The all-star team behind the newly launched The Botany Bar & Restaurant certainly think so. Promising ‘a gateway for foodies on Maryhill Locks’, they have opened one of the first casual gourmet eating spots in the area.

A fresh incarnation of The Strathmore on Maryhill Road, The Botany offers a revamped glasshouse dining space, menu and vision. The aim is to deliver high-end comfort food with an international influence, complemented by seasonal botanical cocktails.

Something is brewing indeed. So naturally, this 5pm writer was keen to head down to the launch night to check it out...

Airy glasshouse restaurant

Once a 19th century working man’s pub, The Botany’s bar section is now a retro-chic space with original brickwork, feature tiling and filament bulbs. We were ushered into the redesigned glasshouse dining area at the rear, complete with wood-burning stove and garden views. So far, so tranquil.

And the name? It was inspired by the Botanic Gardens, which sparked Chef John Paul Lappin’s vision of bringing a fresh, ingredient-driven menu to the Maryhill restaurant scene. Speaking of which, let’s talk about the food and drinks.

We kicked off the evening with a startlingly lovely lavender concoction whipped up by the in-house maestro (who picked the flowers from his mum’s own garden, no less). Dubbed ‘Carolina Blues’, this was lavender in full ninja mode with plenty of kick and presence.

Next up was a trio of starters, including prawn tempura in Japanese wasabi mayo; sweetcorn fritters with spring onion, sesame & sour cream, and haggis bon bons with carrot puree & whisky peppercorn sauce.

With its airy conservatory, flower-laced cocktails and surrounding greenery, The Botany quickly whisked us away from busy Maryhill Road to a world of lush casual dining. For that, it deserves a full round of applause.