The Botanist in Manchester

Sunday 9th june. Server Elliott, first time in botanist had a great experience, cocktails were great but Elliott made our time their more special very professional young man with very good service skills. We will be going back.

Went in on a quiet (there was only one other table who finished shortly after I arrived) early weekday evening around 5pm, seated fairly quickly, waitress came over to take order and I said I wasn't ready yet, she came over again a few minutes later, told her I still hadn't decided but ordered water to drink and asked her to give me two more minutes to decide. She walked past my table twice more as I tried to get her attention to ask her about the menu but she completely blanked me. 15 minutes later I was still waiting for her to return, got up and looked for her to see her standing by the kitchen, twirling her hair and flirting with the chef. At that point I realised she couldn't be bothered with me, my presence clearly a distraction to her attempts at getting the chef to ask her out. I simply walked out. There's plenty other restaurants nearby, so I won't bother coming back.

Staff barely talk to you, Food was cold

Excellent food friendly staff 10/10

Gorgeous bar, Estrella very nice. Do food but didn't try it, in fact we were the only people in on a Monday afternoon.

Didn't have any food tables available just for drinks an cocktails an beer prices quite high but it is Manchester an a restaurant not a pub loverly atmosphere staff friendly nice decor an heat lamp nice as can get a chilly even inside good tables an bar area lots of choice on gins an ciders an beers good size cocktails too food looked nice going to the other tables went in about 8pm plenty of seats just for drinks

Went on a weekday evening and it was very quiet, had fast service and very tasty food. We went for a sharing kebab, only downside was there wasn’t much food for two people. There was only one pita and for two hungry individuals didn’t fill us up much. Regardless had a wonderful time.

Food was lovely and the staff were friendly! Slight confusion when the mains came before the starters had arrived but the lady couldnt have been more apologetic and the issue was sorted quickly! Great atmosphere thank you!

Lovely food and very friendly staff.

Lovely meal, staff very nice, friendly and helpful, good service.

Great place to eat or just relax with a pint staff very friendly and helpful and a bit of entertainment thrown in

Service was basically non existent. Waited an age for our food order to be taken. Food was ok when it eventually arrived. Waited another half hour to get a desert menu… Then a mouse running round the place …. Eerrr no !! Waiting on staff to busy talking to service customers, then have the cheek to put £14 service charge on the bill !!! Needless to say we won’t be back.

Nice bar. Attended an event in the space at the back and the chips were lovely and staff were very helpful and friendly.

Sadly a disappointing experience. Service was extremely slow considering the area of the restaurant we were seated was maybe half full at most, so not a fully booked and busy evening. Took a long time for the waitress to take any orders, and food and drinks took even longer to arrive. Drink was delivered to the table with a hair in it. Took 10-15 minutes to get a replacement. We got seated right at the back away from any atmosphere, all we could hear was the kitchen repeatedly shouting for waitresses to take out orders. Table next to us was empty, and so the waitress kept using it as a place to stack up tons of dirty dishes rather than take back to the kitchen. Was here for a birthday, offered a celebratory dessert, it took 20+mins to arrive, and didn't come with a spoon which took asking another 2 waitresses for before it could be eaten. Bill was wrong and included food we hadn't ordered. Asked for that to be removed. Some food was delivered to the table cold, such as the fries. Didn’t ask for a replacement as we knew the rest of the meal would have been eaten before they’d been replaced given service so far. Service was poor and so we asked the automatic gratuity to be removed as we did not believe a £25-£30 additional payment reflected the experience we had. This was removed, but after this the waitress became extremely rude/cold towards us, throwing down our receipt and making us feel uncomfortable so we left promptly rather than go to the bar area for a further drink as planned. Wouldn’t recommend at all. A shame really as the person celebrating their birthday spent most of the journey home saying how disappointed they were in the experience. Wish I’d checked reviews earlier, as those posted most recently (on Design My Night) also echoed a similar sentiment of poor/slow service, and overpriced and underwhelming food.

Went for Mother's Day. Staff were fantastic, super helpful, food was great. Nice touch with the live musician playing, was a lovely atmosphere.

We went to Botanist for a quick lunch before work. We ordered hanging kebab and sharing platter. Both of our meals were spot on. Minus one star just because waiting time for ours drinks was longer than should be, but in general we can recommend this place.

