Reviews of The Botanist Bar & Restaurant Reading. (Pub) in Reading (Berkshire).

The Botanist Bar & Restaurant Reading

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339 Comments

Pub

Pub

1-5 King St, Reading RG1 2HB, United Kingdom

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Information of The Botanist Bar & Restaurant Reading, Pub in Reading (Berkshire)

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Open hours of The Botanist Bar & Restaurant Reading

Popular times

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Saturday

Reviews of The Botanist Bar & Restaurant Reading

J. T.

Delicious cocktails and food with a good vegan selection, great atmosphere too. The staff is friendly and attentive, really pleased with the service provided by our waiter Alex!

G. H.

Fantastic place to go, lovely staff and service, excellent food, highly recommended 5* will try Exeter one next time

L. M.

Friendly staff. Efficient and speedy service despite being very busy. Still managed to find a seat and an outside seating area. Didn't eat but the food looked lovely. It was great having the live music although the sound quality wasn't as good as it could have been. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Would recommend but definitely worth booking if you want to guarantee a seat.

R. F.

Loved the food. Loved the service. Loved the live music. Fab decor too. 😍

H. H.

Delicious food and very friendly helpful staff.

C. G.

We went here for our staff Christmas meal on Thursday night (9-12-2021). The restaurant was insanely busy and the workers were constantly moving. But the service was incredible! We had the set meals and the food was really delicious (unlike most mass catered food). Those wonderful servers and bar staff definitely deserve a raise. Thank you from the tables on the platform by the entrance! ❤️🎅🎄

A. K.

There are many reviews of The Botanist relating to their cocktails, ambiance and socials. I thought I'd review their brunch. It was much quieter during breakfast hours. They have a mix and match menu for brunch. You need choose one each from 6 options- Eggs/Tofu, Sausage, Bakery, Sweet, Yoghurt and Shot of juice. No problems for vegetarians. Special mentions to the baked shakshuka, jalapeño bread and passion fruit yoghurt. Priced at £15 per person, the food doesn't come cheap. However, the taste was both fresh and delicious. Would be great if they can add some sugar free options as well. I would definitely recommend a try, the next time you are in Reading.

A. U.

I was really satisfied with our dinner here. There was a really warm and alive atmosphere but not crowded, the tables had a good space between them, thing that I'm thankful for lately as many places just put you so close to the next table even on the same table! The food was also very nice, wouldn't say amazing but still tasty, apart from the flatbread which was stone hard after 5 min. Staff was also very nice. Overall it was a good experience.

S. W.

Beer was quite nice. Calamari was good. As were the cauliflower wings and pork crackling. Nice ambience.

R. K.

Nice fancy bar, decent decor. Knocked a star for the expense and slower service. Full of people from surrounding areas who like to wear tight tops and spend a lot of time in the gym. Very pleasant staff. As my gran would say “half these people these days wouldn’t know the difference between a Gordon’s and another gin. You could call it a Dave and they would pretend they were experts”

R. R.

Lovely Christmas vibe and the bartender who made our drinks was very friendly and quick at serving. Fairly priced drinks too. Only downfall was the lady rudely going round asking people to move off tables last minute as they had been booked which was slightly unfair as we were told upon arrival that we could sit anywhere in the bar area. When I asked if there were any other tables free and if she could check she literally turned and looked behind her and went no sorry we are fully booked all night now haha barely looked and needs some customer service training I think!

C. R.

Cocktails lovely. Recommend booking a table in peak times as standing room at the bar fills very quickly

K. R.

Great atmosphere. The staff are friendly and helpful and the food is great. We booked in advance via the website and received an email a couple of days before to confirm we still wanted the booking and a further reminder with all the info on how to find them, which was useful as we were visiting from out of town. Tip: if you have the kebabs, there are small holes at the top of the stand the sauce pot sits on above the skewer hook. Pour the sauce down on top of the holes to get perfectly coated kebabs and chips underneath!

K.

Best place for cocktails, bartenders very professional and friendly and cocktails are amazing, highly recommend.

L. Z.

Really nice little place. Lots of gin cocktails, I had the fish and chips and it was good. Nice wide range of menu items, for kest eaters and vegetarians alike.

B. F.

Great atmosphere and decor Friendly staff Good food though portion sizes could have been bigger - hence 4 stars Drinks (cocktails) were good Recommended

A. B.

We were almost put off by the initial £25 booking fee if we didn't arrive on time, which wasn't helped by our prior event's late finish. We arrived late to the table and were annoyingly approached with multiple countdowns from different servers telling us how long we could sit at the table, then proceeded to wait 20 minutes before being able to order food. Our table position was encased between 3 walls so it almost came down to us hunting down the server ourselves. Food was delicious and it's what we came for, however service was not as expected and quite disappointing.

J. H.

Came down from hastings had a few drinks in there what a lovely place lovely atmosphere and the staff certainly knew there way around a cocktail great night in Reading.

F. W.

Fantastic cocktails, great food - no matter if you like classics or British tapas. Service can be a tad slow at times but overall it won’t lessen the experience. The Botanist offers a cozy garden-like atmosphere and an extensive gin and cocktail selection to match. Live music in just the right volume will let you enjoy your evening. Just make sure to put in a reservation, as it gets crowded regularly.

R. R.

Its a nice bar, door and staff always good to us- but had a moment last weekend with £15.80 charge for G & T & a Peroni ....Auto double without asking / telling me. Music drowned out any level of conversation .... was annoyed watch out.

S. B.

Took a friend there as her birthday treat. It was our first visit and we were impressed. Service was impeccable, food as delicious as it can be (and that includes the presentation). Fantastic staff, fantastic food, fantastic service. Thank you!

I. K.

We visited the Botanist in Reading for Brunch during a Saturday morning. The "full english breakfast" and the "breakfast burger" was a great selection. The place is nicely decorated with a rustic touch. The staff was smiley and very helpful. I highly recommend the place.

m. m.

Food was nice, staff clearly wanted to leave. Did enjoy the pale ale though.

A. S.

Really great food. Nice friendly vibe. I would suggest booking in advance.

S. P.

We've been to the one in Marlow previously so tried out our local. The service was great and the food was good... however the "properly seasoned chips" were not up to the standard we'd had previously. These were very bland and the salt shaker I was given had little to no salt in. Other than that small gripe we had a lovely meal.

