El Botánico Restaurante Cocina de Autor Medellín — Restaurant in Medellín

We dined here on a not busy Tuesday night and were served relatively quickly for two people. We walked in without a reservation. Host was courteous. The food and cocktail prices seemed higher compared to the rest of the Poblano area for what you were getting, but I gave the restaurant the benefit of the doubt and hoping the food would satisfy us. Also, a bottled water is $20,000 COP per 500ml, which is four times the cost of the highest priced water bottle I’ve bought in the country at a restaurant. Although it’s “Panna” Italian water, that’s a crazy priced water.

The cocktails and the food were just okay, and definitely were under my expectations given the price. I wouldn’t pay attention to the specials or any recommendations because to me, it seems like they direct you to items that are higher priced. Stick with what you like to eat. The food was decent, not bad but not amazing. Presentation was fine.

But here’s the catch and why I’m giving them two stars. They trick you into tipping twice. I should have read more into the reviews before dining here, and there is a slight language barrier me being a native English speaker but I do know how to speak basic Spanish at a restaurant and understand what they’re saying to me in Spanish.

I asked if the “service / servicio” charge is different from the “tip / propina”. The waitress said yes, and that is a lie. If you read the contract at the bottom of the bill, it explicitly states that 10% has been added as suggested tip but it is ONLY suggested. The service charge is the same as tip; and they change the wording on the bill to trick you into thinking it’s not a tip. I did not realize this until I read the bill after I left. So you cannot trust the staff to be honest about tipping when the bill / contract says otherwise.

I added 30,000 COP to the bill on top of the service charge. But they typed a higher amount as additional tip without me knowing.

I would avoid coming here just because you don’t know what’s going to happen when they’re the ones entering the amounts for tip and they do not show you, which I find shady. Other restaurants show me the numbers they punch in for tip when I dine with them.

I think I’m being generous with two stars because service was not terrible as others have mentioned and the food wasn’t terrible.

Always do your due diligence when spending money in...

El botánico is one of the largest, most lavish, and expensive restaurants in the sin mente group. The place is absolutely beautiful. Great live music, extensive menu, and decor for days. Staff are attentive but that's about where the raving ends. For such a classy establishment that no doubt holds a dress code and such fine ingredients botanico painstakingly highlights the largest and most common problem within Medellin upscale dining. None of the owners have never worked in fine dining. Everything from placement of the napkin to setting silverware on the same side and having few things ready to send immediately with a clear process makes it evident the lack of top down knowledge is blissfully transferred into an absence of training among staff. After all, nobody knows what they should do and nobody cares as their near monopoly of restaurants in Provenza print paper daily. Check my record, I rarely leave anything less than 5 stars but as I have finished my over seasoned plate I can't help but hope that someone hears my desperate cry to raise the bar. For the record, the 3 things I took a star off for, and I should take another off for the terrible tuna are: Lack of welcome as you walk in. Left to wait. Poor setting of tables. That of a child. Your waiter didn't know the price of Voss water, which I'm sure will set me back 20 mil. You don't offer tap water. I really should take another point off for the bland limonada de cóco as well, but I'm feeling kind. Botanico is supposed to be a 5 star restaurant of sorts by the looks, but barely scratches the surface of food...

It's a shame, since the food is quite good, and the room is very attractive, that the service is a clown show.

First, a long wait for the cocktails, but that's ok, I imagine, as who's in a rush? The table next to us were unhappy that their main dishes appeared about 3 minutes after their starters, but that's pretty common in Colombia. But since this restaurant charges international prices, not right. A young woman at the table opposite was doused by a glass falling off the waiters tray. Ok, these things can happen anywhere.

I ordered two small dishes, and my wife a Ceasar salad. My dishes appeared after some time, but my wife's was nowhere to be seen. We were assured it would come soon, and I ordered a glass of wine. I poked around at my octopus for many long moments while my wife waited. After about 15 minutes the salad appeared. Not a hope for the wine though.

We decided to skip dessert, as we lacked the patience.

When the bill arrived, the waiter asked if we would leave a tip. I pointed out that a 10 percent service charge was already added to the bill. He replied that this was for the company, not the staff. (if this is true, it is or should be illegal). In any case, him asking for an additional tip was rich beyond belief. I told him that the service was the worst in the the fortnight we have spent in Colombia. What I didn't tell him was that it was among the worst of all time, epic in its ineptitude.

Bottom line: go for drinks, not dinner, and the chef should find a better venue for his...