Lovely vibe and great choice of beers. They had Clwb Tropica, a rare treat from Tiny Rebel Brewery. Nice.

Delicious food, kind attention and good prices.

Lovely food lovely staff lovely facilities

What a depressing lunch. Sat in the back, which is meant to be a potting shed with dead flowers, the floor was dirty. The table was grotty. Horrible expensive experience. I would never go to this botanist ever again. Horrible

Service was great but my main course was so poor. I had to send it back twice for being overcooked then undercooked. I went at around 3pm and it was incredibly quiet so there is no excuse. Really disappointed as the Botanist was one of my favourite places for food.

Amazing vibes and choices of cocktails. Food was gorgeous. There is something for everyone. Staff are really welcoming.

We didn't have a dinner booking and went into this place on the off chance of getting a table, which we did get after a few minutes wait. The server arrived after about 10 minutes and took a drinks order, returning 5 minutes or so later with the drinks. She then took our food order. An hour later we asked the manager where the food was and apparantly the order hadn't been put through to the kitchen. The food arrived about 15 minutes later, minus my order, which was served as pork, rather than prawn that I had ordered ( I pointed to the prawn dish on the menu to avoid any misunderstanding due to the noise or differing accents). The missing dish arrived 5 minutes or so later. All the food very very good - portion size, taste and flavour - so no complaints about that. The manager - not the original one, who seemed to disappear when we wanted to speak to him - arrived at our table, acknowledged the problems and to his credit offered us a discounted bill, for which we were grateful. Mistakes happen and he took responsibility, which is why the review is more positive than negative and we will visit again.

Saturday lunchtime and no staff. Nearly had to leave without paying as we were late for a show. Awful experience as just no staff anywhere.

The food overall was lovely but the service from the waiting staff was unbelievably rude. Our order was taken promptly and the food arrived soon after, however we seemed to be forgotten about for the rest of the night. Firstly, we asked for tap water, nobody came and brought that to us. Secondly, we were never once asked if our meal was satisfactory or even asked if we wanted any condiments. Once we’d finished eating, it took 40 minutes for someone to clear the plates. I had to ask a member of staff for the dessert menu but I don’t know why I bothered as nobody even came to take the order. In the end I asked for the bill, which I had to ask twice for, as I couldn’t bear it any longer. Waiting staff kept looking at us with the menus out on the table in front of us, but kept wandering past us, I even once prepared to speak to give the dessert order only for the waitress to make eye contact with me and walk straight past me. When paying, I removed the service charge and made my thoughts known to the staff but they honestly couldn’t have cared less and no further apology offfered. We are usually very happy botanist regulars, but this has really put me off for a long time to come. The food I could not fault at all, absolutely spot on, but the service was frankly rude and unacceptable.

Great food and drinks. Service was impeccable. Beautiful atmosphere and great live music.

The only thing good was the service. Food very disappointing. Portions small for the cost & food not cooked well & certainly not hot enough. Not charged for one starter as menu omitted that chicken being used was thigh meat not fillet & colleague was unable to eat it. Another colleague had a mushroom starter that were over cooked & rubbery & was ill in the night. Will not be returning.

Food was great. Service poor we had to ask 3 times for our drinks and they came after we had eaten.

Great night with friends for my boyfriends birthday. Fantastic food and service. The singer was amazing too!

Just ok really,not a touch on the service and setting of say its media city establishment. The food was nice but the service was quite poor.

Lovely group dining with the family for Christmas.

Terrible experience Firstly no staff member to meet and greet us upon arrival Thought I was entering an abandoned pub! Didn’t have the full menu available but didn’t tell us before hand. Restaurant not clean cobwebs and sticky tables had to sanitise my own cutlery Food tasted and smelt off. Staff members sneezing over our table customers coughing and blowing nose made experience even more antisocial Overall worst dining experience ever couldn’t wait to pay and get out The place was giving me anxiety!!! Never again (No sah)

