Le Botaniste — Restaurant in Brussels

During my sojourn in Brussels, Belgium I had to deal with a big problem, which may sound quite weird and paltry to many - how to avoid eating something in restaurants which might be containing non-vegetarian kindda stuff. I can't claim to be a die hard vegetarian, but it was obligatory on our part to stay restricted to vegetarian diets in the later half of the month of September this year, and also for the reason that from 3rd October 2024 Navratri was beginning. The home stays in all parts of Europe come with modular kitchens with all modern gadgets like dishwasher, gas stove, air fryer, refrigerator, micro-oven, cutlery, coffee maker machine, dining table, sugar, salt, breads, biscuits, tea/coffee bags, knives of all sizes, cooking utensils etc. It was easier for me to prepare my breakfast and luch/dinner. But at the same time I thought of relishing some local popular dishes. Just a little walk away from our homestay was this all vegan restaurant : Le Botaniste at Rue Franklin 2, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium. We ordered Lemonade (citron-cucurma-agave), Chocolate pecan cookies (pecan-socre brun-sarrasin-farine de riz), Soup of the Day ( main ingredient was carrot), Do it yourself bowl ( item picked from the buffet table).

Le Botaniste offered us a health-focused, eco-friendly, organic and plant-based menu which was decious too. It's a vegetarian haven in Brussels.

The following things attracted our attention : The cover page of the menu : Le Botaniste Prescriptions 'Official Newyork State Prescriptions' printed on a serving plate.

They offer the choices ranging from 5% to 20% for the...

Overall ok, perhaps a one off experience but mine was below standard, food was not of the quality I expected based on other reviews.

I came around 6pm on a Sunday and it was very quiet, only us and one other table, they had music but it wasn't audible. I ordered a sushi starter which was still in an uncut roll, this may be a stylistic choice but it makes it unusual to eat. The pasta Bolognese however was a disappointment, the sauce was good, but the pasta was very undercooked, to the point where certain pasta was stiff and almost crunchy. Overall all the food wasn't warm enough, and the fact that all dishes came within 1-5 minutes makes me assume everything is pre made and warmed before serving. Despite this staff were friendly and the restaurant has the potential to have an enjoyable atmosphere, perhaps with more attention to detail in the food and...

I would really like to be able to give a good review as I really like the idea of healthy vegan food but am quite disappointed. The food is so expensive, especially considering you order at the till and there is no table service. Today I ordered the seasonal special which was 90% white pasta and was cold (I am not sure if it was supposed to be or not) and cost €14. The restaurant ethos is also so stingy, the last time I came with a friend we got the mezze which is an assortment of dips. It comes with just 5 crackers and if you ask for more they charge. I do find the food generally tasty (except for the ecoterian seasonal special I ordered today) and staff are generally friendly, I just find it hard to...