I met up with the always-awesome Rai on Easter Saturday in a surprisingly lovely Leeds. We didn't really have plans for where we wanted to go as we had been unable to book a table at the place initially suggested. After a bit of a wander around, we ended up settling on The Botanist.
I've been to the Botanist once before with the husband for a meal on our second wedding anniversary and it was really great. For some bizarre reason, I hadn't been back since, which is a shame as the restaurant is absolutely lovely. Even though it was fairly busy on a Saturday, we were able to get a table with no waiting, although it did take us a little while to decide what to have because everything on the menu sounds delicious.
I was tempted by the deli board, which allows you to choose a few different items so you create almost a mini picnic of your favourite things. Rai opted for this and it looked fantastic, with all her choices served up on a wooden board.
I ended up choosing the baked Camembert, which is meant to come with bacon and onion crumb on top. Obviously, this isn't suitable for a pescetarian so I asked for no bacon. I was hoping it would still come with some onion crumb, but this wasn't the case. However, it was served with crudities and fresh bread, all on another board that made everything look so inviting.
I originally thought there wouldn't be enough to dip in the Camembert, but I was wrong as I actually had crudites left over. The only slight downside with the meal was that the way the crudites were stacked meant that the apples ended up tasting like celery. While I don't mind celery, I much prefer apple, especially when it just tastes like apple.
I ended up going for the white chocolate and peanut butter mousse, partially because it was nice and soft but mostly because white chocolate and peanut butter are two of my favourite things. The mousse was served up on a trowel, complete with strawberries and edible flowers, adding a fun touch and mirroring the garden shed feel of the restaurant.
While I couldn't taste much white chocolate in the mousse, the peanut butter taste was absolutely gorgeous and I was left wanting to lick the rest off the trowel. It had a lovely rich taste but the mousse itself was still nice and light, making it a great way to end the meal.
Not only was the food great, it was also really reasonably priced and the service was fantastic. I have already been eyeing up a few other bits and pieces on the menu so will need to convince the husband to head back with me soon to give them a try.
Whether you want a light lunch, a drink or a slap-up meal, The Botanist is definitely a great option when you're in Leeds.