Botanica Lab Cucina — Restaurant in Bologna

Bologna, heatwave capital of the universe, sun pounding the cobblestone streets like a mad drummer on a relentless bender.

At 1 PM, I stumbled into "Botanica Lab," a vegan hideaway, a refuge from the relentless inferno. The name, a promise of cool shade in a world turned to white-hot madness. It is an unassuming sanctum of greenery tucked away in one of many alleys of Bologna. The fresh air inside hummed with the low murmur of hushed conversations and the faint aroma of Italian spices. The walls, decorated with memories from the past, seemed to breathe, drawing in the night’s chaotic energy and exhaling calm. Inside, the dim light is a balm to my sun-scorched eyes. I collapsed into a corner booth, the wooden chair cool against my skin, and scanned the QR code menu.

“Gnocchetti estivi”, it read, the words leaped off the page like a lifeline. I ordered, the anticipation a sweet agony. The waiter nodded, a silent understanding passing between us.

The staff here, invisible sentinels of service, seem to understand the need for space, for quiet in a world gone mad with heat. They moved with a practiced grace, an unspoken language of care and precision.

The dish arrived, a vision of verdant perfection. Plump wholesome gnocchi, soft pillows of potato, swathed in a rich and captivating, emerald pesto with the addition of crushed pistachos. I savored each bite, the coolness of the pesto a sharp contrast to the fiery world beyond these walls. The gnocchi are a revelation - tender yet firm, the perfect vehicle for the vibrant green sauce. Each forkful is a journey, a reminder that beauty can still be found in the midst of chaos.

As I finished my meal, a glass of chilled Passito arrived. I took a sip, the crisp, fruity notes cutting through the richness of the pesto, a final flourish in this symphony of flavor. I leaned back, a contented sigh escaping my lips, and glanced around the room. Others were lost in their own culinary reveries, the heat outside nothing more than a distant memory.

“Botanica Lab" is more than a restaurant - it is a haven, a place where the boundaries between sustenance and sanctuary blur. Here, in the heart of Bologna, I have found refuge, not just from the heat, but from the madness of the world.

And in that moment, with the taste of pesto still lingering on my tongue, I...

Don’t come without reservations and if you’re considering booking a table, maybe reconsider. The guy working there was very cocky and rude. The girls seemed nice, albeit confused since the staff was very uncoordinated. After we were seated by a waitress, we got told off by the guy working there for “not telling them that we don’t have a reservation”, even though we had the same conversation 2 minutes before. Then we got approached by 3 different staff members to ask for our order, even though we already ordered. We only got deserts and drinks since their menu looked like a very generic vegan joint you can find in any major city in the world. Deserts were average and there were no Italian desert options (which is what we came for, since their google menu said they have vegan Panna cotta), drinks were below average. Nice decor but vibes were definitely off. There’s better vegan places in Bologna that don’t act like they have a Michelin star, while forgetting to bring a...

This restaurant was an extraordinary discovery: the dishes reminded me of cuisine nouveau in their presentation (highly creative, a feast for the eyes) and so delicious one instantly forgets that this is, in fact, a vegetarian restaurant. The "Beyond Burger" for instance, was so delicious I needed to convince myself that in fact, I was not eating beef. The menu includes dishes inspired by Asian cuisines (various bowls and rolls), and the Millefoglie di raparossa con crema gelato allo yuzo (a marvelous red dish with a creamy yuzu-cheese dollop) amazed with every bite. The restaurant served excellent artiginale beers (lager, blanche, bianco) and wine to attend the meals. In meat-heavy Emilia-Romagna, the discovery of this restaurant is an utter surprise. It was packed at lunchtime by 13:00, clientele being overwhelmingly well-healed and local. Finally, the environment is peaceful and very tastefully done, not formal but creative and...