Relocated Cocktail Bar Botany Stays True to Form with Its Unconventional Menu

By Valerie Osipov, December 12, 2018

After a good, quiet run in an apartment room in Yoolee Plaza, esteemed cocktail bar Botany has made big moves recently, reopening in its first proper location. Well, not that big of a move – it's still in Yoolee Plaza, just on the ground level now.

Tucked next to In & Out, a popular Yunnan restaurant, the lounge vibes are a bit more playful this time around. Kitschy decor, stained glass windows, a few plants (to be honest, we were expecting more) and colorful paintings accent the space, which is filled with wooden tables and vintage armchairs. It's almost bordering on tacky but we can't deny that the atmosphere is pretty cozy and the comfy seating alone is enough to make us want to stay a while.

But Botany does stay true to form with their unconventional menu, which features their eccentric signature cocktails with creative infusions, like the Such a Good Thyme – golden tequila, thyme syrup, strawberry thyme and green bitters – and the Black Truffle Martini (both RMB120 – a wild price for a cocktail, though we'll admit, they don't hold back on the liquor). Another page lists cocktails made with a 'twist' like the Little Rabbit (RMB100), with vodka, carrots, lychee, miso syrup and cranberry juice.

We order the Friday Night, even though it's a Tuesday (iLoveMakonnen taught us that was OK). The bitter whiskey-based concoction is given a hint of sweetness with rose flower bee pollen, organic honey and garnished with an orange peel and burnt cloves. A few strong sips and we're feeling it. The description reads: "For the journey is long and full of charms, let the warmth of the dimmed lights and this twisty sweet-bitter cocktail lead you through the night." Deep.

Also on offer are a compact selection of bar snacks like Thai-inspired pizzas (RMB50), roasted Japanese fish fin (RMB100) and some cold cuts (RMB50-60). We linger for a few moments and then make our way out into the cold night, for our journey is long and full of... You get it.