A Mate Date at The Botanist Didsbury – The Perfect Local
I love going out to eat and drink and I love going out to eat and drink locally even better! So when I heard about The Botanist Didsbury opening, I was chuffed that I’d have another great pub-restaurant to add to my list of “locals”.
You may be aware of The Botanist as there are a few of them about in the North now, including one in Manchester City Centre. The interiors of The Botanist are beautiful, comfortable and cool and they do some great food, drinks and cocktails.
So off I went on a #MateDate with my friend Emily (who blogs at Film and Fizz) on a rare night out midweek and couldn’t wait to get stuck into some serious grub and chat….
The Botanist Didsbury
The Botanist Didsbury takes-up a substantial corner plot, just off School Lane, in Didsbury Village. We went on a Tuesday and arrived to the fantastic vocals of an acoustic live singer. It already set the scene for a great girly catch-up over dinner.
The Grub…
First things first, we decided we deserved a cocktail – I went for the Rosemary and Plum Cooler and Emily for the English Mojito. Both were delicious and well made. While we decided what we’d eat, we thought we’d have some nibbles and ordered what turned out to be one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in ages…the Salt and Pepper Onion Petals with Creme Fraiche. Wowza! It sounds over-the-top, but honestly, order these as they are insanely good!
Onion petals devoured, onto our starters…
I went for the Crispy Calamari with Piri-Piri salt, lemon & lime mayo and Em had the Baked Camembert, with smoked bacon and crispy onion crust. The portion sizes are great and we tucked into our dishes and each others.
I’m a sucker for a bit of classy theming and I love that The Botanist Didsbury used wooden boards and touches like the mini watering-cans to add a unique twist on how they serve their food. It’s cute!
Mouth-watering mains…
We both succumbed to the delicious sounding Pie sliders which was basically a mini version of their 3 pies on the menu, served with mash, chips and gravy. I love a proper pie (and I mean one that is all pastry…not just a pastry lid! those make me angry!), so it was nice that I didn’t have to choose between the Chicken & Chorizo, the Butternut Squash and the Steak & Ale pies.
We enjoyed our selection of pies, with a glass of vino, as you do!
To finish…
Then for desserts, just in case we hadn’t indulged enough…I opted for the Sticky Toffee Pudding (always a winner!) and my mate date went for the Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough both were served with vanilla ice-cream and were warm, gooey and suitably sweet! The cookie dough was pretty special, I have to say, but the Sticky Toffee pud was much lighter than I expected, so the perfect end to a hearty meal!
With all of it’s fantastic eateries, whether they be part of a chain or an independent, South Manchester is not short on good places to head out for some great dining experiences. But The Botanist Didsbury is a great addition to the list and the ideal place for a relaxed, informal lunch or dinner with mates or family.
I spotted they do a kids menu too, so I’ll be heading pack with the little lady and GUARANTEE that I’ll be demolishing an order of Onion Petals to myself this time. Can’t wait.