Service with a sneeze £60-70 I went to the Botanist in Manchester and was utterly disappointed with my experience. From the moment I stepped into the restaurant, I was greeted with a run-down ambiance that left a sour taste in my mouth. The tables were absolutely filthy, and I had no choice but to sanitize the cutlery myself. To make matters worse, the glasses were cloudy, unwashed, and even had lip marks on them, making me question the cleanliness standards of this establishment. I didn't think things could get any worse until I found dirt stuck to the can of drink I ordered. It was not only unappetizing but also completely unacceptable. As if that wasn't enough, the waitress who served us was clearly ill, sneezing everywhere without any consideration for hygiene. It's mind-boggling how someone would be allowed to work in a restaurant while being so clearly unwell. But the nightmare didn't end there. The food was an absolute disaster. It was not just bad, it was vomit-inducing and completely inedible. The smell alone was off-putting, and the presentation was a disgrace. I forced myself to take a bite, hoping it would improve, but it only got worse. The taste was beyond description, leaving me gagging and regretting every moment I spent in that restaurant. Wanting to get out of there as soon as possible, I asked for the bill, and that was when the final straw broke. The waitress, who had been sneezing all over the place, audaciously sneezed right on me. It was absolutely disgusting, and I can't believe I was subjected to such unsanitary behavior. Not surprisingly, I am now sick, feeling the consequences of my unfortunate visit to this appalling establishment. I cannot stress enough that I will actively avoid this restaurant like the plague. The fact that it was empty speaks volumes about the experiences others must have had. The Botanist in Manchester is a textbook example of how a restaurant should not be operated. Save yourself the trouble and find another place to dine that actually values cleanliness, proper hygiene, and basic human decency.

We went on New Years Day around 7:30pm and were excited for a decent meal out. The food was not as usual - the oil had no flavor so we asked the server to have them bring us the usual oil for the kebabs. Lots of things on the menu were not available but we managed to get what we wanted. Service was okay except you only had one server working so she was getting run around. 2 would have helped for the dinner rush. We’ll probably stick to the Media City or Alderley Edge locations in the future. Deansgate was not the one. Hope management sees this feedback cause the kitchen was not up to standard!

Me and my fiance visited on new years eve 2023. We've been to the restaurant before and love the food drinks and vibe so thought it would be a great place to spend new years. Ended up being disappointed with the service. Although only 50%ish of the tables were taken when we first arrived the service was slow, we had to ask twice and wait over half an hour for the drinks menu. Seems like this was the same for others as we saw some tables going to get drinks from the bar and bring them back. Unfortunately the table service continued to be slow through the night and we ended up leaving just after 22:00 to see new year's through some place else. Couldn't fault the food though, that was spot on!

I loved the place. Drinks are superb 👌if not just a little, on the pricey side. However, it is a city centre bar so you have to expect that.

This was my first time here and to say the least i enjoyed every bit of it. It was mine and my boyfriends one year together and we got a free glass of Prosecco each which I thought was very kind of you to do. Our server was lovely I didn’t get her name but really happy really polite. The food was delightful really nice, I enjoyed every single bit of it I will be definitely coming back here in the furture

was truly disappointed. i was disappointed, by the mood from the manager on the way in, when directed to the table she still didn’t lift a smile. then, our waitress was lovely. but, we saw her 2 times in two hours, so we never had drinks. we left before midnight and it was the point of the nye party.

Staff were great, singers were fantastic too! Unfortunately all of our food was cold. The cookie dough seemed overcooked and yet cold.

i thought it was style over content,poor food overpriced amd stung by a £30 surcharge

Amazing! People, drinks and LIVE music!

The food was amazing with lots of flavour. Trying to pay the bill towards the end and no one around to give us the bills for over 15 kin. Overall, I would recommend

Table of 11 on Xmas eve and our server, she was so attentive. Great food, amazing cocktails and what a lovely spot to celebrate with family and friends!

Terrible experience recently has gone down hill since last visit

I was disappointed for the first time when we visited the botanist this week. Although we’d booked a table we waited for 15minutes to be seated, despite there being many empty tables. This was after waiting at the front desk to be welcomed for about 10 minutes.