L. h.

Couldn't recommend more, booking was easy, but paying was easier! (shocking I know! But was worth every penny) Little selection of vegetarian and vegan options but what they do have, are done to perfection! They also ask about dietary and allergy requirements which is very much appreciated. Lovely people working there, very friendly. Just a great atmosphere. And best of all amazing cocktails!

m. b.

Very nice place to eat! Excellent Sunday roast and good aesthetic.

C. W.

I quite liked the atmosphere and decor. I got the chicken and chorizo hanging kebab but found the chicken was very dry. The chorizo was nice. The garlic bread was literally a loaf of bread which had a not-very-garlicky cheesy sauce, but it was light and fluffy. Cauliflower wings were very good. Good selection of beers. I will definitely consider going again and try the lamb kebab instead. I loved the garlic oil and chips!

M. D.

Took the kids for 5pm dinner on a Saturday, booking advised but not essential, still plenty of tables at 630 when we left. Service by Beth was outstanding, really smashed it and soooo happy. Food was pretty good on the whole but a little clumsy in other details. Our only niggle was that the friend gnocchi was too salty and the brioche buns were very dry and quickly dissolved which did really kill the burger experience. However, everyone agreed the inside the cheeseburgers and beetroot burger was fab. Cocktails and mocktails wer lovely although I sent back the rum old fashioned and they replaced it no questions asked which is all you can ask of a restaurant. All in all pretty good but it was a very pricey dinner for what it was and for that, there other places that are expensive like Waga's that would of been £40-£50 Cheaper even with the cocktails! At this money, it needs to be really outstanding and it wasn't, except for Beth 😁

t. a.

Music Bingo night at the Botanist tonight (Wednesday) thoroughly enjoyed this. Decent pint, and even managed to bag a sharing desert for round two bingo line!!! Delicious. Thoroughly recommended... nice atmosphere and not too busy. Decent food too!

A.

One of the better ones; great service and some tasty dishes. Live music some nights adds to the already lively atmosphere.

B. F.

Very fun drinks with great presentation. Many with dry ice. Friendly staff, warm environment.

A. F.

The styled pub and restaurant with a great selection of drinks of food. Always lovely staff too.

D. A.

I had something similar to an old fashioned was pretty good.. £10 felt steep though

D. G.

Fantastic cocktail bar in the centre of town. Great atmosphere from the beautiful botanical decorations and ambient live music. Drinks are very creatively designed and wide ranging, suitable for all tastes. Quite expensive but 5pm to 7pm happy "hour" makes everything quite reasonable for the area.

M. M.

Delicious food. We were there for a Christmas lunch. Fabulous service and great food!

A. S.

Great place and experience, especially while there is still some Covid restrictions. Our waiter named Ludo was outstanding, we could order cocktails which were not on the menu and made our evening very enjoyable. We were lucky to have live music, it was absolutely fantastic.

S. R.

Service was great, but the lamb in my pie was the same texture and taste as sweet potato?🤔

N. O.

Good food, cocktails and friendly staff

G. D.

Cosy place, pleasant atmosphere, staff helpful, decent pint of biera moretti

A. W.

Really small selection of cocktails. Had one drink and left. Live music was great

T. S.

Lovely venue, good vibe, great food, reasonable price, expect the same problem everywhere else is having due to lack of staff.

i. t.

Great botany theme throughout. Cocktails are so we'll balanced between Alcohol strength and mixer tastes. And the food... nothing was less than 8/10.

C. G.

An excellent place for food and drink. The staff are friendly and attentive, the service is very quick as well so we ordered food and drinks, and we had the drinks within 5 minutes and the food within 10 minutes (on a Friday night at 7pm). Our server, Alex, was very good and the food was top notch. The burgers were clearly not the standard bought patties, excellent quality as well as the bacon in the burger. The chips are really nice too, tasty with really nice spice on them (not hot spice, very flavourful spice). Overall, a great place, great atmosphere, quirky "garden shed" decor (in a good way) and amazing food and drinks. Will definitely be coming back.

J. B.

Great cocktails which we all enjoyed. Didn't try the food. But will definitely drop in again next time I am in town with friends.

h. g.

Nice place for drinks with folks. However music was too loud and you have to kind of scream to talk to each other.

N. F.

It might look good inside, but drinks are a little expensive compared to other places that are only a stone's throw away, and it's simply too loud for me.

A. F.

Lovely settings, nice food and even nicer staff. Thank you!!

J. C.

Overly priced food menu - with basic food portioning, and slightly lacking in flavour. The presentation, however, is impeccably aesthetic; as is the decor of the entire restaurant. The atmosphere is vibrant, yet homely, and the numerous live acoustic performances are a plus.

S. F.

Lovely food, great service and a buzzing atmosphere

d. d.

Last night we had the pleasure of visiting The Botanist in Reading town centre, This was our first visit and it was great. A very good atmosphere and food to match, we will be visiting again.

S. K.

Great food, lovely staff and yummy drinks

P. S.

Nice place full of attractive ladies. It's a shame most of the drinks on their menu are made with Gin. Who makes a mojito with Gin? I was the only person in our group that wasn't happy with the drinks, but I used to be a bartender and I know how to make nice drinks. The drinks at The Botanist were just okay.

S. E.

Great cocktails beautiful bar. Great for a date. :)

B. R.

We had to wait too much for the ordered food, but was worth waiting! I liked it a lot, good place!!!! They have Gluten free options, such as pie... :-) thanks for that!

G. D.

Good food, good range of beer, nice service

K. J.

Fantastic service, food and cocktails

v. J.

Popped in for my Daughters 18th Birthday, for a cocktail what a lovely place, lady behind bar was lovely, she was restaurant manager doing bar training, she was so pleasant and made our afternoon, your lucky to have such a nice staff member.

M. E.

Amazing atmosphere, amazing bar staff. I would literally live there ❤

I. M.

Brilliant food and amazing customer service. Highly recommend

D. F. (.

Nice place, food was good, good beer selection, turn the music volume down just a little..

K. B.

Great atmosphere, hanging kebabs were a novelty! Very reasonable prices and good service. The live music was amazing too!

I. J.

Very nicely designed interior and cosy place. Tasty food and good choice of cocktails.

D. L.

Smashing dinner, wicked hanging kebabs!!! Chips with sweet chilly are fantastic.

