I visited The Botanist, earlier this year, and have noticed a huge decline in their huge standards, in terms of taste and safety. I've always noticed the standards at The Botanist on Deansgate in terms of food quality and service to be much lesser than their other locations, but it seems to have continued its period of decline. On a recent visit, I ordered the Hanging Kebab with Chicken and Chorizo, and I ended up having to send the food back, this is because the food arrived lukewarm, and after cutting into the chicken, I realised it was pink. I originally thought it could have been from the chorizo on the kebab, but I just felt rather uneasy, after cutting into it further, and it was obviously raw. After bringing this to the attention of the team, they dealt with it promptly, and sent a manager over and promised to have a new meal on the go, ready in a couple of minutes, I thought that was the end of it, but sadly the chicken came out pink a second time again, while the food was hot, it seems they have the inability to cook the hanging kebabs all the way through. The chorizo was also rock solid on the second portion, and cooked poorly. I was disappointed that neither the manager nor the service team returned to my table to check everything was okay with the dish, knowing I had experienced issues previously. The prices seem also slightly high for glorified bar food, especially after the discontinuation of their loyalty scheme. 2* - The cocktails and alcoholic drinks section are cool, I wouldn't visit for anything other than drinks in the future. read more

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We were looking for a place near our hotel to eat and came across the Botanist. I'm not sure if this is the case for many establishments in the UK but they don't allow football shirts to be worn by patrons. Having come straight from the Manchester United game, I was forced to keep my jacket on during our meal which was a little unpleasant since the restaurant can get a little toasty. I thought this restaurant would be lenient since we were in the dining area and not the bar area but it was to no avail. The vibe of this place is pretty cool. There's a patio area that people can sit and mingle in. There's a spacious bar area where people can congregate and there's also a decent-sized restaurant area where all of the tables are located for diners. Music was playing the entire time we were there and it's interesting to hear how much American music was played. We ordered the famous hanging kebab and I got the lamb kofta which also comes with seasoned chips. Personally, I think the hanging kebab is more of a novelty. It's pretty cool to have your kebab just hanging for you to pluck but in terms of price and what you're getting, I think it's just average. You're definitely paying for your food to be hung that is cool to snap for social media. While I thought the pieces of lamb were prepared well, I thought the dish was lacking something to pair with the meat and I'm not quite sure the seasoned chips do the trick. While the chips are good, I was hoping for something more. At the end of the day, it's pretty cool to have a hanging kebab. It's more about the experience here at the Botanist. read more

The Botanist - Lamb kofta - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

I've been here a couple times and it never disappoints. If you want a delicious tasting mixed drink this place does it right! Fresh herbs and fruit make some potent and refreshing beverages. The Botanist has plenty of bar space, comfortable seating inside, and a nice patio area. The bar has a comfortable warm feeling, one can easily relax here for an evening out. read more

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Not only did we get 50% off but there was a gin festival on. What a pleasant surprise! We got to sample lots of local gins, and for free. Win win! I've eaten at the botanist on several occasions, at various locations and I've always found the food to be tasty and the venues are charming. I love the quirky decor and ambient lighting. This particular location is very well situated in central Manchester. The bars well stocked and the staff friendly. I went for the hanging halloumi kebab and it was delicious. The novelty of it all is good fun! I also took advantage of the buy one get one free drinks offer with a couple of G&T's, I ordered one of the brands I'd sampled. Overall a great night out. read more

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So this is the latest offering by the guys that brought you the Oast House in spinningfields, The Botanist takes over the venue on Deasngate that was occupied by Label. After being trendily refurbed and kitted out ( the bar not me!) i ventured here on a Wednesday evening. It was surprisingly busy for a mid week night but it was well received as it gave the place a nice buzz. They have live music on a Wed which is always a welcome treat and we had the chance of some good music a background to our meal. Food all freshly cooked so they can change something that you cant eat - on of our group opted for an avacado salad which is normally served with stilton but they did it without the cheese at her request. i opted for the half roast peri peri chicken and seasoned chips with house salad. Was presented in a cute wooden sage box and was tasty. Chicken wasn't dry and salad wasn't drowned in dressing both good things in my book! They do the most unusual range if cocktails with herbs featuring in most - not your normal cocktail but i think you need to push the boat out and give them a go- chilli and chive martini bring it on! read more

