The Botanist York in York

Not impressed. Food was so so. Good for students.

It was busy so atmosphere buzzing. The food is just average. The brownie pudding was the highlight.

Visited York for the first time today and fancied the Botanist for drinks as have had great times there in Newcastle. Arrived into the Botanist York as a group of 6 (1 family member with a walking stick) and went to the desk, we said we are here for drinks to be greeted by a very rude staff member that suggested to “go and stand at the bar then” i then told her we were a group of 6 (and it was clear that we had a family member with a stick and could not squeeze into the bar) she replied very passive aggressively with “amazing??”. Safe to say we felt very unwelcome and will not be hurrying back. Very disappointing from what we thought was a great bar!

Been for my friend's party last night. Very busy restaurant located in city centre, food was very tasty, nice atmosphere, and I'll definetely be back!

Hidden little gem in york all freshly cooked friendly staff romantic setting low light

Poor Service waitress could learn to smile she did not make us feel welcome. Was not asked about allergies, waited 20 mins for drinks and an hour for food. Children spotted in the bar area on a Saturday night after 9pm.

I booked Sunday lunch for 5 people whilst staying in York after some good reviews. Lunch started at midday so booked for 12:15. Arrived as was greeted very warmly and we were shown to our table. Attentive waitress came and took a drinks order and then we ordered our food. Shortly afterwards we were advised there had run out of carrots for the roast (which, considering it wasn't even 12:30) seemed a bit strange. 50 minutes later our food arrived. The greens and potatoes came separately but was to be shared between 3 people so seemed rather light. The roasts came with the meat and Yorkshire pudding on the plate and a very small amount of thin gravy over. The pork belly was excellent and the beef was tender. The Yorkshire puddings were barely warm though and the small jug of gravy that came was to be shared amongst 3 as well. The other 2 people ordered chicken burgers which looked nice. One of our group had ordered one without the sauce, mayo and pickles but, alas, received it with mayo and pickle (and the other one who had not ordered anything to be left off, received no pickle or mayo but with bbq sauce). We had to raise this and the burger was taken away for a fresh one to be made but this came out after the rest of us had finished eating. Very disappointed with this. They did take the cost of the burger off the total bill which was appreciated. Overall, the politeness of the waiting staff and the amending of the bill (without asking for any concession) merited the 3 stars. Without this, the overall food experience was not in line with expectations and would have been a 1 star review. I hope it was just an off-day based on other reviews

Lovely place. The food was delicious and the waiters were lovely and friendly.

Recently visited for some afternoon drinks and some small bites with my wife. We both enjoyed the food and couldn’t complain at the service we received. We quite regularly visit York and always make a point of calling in here as we really enjoy the atmosphere and the location is perfect for a break between looking round the shops.

Not bad here, had a few cocktails on the 2 for 1 offer. Very friendly staff

Deliciosly wicked cocktails in the bar.

Great location, just very busy and more expensive than other establishments. Beer was not as tasty for me

A nice little cafe on Redcar sea front

I came here on Sunday for my birthday. The food was super tasty and the service from the staff was lovely. The only issue was that the service was quite slow and we were waiting quite a while for empties to be taken away and to ask for the bill

Beautiful cocktails but very overpriced for the size. Alot of the drinks on the menu don't show on the barcode scan app,which they do serve if you go up to the bar and ask rather than order on the app, which was odd it was almost like they took a ton of the cocktails off the apps for ease on their side.

The food was very good quality, but portion size was very very small, i ate at 6 pm, and had to eat again a few hours later. Service was prompt, but not what i would call service with a smile. Unfortunately i was my first and last visit

I loved the fish and chips, the restaurant had a very vibrant atmosphere, and the company was amazing, my family had the hanging kebabs which were amazing

Great atmosphere. Nice cocktails

Great food and service. Layout of rooms means that you cannot eat and see singer at same time which was a shame.

Ordered a kebab and it arrived incinerated, I mean black and unedible. Sent it back and the manager gave the kitchen staff a "talking to" Would have been nice if he came to me but that didn't happen. My husband's meal was a little better but that just meant I was sat not eating. Still hungry and left without paying the 10% added service charge. Not for me and won't revisit.

Very good Bloody Mary cocktail, blended and correctly spiced.

