BOTANIC CAFÉ
4 East Terrace
Adelaide South Australia 5000
W Not available
E Not available
T +61 8 8232 0626
F +61 8 8232 0625
OPEN Lunch Monday to Friday 12 noon till 3.00 pm, dinner Monday to Saturday 6.30 pm till late

FOOD A gorgeous sunny day and restaurant manager Tom Hanna has clearly been caught short as others like ourselves have found it impossible to resist the smells of good cooking and the last rays of late Autumn warmth. Botanic Café was in every way a pleasant surprise with terrific efficient and well informed service, good cooking and a interesting well priced wine list. Add the incredibly good value of a $21 two course and a glass of wine ’tasting menu’ lunch and we wondered why they weren’t completely booked out. We did have a few extras, like a glass of 03 Monmousseau Cuvee Justin, Loire Valley, France at just $9.50 a glass ($43 a bottle). Fine beaded fresh lime and apple with balanced yeast and such good value for money.
We ordered the Venison carpaccio, which came simply presented with little steamed and peeled beetroots, good olive oil, Italian parsley and just the right amount of pepper and salt. The Spaghetti vongole, chorizo, chilli and preserved lemon was generous and full of flavour, but the chorizo should be boiled to soften it, or better yet replaced with three or four slices of boiled Cotechino. The fish of the day, was a crispy skinned really fresh and perfectly cooked barramundi fillet (not a favourite fish unless wild caught, that sat on a generous amount of rustic skordalia and came with just the right amount of roasted cherry tomatoes. Fried squid in some form exists on most Adelaide menus, but none as good as the Botanic Café. Soft centered and crisp cooked in perfectly clean oil it was impossible not to be envious that it wasn’t mine and no agreement had been struck to share. Coffee was excellent and the Cassata Siciliana, the light sponge filled with ricotta, chocolate and fruit was very good. Food does cross borders and it is not strictly Italian as the chorizo and skordalia would indicate but the food, service and wine list make the Botanic Café refreshingly pleasing and excellent value for money. A great spot for lone travelers they also have a community table. AO

OWNERS — Christina and Cono Gorgone
CHEF — Andrew Saxon
RESTAURANT MANAGER — Tom Hanna