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Popped into the Botanist for a meeting and then followed it with a drink with a friend. It's a great little bar that's obviously had a lot of thought put into it and is a lot more spacious than their Alderley Edge branch. The staff were really friendly and knew their stuff, helping my friend pick out a mojito from a number of different types that they do and on close inspection the beer selection is a good mix of lagers that you'd expect to find with a really good range of ales from local and still close to home breweries. Their Blackjack one was excellent! There's a restaurant in the back and a lovely outdoor/indoor courtyard out front - a cool place to hang out on Deansgate. read more

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Came here on a Thursday night and really enjoyed it. The decor inside is like a garden theme and rather pretty, with wooden tables and greenery. It was rather busy but the host at the front desk seemed a bit all over the place and didn't know who was waiting for a table, so took quite a while to be seated. It's the sister bar of The Oast House and so has the same menu- I didn't try the cocktails but I hear they're supposed to be good. Had a cider, one of the deli boards to share, with poached salmon, pomegranate cous cous, Brie and bean salad. Had to get the hanging kebabs, it's what they're known for. Ordered the chicken kebab, which was great and comes with a bowl of chips beneath it. All the food is great and reasonably priced. Lovely atmosphere and there was live music later on- two fellas on guitars who were really good. read more

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Once again I find myself having had one two many wines on a school evening - with only two of the party left we headed to the botanist for a cocktail and decided ordering some food would also be a good idea. We only went for a few small plates to accompany our fruity drinks (i'm terrible remembering the names... there was too many options to choose from!) Our order did take a while as we perused the menu stood at the bar and this place was fairly quiet so we got a few recommendations from the bar staff too! We soon took a seat in the front entrance which has big sliding doors to let some fresh air in and more light. Tastefully decorated this place is very fairytale with the a woodland feel. We were slightly put off by how quickly the food was served (it must have been minutes!) however it was tasty. We shared a little plate of pork crackling and some cheesy chips. The crackling was great - not hard enough to break your teeth and served with a little watering can of apple sauce. The cheesy chips arrived slightly after (we did order at the same time however on separate bills so this might have had something to do with it!) The chips themselves were good but I wasn't as sold on the cheesy part which wasn't evenly spread with the chips being in an upright basket. I wouldn't order them again however thee main menu looked good! I'll be back to try the food properly so watch this space! read more

The Botanist - I think mine (right) was the cosmopolitan! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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The location is very good The design is beautiful perfect and different from the bars around Our bar tender was on his own (Tom) and we felt pitiful for him because we ordered cocktails and they weren't easy to make the manager came "help him out" but she didn't know how to make anything, we really thought that was kinda underwhelming from someone with that position but Tom was amazing super positive and such a sweetheart We will comeback The Botanist cocktail is delicious read more

I really like the Botanist. I've never visited one before so was looking forward to seeing it. Was very impressed with the fit out of the place. I met some professional contacts for dinner, having met at a networking do before Christmas. I was the second person there, and the host showed me to the table when I told her the name it was booked under. Nice start. In case I haven't mentioned, I'm on Dry January, so had to go for a non-alcoholic option. They had a very good selection and was hard to choose, but went for the Grape Raspberry and Elderflower Cooler. At some point I'd like to try the chocolate milk. My companions were drinking beer, although I couldn't tell you what. Food wise, I went for a burger. It was a very good burger indeed, and very nicely presented. My companions both went for the kebabs - one chicken and one halloumi and both seemed satisfied. For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse, and it was very nice and a good size portion, which makes a change from the usual small mousses restaurants usually serve. Price wise, it is very reasonable. The only reason I haven't gone for a 5* is because I haven't tried the alcoholic cocktails and/or wine. They seemed to have a good selection of both. Once February is here and I am able to have a normal social life, I shall be back and then update the rating as necessary. read more