Nice festive atmosphere and food was lovely

Put in a room with an extremely loud Christmas party, couldn’t have a conversation without having to shout as we couldn’t hear each other. We understand Christmas parties are occurring but it’s unfair to put individuals coming for a nice meal out in a room where they can’t hear each other. Also, we both ordered wings, without informing us we were brought one portion, split into two as they’d run out, we were only informed of this when it arrived, would have preferred to have been told earlier as one of us would’ve changed our order, we appreciated one portion was removed from the bill, but we should’ve been informed.

Amazing food and great drinks! We went here for a Sunday roast and it was amazing - it tasted delicious with loads of sides (vegetables). The service was very good with our server being very accommodating to all our requests.

My 4th visit to The Botanist and always enjoy the food and great atmosphere. It was really busy as is everywhere at Christmas time. This, however, meant there was a a slight lack of attentiveness, but the staff were working really hard to please everyone getting the food orders out, the drinks orders seemed to be forgotten.

I honestly don't know where to start. We (3) entered the building with me on crutches after recently breaking my leg. We had a booking but were given an awful table with rickerty (terriying) chairs. 2 of our mains arrived but I had to wait about 5 minutes longer for mine; the noodle salad with sticky chicken. My first mouthful almost ended in losing my teeth! The pasta hadn't been cooked and was raw and solid. I was surprised they even used processed pasta! As my guests had almost finished their meals I sent mine back for a credit. Then, unbelievably, the waitress said we had to move as a group booking was coming in. She said there were no tables but we could stand at the bar! I'm on crutches!! When I paid they didn't even refund a drink or make any gesture. They simply handed the card payment in the hope of a tip. Remarkable and deeply disappointing experience. AVOID ** AVOID ** AVOID

La comida fantástica, la mejor hamburguesa que probamos, el entrecot estupendo y tal como lo pedí. El personal súper atento y amable, el lugar súper bonito.

Disappointed with the manager who kept us waiting for our table for 45 minutes, and had i not gone and found a server who cleared a table and served us we would still be waiting.

We attended for an work Christmas party, this had been planned since late October and we were very excited. Unfortunately, we were left disappointed, when we arrived we were told we had our table for half an hour less than the booking originally stated. We then had to request the welcome prosecco that was included whereby we were initially told we had not qualified for these despite it being part of the cost. Our turkey kebabs were cold and chewy. We also requested for extra gravy which never arrived. We were left waiting for around ten minutes for one party members dessert, we couldn't start as we were not given spoons either and a member of the party had to go and find our waitress to request these. All of the above very frustrating in the context of having pre-ordered and only being a party of 6. As well as this we ordered drinks and these then took around another ten minutes to arrive. Whilst we appreciate that it can be busy and a high demand time it is still disappointing especially when a service charge is then added of around twenty pounds which can feel uncomfortable to request to be removed. Overall if was for the company and live music we would happily not return.

Service was quite slow to begin with, but after the initial wait for drinks, it was spot on. Food was really good. It was a Monday night, so it was quite quiet, but that didn’t bother us.

Food was way overpriced portions small Sea bass was poor value. Small fillet then approx 3 halves potato under neath and tiny amount of sauce .Really shocking for £20 and when challenged was told well that’s what the spec states that we use that’s what portion is . Sticky toffee pudding was well over microwaved couldn’t get spoon in it at for £7.50 way overpriced.won’t be visiting again really disappointing as service was great and so was the atmosphere

I will Never book Thr Botanist again. They don’t return your deposit if you need to cancel your table. We went today. We were sat in the most miserable room . I asked to move to a nicer area with the Christmas tree ext but was told they were closing that area . It’s scruffy. No toilet rolls in most of the toilets. The waitress was lovely in fairness but I have been to two different ones lately and I have not enjoyed my meal either time.

The food and service was fab. I was also really pleased to be told my food was cooked separately due to dietety needs (gluten free). A big thank you to the chef

Need stronger chairs, feeble wobbly . Great service.

Was a lovely evening .Our waiter was very polite and friendly

Terrible live singer ruined the experience. The hanging kebabs were delicious and would highly recommend

Table near back of restaurant absolutely freezing, which made food cold ,Asked to close door but kept being open again . Rice was cold and dry , chicken beautiful just a shame about the rest . Did ask if we could move but was told fully booked which appreciate , but two tables totally free for the time we were having our meal. Not a happy customer sorry . Would usually recommend hanging kebabs which have had at York restaurant and everything was perfect .