A. B.

Fantastic brunch and amazing atmosphere/scenery to dine in. Will definitely come again!

R. P.

Nice bar. Food good and reasonably priced. Cocktails, as ever, can ramp the overall cost quickly.

J. B.

Really funky place, quirky cocktail list, live music and delicious food. Went there 2 nights in a row!

J. P.

Absolutely brilliant night, live music was fab and interactive, food was excellent, cocktails amazing!

K. J.

Nice food and atmosphere drinks massively overpriced

a.

Nice friendly receptionist and waitress.Haloumi in haloumi burger was bit warm...Baked camember -really deliciuous.Otherwise everything is ok

L. B.

Couldn't recommend enough! Great drinks and the staff were more than accommodating to allergy requirements, will definitely be going back.

K. C.

The food was wonderful, pleasant place to go for a meal

G. S.

Cocktail master class was great experience, just loved it. We attended ARBER’S HERBARIUM MASTERCLASS. Where we learned to make 3 cocktails, Velvet Green Martini English Mojito Strawberry & Elderflower Bellini. I can proudly say , I am level 1 certified mixologist. Cheers.

C. P.

The staff (our waiter in particular) were very friendly, happy to help us and provided great service. I went for a friend’s birthday and we had a good evening. The cocktails are ok, but I would say they were anything special. A warning, if you like seasoning on your food, avoid the salt and pepper wings to start. They looked like plain white chicken wings that had been boiled and chucked in a basket. Also the chicken and chorizo kebab had pure white unseasoned chunks of chicken on it. Please add some flavour. It makes such a difference. Aside from that, all was well and I’d definitely return. Perhaps just for drinks.

K. B.

I went here on a date on the day before the second lockdown. We didn't pre-book but the staff were very accommodating and found us a table. I felt safe, everywhere was marked so you knew where to go safely. The food was tasty. So I don't have any complaints. I would definitely visit again.

d.

Fantastic place! Great friendly accurate service, tasty food and drinks at great prices, nice venue and atmosphere cannot fault this place. The service the staff provide here is first class! Thank you for a great visit 😃

S. C.

Lovely place and tasty food. Good variety

K.

Lovely interior with wooden tables and plants everywhere (hence the botanist name), which made my soul feel good when entering! However, it just lacks soul and atmosphere in other ways, especially when things are so expensive and making the drinks takes so long. The people making the cocktails are quite serious and sullen about what they do, and don't compliment the fun atmosphere created by the plants and interior. Unfortunately having been in a lot of places with pretentions above their class, most cocktail bars are in dire need of making things fun instead of taking themselves too seriously. People are going there for fun, after all.

R.

Friendly service and a really warm and pleasant interior. The cocktails were really interesting but maybe a little on the sweet side for me. I'd like to come back here and try the food sometime. I saw someone's portion of fish and chips and it looked amazing.

L. J.

We visited on a rainy Monday evening and the atmosphere and service couldn't have been better. Four faultless cocktails later the rain didn't seem to matter! Loved the decor so much we took pictures! Expensive but so worth it!

s.

Nice pub/bar. Great live band... cocktail menu wasn't as vast but was good all in all.

A. Z.

Great food with good ambience and an excellent customer service.

L. J.

This quirky style restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and offers lovely choices of drinks. The menu was a good choice, however, be careful for identifying allergies, as they do not list them all against their food choices. I had to return my meal due to lack of information.!!

A. S.

Excellent food,lovely waitress.

C. M.

Went for lunch on a Saturday. Quite busy, but the service was great and relatively quick. The atmosphere of the restaurant is really pleasant and nice. The main courses (hanging kebabs) were amazing. Unfortunately the three starters left a lot to be desired, as they were quite bland and tasteless. Very good place overall.

F.

Loved the interior, very tasty food menu, loved the selection of cocktails. Definitely would recommend

K.

Had a cocktail making class here for sisters hen party and it was amazing. All the staff were friendly and the two guys that "hosted" for us were brilliant. They kept it really fun and came up with some games to keep everyone entertained. We were a group of 16 at this point, and everyone has said it was the highlight of the day. The prices weren't stupid either, so we stayed for more drinks afterwards. Will happily go back here for food and drinks, and have been recommending it to my friends.

M. M.

Good food beer and staff . Always had a good time here

M. B.

Cool and quirky joint - I visited with a couple of friends in April and was impressed by the ambiance of the whole place. Good to see a decent selection of beers (the IPA I tried was excellent), and the menu had plenty of options. We had a "hanging-kebab-type-thing" - you'll know it when you see it. I've since recommended The Botanist to others planning to visit Reading.

T. v. T.

A night out with work turned out to be a good night. We preselected a reduced menu as were a big group. Very good beer selection and you can find some exciting cocktails. Food was good, but don't expect high gastronomic delights

S. N.

Newly opened, has a nice steam punk feeling and decor. More suited for groups than couples or singles.

e. m.

Food is outstanding but the service is very very slow on a Saturday night at 6.30. prices are very good too. can highly recommend the pork scratchings and apple ketchup, that was amazing and the crispy beef salad was also amazing and very filling. portion sizes are great too. only thing to let it down is the service.

M. S.

Wonderful staff and it's very fancy, however the price of the cocktails are extortionate for how much you get. The drinks are lovely, but it feels like I'm paying for the presentation of the drink, not for the actual drink itself.

C. B.

Was told that the hanging kebabs were tasty so I went for the lamb. It was pretty decent. The place is well refurbed with a relaxed vibe, although for a Thursday night it wasn't busy. They had a decent selection of cocktails, gins and craft beers. Have to give a strange call-out as the gents loos one of the nicest I think I've ever seen (even smelled nice!).

K. L.

Highly recommend this restaurant, we went for dinner last night and the place was packed. They had live music which was fantastic. The food was excellent and we really enjoyed the watering cans. We booked for 10 so had the private dining room, initially we were told we had to vacate by 10 but actually stayed all night in the end. They have plenty of staff who are all really helpful and on top of everything. Alex was our waiter and he was amazing. Only negative points were the people who I phoned to reserve the table with, completely incompetent and the doorman. Demanded we finished our drinks and leave, yet we were waiting to pay. Other than that top place!