The Botanist - Non alcoholic options - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Visited the Botanist for drinks before but never food, until last night that was, I do love the atmosphere of The Botanist, the live music is fantastic. Our table was booked for 8pm but wasn't ready until 8:20pm, being seated later than expected wasn't a trouble however 7 of us were crammed onto quite a small table, I did ask to move but they were too busy. Me & my friend shared two starters, the Scotch Egg - HUGHLY recommend. The second being mini Chipolata Sausages with a honey & mustard dip, nice but just a standard sausage. I did try a little Humus too, I thought it lacked flavour. Main I had the obvious choice, Hanging Chicken Kebab with garlic butter. It really is just chicken cubes with a few bits of vegetables with a bowl of chips at the bottom, it was OK. I tried my friends couscous that came with the Holloumi - I wish I had picked the couscous and not the chips it was delicious! Cocktail wise the Strawberry & Cucumber Breeze was very nice (Gin based). I probably wouldn't rush back for food, it was nice but there is definitely better. read more

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Sister pub to the Oast House and you can really see that with the style of the place and the food. That is a plus in my book as the food and look of the Oast House is where it shines! In fact the decor is very pretty with attractive white painted furniture, (mildly) distressed white walls and big ferns. There's funky chandeliers made up of coloured glass decanters and lots of cute drawings in the menus. It's a pretty slick operation but undeniably effective. The crowd is the same as the Oast House too. I was at their first ever pub quiz on Sunday. Free to enter and £50 bar tab for the winners. It's going to be a monthly event and was very popular with 21 teams taking part! This caused teething problems as the quiz started at 8 and the winners were announced at quarter to 11 when most of our team had already left to get Sunday service buses and trams home. Plus only first, second and last place were announced and no correct answers given for the same reason which was a bit disappointing. But, like I said its only their first and they did apologise. It was actually a fun quiz with a "beer tasting" round, an origami round and a memory round along with the usual. Plus 2 music rounds making good use of their resident pianist. In fact there's live music every night and a singalong every Thursday (same as somewhere mentioned above)! Although we were having a mini singalong Sunday at our table :) only quietly though, respecting the live pianist/singer man! If he will insist on playing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" he can't be surprised! There's a really really tempting cocktail menu but sadly I was driving so just had the one virgin one. They still made the effort though, with crushed violets and jasmine syrup so it tasted like Parma Violets. I'm also keen to eat there as it all looked good from what I saw. One negative thing is the pretty little stools in the bar area are annoying! They're height adjustable but not well designed as this seems to make them all wobbly. It's probably good for your core muscles but I felt like I was sliding off all night and had to keep moving myself back. Plus there's only a small little foot rest on the front of maybe 30cm so you have to find that before you climb on. We all agreed we'd get a table with proper chairs next time! If I'm on the Deansgate strip I'll be going to the Botanist. read more

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We went to The Botanist in Alderley Edge over summer whilst house hunting, and despite it being a rushed affair, was pretty enjoyable. Stuck for somewhere to go on Saturday after a bit of Christmas shopping then, we were glad to remember this little place had recently popped up on Deansgate. Nestled between a Whetherspoons and a few other questionable establishments, it was nice to see the door staff making some effort to control who was entering (no baseball caps etc). The place was busy, but a promise we'd be quick meant they found us a table where we could enjoy some refreshments before the long walk back to Castlefield. The menu is virtually identical to Alderley Edge, which isn't a problem as such, and we opted to share a number of small dishes rather than trying the main courses. The drinks selection is good, but I'll need to be cautious of returning with Victoria now she has a taste for their Strawberry Bellini's! An equally extensive beer menu means you could easily spend an afternoon on a global tasting here, but I opted for something closer to home with the Innis & Gunn Rum Finish - one of my favourites. So the food... salty, peppery chicken wings in a cute little basket - delicious coating, superfluous BBQ sauce. Funky little garden pate setup with a flower pot of pate, a wheelbarrow of chutney, and a good chunk of bread on the side - my only gripe is the bread isn't best suited to spreading a good chunk of meat paste and jam on... Scotch eggs - runny yolk, juicy meat, crispy crumb mmmmm! And finally a rarebit fondue. Nice concept again, good selection of dippy bits, but the fondue itself was a bit slack to get a good scoop of. Overall, really happy with this place. The live music was a nice little touch as well. Will definitely be back. read more