I recently visited with 2 friends and was greeted by Becky Morris . She was so helpful and friendly. Her knowledge of cocktails and wine choices was really appreciated . The quality of the preparation of our drinks was first class. Some of the best service we've received in a long time. Thankyou Becky .

Amazing sunday roasts and great service!

Went on Wed night, my young daughter (13) insists we go to a Botanist wherever we are. The waiter was lovely even recommending mocktails for my daughter and myself, excellent recommendation. Meal was excellent hanging kebabs and burger. Will definitely visit again when in York.

We had booked a table for drinks online and when we arrived the gentleman at reception told us just to head to the bar area and sit wherever we liked, however there was no tables available or any space at the bar. I returned to the reception desk where there were now 3 women employees to inform them that there was no available tables even though we had booked a drinks table. The 3 members of staff were having a leisurely conversation (which doesn’t bother me if you aren't serving customers) but they continued this until I had to interrupt them and they just told us the same as the first member of staff we spoke to. We decided to squeeze our way to the bar to try order a drink and wait for a table but we were waiting over ten minutes and not a single person behind the bar looked our way. Most people at the bar were sat drinking so it wasn’t like they were waiting for drinks. I assume they were making drinks for the restaurant area which I understand but we just felt like a spare part. We eventually left without ordering a drink. The staff need to be more welcoming and I don’t understand why they take drink table reservations if they don’t reserve a table for you.

This is not a hotel, but an extremely good bar and restaurant.

the botanist is a lovely place to visit. the staff are very attentive and friendly which is nice. the food is great quality and they have lots of really yummy sounding vegan options (and even a whole separate vegan menu). i wish i’d have tried one of the vegan mains but i went for side dishes instead (which were still good). all in all, a really pleasant experience and i would definitely come back when in york.

Absolutely horrific service. Wrong items brought yet still expected to pay. Slow service. So busy so noisy! This used to be my favourite place to eat. Will NEVERcome back again.

Very disappointing. Booked well in advance for a Sunday evening. Thinking we would get the standard menu. Only to be told out was a Sunday menu. And none of the usual stuff was available. We booked a chain because we know what we will get. Which is important with an autistic person. In addition the flirter free choices were coconut rice and fish. Not what we booked for. We were offered a steak. Bit the moment was fine. Left after paying £35 for two gin s and some water. Should warn people the sunday menu is different. Well not be booking on a Sunday again. If ever.

Went for Sunday lunch.....wow, we were not disappointed. The food was delicious,plenty of it and piping hot. The staff were very, attentive, pleasant and polite. We will return.

Great food staff are friendly would recommend

Stopped for drinks on a day out in York. The cocktails were all delicious and the service was very good would definitely recommend.

Our waiter was so miserable. And you had live music on which was equally dreadful. It was way too loud and not in tune. The table next to us - who we realised were friends of staff and staff were shouting over each other. It was not a pleasant experience when going out for a meal and chatting over food is the aim - not to listen to live music that was out of tune.

We pre-ordered as part of a group. Food arrived as expected but limited food. Hanging food on a kebab stick is a clever way to serve limited food! Dessert was sweet and so fancied a coffee at the end of the meal. With 25 minutes spare on our booking our server said that time was up and it could not be ordered. One member of the group paid gratuity in full, yet the server still took more gratuity from everyone when the bill was split. Atmosphere was as expected and very good, it's a shame about the other parts. Update: Did email as requested (twice) but sadly there has been no response. I wasn't really expecting anything if I am honest.

I've been to the botanist in Birmingham and it's amazing so i had high hopes for the york one. I was completely let down. Service was stupidly slow even through the place was nearly empty, The food was nothing special. We ordered ice cream mine they where left under the hot lamp so when they arrived it was more like a milk shake. Sent back with no apologies, wished we had of gone somewhere else.

Excellent food & service will definitely go back

Love the restaurant and bar. So pretty with a romantic feel. cocktails and food was great. A live singer sets the mood. I would definitely come back here would recommend for a couple or meeting up with friends :)

Really good food and perfect service would definitely recommend.

We enjoyed a lovely room with a glass ceiling and vines. It was quiet so we could talk together. Service was excellent and the food amazing. I had a prawn kabab. Highly recommend.

