Thursday, March 11, 2021

Where to Celebrate Romantically? Botanical Gardens Restaurant Botanica Provides Perfect Plants, Beautiful Food & Wines, and Birthday Cake

 


At Botanico Restaurant in the Botanical Gardens, Singapore,  the far wall and the ceiling with greenery and the inset Fairy Lights are enchanting. This is in the open-sided section in the patio room beyond the bar. The lights spell out the word, You leaf me breathless. (I remembered it as don't leaf me.)

The building is a converted garage, hence the full name, Botanico in the Garage.

Here is the main room. At the far end is a video screen. To the left is the second dining room.



When I saw the ceiling of the patio room, we were delighted to be shown our table there.

We had eaten at the main restaurant room previously in the stifling hot summer when I chose to eat in the air conditioned main room of the restaurant. However, in March 2021 the open sided room was just the right temperature and no insects.

I went there for my birthday. All a glitter. Delighted that I matched the surroundings and the surroundings matched me.

The set meal was a meal with wine pairings.


The staff member has a t-shirt with the restaurant name. So you know who is who.





We told them in advance that it was my birthday and they gave me a delicious little chocolate cake with a candle and the words happy birthday written in chocolate.
More pictures and text tomorrow.
Happy Birthday!

The duck rissole starter was the most visually appealing item.


I am allergic to shellfish and had emailed them in advance on the booking form. My husband has the scallops dish.
Scallops at Botanico.

Fish replacement.

The scallops dish was replaced by a fish dish. 

Then a wonderful salad with a mixture of eye-catching reds and greens, absolutely delicious textures and flavours of sun dried tomatoes. Great to look at and satisfying to eat.

The main meat dish was melt in the mouth meat.
My melt in the mouth meat.


Super salad.
The salad looks like figs, greens, and sun dried tomatoes pureed.


We emailed them in advance that it was my birthday. They provided, free, a small chocolate cake with a candle and the words happy birthday written in chocolate for my dessert. I liked the chocolate cake more than the dessert they provided so that worked out well.


Botanico. The standard dessert is on the right. Not as exciting visually as the starter, or the birthday cake. The little Happy birthday sign on the dessert on the right was brought by me in case the restaurant forgot, didn't know or didn't have time to write Happy Birthday. 

The Price
It was not cheap, but cheaper than an equivalent meal with wines in London, England. We were emailed a special Woman's day offer. If you get on mailing lists of restaurants you get these offers two or three times a year. We went there to celebrate my birthday.

Alternatives
Downstairs is a cheaper restaurant, called the Bees Knees.

Elsewhere in the Botanical Garden is Halima restaurant which has turned into halal and alcohol free. That would be a good place to go if you or your guests eat halal or are against wine or having a temporary teetotal month and want to be away from temptation. (Some people give up wine in January to recover from the excess of calories over Christmas holidays.) 

However, my husband is a wine educator. The matching wines and the chance to discuss wines with the importer was part of the attraction of the evening at Botanico. The offer on March 9 and 10 was for a glass of sparkling wine on arrival for the lady. The offer on the third day, March 11 was a candle.

Getting There and Getting Home
You can take a pleasant ten minutes walk through the Botanic gardens from Botanic Gardens MRT underground train station. If you are too drunk or tired to walk back at the end of your meal, a Grab taxi will collect you from a few steps outside the door on the turning circle into the car park outside the front entrance.

Useful Websites
BOTANICO at the Garage
www.botanico.sg
reservation@botanico.sg
Reservations and enquiries (+65) 9831 1106
50 Cluny Park Road
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Singapore 257488
Facebook /botanicosg

THE HALIA

Bees Knees is downstairs in The Garage. For photos and a review and comment review see:
https://ordinarypatrons.com/2017/02/04/bees-knees-botanic-gardens-cafe/
For a variety of views read Tripadvisor.








































Candle, a parting gift from Botanico Restaurant.
All photos by Angela Lansbury, copyright.

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a British author who has lived in the USA.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 
She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:
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