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The Botanist is a funny old place. I had previously been to it's sister bar in Leeds and I remember feeling impressed with it so when I found out there was one in Manchester I decided that it was a must visit. The only problem wit my previous visit is that it was about four years and in four years the cocktail/bar scene has dramatically changed and quirky places like The Botanist have become the norm. That's the feeling I got towards The Botanist - it hasn't really changed with the times to make it stand out from the rest. Decor wise, it's a natural theme as you'd expect. In terms of drinks their cocktail menu was vast and they had cask ales ready to serve from the barrel as well as plenty on tap including old favourites like Sam Adams. I visited on a Tuesday night and like neighbouring bars it was quiet. The bar staff served us quickly and we had a wee laugh together when we mistakenly tipped them 200%! We saw people eating food and it looked great - I'd definitely be up for giving it a go in the future. There's a great outside smoking area that allows you to watch the people of Deansgate go by! To conclude, I didn't feel like the Botanist was anything special but if you're looking for a cocktail in unusual surrounding pop in here! read more

So I'm a bit meh about here. I'm not keen on here maybe its the crowd that are here or maybe it because ita bit too posy for me. Can't put my finger on it. Ther drinks are good and the dacor is lovely. What I'm saying really is if you fancy it try it, you might like it here but I don't. read more

I are here a few weeks ago. It was the mode of the week yet the bar was banging! Live music too. The bar area was a bit loud for proper conversation but we moved on to the restaurant where it flowed. My boyfriend ordered steak and ale pie - probably the best looking pie and mash I have ever seen in my life - taste to match. I had a lovely and once again healthy option of chicken and feta salad - the presentation was fabulous! read more

The Botanist - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

A 40% off all food deal enticed me to book a table for 3 at The Botanist when a friend from the US came to visit. I have eaten at a few LV restaurants and am never blown away by the food (except for Australasia) but thought I'd give it a go. The decor in the restaurant is great - very well fitted out, it is cozy and truly reflects the botanist name. The menu is interesting but slightly odd with traditional English fare next to Malaysian curries and cheese boards. I'm not entirely sure this works in their favour as it means no style of cuisine is mastered. It took over 20 minutes for our drinks to arrive and we had to ask for tap water 3 times before it finally came. Slightly disappointing and the excuse of 'we have run out of some of the ingredients' wasn't the best thing to be told. Anyway we were served our tasting board that we had decided to share - excellent hummus, 2 types of cheese and olives. As per always there wasn't enough bread but the food was tasty. I had the steak and stout pie with chips and mushy peas for main. The pie was good although the pastry was a bit limp. The chips were over seasoned unfortunately. It was good but not the greatest pie ever. The highlight was the live music playing in the bar area that was pumped into the restaurant speakers. The staff were friendly but quite slow and clearly not dealing with the busy Wednesday night. Overall the experience was good and better than I expected. read more

We only popped in for a drink on a school night, so it wasn't too busy. I've passed on a Saturday night and it's been heaving so I probably wouldn't chance it at the weekend. The decor was cosy and the lighting/tunes a big hit! Anywhere that plays the Beatles twice in less than an hour is a hit for me! The cocktail menu is thicker than the book I'm currently reading, the staff seemed to be very knowledgable in their craft, although not particularly friendly! I opted for a glass of wine, but the Chablis is not good. It tasted like dish water. But the atmosphere was great, so I'd like to come back for food! I'll update the review once I do. read more

The Botanist - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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I loved this place! I had the hanging chicken kebab which was cooked perfectly. You can tell it's part of the oast House family, but personally I prefer the food and service here so I definitely be returning. read more

