The Drunken Botanist is another addition to Gurugram’s lively Cyber Hub. Brainchild of entrepreneur Manish Sharma, and named after the book by Amy Stewart, the place vhas brought the essence of “The Drunken Botanist” to life. Drawing inspiration from the universal muse of nature and blending it with the chic nuances of modern dining, the restaurant aims to refresh every idea of wining and dining.
The tastefully decorated interiors of the restaurant reflect the verdant hues of a quintessential French botanical garden. So upon entering the venue, one is greeted by the old world charm and the beauty of nature. The décor is an indelible mix of green plants and earthy smell.
Coming to the food, The Drunken Botanist’s menu takes you through a gastronomic journey, showcasing the street foods served across the world. The menu is divided into three sections ranging from world street food, progressive world cuisine, to delectable desserts.
We started our meal with Vietnamese Summer Roll—cold roll stuffed with picked veggies. This had all the elements of taste and health. Next on our plate was California Roll which was delicious. This was followed by Botanist Potted Idli, which was stuffed with sambar and coconut chutney. Another delish appetiser was Gunpowder Chicken. These dishes were well complemented with their perfectly blended cocktails—The Door Bell, Basil and Lychee Spritz and Botanist Dates Julep.
The main course servings started with Japanese Salmon Cold Pizza—a dish that draws attention because of its creativity and is equally good in taste. On chef’s recommendation, we tried Prawn Curry Dumpling and Exotic Vegetable Dumpling—both the variants were sumptuous. We also had Mini bunny chow—hollowed bun filled with Daal Makhni, served along with salad. Their star dish remains Choley Bhature Taco, which is a fusion food celebrating crossover of Indian and Mexican food.
Apart from creative and fusion foods, the thing that fascinated me was the presentation of each and every item. The Drunken Botanist has truly infused creativity on each step of the way.
The restaurant has brought out eccentric, inventive ingenuity to their unusual craft beers. Their eclectic botanical drinks are also blended to perfection. Live music and screening of matches is another reason for one to unwind at this place. The Kashmiri Paneer Roulade is also worth a try.
Desserts being my most favourite part of the menu, I was looking forward to it even though we were full. We were pleasantly surprised when we were served Tres Leches—a Mexican layered milk cake. It was really soft, and moist. We also had Laboratory Rasmalai—an in-house creation of rasmalai on chocolate globe. It was quite savoury.
The place is perfect to relish extraordinary mélange of cuisines and the magic of nature.
The Drunken Botanist ; 10C, Cyber Hub, DLF Cyber City, Gurugram; Meal for two: Rs. 1,500 plus taxes