Delightful Dining at The Botanist Cheltenham

As soon as we sat down, Hudson was given some colouring to do. Which is always extremely useful with a 2.5-year-old in a restaurant!

As we were out with the kids, it was a simple diet Coke for me and my husband, and a box of juice for Hudson.

The kid’s meals are £6.95 which includes a main, side and dessert, and it is a well-thought-out kids menu! They have the children’s classics like chicken fingers, but it’s also great to see a gnocchi option. They haven’t forgotten about the kids when it came to the hanging kebabs.

The Botanist are known for their incredible hanging kebabs, which are delicious and a great centrepiece to the table. Their kebab menu has also extended since it arrived in Cheltenham a few years ago. Hudson adores sausage, so he ordered the sausage and mash (although they were very helpful when it came to the sides, as he doesn’t eat potato, and allowed us to switch it to rice). Which comes hanging on a skewer, something he was really excited about!

It was the most food I’ve ever seen him eat when we’ve been out at a restaurant. He also enjoyed some of Dave’s corn on the cob, another of his favourites!

Dave went for the Giant Piri Piri Chicken Kebab, whilst I tucked into a Grilled ‘Nduja Chicken Burger. It was all delicious, and the perfect meal to enjoy as a family – simple recipes with a theatrical twist.

For dessert, my husband was too full up from his kebab to join in. But Hudson had a nutty banana split which looked amazing, and I couldn’t resist the Oreo cookie dough, which sadly I had to share with my toddler. We left feeling absolutely stuffed!

However, The Botanist feels different. With all of the leafy plants dotted around, a large bar area and what appears to be a dancefloor for when there is live music. Plus, areas of the restaurant are adorned with decorative items, drawers and pictures. So, there is a lot to keep children entertained (he enjoyed getting his hands inside one of the cabinets!).

There is plenty of space for them to walk too, and the staff were extremely relaxed about us taking a look around the restaurant. Even the toilets are exciting for a small person, Hudson enjoyed taking a “toilet selfie” with me on the sofa that’s in there. He was also fascinated by the old-fashioned loo flush on a pully lever!

I really enjoyed some of the local touches as well. Despite the fact that The Botanist has a few restaurants in the UK, whilst looking around we found some artwork on the wall that was specific to Cheltenham. 

It’s also a fantastic people-watching spot, which is the perfect way to keep children entertained.

They have huge glass door panels which open up, so the restaurant feels very “outdoors-in”. There are lots of different sections of the restaurant, so you could feel like you are somewhere different each time you come. At the weekend, The Botanist hosts live music, something we have frequented before we had children. They have some incredible acts, and I’m fairly confident that this is something my toddler (who adores music!) would enjoy as well. 

If you have a really small one (we had a 3-month-old with us) there are lots of leaves and light around the restaurant which Otto loved looking at. It gave him an exciting baby sensory experience, which meant when the food came he was happy to lie in his pram and kick around, so we could enjoy a hot dinner. 

We all left the restaurant feeling like we’d eaten a great meal, enjoyed a lovely atmosphere, managed to entertain the children, and were well looked after by the staff. Next time we go and visit, we’re going to keep an eye out for the live music, and enjoy a cocktail or two!