Hankering for an old-school front bar with leather sofas, thick carpets and a chirpy bar person?. Then look no further than the Botanic on North Terrace. Housed in one of Adelaide’s grandest pubs, the Botanic manages to be intimate and theatrical at the same time.

Situated in a heritage rotunda and nestled within the beautiful Adelaide Botanic Gardens, the visually stunning Restaurant Botanic is a luscious romantic restaurant in Adelaide that everyone should experience at least once. It is clear to see why Restaurant Botanic was named as Australia’s Restaurant of the Year 2022 by Gourmet Traveller, from their ingredients being sourced straight from the botanic gardens themselves to the artistic effort put into creating each of the 20+ courses of their degustation menu of flavour combinations, not including the addition of a delectable, paired wine flight. Recent renovations introduced an exclusive ‘chef’s table’ option with 10 seats surrounding the culinary kitchen to see your culinary and sensory escape prepared fresh.

Following a month-long closure, Restaurant Botanic (formerly Botanic Gardens Restaurant) reopened in July 2021 with a new open kitchen, curved chef’s table and chef, Justin James, whose impressive CV includes time at Noma (Copenhagen), Eleven Madison Park (New York) and Melbourne’s Vue de monde. Here, he has drawn inspiration from the surrounding Adelaide Botanic Gardens, using the grounds as the kitchen pantry to weave ingredients into a procession of 20 intricate courses. Roasted marron tail rests on a puddle of charred cream with splashes of fermented chilli and lemon myrtle oil.

Restaurant Botanic opened to the public in September 2021 after a significant renovation. The award-winning degustation restaurant is now led by acclaimed Head Chef Justin James, who served five and a half years as Executive Chef at one of Melbourne’s top restaurants, Vue de Monde. Guests wanting to experience the luxury of the newly renovated restaurant can choose between two degustation menus, The Short Path and The Long Trail, with an option for the mouth-watering cuisine to be perfectly paired with South Australian wine from the new wine cellar.

A post shared by Restaurant Botanic (@restaurantbotanic_adl). Named as one of the top restaurants by The Worlds 50 Best, and claiming a slew of other awards including: Three Hats by Good Food, Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year 2023, and The Advertiser’s Number One Restaurant in South Australia in 2022 – you’re in safe hands at Restaurant Botanic. Come hungry – Restaurant Botanic dish out a set menu of 26 combinations for your taste buds, inspired by the surrounding 51 hectares of the Adelaide Botanic Garden and its micro-seasons.

When chef Justin James took on the role as head chef of Restaurant Botanic in 2021, he clearly did so with the intention to put Adelaide in the running for Australia’s most delicious city. And much like the late, great Jock Zonfrillo did with Restaurant Orana, James has turned Restaurant Botanic into one of Australia’s most anticipated dining experiences. James, who most notably chopped his way through upscale kitchens like New York State’s Blue Hill and New York City’s Eleven Madison Park, has proven his worth ten times over.

Crowned South Australia's Restaurant Of The Year in 2023, Restaurant Botanic serves up spectacular dishes (almost) too beautiful to eat. Each plate is completely captivating both in aesthetics and taste, bringing local produce to the forefront telling stories of the rich soil and history of agriculture around SA. Better still, acclaimed foodie Jamie Musgrave has just accepted the Executive Chef role promising to deliver unforgettable dining experiences while shining a light on rare enchanting ingredients.

‘This is a life-changing dining experience,’ says Armstrong of Restaurant Botanic, a tree-smothered fine dining spot almost hidden in Adelaide Botanic Gardens.’ It’s a multi-sensory experience; the menu comprises 20 flavour combinations – including indigenous ingredients such as red hair kangaroo – that you’re encouraged to eat with your hands. ‘It is a big night out – the wine list and curation are indulgent without being ostentatious,’ she concludes.

With an unbeatable location in the middle of the 51-hectare Adelaide Botanic Garden, it’s no surprise that the kitchen at Restaurant Botanic makes liberal use of the many onsite plants. They find their way into everything from garnishes to garums, helping to add a hyperlocal touch to elaborate degustations that unfold over four hours and feature 20+ “flavour combinations”. Restaurant Botanic sits by the lake in the leafy Adelaide Botanic Gardens.