Food was tasty but I was very disappointed that half the options for the hanging kebabs weren't available. Which they only told us when taking our order. Fyi most places tell you on your way in or when u are seated. They night we were there they could seat our rather large group which was great. But it also meant that they were a bit understaffed to handle a large group.

I booked a Christmas set menu for 4 people at the Deansgate restaurant. Our slot was 18:15-20:00. Upon arrival we were told that our table was not ready yet. We finally sat down at 18:30 to an empty table- all other Christmas bookings had Christmas hats and decorations on the table. After 20 minutes of waiting we finally asked the waitress where our food was (we pre-ordered). She apologised and said that she was not even aware that we were there and that 'nobody told her'. Our welcome drinks and starters came at 19:05, almost an hour late. The food was nice except the dessert. We all ordered the lemon meringue and we got a small dish filled with whipped cream and what seemed to be a tiny bit of lemon curd. Not even a trace of meringue. The cocktails were not great. I had to ask multiple waitresses for a glass of water that finally came to the table 10 minutes before we left. Overall the food was tasty but the service was poor. It seemed like our booking was totally forgotten about while large bookings seemed to receive good service and attention. On a good note, the live music was amazing- without it I probably would have given a 2 star review.

Bonito local, buena comida y un buen servicio

Lovely evening with excellent food and service as always

We booked a table for 5pm, ordered drinks and food and waited. At approx 6pm our food arrived. Both of us said that our food was only like warm and returned them back to the kitchen. A member of staff cam and apologised for the delay in our food and that it also had to be returned. They did then offer for us not to pay for our food. A lot of other customers were complaint about the temperature of the food.

This as got to be one of the worst eating experiences I have ever experienced Awful service and cold food what a great experience

Food was great, went for a birthday had to wait an hour to be served but when it did come it was nice. HOWEVER, they do add service fee without asking and charge for birthday cookie dough if you tell them.

Pre booked and ordered for 14 people. Starters took an hour to arrive and main courses two hours. No drinks service from the table and had to ask repeatedly for three bottles of wine, which took half an hour to arrive. Main courses took half an hour to be served from first to last so were cold for half the table. The so called legendary lamb kebab was actually processed meatballs. Kitchen and serving staff looked stressed and annoyed.

Poor service. Only one server for the entire restaurant which meant service was very slow even had to get our own drinks from the bar as they were sat there 10mins despite the bar tender shouting for service and the poor server having to run round sorting multiple tables. Food was good quality but for the price we paid there were many better options I what we had picked.

Had booked a table for two just in case around 2pm and arrived and was seated almost immediately as it wasn’t too busy. The service, particularly our server (didn’t catch his name sadly!) was attentive and friendly, very quick and we didn’t have to ask twice for anything. The food was amazing as per usual and we felt very comfortable, not rushed or under any pressure. We had two starters and two mains plus drinks and it was very good value, and we left feeling very satisfied. We will definitely be back!

Fantastic Food and great service from all the staff. We had the hanging kebabs and they were delicious. Great choice of food and drinks so something for everyone. Had live music there too and he was really good. If we are ever in Manchester again, we will definitely visit here again.

Great lunch. Nice venue, friendly staff, lovely tasting hanging kebabs and brilliant cocktails. A really decent way to spend a couple of lunchtime hours.

The food was average considering the price and there was no atmosphere whatsoever I don’t think I would go there again - we went for my daughter’s 24th birthday and it didn’t feel at all special - I’ve had hanging kebabs lots of times but the chicken was dry and the prawns were way too spicy 🥵

Firstly the positives, we booked a table at the last minute having to move on from another bar which was not right for a family meal. So all good got a table on a Saturday evening with our 7 year old grandchild. The waiter was nice as was staff. However, the food was not great for the price. Fish and chips had to be returned, the batter on the fish was not crisp or golden brown but dark brown and batter was spongy as well as the fish not tasting nice at all. We had a sharing platter re hanging kebabs - you would think you get two flat breads due to sharing but no I had to order a second, not many chips to say it was to share overall not a lot of food at all to say it was a sharing platter certainly not £30+ worth of food. The drinks came with flat lemonade so they got returned and replaced to be fair OK once returned. When the bill came we were still being charged for fish and chips. No apologies from staff for all the above - poor overall and I would not return.