Loved our visit last night. Family of five celebrating my 50th. Great atmosphere. Hot food delivered with a smile. Great service (didn’t get the name of our table waitress but thank you for your bubbly service too) will be back xxx

Very good on allergies and intolerances, thank you.

Lovely bar/restaurant and really nice food and drinks. The non alcoholic cocktails are gorgeous.

Fantastic food. Good prices. Really great service (thank you Patricja)

Fantastic food and drinks Saturday ... Served by Lewis who as attentive but not too much and went above and beyond when the payment system went down.... Can highly recommend thank you Lewis

Was at dinner with a group of 5, server was really friendly. Food was amazing, garlic bread and the calamari were delicious!!!

Lovely food and drinks, service was also really great.

The food tasted amazing! Very good quality, my only downside is the portion size. For the price the halloumi kebab didn't have a lot of halloumi on, things like several pieces of lemon wedge took up space.

Only had a drink which was way too expensive. Had one then went elsewhere. The ambiance and decor is excellent.

My first time and I'm visiting from Los Angeles. The service was great. They were very helpful. We were sat in a private area near the stairs. There were 8 of us and we enjoyed all our food. I would definitely return. They are pet friendly too. God bless.

Food mediocre, service terrible 😕 been before and was amazing, not this time..a sad experience for my daughters 18th. Not enough staff and inexperienced at best...1.5 hour wait for food...do better. Unorganised chaos... I have emailed you Richard, with no reply!

Loved it, live music, great atmosphere did not eat.

You know exactly what Yr getting...

Really tasty cocktails, lovely decor just would like to see more seating in the bar area!

Food was expensive and bang average. Draught beers were appalling, vinegary taste usually caused by dirty lines. Won't be going back.

Some of the best cocktails in York! I did find the service a bit slow in the bar area but the service in the restaurant was better. The food was excellent and the hanging kebabs are much better than they sound 😋

Visited as part of a group for a cocktail making experience, was so much fun and learned some new skills - shout out to our mixologist Cody who was ace 👌🏾

We'd booked a table for a party and a little 'room' area cut off from the rest of the restaurant was used to seat us. Service was quick and staff were very accommodating to our needs as we had a number of different allergies and dietary requirements between us. Michael in particular stood out as very welcoming and attentive.

We had their famous hanging kebabs, they were very tasty and altogether fabulous 👌 Lovely waiter who was very pleasant and accommodating.

Fantastic restaurant and bar. We had lovely food and drinks . The service was wonderful

Came here for a birthday meal with a table booked for 20:30. Unfortunately a party was running late, so we were asked to grab a drink whilst we waited for the table to be cleared. We were seated 10mins later than our booking, but that wasn't a problem at all. Our waiter was extremely polite and apologetic regarding the delay which was nice! The food was great and so were the cocktails. Absolutely no complaints whatsoever and would highly recommend coming here if you're looking for something a little more upmarket and trendy.

This place is lovely with a relaxed atmosphere amazing waiter Mike as mentioned in many of the reviews went above and beyond and we really enjoyed the food the steak was cooked to perfection and the cheese pulled burger was delicious we also had the crunchie cookie dough which if you have room for was devine, the live music downstairs in the bar was also good for after the meal so we stayed and had some more drinks in there, all in all a great experience and will definately be back would highly recommend

Good service. Food was very nice. Was our 2nd time eating there and we will return

Early evening weekday meal during Easter break. As tourists to York we weren't sure whether a reservation was required, but we were able to get a 6pm table without any fuss. The kids menu was generous, certainly enough for our 10 and 12 year old boys. Cocktails were very nice and the food was tasty. We had the sharing kebab which was great and just about the right size. Only complaint was the speed. Given the place was probably three quarters full, the length of time between ordering and receiving the main courses was a little over an hour, which felt a long wait.

Good tasty food and friendly staff just surprised it needed two doorman for security but I guess it's part of the license requirements. Anyway enjoyed the evening

Great place for cocktails, good atmosphere, staff extremely helpful and friendly, great selection of drinks.

Staff were good, food quite average and cocktails just full of ice.

Food lovely atmosphere good staff very friendly will return

Stopped off for some light refreshments and sampled the bar menu. Food excellent and friendly service. Well done The Botanist York!

