Wow! Just wow. I don’t have the words to describe how fantastic this place is. I’ve been vegan for over a decade and have traveled extensively and eaten a lot of vegan food around the world, and this is one of the top 5 vegan restaurants I have ever been to. I loved the family story that comes with the menu and the explanations for some of the dishes. It made me feel connected to the food in a unique and emotional way. The Botanist beats some Michelin star experiences I have been to. Worth every cent! Don’t miss it on a visit to Zadar, even if you scoff at plant-based food. In detail: We tried the fennel salad, stone soup, “fish dish”, chickpea stew with sopernik, tiramisu, and cheesecake. the fennel salad was fresh and very delicately flavored. A cooling and palate-opening start to the meal. The stone soup is hard to describe but not to be missed. It’s one of the most flavorful vegan broths I have tasted—rich in umami without being too salty and bursting with delicious but hard to pin down flavors. It was beautifully served from a stone teapot and over a bed of sea weeds and thick home made noodles. The “fish” was another exceptional mix of flavors and textures. The tofu and vegetable based vegan dish was unique and tasty, and went beautifully with the melt-in-your mouth potato puree it was served on. The pure was unbelievable—so creamy and “buttery” and with flavor notes made to compliment the Swiss chard and “fish” to perfection. The chickpea stew with sopernik was both a cozy homemade stew and a high end culinary experience. Beautifully served and full of delicate and perfectly balanced flavor notes, but comforting like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket on a cold day. The sopernik that came with it was prepared to perfection. The desserts were, sadly, the only part of the meal that didn’t impress. The tiramisu was not a good tiramisu but was a very nice coffee-flavored dessert. Though nothing unforgettable. The cheesecake I would skip — it was your box standard coconut-based “cheesecake” that tastes of coconut cream and little else. Overall, we had a fantastic experience at The Botanist and cannot recommend it enough. I cannot wait to return and try more of the dishes on the menu. I really admire how much love and meaning seems to be behind each dish, though the menu explanations are a bit too text heavy. They could do with some illustrations (perhaps of the animals dishes are named after). I also wish they explained why the dishes have these odd names. But that aside, it was an extraordinary and unforgettable culinary and emotional experience.