S. E.

Good food, great atmosphere

G. D.

Drinks good, food mediocre. £3.50 for a side salad no bigger than the palm of your hand! Rotisserie chicken extremely dry, please add gravy as part of the meal if that is how you will always serve it. Though if that dry I won’t be buying again. Service good but they really do need more staff. Great for an experience but next time it will just be for drinks and the live music.

E. P.

Good cocktails, nice space but the service could be better (staff in Newcastle Botanist is so much faster and happy).

L. W.

We had a great night here. Waitress Keenta very friendly and helpful and looked after us lovely. All enjoyed our hanging kebabs although they seemed small. Service with food, drinks and cocktails all quick and good. Will come back.

K. D.

The atmosphere is great with the live music but still been able to have a conversation without shouting at each other. A lot of effort goes into the cocktails and they are very good. The food has such a variety that anything you order is well worth it. Looking forward to the next time.

P. B.

You must book here, we managed to get last available table at 6-30pm we were served quickly by smiling staff. They like other pubs Will have to close due to lockdown (shame)

K. L.

Friendly staff. Good atmosphere.

N. F.

Very unique place! I'm totally going back!

K. G.

Amazing food staff and setting

C. C.

Amazing staff and lovely food and drink. Thanks guys!!

R. V.

It’s pricy buuuut kinda worth it

M. E.

Friendly staff, covid safe, nice drinks and good food!

M. S.

Brilliant service, atmosphere and of course, drinks!

I. A.

Good food and music

M. M.

Enjoyed the hanging kebab...

K. C.

Great cocktails, good service for the most part and live music nearly every night. The live music is a bit hit and miss but generally quite pleasant. The cocktail selection of extensive and fancy, sure to provide social media picture fodder if that's what you're into.

A. G.

Cool decor, but I feel like it's quite expensive for what it is. The cocktails are cool! I would have given another star however I felt like they tried to rush my party out before we were finished. We were given the bill and asked to leave if we weren't getting anything else just as well were about to order more drinks!

S. S.

Had an amazing time at the botanist! Lovely food and just a lovely atmosphere 😊 me and my boyfriend go there often and it never fails to impress! Had such a lovely waiter called Alex such a lovely guy, very friendly and bubbly. Will defo be returning soon 😁😁 x

J. P.

Great atmosphere, great food. Known for their Hanging Kebabs, really tasty and a unique idea. Amazing drink selection (think craft ales, fancy cocktails with twigs and berries etc...) Staff are friendly and helpful, prices are average for the area and the quality of food is good. Recommend a visit for anyone looking for something a bit different in Reading (or any of their other branches if they are as good!)

D. C.

Great menu, nice surroundings. Amazing drinks menu for beer and gin too. Though some drinks are quite expensive, north of £11 for a single gin is pretty steep. Food was well priced with reasonable portion sizes

J. M.

Good. Better when they have live music.

R. R.

More of a cocktail bar with a restaurant than a pub. Nicely decorated with a garden, botanical theme. Expensive to drink here but they have Samuel Adam's on draught. Decent wine list and great if you like cocktails. Service can be slow if you're stuck behind someone ordering several cocktails.

1. H. d. R.

Not a fan. I've tried many times but service previously was a huge let down this time lack of air through the place left us wanting to leave.

G. P.

Nice place. Food looked nice but did not try it. Cocktails are very extravagant looking! Lots of dry ice effects and plant pots! A tad expensive with most beers over 5 quid! Live music every night which is a great touch.

M. G.

Came for a birthday meal with friends food was great. Service was Friendly & pretty good, even if waitress didn't know a question about the food she went and found out. Value wise for the food quality pretty damn good 5 mains & deserts & drinks £120 ish. On this night there was a live musician who was good but if I'm being totally honest a little too loud which made conversation difficult would recommend, WILL DEFINITELY go back.

M. L.

Delightfulness. The service is a bit slow, but worth the wait. Looking forward to trying the food next time I'm the UK.

S. R.

So happy to finally get seats here! Fun menus and an amazing cookie dessert

S. S.

Loved it, great asthetic and atmosphere. There was some live music and delicious cocktails!

M. H.

Decent restaurant food was good although my chicken burger was seriously over cooked

S. S.

First time we went, pretty dyer, we actually walked out. To our amazement the manager came running after us and invited us to return to experience the real Botanist. I must admit, the first time around they must have had some staffing problems because the second time was flawless. Amazing food, 9/10 cocktails and great service to boot. Would recommend. These boys know what's going on.

B. W.

We planned to visit the Botanist for some time now. The interior looks great, attentive staff and good atmosphere. Unfortunately whilst the food looked good, it lacked flavour....the description of the meals should have meant a treat in store. Basics like making Tempura batter....totally missed the mark. So the veggie tempura starter was more like pancake batter. Will I go visit again....unlikely.

C. C.

Very nice cocktails, lovely place and atmosphere

T. L. K. U.

Had a good meal here which was OK price wise. We fortunately were not too close to the live music which was a little loud if you wanted to hear yourself think. Although it was a Saturday night and maybe I'm getting old. The band was actually very good and cocktails were good tòo.

K. S.

Lovely food with pleasant atmosphere and friendly helpful staff,service...

M. D.

A pleasant evening with good food in a handy central location of Reading. Recommended.

P. L.

Busy branded bar/restaurant in the centre of Reading. Hybrid menu of fancied up classic pub dishes like pies and scotch eggs mixed in with quirky dishes like hanging kebabs and chicken and prawn gumbo. Live music on the night I was there with a group of colleagues in the form of a decent piano player banging out some great pop and classic tunes. Drinks menu huge with pretty cocktails and a huge range of beers and finds. Could have been a great experience if it haven't been let down by friendly but slow service and food that was good looking and tasty but in smallish portions and cold. Hence only 3 stars.

D. A.

Nice atmosphere. Make sure you order X2 of your cocktails, they are tasty but takes forever to make. Cocktails very delicious. Especially the one with chillies! Can be a bit cramped when its peak hour by the bar and hangout area. Friday 20.11.2017 was a great live band playing!

R. H.

Nice vibe and atmosphere, gets really busy on a Friday and Saturday nights though. Personally, I really like it mid-Sunday afternoon, quiet and I could listen and enjoy the live music. It's not the cheapest but I feel that the atmosphere makes up for that.

