Tapas menu. Pizzas here are delicious (and cheap!) and the other menu choices are more than reasonable.
Grab their arancini balls, the whitebait and the Margherita pizza for top notch Tapas.

I’m not green to a well made cocktail or top quality G&T on a Friday night and Botanic delivers up a garden full of delights of the thirst quenching type.
Meanwhile this place has managed to create a ambiance that has you feeling like you are in a candlelit hotel lobby or west wing of someone’s home in the UK. Once you arrive at this place with its elevator style, funk pop music for DJs you will breathe a sigh of relief and never want to leave.
I swear every male model, doctor, engineer or well-​to-​do gentleman of Adelaide drinks here as I have never seen so many well manicured beards, hip to be square glasses or waist coats in my life. There is something said for the well dressed ladies in this place too.
The refreshing thing though? This place isn’t exclusive, it isn’t trying to be something it’s not and neither are the people here. They are genuinely cool.
Bonus points for the guy who tried to pick me up by telling me he was from Sesame Street and his friend was Snuffaluffagus. Genuinely cool.

Gorgeous Building, love the deco, usually a great atmosphere and a very chilled out environment… Pool tables and also a small private room for hire… this place could have it all… HOWEVER… I have waited for over 20 minutes (on more then one visit) to receive my cocktail. This has even happened on weeknights that have not been busy… what a let down… cocktails are decent but the wait makes them not worth it at all… besides that, I’d highly recommend this bar as a great place to start your night!

The Botanic is, by far, one of my favourite places to grab a drink in the city. Their incredibly relaxed atmosphere, fine interior décor and wide selection of drinks make this place great for all occasions, whether it be getting together with a large group of friends, or sharing a drink with a few.
The bartenders really know how to make a mean drink, and their extensive knowledge in different cocktails is impressive to say the least. One of my favourite drinks here is their simple gin and tonic, and their inclusion of the slice of cucumber in the glass. It’s a small difference, but one that is noticeable on the palette and enough to make a huge difference. They’ve got local and import beers that won’t stretch your budget too thin, and a large selection of wines and spirits.
Their food is also incredibly great value. The wood oven pizzas are light enough to snack on, yet filling enough to ensure you won’t be passing out during the cab ride back home. And only six dollars! That’s value you can’t beat.

You can’t miss this luscious old building sitting on the corner of north and east terrace, lined with vines and white lanterns. It had always caught my eye as I drove into the city, so I simply had to check it out.
The décor is rich, with dark wood, vintage furniture and dim lighting. Imagine a swanky party scene from the roaring 1920’s. I often feel I should have donned a flapper dress and long beads around my neck, with a long cigarette dangling from my fingers. Hello Underbelly Razor!
This charming setting is very popular over the weekend, with the outside seating filling up fast in the warmer weather. The staff often walks around asking if you would like another drink, and fetching it for you so you can continue relaxing with your friends. I feel like a pampered princess being so well looked after. I remember one time I was sitting outside and a waiter asked if I would like a drink. New to the place and not familiar with the drink menu, I just asked him to make me something nice. He returned with a hot red cinnamon shot which shocked me, firstly because it tasted like heaven, but most importantly because he had managed to pick a favourite flavor of mine. Brilliant!

See, as a lady, who doesn’t want to sip on cocktails made by the young lad behind the bar who seems to be missing 4 of his top buttons?
I like to slide into one of the booths with the cucumber cocktail they do here, don’t ask me what it’s called because I actually didn’t ask the bartender, too busy staring at his chest. 5 Cougars thanks.
I just learned that they make $ 6 pizzas, which is handy if you’ve had one to many cougar cocktails, it’s not time to pass out, it’s time to eat, then pass out.
Great little corner bar with that whole trendy, cool vibe going on, I’d say this is a Thursday night gig, other nights you probably wont get a seat.

I love the Botanic, the décor reminds me of an English hunting lodge, with stuffed animals heads and vintage photos on the wall in the side bar. The décor changes from room to room but it has an overall feel of elegance and richness. Outside, round paper lanterns give the outdoor tables a charming romantic feel and there is a lovely view over the parklands and the gates of the Botanic gardens.
All this glamour and ambience and then you get $ 6 pizzas — how good is this? I went here with a few friends the other night and we managed to score one of the hidden away booths at the back of the side bar. We literally had the room all to ourselves which was great. The chicken tandoori pizza was especially good. Some of the male members of our party (especially those who worked in hospitality) weren’t too impressed with the service when they were organising the drinks but that hasn’t been my experience during my many visits. I will certainly keep coming back.

The Botanic Bar is simply beautiful. Its vintage interior sets a somewhat film noir atmosphere, or a scene out of Mad Men. The ambiance here is unreal; the buzz, peoples’ chatter, glasses clinking. Whether it’s a Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday night, the ambiance remains the same.
The staff are great (not too mention very good looking), the furniture (sofas galore!) is extra comfy, not too mention $ 6 pizzas! That alone is enough to draw me in. Try the Italian Sausage, or Spinach and Fetta. Actually, all of them are very tasty. They do a mean Apple Martini, and offer an extensive list of beverages to choose from.
You can enjoy your night inside where the buzz is at, or outside in a more open space. I am absolutely in love with this place, and you will be too!
By the way, ignore the deer head on the wall. It gets more and more disturbing with every drink.

More of a winter hideaway than a summer haven (unless you scavenge a seat outdoors), the Botanic is a dignified cocktail bar, which successfully transports you back in time to the era of burlesque.
Adjacent to the beautiful Botanical Gardens, this cocktail bar really captures the essence of North Terrace splendour, with vine leaves delicately dripping from the outdoor setting. It also makes delicious six-​dollar pizzas even more aesthetically pleasing.
The inside of course exhibits class of the 1920’s, however I am not a fan of the deer head on the wall. To give you a direct hint of its style, an Italian wine commercial was specifically filmed here because it perfectly captured an old-​fashioned mobster theme.
Lastly my greatest all time highlight whilst at the Botanic, although slightly irrelevant, was meeting Larry Emdur from The Price Is Right. What a great guy. In all seriousness though, the Botanic is a fairly wonderful place, which I recommend you grace.
Oh and just when you thought this review was going to end, might I just add that the apple martini here is spectacular.