Nestled within the 51 hectares of the charming Adelaide Botanic Garden is one of the most unique fine dining restaurants in Adelaide, Restaurant Botanic. Embracing the beauty of its surroundings, Restaurant Botanic showcases the touch, taste and experience of South Australia’s seasons. Light, airy with plenty of leafy views to be mesmerised over, Restaurant Botanic focuses on modern Australian cuisine that’s highlighted by sustainable produce.

Let your love for one another truly flutter this Valentine’s Day thanks to award-winning eatery, Restaurant Botanic. Tucked away in the thriving and meticulously kept Adelaide Botanic Gardens, here you’ll find a charming blend of heritage meets new age. Making guests feel as if they are dining in a greenhouse, Restaurant Botanic curates a seasonally changing sustainable menu that highlights only the best Australian ingredients.

You’d think that the bucolic surroundings of this heritage rotunda would steal diners’ attention away from the gourmet fare on the plate, but the ever-changing seasonal menu of contemporary Australian cuisine is impossible to ignore. Following a ‘paddock to plate’ philosophy, the Botanic Garden Restaurant relies on ethically sourced local produce as well as vegetables and herbs from their 51-hectare kitchen garden.

Located in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Restaurant Botanic is a chef-driven fine dining experience. Since opening in 2021, the rotunda-shaped spot from former Vue de Monde chef Justin James has racked up an impressive list of accolades. Having already scored three hatted reviews, the eatery is renowned for its inventive menu that utilises ingredients found in the lush surrounds.

No matter the season, nature’s splendor is on full display at Restaurant Botanic. Earthy tones, bustling greenery, and radiant blooms embrace this pavilion-style resto, ensuring you have eye candy to go along with their seasonal and unique dishes. Speaking of the savories, our team gobbled their emu egg chawanmushi (Japanese egg custard) with wallaby tea during our visit.

Guests begin with sunrise lime kombucha at the Adelaide Botanic Garden, setting the stage for a 21-course menu that celebrates native Australian ingredients and storytelling. From juniper-smoked kangaroo to emu egg custard tart, dishes arrive in seashells and handmade earthenware, while inventive wine and non-alcoholic pairings complete the unforgettable experience.

Nestled within the beautiful Adelaide Botanic Garden, this award-winning restaurant takes you on a garden-to-plate journey offering modern Australian cuisine with an ever-changing seasonal menu. Ethically farmed and sustainable Australian produce feature heavily. Imagine 20 combinations dished out as part of a curated tasting menu by chef Justin James.

Nestled within the picturesque Adelaide Botanic Garden, Restaurant Botanic takes dining to new heights. This award-winning establishment, named the GT 2023 Restaurant of the Year, offers a truly unique experience. From the moment you step inside, you'll be captivated by the floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the ever-changing beauty of the garden.

Wild dining in the city’s gardenTwo years after this longstanding fine-diner got a modern Australian rebrand, everyone is still talking about it. Is it the lush location in the 51-hectare Adelaide Botanic Gardens?. The philosophy of chef Justin James, who aims to evoke those surroundings in 20-plus dishes on the tasting menu?

The degustation feels more like a gallery collection, but unlike priceless pieces of art, here you are allowed to taste, touch and savour. Smoke billows off the hot rocks as the first dish is seared right before you. Leaning in, every ingredient and every detail is explained with passion by a highly skilled chef.

Restaurant Botanic, Adelaide, South Australia © Jonathan van der Knaap. Where: Plane Tree Dr, Adelaide. Set within the leafy folds of Adelaide Botanic Garden is the aptly named Restaurant Botanic, internationally lauded as one of Australia's top eateries.

Having dinner at Restaurant Botanic is a special experience. This is a fine dining restaurant that you find at the Adelaide Botanic Garden. Because of that, you can combine going here with a romantic stroll through the gardens.

Restaurant Botanic serves one of the most exciting tasting menus in the country, driven by produce from the surrounding 51-hectare gardens. Executive chef Jamie Musgrave is at the peak of his powers here.

operating hours:Friday 12–3pm 6:30–10pmSaturday 12–3pm, 6:30–10pmMon-Tues & Wed ClosedThursday 12–3pm. “Formerly known as Botanic Gardens Restaurant. We search for truly exceptional ingredients.