S. S.

Lovely atmosphere and really difference to most other local pubs. More of a bar with loads of style, often with a solo musician playing as back ground music but not at all old fashioned! Very trendy place to go, good range of drinks and food but pricey on the food menu for a pub.

M. G.

Good food. Good cocktails. Decent spirit selection. Amongst the best beer selection in Reading. Service wasn't great when we visited, but it's early days. I'm sure it will improve.

k. J.

A very indie feel to it, loved the music played acoustically set the feel and mood soon as you walk through the doors, quality drinks as first time here, taught me a mojito which I've been willing to learn for a long time, really fresh taste to the cocktail too.

M. N.

We visited on a Friday lunchtime. Found it rather noisy. The food was nice, and didn't take too long to arrive. Staff were friendly, but had split our group (only 8 of us) over 2 tables, and had to deal with it as 2 orders - this lack of flexibility made it all seem a bit forced. The prices are on the high side, over £10 for a main course seems too much for lunch

S. V.

very good service. very good food. very friendly staff. from the moment I walked through their front door I was looked after. oh, and good wine as well. If you are around Reading, this place definitely is worth a visit

C. W.

Went here for a meal on Saturday night with 9 others, it was busy which is a good sign, I felt that the service at the bar did not suffer because it was so busy. People were served quickly and everyone was having a good time. The food was good and everyone at the table got what they ordered, with no complaints from our party.

D. W. B. (.

Food was very nice, portion sizes were ok, extremely tasty; but we got a service tip added to the bill so didn't tip. They have amazing toilets though!

A.

I have a thoroughly enjoyed the food here, it is more restaurant quality than upper pub quality. Staff was very friendly, however, for families with small babies I do bot recommend as too many H&S risks in the decor

r. D.

Nice tasty food, great cocktails

L. S.

Brilliant food and drinks. The service is great too, everyone was very friendly!

N. L.

Went here for a Birthday meal and as we were a table of 10, we were given the function room. The drinks were superb (try the gin from the watering can), the food was delicious (hanging pork belly kebab) and the staff were very friendly. There was also a live band and that really added to the experience, it's about time Reading had an establishment like this. Well done to The Botanist!

A. M. P.

I absolutely love this place! Food is simply delicious, and it's heart warming to see so many veggie options! :) Also, staff is super friendly! I highly recommend this place and will be returning very soon myself.

N. T.

Unfortunately what they served up for dinner failed to meet expectations and despite sending it back still arrived, in my opinion , well below a satisfactory standard even for pub food. To be fair their service recovery was very good indeed. Just a shame they didn't get it right first time - there were 7 of us and perhaps the duck wasn't the best choice.

C. W.

Having spent a day sanding plaster and dressed like total Hobo's, my beau and I decided that drinking was the best course of action for an unwind. Despite our shabby attire and unwashed look (which, looking back, perfectly reflected the rustic 'garden' design) we found incredibly polite, efficient service, an energetic atmosphere and some delicious cocktails. Perfect unwind complete!

z. m.

Great vegan options and mocktails were the best I have ever had.

S. M.

Had lunch on the Botanist's opening weekend. The old Bank building is looking lovely, with both entrances open and seating outside on the square. Inside, the menus include beers and gins from all the most exotic parts of Britain (also other places), with some nice touches like cocktail-and-beer pairings and a good range of alcohol-free cocktails and beers. The food was good, with several veggie options in each part of the menu, and was served really fast. Staff were attentive, and seemed excited to be getting started. Looking forward to coming back to explore the gin list further.

D. H.

The cocktails in here are fantastic, big range of choice. The food has always been brilliant on my many visits! Staff and decor great too! Can't rate this place enough!

P. H.

Really good food. Friendly staff. The plant themed drinks are nice and different too, especially when smoke is coming out of the teapot drink! Always go here when we are in town. Could do with menu in a bigger font!

P. S.

Excellent pub Loved it and shall return

v. c.

Lovely atmosphere setting, food was great service was very good.

E. O.

Beautiful venue with a varied menu and a great selection of drinks, particularly cocktails and ales. The bar staff were friendly and accommodating and on both visits there was a busy vibe with an acoustic guitarist playing.

O. S.

Nice bar near Reading Broad Street. Good selection of beers, including award-winning Siren Craft beers. Good déco and atmosphere. Great addition to Reading bar scene.

A. N.

The place was buzzing on a Saturday night with live music which was actually quite decent. Aesthetically the place is quite pleasing as well. We only had drinks, which were great but the wait at the bar was endless... most were complaining about it being ultra slow but then it was quite busy. Look forward to trying it for a meal.

H. A.

A regular here, love it. Really good atmosphere, drinks are reasonable but sometimes there are not enough staff so a wait to be served can be expected. Good place though.

J. S.

Loved sampling classic British pub food done really well here. Their hanging kebabs area a speciality being enjoyed at many tables. What I didn’t appreciate was that they do a version of this for desert! I decided to go for the sticky toffee pudding (very hard to get where I live in the US) and it came served on a crepe brûlée base - haven’t seen that before! Will definitely return for another visit.

P. R.

Friendly staff that were so lovely the food was great and the atmosphere was also really good

M. M.

Nice enough food, but no better than many pubs. The chicken hanger was tasty, but was nothing more than grilled chicken, peppers and mushrooms with chips - certainly not something to write home about. I suspect they make it to be photographed (so I won't). However £6 for a small can of beer felt vey expensive. That takes it down from 4 stars to 3.

N. J.

Really lovely food and amazing decor. We were served by the nicest waiter and had a really nice evening.

I. C.

Nice Pub for after work drinks.

R. L.

Nice atmosphere, good music, too long waiting at the bar...needs people dedicated to making the cocktails and someone dedicated to pulling pints...ten minutes waiting to buy two pints at a relatively quiet point in the day is far too long. Also, serving cocktails in plant pots and Apple sauce in a miniature wheelbarrow is just poncy for the sake of being poncy...unlikely to return but can see it appealing to others.

J. B.

The tables are set apart from each other in separate areas which gave the restaurant a nice safe feel to it. The food was very tasty but the service was a little slow at times.

A. A. Q. F.

Great place to go with Friends or couple. Nice drinks and beers

D. C.

Food was amazing, ordered the baked camembert to share which practically finished us off before our mains arrived. Service was great, even though it was busy in the restaurant. Everybody was polite and the atmosphere was great.

j. b.

