The Botanist - Cheltenham

We went for a Valentine's Day meal and were seated at 8:20. Our order was taken about 15 minutes later, but our drinks did not arrive with our food. We asked the food runner to check on them, but he never returned. Finally, a waitress came to do a check-back and we asked again for our drinks. By the time our drinks arrived at 8:55 (almost 40 minutes after being seated), my partner had finished his food and I had eaten most of mine. The dirty plates sat in front of us until 9:35, when we had to flag someone down for the bill. After waiting another 10 minutes, we received the wrong bill. When we requested the correct bill and asked for the service charge to be removed, it took another 10 minutes to get the correct bill. We eventually left around 10pm. As someone who manages a restaurant myself, I understand that it can be busy, but the lack of apology or communication from any staff, including a manager, was unacceptable. It seemed like many other tables were also having similar experiences. Throughout our meal, there were additional issues such as staff dropping oily food by the entrance without putting out a wet floor sign, and staff complaining loudly next to customer tables. This is the first time I have felt the need to leave a negative review.

We chose the Valentine's set menu at this restaurant. Initially, we were impressed by the beautiful atmosphere and decor of the place. We were greeted by a friendly lady at the front desk and our server introduced herself. However, we had to wait around 30 minutes for our drinks, while other couples who arrived after us received theirs promptly. The starter, a Camembert sharer, had hard bread and undercooked cheese. The cocktails were mostly ice with little fruit and alcohol. The main course, a sharing kebab, was cold and bland, lacking the upgrade we had requested for the chips. The courgette was raw and everything needed more cooking time. Dessert was bland and served on a hot mini skillet without warning. Despite the staff being busy, our server was abrupt when we politely asked for things. Overall, it was a disappointing experience and we do not plan on returning, despite having high expectations.

We chose this restaurant based on our positive experiences at other Botanist locations in the UK, but unfortunately, this particular branch did not meet our expectations. Upon arrival, the waiter mentioned that they almost gave our table away due to a 15-minute policy, even though we were not late. This made us feel a bit uneasy. The service lacked pleasantries, but our waitress was friendly. I ordered the Prawn Linguine and my boyfriend had the Thai Red Curry hanging kebab. The linguine was oily and overwhelming for me, but my boyfriend enjoyed his meal. After our mains, we were given dessert menus but were told we had to leave as the next table arrived. This contradicted the assurance we had earlier about not having to rush. The overall experience was disappointing. The service was a bit chaotic, with confusion about our bill and the abrupt end to our meal. The time limit on our table was not adhered to, leaving us with less time than expected. Despite the issues, the staff were accommodating when we asked to remove the service charge.

We visited for Sunday lunch which was £19.95. Opted for lamb. Obviously frozen precooked as same cut of lamb came out on both orders. Yorkshire’s cold and burnt. Frozen veg barely warm, only hot thing was frozen roasties. We called the waiter over about the Yorkshire’s as they were inedible. Manager came over. I explained only hit item was potatoes. Waiter returned with hotter veg, still hard and poorly cooked, and hot Yorkshire’s. The manager kindly took money off the bill but I was looking forward to a good roast dinner. Sadly we could not return again and would advice others reading this to give it a miss for a roast dinner. Can’t comment on other dishes. Shame because service was great. Manager/s need to address what is happening in kitchen! Poor quality food can be cooked well!

Visited Sunday after playing crazy golf nearby. We opted for here as we had read the menu outside looked like it had a wide variety of dishes. Inside was pretty Empty with staff not really seeming to know what they were doing. Ordered two drinks two beef roast dinners which were priced at 19.95 per roast. What came out wouldnt feed a child. 3tiny slices of meat which were cold. Undercooked frozen roast potatoes a burnt Yorkshire. Whilst eating I had to ask where our drinks were which we were told they were on there Way. They never came... I had to ask again as we were getting up to pay the bill the drinks came. We turned them down as we wanted them before our meal. Was left hungry underwhelmed when you can get a hearty pub roast for under that price