From craft gin tastings and distillery experiences to local botanicals, see why gin is the new star of the modern cocktail scene in Melbourn
Gin has come a long way from dusty bottles behind the bar. Once seen as old-fashioned, it’s now at the heart of the modern cocktail scene. From hidden speakeasies to stylish rooftop bars, gin is back—and bigger than ever.
Located in Portsmouth, NH. Botanica is a restaurant/gin bar that serves up, not only delicious gin cocktails but also a lovely dining experience with their French influenced cuisine. They pride themselves of using fresh and local ingredients, with a menu that changes seasonally.
One of my favorite places to dine at in New England has to be Botanica!! It is a splurge for me when I go here. It is on the mid to higher price rage, rightfully so. This is a perfect place to go on a date or celebrate any occasion. I have taken my partner here for the past 4 years to celebrate his birthday; each time we have been blown away with the attention to detail in the dishes, amazing vibe of the crew, and well-crafted cocktails!
Let's talk about what Botanica has to bring to the table. So, pull up a chair & Stay Awhile.
Botanica has a charm to it. The staff is kind, informative on ingredients used in the dishes & cocktails, and very welcoming. It is an intimate space, so you are likely to see all of the staff when you are here.
There are a few tabletops, a bar, and outside tables for the warmer seasons. I absolutely love a good meal out in the fresh air; but I will say, I prefer the inside seating here for the ambiance. It feels more connected with the experience when seated inside.
The vibe is everything.
Botanicas menu for May 2025 is nothing to sleep on. Lots of lite, fresh flavors. Beautiful colors. Absolutely delicious. On our latest visit, we ended up ordering some cocktails, three appetizers, two entrees, one dessert, & one cheese.
Let's grab a COCKTAIL
: The Emperess G&T :
When at a Gin Bar, of course starting with two gin cocktails (not pictured) is the way to go. The last word: made w/ gin, green-chartreuse, maraschino liqueur & fresh lime juice, garnished w/ a dark cherry that has been soaked in syrup. The Last word is a refreshing Gin cocktail; first introduced to me here at Botanica! Its lite, yet flavorful. The lime really pops, giving it a nice tang finish.
A Gimlet: A savory Gin cocktail made w/ Gin and Lime cordial. Garnished with what looked like a sprig of parsley.
we shared a glass of red wine: Cotes Du Rhone wine. This wine is an easy stand-alone drink, or to have w/ food. We drank this with our appetizers. The wine went well with Lamb; complimenting the dish.
And ended it with the Emperess Gin & Tonic. This cocktail is known to turn some heads! It arrives on a golden platter w/ the Emperess Gin over ice, a bottle of tonic water, and the fixings. It's kind of a DIY cocktail if you will. You put it all together and there a fun science moment of squeezing lemon juice into the glass & the color going from a purple to a pink! This is a classic G&T with a beautiful twist.
Let's talk APPITIZERS
: Lil's Baguettes w/ Whipped Butter and Maldon Sea Salt : (Lil's Cafe is a local owned cafe in Kittery ME, just over the bridge from Portsmouth NH.)
There is nothing like warm, fresh bread! The baguette had a nice crust to it, yet a soft fluffy cloud on the inside. The butter was salted. w/ Maldon Sea salt and was very cream. Lastly, some radish to top your bread if you wish. I love the radish touch to bread & butter. It adds a pop of freshness and color into the bite.
: Brandade with Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Shallots : (Brandae is a salt cod spread; typically made w/ olive oil, garlic, and sometimes potato.)
This salty fish spread dish left us craving for more! The Brandade was smooth & salty. The Asparagus gave it a nice fresh green taste. And the Pickled Shallots tied it all together w/ a vinegared bite.
We took some creative liberty & spread some of this dish onto the Baguette. I would eat this dish as is, on a sandwich, in so many other forms! The flavors are layered yet compliment on another creating a perfect bite!