The food and the drinks are top notch. I really enjoy it but the service is consistently bad. 3 out of the 4 times I've been there's always been a problem. Furthermore, I've spoken to other people that experience the same problems. If they can sort out their service problems then I would highly recommend this place.

P. P.

Very nice relaxed vibe and staff very friendly

I. M.

Very impressed, friendly staff, good food, good deco, reasonable price....we had a good night. I would definitely go back.

M. S.

Brilliant service, atmosphere and of course, drinks!

H. S.

It was very busy when we went. Service was a bit slow and food all OK, nothing special. It felt a little like they were overwhelmed or understaffed. However our waitress was great when we saw her! I would go back as I've experienced other locations and they were great.

R. G.

went for a christmas dinner. Ordered the steak, was a tacky piece of meat - not very nice. Understand due to the busy period might have been hard to keep up with the demand but the food wasn't great.

D. B.

Went to The Botanist for a few drink with work colleges. The atmosphere was great and enjoyed the live music, would like to thank David for his great service and will defiantly be returning.

C. O.

Campaign for Separate beer/wine queue. The cocktails are great but being stuck waiting for 4 cocktails to be made when all you want is a beer should be disallowed :D. Lovely place and great service though.

B. B.

Such good food, so much choice. Vegan board was heavenly. The staff were amazing and really attentive.

D. P.

First time there, service was excellent, had the hanging kofta kebab...yummm!!

A. T.

Really nice place the food was great. Had some one with us on gluten free diet and this was no issue all items marked clearly on menu and also staff knowledgeable and helpful definitely recommend

m. g.

The botanist confuses me, the cocktails are not bad, not really a foodie place, not sure if its shabby or its its thing. Staff are engaging, but not that attentive, it feels slightly sticky and un-kept. Not a bad place at all, but it feels like it has a bit of an identity crisis. Feels old, but more haggered than classic

A. B.

Lively atmosphere for sunday lunch, which was of good quality. Service also good; automatically added to bill. Gr8 choice of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.

F. d. T.

Good vibe and environment. Great location. Some waiters have a bit of an attitude but the drinks were good and the barmen were super friendly and very quick

K. T.

Nice location, central to the heart of Reading, and lovely decor. The drinks are a bit expensive and when you are there during Happy House (5-7 pm) it takes a long time to get your drinks.

R. Y.

Excellent atmos, live music, venue and food. Tad exp...

M. E.

Looks great, good atmosphere, but hugely overpriced. They go for RyanAir pricing: the burger seems good value, but it's just a burger and a bun. Even the cheese is an added extra!

S. W.

Great atmosphere, & food, cocktails that smoke and steam!!! Awesome. Would be 5 star but a bit pricey. Make sure to book a day or two before.

J. H.

Came here after work for a few drinks. Friendly staff and great cocktails! Ordered the Thai Chilli Crush and loved it! Highly recommend this bar!

M. N.

Nice atmosphere at a decent price. Our waitress was very lovely and helpful

J. C.

Brilliant atmosphere.. brilliant selection of drinks

C. G.

The food was excellent so was the service and staff. Great live music, acoustic so not intrusive. The roast dinner I had just needed a few more vegetables

H. H.

Great food, great wine, great service

K. H.

Beautiful place, amazing food and fantastic cocktails. What more did I want? The staff were friendly and welcoming

K. h.

Great hanging kebab. Live music was a little loud but still great

K. G.

Amazing food staff and setting

N. W.

Food and service was great. Almost a bit too efficient as we weren't in there long! Not sure why the chefs have bellow out orders from the serving hatch though.

R. B.

Reasonable prices small portions

E. F.

My phone says I was there a week ago. Pretty sure I wasn't 😀, but I've been there several times and have always enjoyed the cocktails. Great staff, always busy.

B. P.

could be brilliant. great decor interestignand lovely drinks menu. havent sorted tge bar service yet. with too many floor walkers and not enough bartenders means you have a long wait.

D. C.

Fabulous decor, great atmosphere, friendly and efficient staff. Food was amazing!!! Will definitely return.

K. C.

Exceptional cocktails, will return soon

G. E.

Want to experience a new eating and drinking experience then head here. Great food served with a twist. Great live music. Went with a large party and all enjoyed.

A. P.

Lively place, but decor helps to create a cosy atmosphere. Good selection of drinks, some of them are a little pricy. There was live music when we visited which was great!

N. F.

Really great food, really great service. Fantastic atmosphere. Would definitely recommend and will be going back for another visit

s. r.

Service only average, most of food ok but the banana doughnut was just about the worst dessert I have ever tasted. Couldn't complain as no one checked, and after another member of the party had paid I went to have a quiet word but no member of staff on the floor

K. C.

We called to book for drinks and were told they don't accept group reservations only to turn up and find an area booked out. Service is slow and inconsistent but a nice job has been done of decoration and they have a great selection of craft beer and gin

J. -.

Interesting if over done cocktails, but taste for taste right. Good service from staff and decent food to suit. I recommend the pies. There is live music on the weekends which we enjoyed.

J. O.

My friend and I celebrated our birthdays with friends this evening - food was delicious and staff were amazing - we all had a great time - live music was excellent - thank you so much 👍😁

J. F.

Had our Staff Christmas Meal here; fantastic food, great and attentive service, and live music to boot. Highly recommended to all who want something a little more special for a night out

C. M.

Wow! Atmosphere and service is excellent. Also they have the best made cocktails I've ever had the chance to experience.

D. F.

Very nice place, food it’s ok staff very helpful as always, sometimes a bit wait for table service but overall nice place. I would still recommend to anyone :)

A. L.

Very friendly stsff, knowledgeable about the beers and cocktails. Very helpful and engaged with the customers without being pushy. Makes a change. Food mainly modern twist on traditional menus.

M. B.

Food was ok but pretty basic, just felt like it was one of those places that just churns through the cheques without caring enough about the quality of the food. The decor is novel and the selection of beer and drink was good.

M. C.

Amazing place to good food,great entertainment and helpful friendly staff, highly recommended,cant wait to go back again!a very well managed place all runs like clock work even when very busy.well dune all!

K. G.

It's an alright place and decent for a meal out with the family and they do provide highchairs for young children. Plus they have live music and the staff are all very friendly

L. P.

Great food especially the various kebabs and drinks

S. N.

Nice place. Decent cocktails. Live music was good. Was very busy on a Saturday night!

