Botanik Bistro & Bar
Botanik consists of a bistro and a bar, situated in the uppermost stratosphere of Hospital Street in Fort, opening into one of the most scenic skylines in Sri Lanka. The bistro is located inside whereas the bar is an open-air bar. The bistro has a lovely atmosphere filled with wonderful flower arrangements and flowery walls. They have tried to give a
Sri Lankan twist to almost everything they do, but keeping the core Western, thus making it relatable to international and local folk.
Their menu has been created in partnership with Chef Rishi Naleendra, the first ever Sri Lankan chef to receive a Michelin Star. He has received worldwide praise for his restaurant Cheek by Jowl in Singapore. The food served at Botanik is contemporary bistro style food which features a lot of meat cooked on the rare side, fresh seafood and carbohydrates. Their aim is to retain the original flavours and nutrients of the ingredients whilst giving a one-of-a-kind experience to the guests. The new menu was executed by Executive Sous Chef Viraj Sameera and Sous Chef Nizran Yazid.
Drinks
We were served two rounds of Cucumber Spritz and Tamarind. Both were exceptionally good, but that is not what we are going to talk about today. We are going to talk about their newly introduced dishes straight away, but when you go to Botanik, be sure to order both of this!
Food
Botanik renews their dishes or introduces new dishes seasonally. This time around, closing in on their one-year anniversary, they have introduced a few starters, snacks, sides and mains. Following are some we tried.
White Fish Carpaccio
The White Fish Carpaccio (Rs. 800) is topped with shallots and dressed with olive oil and wasabi cream. This is a great starter with the fish being extremely fresh and olive oil being a good palette cleanser.
Snacks Tuna Tartare
The Tuna Tartare (Rs. 800) came with sriracha mayo and crackers. If you are not a spice lover, do not get scared by the word sriracha as it is a spicy sauce. The mayonnaise balances the spiciness of the sriracha well. Its creaminess with the extremely fresh tuna created a symphony in my mouth. The cracker was a nice addition to this wonder.
Sides Roasted Baby Carrots
The Roasted Baby Carrots (Rs. 500) comes on a bed of Greek yoghurt with green chili chutney and topped with coffee spice. The green chilli chutney was Oh! My! so good, that I would have just eaten it on its own. You have to take a bite with all of them together, each component complements each other so well, it was pure perfection. The slight sweetness and the charred notes of the carrot with the spicy notes of green chilli chutney, the creamy and tangy notes of the yogurt and the spicy yet bitter notes of the coffee, tasted oh so good!
Mains Day Roasted Duck Breast
The Day Roasted Duck Breast (Rs. 2600) came with smoked pumpkin puree, five spiced caramel and mushroom crumble. The duck tasted so good, I lost my senses. This was cooked to a perfect medium and it was moist and tender with a bit of pink glistening in the middle, the flavours melted in my mouth. It was a little gamey, but that is a given I think with duck meat. Although the duck is said to pair well with sweet components, the puree and the caramel, didn’t sit well with my palate, which I think is a personal choice. It was a little too sweet for me, but it maybe fantastic to another.
Seafood Spaghetti
Seafood Spaghetti (Rs. 1200) comes with homemade spaghetti dowsed in a crab bisque and with shrimp, squid, cherry tomato. The seafood was cooked to perfection. The bisque was so creamy and spicy, it coated the spaghetti so well, that it came with every bite. The squid which was both calamari and octopus, was not chewy at all, it was seasoned well and cooked well.
Service
Everyone was super helpful and greeted us with a smile every time they passed by.
Parking
You should park outside in front of the Dutch Hospital precinct because as you know Hospital Street is a vehicle free area.