: Grilled Lamb Sirloin with Herb Socca, Fennel, and Horseradish : (Socca is a flatbread made of chickpea flour, water, olive oil, & salt. W/ roots in southern France as traditional street food)
This dish stumped me a bit. The flavors were delicious, but what my eyes were seeing was different from what I was tasting. The Fennel didn't have that fresh strong liquorish taste it usually brings to dishes. It was maybe marinated or pickled. Then there was the Socca. I was not aware what this was, so we spent a bit discussing what it was, where it could have come from, then eventually ended up looking up what Socca is. (See description) The Socca was thin w/ a nice crust on one side, lots of air pockets, and packed with a "wheaty" savory flavor. It was laid at the bottom of the dish, so it soaked up all the flavors of the dish. The Lamb was juicy, tender, and just everything I want out of a lamb dish. I will say, the meat of this dish was of lackluster compared to the other ingredients here, but stand alone, I would eat a whole plate of that lamb.
{BOTTOM} : Pan Roasted Chicken Breast w/ Fingerlings, Cipollini-Onions, Fennel, & Pea Purée :
The Grilled Hanger Steak was buttery soft. It had a nice char crust on it, giving it a beautiful smoked flavor. The Brandy Jus was amazing! It was flavorful and creamy. It was similar to that of a hollandaise sauce. The Frites were nicely salted. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. perfectly fried. I do wish they had used something other than a "fry" for the side of this dish, but hey they were really tasty! Lastly, we have the Salad Greens tossed in a lite vinaigrette. A nice fresh salad green is always nice to have to get your veggies in.
The Pan Roasted Chicken Breast was served in a cute little le Creuset dish. This was very aesthetically pleasing, but it made it a bit difficult to eat out of it. I was given a small plate to put the chicken on if I wanted, & I did end up using the plate. The chicken was small, very juicy, light in color, and was tender. The flavor profile was very simple; buttery, some salt. Under the chicken was: some potato fingerlings cut small/medium, cippolini onions were tender, & sweet. & some fennel, this helped elevate that fresh spring flavor to the dish. At the bottom of the dish was a layer of Pea Purée. The color was a beautiful bight pastel green, packed with flavor! The whole dish complemented one another. With each ingredient layering into the next, creating one beautiful bite!
Room for DESSERT?
{TOP} DESSERT: Cinnamon Crème Caramel with Strawberry and Rhubarb :
{BOTTOM} CHEESE: Grey Barn Eidolon Brie with Seasonal Preserve : (Grey Barn Eidolon Brie is from a local Farm in Chilmark MA)
For our last course we ordered a Cinnamon Crème Caramel & Brie cheese.
The Crème was a lite, eggy dessert that was not overbearingly sweet & incorporated fresh fruit. The Rhubarb was sweet & tangy, soaked in the cinnamon caramel. Finally, the strawberries gave it that extra pop it needed. The color is fairly monochromatic. Individually, each component was fresh, not too sweet, and well crafted. Together, they all played into one another creating a harmonious delicious dessert.
The Eidolon Brie was soft & creamy, with an aftertaste of some funk (a good funk). The Strawberry/Rhubarb preserves brought a sweet yet sour flavor to really elevate and compliment to the cheese. It was quite lovely way to end a meal.
CHECK PLASE.
When all was eaten & our cups ran dry, our bill for all of this was just under $200 USD. For all the delectable food & cocktails we order for two people, the price seems fair. Overall, our dinner was a 9.9/10. There isn't much I would change with our meal. The ambiance was simple, yet stunning. The Staff, as always, was on their A-game. I would come here every day, if I could. We left with our belies full of delicious food & drink; daydreaming of when we will return to Botanica.
I highly recommend visiting Botanica if you're ever on the west coast. Portsmouth is a lovely small city in New Hampshire. There are plenty of bars, shops, cafes, and other forms of entertainment, some with-in walking distance of Botanica. Portsmouth is rich in history with its town being established in 1630!
Thanks for staying awhile!
Hope to see you in the next one.
-Bee
Botanica is an intimate upscale French influenced restaurant and bar located in the West End of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