P. H.

Great cocktails, pricey but worth it for the atmosphere and the drinks! Live music the last time I went, and busy but great service at the bar too. Love this place!

M. E.

Friendly staff, covid safe, nice drinks and good food!

S. P.

Friendly staff amazing food the seasoned onion petals are a definite must try. Gin cocktails delicious. A definite hit. Will be going back xxxx

D. C.

Amazing food, great staff and all around atmosphere. Spent NYE here and had a wonderful time with great entertainment and a huge selection of in house created cocktails designed to wow

S. W.

Great atmosphere, love the decor. Very busy on a Friday night but bar staff are very friendly and more than capable.

D. L.

Beer is overpriced. Starters are good but main courses are not worth the fuss. There are plenty of better places to eat in Reading that cost less.

E. B.

Great vibe with live music and good food. The only downside was waiting time to be served at the bar... felt like forever!

S. O.

The food was really good but overpriced. Also the reason no one else does hanging kebabs is because by the time you get it it's cold. Thank goodness for gravy.

S. D.

Fantastic food, fantastic atmosphere. I took a work colleague from Switzerland for dinner. There was a live singer. Very impressed

s. b.

Well this was a surprise and a good one. Based on gardening and horticulture with cocktails in plant pots which tasted absolutely amazing. Next time might have time for food thank you

N. F.

Very unique place! I'm totally going back!

J. W.

Nice decor and atmosphere, good cocktails and decent size food menu. Would recommend trying the crispy beef salad and have a look at the extensive ybe menu

S. I.

Always a good atmosphere here, had live singers who added to the ambiance. Good cocktails and service.

G. R.

Nice. Good selection of beers.

S. R.

Amazing atmosphere ,best in reading

A. W.

Nice place, very popular. Food was delicious, hanging kebabs are great fun. Quite noisy when busy. Staff very helpful and efficient.

G. M.

Pleasant place, food was well cooked but not excellent for the price. Beer was warm and they couldn't find a cold one.

E. M.

Love the place itself and the menu is amazing. It is maybe a bit too loud for me sometimes, but it's worth it

J. B.

Food was ok, service was good but the food took a long while to come out, (despite the place being empty!) Gluten free options were also fairly none existent!

M. P.

Love the food, drinks & atmosphere. Staff are do very friendly too

S. R.

Good cocktails, service can be slow at peak times if you just fancy a beer because of the cocktails however the cocktails are excellent and the staff are friendly.

A. G.

Bar service exceedingly slow. Food was above average for pub grub but honestly if you're not a "here! here! here! serve me first!!!" Kind of person you'll wait, and wait, and wait for service.

D. M.

Lively and noisy. Not a place to go to if you want a quiet talk. However food and service was good. Large selection of beers and wines.

M. H.

Nice place with good food selection but a bit pricey and very noisy at nite with loud blaring music. Reservation recommended. No parking as it's in the town centre. Park at Oracle car park and about ten minutes walk.

V. w. A.

Very nice upmarket place to go for cocktails and drinks in general. Decor and overall atmosphere is very pleasant.

C. K.

Really friendly and professional staff! The food is great. Would definitely recommend

J. H.

The cocktail I had wasn't bad. My friend had a couple of beers in a row which were a bit off though - took the first one back and just left the second one.

P. W.

Great cocktails, lovely garden decor. We enjoyed happy hour. Complex cocktails with herb themes.

S. W.

Nice place. Food was quick. Overpriced for the quality as is most of Reading. Will go again. I can only say that for 1 other place in Reading so far!

S. J.

Amazing cocktails, worth a visit for those alone

P. M.

Awesome place. Great cocktails, cool location and really fun presentation. What's not to like!

J. K.

Nice menu, good cocktails. Staff very friendly.

A. G.

Great service. Nicest gin craft I've ever had. Food was perfect with excellent presentation and all reasonable prices 👍👍

A. C. -. M.

Great food and staff, easy to order and feels safe enough during the pandemic

K. H.

Food was fantastic, great live music on a wet Sunday afternoon the only downside was the service sucked !!

S. R.

Nice atmosphere and staff friendly. Service a bit slow considering they weren’t busy and portion sizes small considering price.

J. W.

This place is awesome - if a bit expensive. Hanging kebabs are great. Try to sit away from the live music on Friday nights if you want to talk.

R. A. D.

Food was great, drinks were even better... the music however was a bit over powering instead of simple background music

D. J.

Amazing place! Food was lovely and cocktails are brill.

K. K.

Great food and brilliant service. Had a lovely late lunch in there and was very nice vibe

A. G.

Great food & cocktails! Service can be a little slow at times due to how popular this place is.

R. B.

Great atmosphere lovely food killer cocktails plus excellent live music. Definitely 5 out of 5

E. R.

Great atmosphere with live music, quirky engaging interior combined with great food, lovely friendly service and reasonably priced drinks. A real winner, would highly recommend!

A. K.

The place has a nice ambiance and the food is nice. Though as we were eating the music was too loud.

M. M.

Absolutely love the place. Great atmosphere on Friday and Saturday nights. Drinks are quirky and affordable.

G. W.

Came here for my work leaving meal, and was disappointed that there was no dry ice and had ran out of some of the desserts. Would of been a 5 start visit otherwise, just happened to the the things I went for.

M. E.

Well furnished venue, good atmosphere, decent live music. Shame the bar staff are a bit slow though.

J. P.

Decent place, few bevs! Recommend a stop!

L. D.

I went on 28th Dec which was a quite evening. They had an acoustic duo playing and the atmosphere was quite chilled.

T. A.

Had a couple of beers and a crazy kebab to scoff. Delicious and delicious. Live music was pretty good too.

S. C.

Brilliant cocktails and great food, but difficult to find a table because everyone else loves it too.

B. B.

Nice bar with good drinks and very helpful and pleasant staff.

E. S.

Amazing, only issue is overpriced drinks but cocktails, food, staff and decor are outstanding, very eccentric, I love it

M. G.

Attended a cocktail making session, the staff were great. The bar snacks were tasty too.

J. H.

I went for a Sunday roast with some friends. Amazing food, a lovely setting, and friendly staff. Well worth the money!