The Botanist - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Well, happy birthday to me. A meal out with the folks, who were heading into Manchester from East Lancashire, so I selected this venue for a few reasons. I was really impressed with the beer choice at it's sister restaurant, Oast House in Spinningfields, and after a quick pint tastrer previously, I confirmed it was indeed a very good selection of beers and they tasted great too. Essential as my dad is very much a Camra type. Well, and I like good ale also. Something in the family perhaps? It's also handily close to the Witch Express / X43 bus stop which they needed to get home. And I think new places are worth checking out - especially when they've gone to the effort of spending a lot on a refurb. I also hoped that this venue would be quieter than Oast House - reliably noisey. There's various different sections, front of house / bar area, and the main eating area which had a garden house feel to it. My mum (and me) were impressed. We had a starter to share, and then selected hanging kebabs for the main. These were popular amongst many of the other patrons. I think perhaps if there was a slightly wider menu choice my parents may have picked something else, but they were eaten without complaint. I went with Lamb tagine with (an extra) side of veg. For the price, I think this could have been included. Though, obviously with the Deansgate location it's going to be middling to pricey. I liked the venue, beer and food, and would have probably given it 4, but towards the middle of the meal, the music got too loud. The music itself was a live acoustic covers artist who was fine & inoffensive enough, but when you're eating you generally want to talk to the people your with. It wasn't ear blasting loud. But for me, just a bit too loud. I'm sure many would say this is my common comment on a lot of venues, and given it was my birthday comments on me getting too old are welcome, but too old to go to clubs? Sure. But to eat out? Hmm. Anyways I would certainly go back again. And then end of Deansgate doesn't have much in the way of quality places. Especially quality ale places if you rule out the Weatherspoons a couple of doors down - which I generally do. read more

Off to a rocky start in the Botanist when the host couldn't find my booking (confirmed by text and email) and then I was waiting at a very quiet bar for about 10 minutes. I decided to go for the Bloody Porcini - Bloody Mary is one of my favourite cocktails and a little mushroom twist I thought would be perfect. However, I really did not like this cocktail at all, and neither did my friend and between us we'd drink pretty much anything. Something about the tomato/lime combo seemed way too sweet, it was unfortunately basically undrinkable. The staff were extremely nice about it, the made another but decided it tasted the same so offered me a free alternative. Given they'd already wasted a lot of alcohol I opted out and ordered wine instead, enjoying the Il Banchetto Ross (it's very sweet btw if you don't like sweet wines). I was really impressed by the efforts they made to deal with my complaint, which I was pretty embarrassed to make but they were so nice about it. Food was great, the flattened rump was tasty and the garlicky chips sensational: all chips should taste like that. The price is on the right side of £15 and a few mains are around the £10 mark which I think is exactly right for this kind of place. Meanwhile the decor is lovely and the live music (Sting!) highly enjoyable. It was full on a Tuesday night and I would echo the concerns of others that Fri/Sat could be a bit miserable, but for somewhere bustling midweek it's ideal. read more

The service here is brilliant! We came in January when they had the 40% discount, it was really busy but the staff were great and made sure we were served quickly. The hanging kebabs were really yummy and I had the banana kebab for dessert (don't leave without trying this one or the strawberry version!). The bar is a great addition to Deansgate. Very glad it's just around the corner :) read more

I wasn't expecting to be as impressed with this place as I was actually... It was one of those quick decisions to go that was taken out of my hands. My friend had got a discount voucher and had booked the table weeks before meeting up in Manchester for our girlie lunch date. I had briefly looked at the website for which I was very impressed, good start... when we arrived I was instantly hit with the distinctive décor and fantastic atmosphere and mood of the place. The tables were very crammed in however and I think we did get an unlucky spot as were had to almost climb over each other to leave the table! Once seated we had very attentive staff take our drinks order, we went for a bottle of the Trebbiano which was stunning and at a very reasonable price. Shortly after we ordered starters and mains both of which arrived promptly, fab sized portions and with cheeky and quirky additions to the presentation. The quality of the food was excellent, tasty and no sign of bottle sauces or under seasoning, this was a busy Saturday afternoon. My calamari was fab, crunchy and varied rather than just the squid rings, I followed it with Piri Piri Chicken and chips which was juicy and tasty with the sauce on the side in a mini bottle. Just wish we had more time to stay for pudding and more drinks as I would love to try the cocktails! The food is well priced and with our discount voucher... excellent value.. however the drinks were pricey... but this is Deansgate! Loved the live music and general awesome atmosphere it really made my day! read more

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It is always busy. So I booked a table. We ordered Calamari as starter and mains are beef kebab and lamb tagine which I don't recommend with 3 cocktails. read more