Our waitress Grace was lovely, really friendly and highly accommodating. Whilst the food wasn’t the best I’ve had, the service was brilliant. Grace was very engaging in fun conversation, and even asked the kitchen to cook our dessert a way we would prefer. 10/10 service would recommend!

We’ve had the best afternoon celebrating my daughter’s graduation! The food and service were simply excellent and the atmosphere was warm and friendly. A big shout out to Sam who went above and beyond to make our afternoon special. We will definitely be back!

Didn't have a great experience here unfortunately. We've been to The Botanist a few times at other locations and loved it but this was very disappointing. It was my daughters 16th which I added a note on the reservation. I asked for a good table...

Booked a table for lunch - delicious food and great service. Clean restaurant and quick food service. Me and my mum shared the hanging kebab, lovely selection of meat and plenty of it.

The Botanist houses you in a rather posh rustic ,wooden shed and introduces you to the art nouveau concept of a botanical garden on a plate,a journey of fresh subtle scents of the plants and herbs plucked from a secret English garden. It’s an imaginative...

Lovely food and vibe, great for our hen party. Pre ordered our food and all came out quickly, recommend the handing kebabs.

Amazing food with brilliant service. Live music was also provided which made the atmosphere so much better. Would definitely visit again.

Perfect! Omar was a great server, would come again. The food and cocktails were lovely and it’s definitely a place for a cute date night or even a meal out with friends!

Amazing experience, our server David was so lovely and friendly and recommended which shot board was best! Lovely cocktails and quick service, will be back :)

Came for lunch during a hen party, food was pre ordered and came quickly when we arrived. Everyone enjoyed their food and drinks. Would definitely recommend

10/10 great atmosphere sat on Deans gate having a beer people watching. Beer and service was great. Music from next door was loud enough for all pubs in area.

Best food and best service live music was amazing to listen too the hanging kabab was fantastic lovely time

we came for the hanging kebab because it’s the best, great food and great customer service would be perfect for a date night we will be returning!

Amazing customer service and incredible food, the live music was very nice to listen to and the cocktails were perfect

I went to The Botanist on Deansgate with some friends for a late lunch and was impressed by the really nice staff and friendly atmosphere. The service was great and none of us were disappointed. The menu has a good range of foods and all...

Very disappointed with the whole evening, when we arrived we where told we had the wrong time. The person who arrange the evening went back to the front desk to find about they look at the wrong name. Was taken to the table and 30...

I had organised a leaving drinks catch up, very last minute. They were so nice very welcoming, all staff are so nice really have enjoyed being here. Will come again very soon. Thank you a d the team :)

This place is great for a walk in. Me and my old friend were looking for a place to eat and stumbled in. Everyone was really friendly and welcoming! Adam made me an amazing spicy Margherita and recommended a delicious mocktail for my friend who's...

This place is great for walk ins. Me and my friend were looking for a place to have some food and I'm so glad we found this place. Adam made me an amazing spicy Margherita and reccomended a delicious mocktail for my pregnant friend. Omar...

Absolutely lovely service, food and drinks, Adam and Omar were both so friendly and helpful. Adam made us delicious drinks, including a spicy margarita and a fruity mocktail. Omar was super friendly and recommended the onion petal starter for me and my friend to try,...

Nice bar on Deansgate. Service was really friendly and a nice atmosphere. Great place for drinks with friends.

Excellent table service from "Dave"! Big thanks! Enjoyable afternoon! Plenty to eat, any issues resolved. Would go again. Lamb kofta is yummy!

After a disappointing visit in Jan when I spoke to the manager Tijana Taci about a few issues, she apologised persuaded us to return . Glad we did, because this visit couldn’t have been more different . The food was so much better , fresh...

So me and my friend booked a table for valentines day. Our table was for 7:00pm and by 7:30 we have ordered our food, 10 minutes later our drinks came but without the water we have asked for, another 5-10 minutes our starter arrived which...

i recommend my sister to come to this restaurant & bar for a nice sister date & it did not disappoint. it was so nice. i got a grilled chicken burger & it was beautiful. my favourite part of the food was the pickles. they...