A. W.

Really nice restaurant and beautifully decorated interior. Food is nice and staff friendly. Recommended

W. P.

Loved the decor and friendly staff but after eating the breakfast that I had here I started to feel unwell a little😕

L. W.

Quite expensive for the food quality, small portions, and slow service. Decor, music and cocktails are very good!

I. M.

Very creative cocktails at reasonable price!

G. J.

Bit expensive.... Bit slow this eve with most things.... But friendly and polite staff. Food was good.

J.

Didn't stay long but did enjoy it all the same. Good live music. Nice atmosphere.

V. W.

I love everything about this place. Food is amazing, atmosphere and service are great. It definitely is an experience and I can highly recommend it.

R. V.

It’s pricy buuuut kinda worth it

T. R.

Nice atmosphere and decor, really good food, although the portion sizes are small and it's not cheap!

L. C.

Always seem fully booked on a weekend. They do have benches on the right for walk ins. Nice food and good value boards.

V. S.

Slightly expensive bar with great cocktails and live music. Haven't have a chance to try the food but they liked nice.

J. B.

Not to my taste as I'm a real ale drinker. Ok decor. Quite expensive. I do understand why it should be busy but not for me.

C. D. (.

Lovely chicken kebabs

D. B.

Really nice place with live music on a friday evening... Don't go so it isnt too busy next time I do and I can stand/sit near the front ;)

M. T.

Lovely staff and great cocktails would highly recommend :)

K. L.

Friendly staff. Good atmosphere.

A. R.

Only 2 bar staff so service was a bit slow. Nice atmosphere and well presented.

L. W.

Food its amazing,staff nice and friendly. Good selection of wine

C. W.

Great food and drink. Only downside is that the eating area is next to the bar so it's very noisy.

C. S.

Excellent atmosphere very good customer service. Enjoyed the food nice selection of vegetarian and vegan.

C. M.

Nice place. Good atmosphere. But always busy so you can sometimes feel like a sardine

S. P.

Pretty good, had better had worse, nice vibe and friendly staff. Food was just ok , go for the drinks.

R. M.

Love the decor inside, its very well done and the theme is consistent. The service is great and the drinks are very good as well :)

M. S.

Portion sizes could be better for our liking but food was lovely. Nice selection of drinks.

M. M.

Nice food. Vintage look. The staff is friendly

W. S.

Excellent food, atmosphere and decor. Love the little quirks like the cocktails in plant pots and sauce in little watering cans.

O. H.

Amazing cocktails and the food was great. We had a great waitress who made the experience.

m. h.

Good food good atmosphere bit annoyed about the service charge quietly added to all bills but oh well.

S. D.

Cool venue and general atmosphere but overpriced drinks that were predominantly ice

A. B.

Lovely meal out, had a full three courses. All delicious but the cookie dough dessert was to die for!

S. B.

The long drink I had was lovely, food good choice, next time I will ask for plain bread as I couldn't taste the mackerel pate over the spicy bread.

L. Ķ.

Good food, good cocktails and great service! A little on the pricey side but good all the same.

A. S.

Great food, drink and atmosphere. A bit slow to get the bill at the end.

M. S.

Great bar with nice drinks.

M. M.

Great experience with Luke on cocktail making. Very friendly staff from manager to waitresses.

h. t.

Fantastic good, great drinks fabulous staff

P. S.

Food absolutely delicious & lots of it, for the price. Staff very good.

A. M.

Really tasty food, well presented and at a reasonable price. Love to decor in there too.

A. B.

Lovely food apart from the hiccup with deserts. ..sticky toffee pudding should never be served cold. ....

T. O.

Nice atmosphere, staff seemed nice and it's was a great place to come and relax with the girlfriend and have a drink

L. W. F.

really great service and the food especially the baked camembert was awesome

J. B.

No staff at the bar, glasses were badly water marked. Good atmosphere, good booze.

S. M.

Met the nicest bouncer who was Asian. He was fuxckinf great and nice and kind and incredibly helpful. I hope he gets a payrise cause he was completly amazing, otherwise I will complain

M. A.

The best restaurant in Reading. atmosphere, music and excellent service. The food is great experiences.

D. O.

Lovely restaurant. Good food and a great cocktail bar with very attentive bar staff

C. B.

The decor is quirky, the drinks are fab. Another unique gem you have to visit.

A. H.

Yummy cocktails and good atmosphere. Not cheap though so expect to pay more than you would at Be At One.

A. G.

Good drinks and cocktails. Nice pleace to relax with live music. Staff unorganised unfortunately

J. K.

Not cheap, but really nice, great for a special occasion, or a treat. Quality (and delicious) cocktails.

A. M.

Absolutely fab, loved everything about it. The food, drinks menus, atmosphere and staff. Totally recommend

N. C.

Brilliantly presented cocktails

G.

Awesome food and service. The hostess ( very tall lady ) is extremely welcoming .

R. C.

5/5 FSA rating as of 28/03/2019. Interesting drinks and food. Would come back to try more again.

S. S.

Fine, but too packed for my liking, given the current situation. Social distancing was challenging.

D. R.

Great cocktails but takes too long to get served. Very busy

I.

Beautifully decorated, attentive waitress and lovely food. Would highly recommend

D. S.

Nice bar but not much seating unless you are planning to eat

G. M.

Really good food but the tables are quiet close and the music is a bit too loud to hold a conversation

E. A.

Absolutely amazing food and such cool, unusual drinks!

M. C.

Fantastic place for both drinks and food, little on the pricy side but that makes up for the quality of the establishment and the drinks are to die for :)

R. O.

Lovely atmosphere and decent food menu. Pleasant place, with live music.

J. W.

Loved it! Good food, great atmosphere would definetly visit again.

M. D.

Excellent place with great service and delicious food. I would definitely recommend 😊

R. H.

Good atmosphere, great drinks and staff friendly.

R. M.

Good restaurant, quite noisy if there is a special event organized; To be taken into account depending on what you want

K. D.

Friendly fast service, great decor and interesting selection of drinks, not too busy either.

S. W.

Great drinks, great food, awesome staff, even when understaffed they pull it out the bag 🤘

L. B.

Food was very good, but service could have been better

B.

Good service as always, no fuss with a very aesthetic and atmospheric vibe, the live music is always good and the facilities are generally clean

M. C.

Great place. Good food and service from Thomas and Kasia. Thanks for the great night

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