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We visited The Botanist for their "Beauty & The Beer" event which was amazing. If you have the chance to attend a beer tasting here, definately grab the chance. They do an amazing selection of beers far beyond the usual and typical and also provide you with interesting back stories and information of each of the beers - a great way to discovering some new beers and widening your horizon. In terms of the food I only tasted a lovely platter of snackfood including great breads, cheeses pates and salmon that they put out for the event but out of that all was delicious and once again it had some of that special touch that puts it ahead of the ordinary. For the beauty part of the event they went all out with MUA from Dior, a hairdresser, nail artists etc. Everybody looked absolutely stunning and it was great fun to connect getting dolled up to the nines with some great beer. Amazing idea for an event. Should they do an event like this again I am there! Next time though I will plan a night out after, to make proper use next time of being dolled up that amazingly! read more

Not being from the UK, I was pretty amazed by all the restaurants offering 50% off of all food for the month of January. It really makes sense, after the Holidays I imagine restaurants are slow as everyone's on a diet and not spending money so this is a great way to get people in. Of course alcohol isn't 50% off and we really didn't need 4 bottles of wine between 5 people on a Thursday night but hey the bill still wasn't that expensive. Now this is a neat place, I loved the vibe when you walked and the food was fabulous. To start I had the salt & pepper onion petals and they were delicious, I was thinking they'd come out as a big fried onion like you get at the Outback Steakhouse in the US but these were slightly breaded so you could really taste the soft grilled onion. For dinner I personally had a board where you could choose 4 things out of several meats, cheeses and sides. My board consisted of the Hummus, Home Dried Tomatoes, Four Bean Salad and the Poached Salmon Fillet. I wasn't keen on the salmon, I like salmon either hot and cooked or raw in sushi, having a cooked piece that was cold was a little strange for me so I didn't finish that. The board came with Turkish flatbread that went great with the hummus and it was a type of bread that I'd never had before, it was a good sized portion also. This board was great for dinner for me but you could easily get 1 or 2 of these as an appetizer for a group. The presentation of the food here was really neat. My cousin had the fish and chips which came out in a wooden box, my other cousins had the hanging kebabs and the server poured the sauce down the prawns and vegetable's when she brought them to the table. One of their husbands had the scampi & chips and it came out in a cute little basket. Fabulous food, good wine, great prices even if you're there when a 50% discount isn't taking place, wonderful service, nice atmosphere and I thought the bathrooms were pretty neat also! read more

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Great mixology and one of a kind cocktails with a menu rivaling any major city. Food was very good and presentations were creative. Service was good but a bit slow, however they kindly apologized for the delay. I'd definitely go back. read more

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I like the Botanist, it's one of the few chains that I would head to by choice. The decor is pleasant, like you're an old little green house (I get that that's the point, don't worry) with little tiles, wood, and really rather pretty light fittings. I signed up to the botanist mailing list, getting the happy incident of getting a free bottle of prosecco on your birthday, so it became an easy choice for my birthday meal with one of my friends. We ordered fairly quickly as the bubbles arrived, my friend got half a chicken, and I ordered the salmon, I was told by the waiter to beware, as it didn't come with much on the plate incase I wanted anything else with it, and knowing it didn't really go, but not really caring, ordered a side of fries. It was not long after this, that my friend for various reasons, bailed out of the bottle, and got to topping my glass up. It wasn't long before our food arrived, which was excellent considering how busy it was, my salmon was pink and perfectly cooked, with gorgeous veggies, and I really really loved the rosemary fries. And my friend realised that half a chicken is double the quarters you get in nandos... Considerably tipsy by this point, we ordered puddings, her going for the pudding hanging kebab with pouring sauce, and me the trifle. She thoroughly enjoyed hers, and mine was a piece of nostalgic beauty! Really lovely. We had a little faff with the bill, but other than that, I couldn't fault them. read more

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I love this place! So much character and so beautiful inside. The hanging kebabs are to die for. Barmen had very good cocktail knowledge and very friendly. I also can recommend the chippolatas with mustard! Very tasty!!! read more

The Botanist is a great addition to Deansgate. It is owned by the same team as the Oast House and is a very attractive looking bar. The décor is crisp and clean looking. I love the unusual chandeliers and white furniture. The food menu is pretty much the same as the Oast House. If you like hanging kebabs and burgers you can't go wrong at the Botanist. For me though it was all about the cocktails. The list is extensive and includes some unusual herb based ones. The service was very friendly and the bar staff certainly know how to mix a great cocktail. read more

Calamari was great. Got chicken kabob, good but not as good as Oast House. Great deal getting 40% off. Well worth it.