Overall Meh. Chose The Botanist believing it to be linked to its London namesake. If it is, then it' s a pale shadow, having the look, but without the high-end execution. Won't be going again. 2 issues.

Food: (it was late Sunday lunchtime) 3 out of 5 mains were off, meaning 4 out of 5 of us ordered the same. When it came, (Pork belly), it featured one of the largest Yorkshire puddings, and smallest portions of pork belly I've ever seen. Crackling was crackly, but strangely tasteless. (How is that even possible!?). The menu's generous-sounding promise of "bottomless gravy" translated into an uphill struggle to find, then wrangle out of the sparse waiting staff, thimble-sized ramekins of the stuff.

Service: What upset me most was the venue's insistence on a house rule not to permit older teenagers without I/d to have alcohol with their meal even when bought by their parent. This is not the law - it's just a house rule; and, for a family lunch on a Sunday afternoon, insisting on it rather spoiled a birthday celebration. I'd brought my 17 and 19 year old boys in for the elders' birthday lunch, and bought both of them a pint with their meal. When I handed my 17 year old his pint, the duty manager literally came and took it away again, citing the house rule. Again, this is not the law - which allows a parent to buy a pint for a 17 year old with a meal - it was an internal rule. I respect house rules, but this one (and its somewhat tin-earned application) rather rules the Bristol Botanist out for family celebrations like ours.

So overall - strangely "mean"-feeling hospitality. At every turn and in every dimension, an absence of warmth and generosity.

In interest of fairness and balance, the Interior design was very smart, and they accepted and were kind to our labrador. 🫤