The Botanist Bar Restaurant - Marlow

The Botanist features an interactive allergen menu that you can access on your device, allowing you to select your specific allergens and see only the dishes that are suitable for you. This is a great concept since it eliminates the need to discuss dietary restrictions with the waitstaff. However, a drawback to this system is that, based on our allergens, the available options were quite limited. We decided on the Salt and Pepper Pork Belly Hanging Kebab and the Lamb and Mint Pie (all their pies are gluten-free!), both of which were exceptional. I do have a couple of minor criticisms regarding the pie: the portions of mashed potatoes and mushy peas were rather small, leading me to order an additional side of Creamed Cabbage with Smoked Bacon, which was delicious, albeit a bit salty. Also, I'm not entirely convinced that the gravy wasn't pre-packaged. Otherwise, the restaurant has a lovely atmosphere, with friendly and helpful staff, making for an enjoyable dining experience.

Restaurant was very pretty but extremely loud with the noise from all the youngsters in the bar as well as the very loud guitars and singers. There were four of us in our group and we could hardly hear each other talk and had to shout at each other. The next day I had a sore throat and hardly any voice. I would not go to the Botanist again on a Saturday as it’s obviously for teenagers getting drunk. Maybe it would be worth a visit during a week day lunch time.

Excellent service and delicious food. As someone with celiac disease, I appreciated the great gluten-free options available.

The waitress was friendly and kept assuring us that our food was on the way. She informed us it would be just 10 minutes, but 30 minutes later, still nothing had arrived. Eventually, someone came out to notify us that they were out of roast potatoes and offered us some alternatives. While that would usually be acceptable, it became clear that they hadn’t even started preparing our meals until after an hour had passed. After waiting for 1.5 hours, we decided to leave, which was especially disappointing since we had a young child with us and needed to find alternative food for them by 9 PM. Overall, it was an incredibly poor experience.

I enjoyed a delightful afternoon at The Botanist Bar. My friend and I opted for a table near the front with open windows, creating a lovely indoor-outdoor ambiance that was perfect for people-watching and spotting vintage cars if that's what you enjoy. The atmosphere was wonderfully relaxed, ideal for a sunny day. The bartender suggested a classic margarita, which was perfectly crafted. We also indulged in some spicy fries and calamari.