Very tidy place. Was busy during Sunday lunchtime but the staff were very efficient. Will be returning soon.

Lovely meal really nice waitress it was our 4th time here as just as good as our first visit

Very delicious noodle dish...but I wish I had more. I had the noodles with chicken and only got about four pieces of chicken, whereas my vegetarian friend got so much more for the same price. The drinks, however, were amazing. I had the strawberry and cucumber one...to die for!

Absolutely love this place! Go with the girls for cocktails and nibble and with the husband for the hanging kebabs! Delicious!

We recently celebrated my 50th birthday with my family at The Botanist, York. We were given a private room upstairs at the front of the building. My family were allowed access to decorate the room during the day. We received the best service from a couple of staff, one young man in particular, whos name I cannot remember however nothing was too much trouble for him. The meal was delicious and the drinks flowed and I cannot recommend enough. Thank you

Came in for York restaurant week, and had a blast. Our waiter Mike was the embodiment of loveliness, even though the restaurant was busy. Can't fault the food or the service.

Sat in a cosy corner, ordered through the app and service was speedy! Staff were friendly and chatty too! Had some bar snacks and cocktails and they were both delicious!

Food delicious, but more importantly had the best waiter ever.. thank you Mike for going above and beyond. We felt really well looked after!

Absolutely amazing food & drinks, especially the fried onion petals 😋 Fantastic service from Mike, extremely friendly, helpful & attentive!

Cocktail making is a must!! Loads of fun and very interactive. Great for a group of friends catching up. Ask for Cody!! She's brilliant and knows her stuff!!!!

An eatery in the heart of York with a difference. Prices are fair. it retains a pub atmosphere but with a modern menu.

We came here for my birthday and had some cocktails which were served in a normal long glass and tasted not very good.There was some kind of foliage on the top of the cocktail which smelt a bit unpleasant. The famous hanging kebabs were nice and tasty but could have been a bigger portion. Then there's a 10% service charge also.Molly our server was nice and pleasant. Service was quick also.

Great evening here, lovely food and atmosphere, but our server Mike made the night. They were exceptional and made us feel very welcome. We really enjoyed our experience because of them.

Not the best experience which was a shame as it was for my sisters Hen do! Won’t be returning. We had a table booked but were then held in a VERY crowded bar for quite a long time. No one came to get us, I had to go back a while later where we were then told- yes, the table was ready… why had no one come to tell us? Or why isn’t there a buzzer system to inform you? The seating area we had was beautiful, a private little annex room decorated lovely. I had prepaid for 2 bottles of prosecco on arrival – these were nowhere to be seen and I had to ask for them... not the wow factor I had planned for everyone to walk into … Why bother making us prepay & preorder? This goes for the food too- why make guest preorder and then wait a ridiculous amount of time for the food order- why did we preorder? It clearly didn’t help with organisation or output. I couldn’t fault our server, he was so busy but was friendly, engaged and made everyone feel welcome- he was the only saving grace of this experience! The food came out – the ones that were edible were okay at best and 4 dishes had to be complete voided off the bill as they were burnt/ overcooked (halloumi skewers) – this included the bride’s meal of which she was barely able to eat anything. Again, our server dealt with this well but the chefs should never have sent black charred halloumi out. I was then almost charged an extra £57 for the prosecco I’d already prepaid for … luckily, I’d caught it. We were all so over it by the end of this meal we ended up cutting our evening short and heading home. Would recommend for atmosphere and a drink at most but would never eat here again.

Great food - great service - and just a cracking little place.. We couldn’t fault anything about this place.. Thank you.

First time in the Botanist in York and it didn’t disappoint. Had a wonderful time, the food was amazing (I had the chicken skewers and my wife had the halloumi skewers). Coming for a total carnivore, I have to say, the halloumi skewers were delicious (nicked a bit from my wife). The service was excellent too and Mike looked after us really well. A great time, we will definitely be back!

Lewis was really knowledgable and made the experience really fun! We had a great time and enjoyed it so much! Thank you for an amazing hen do 😊

Lewis was great at the cocktail master class! We had a great Great time xxxx would definitely recommend and would come again

We had a number of cocktails and a sharing board. Staff helpful and drinks great. The hot platter was a good bit of substance for the alcohol.

Cocktail masterclass with Lewis was amazing! He is really attentive and very professional. He made us feel relaxed and we really enjoyed it. Thank you x

I love the botanist at my home town of Lincoln so whilst staying in York decided to visit. Arrived as we hadn’t booked as web site states walk ins available no need to book turned up to be met by a young girl to busy talking to obviously a friend decided she would greet us after she had finished her gossip with a friend, directed to the table was told would have to be a bench which we accepted, food was ok not anywhere near as good as your Lincoln branch and neither are your staff ! Felt like we was a chore to then no smile no interaction will not return again when we are in York

I feel like a cocktail master, the class was epic, Lewis knew his stuff and explained everything throughly. The whole atmosphere was great and the level of professionalism carried throughout the entire class was excellent. Thanks again Lewis and team think we need to come back to eat here another time as food looked amazing.

It's good for a hanging kebab, burger or club sandwich

The drinks were very fun and really delicious but the food was soggy and quite spicy even though I ordered a burger. The atmosphere was lovely and the staff were welcoming. I would come here again for drinks but that’s it.

Loved the food, cannot fault it. Visited for a Graduation celebration and just felt super underwhelmed. Especially after calling to arrange this booking and being reassured something special would have been arranged for this, it was a shame. The waitresses unfortunately also seemed quite rude and hardly came to the table at all throughout, and seemed too lazy to serve anyone around the table but simply place food on one side to pass around which was a shame.

Staff were professional helpful and friendly, server was Mike. Food was delicious, great menu. Onion petals and shared hanging kebab were fab!

We visited on a Monday evening while on a trip to York just before Christmas, arriving early (via the wrong door as the restaurant door is at the side of the building, this really isn't clear if it's dark outside!) we were guided to a nice quiet table by the stairs by some friendly and welcoming staff. They took note of my food allergy and left us some time to decide what we wanted. The starters arrived quickly and were great; the pork crackling and the onion petals were real highlights for us and we were impressed by the quality. I ordered a cocktail which was delicious and unlike anything I'd had elsewhere. Sadly things went downhill from here. From the time our starters arrived to the main courses we waited over an hour, with 2 visits from staff during this time assuring us the food would be arriving soon. They seemed very rushed and overworked, trying to attend to lots of tables at once. When it did eventually arrive it was slightly wrong, and while they did fix this quickly it wasn't worth the wait at all. The hanging kebab was a very expensive bit of overcooked and dry chicken with little flavour. It came with a garlic butter that you could pour over the whole thing which was novel but left the chicken tasting exactly the same apart from being oily. Also accompanying it was coconut rice which somehow tasted burned. The platter we had with it was a mixed bag with some things tasting fantastic and others being just OK, but even here the chicken bites were very dry. Because of the delay we had been told when the food arrived that our next drinks would be free, and so my wife ordered a Diet Coke. This never turned up, and nobody ever came to take my order. The drinks we did have were taken off the bill at the end which was a nice gesture but by this point we had been here for 2 hrs 30mins and just wanted to leave. Given how much the food cost (I'm used to Cambridge prices but it still felt too expensive for what you got) I'd have expected something better, and it's a real shame that the quality of the mains didn't match up to the starters. It's also disappointing to see that the staff seemed to be overworked and rushing around, doing their best to deal with the situation they ended up in.

A lovely and cosy restaurant which is a great spot for dinner. The service was really friendly and we also got served quite quickly, though we did have to wait for 10-15 minutes on arrival despite making a reservation. The food was very good as well - particularly the vegan pie of the day which was a sweet potato curried pie that was delicious.

So I can only speak for my behalf and experience and not on behalf of my work. This is solely my opinion. We didn't go as a work visit we went for Christmas as friends from work out of work if that makes sense. But...

Lovely cocktails, the artist was brilliant

We stopped here for a light bite to eat and the selection of smaller plates is pretty good if you're not looking for a huge meal. The food was great and the service prompt and friendly.

My husband and I recently visited The Botanist York and had a wonderful time. The food was delicious and the cocktails are great. I have to give the staff a massive compliment for working so hard. It was the lunchtime after their xmas party and...