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Botanik

Friday: 2:00 – 9:00 PM
24 Piper Street, Kyneton, VIC, 3444
Phone
(03) 5417 2345
Website
botanik.com.au
Instagram
@botanikkyneton

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 22 Sep 2023

By
Michael Harden

Inside Botanik in Kyneton, regional Victoria

This dark and mysterious cocktail bar upstairs at Kyneton’s Royal George Hotel celebrates the unique, the eccentric and the handcrafted, from the top-notch liquor to the dramatic decor.

The entrace to Botanik, which is in the Royal George Hotel in Kyneton
Why you goThe Royal George Hotel, on Kyneton’s famed Piper Street dining drag, has been through numerous incarnations in its 171-year history. Now, under the watch of Melissa Macfarlane and Frank Moylan, it has moved into its most intriguing role yet. The Royal George’s ground floor has become the showroom for the couple’s bohemian homewares store, Kabinett, while the upstairs, including the fabulous wide and sheltered verandah, is now a cocktail bar called Botanik. Featuring an amazing collection of rare botanical liqueurs, Italy’s bittersweet amaro liqueurs and vermouths from far and wide, Botanik is a seriously beautiful space that puts all those dark and dramatic vibes from downstairs to good and practical use via velvet upholstery and billowing curtains, dark timber, walls painted in deep shades of blue, fabric-draped lights and a forest of flourishing plants. But it’s not just about artistic set-dressing. Botanik also offers seriously well-constructed cocktails, backed up by impressive knowledge about both local and imported liqueur and deep hospitality experience. At a time when the truly unique and genuinely idiosyncratic appear to be becoming ever rarer, Botanik ticks those boxes.
Why you stayWhat Botanik brings, aside from a darkly mysterious Gothic-romantic atmosphere you can imagine the likes of Kate Bush, Nick Cave and Helena Bonham Carter enjoying if ever they blew through Kyneton, is a thrilling and precise attention to detail. There’s the glassware for starters. Whether you’re getting a Martini, a Negroni or one of the house specials (worth ordering just for names like Gilded Splinters and Cupid’s Last Stand), the drink will arrive in the absolutely correct glass with a flourish or detail that will make the glass appear antique, thus elevating the aesthetics of the drinking experience. There’s similar attention to the way the excellent cheese here is accompanied by amaro-marinated figs (delicious and highlighting one of Botanik’s specialities) and the expertly chosen flights of amaro liqueurs, vermouth, aperitivi and Negroni that allow you to try a few of the exotic-looking drinks from the impressive array on offer. Chances are you’ll discover a new favourite.
The bar counter at Botanik in regional Victoria
Cocktails served at Botanik in Kyneton, Victoria
What drink to orderPlease don’t darken Botanik’s doorstep if you’re not interested in a cocktail, or a mocktail for that matter. Given the surrounds, the availability of rare liqueurs and the presence of bartenders who understand the art of the correctly constructed drink, going without The Duchess (gin, fig liqueur, Amaro Nonino liqueur, lemon and strawberry gum) or a Harper Lee (Lyre’s no-alcohol agave, peach nectar, lime, Tabasco and mint) seems a little silly. Still, you might be tempted to flick to the back of the list where there are two whole pages of liqueurs alongside page-long lists of vermouth and amari from Macedonia to Tasmania by way of Croatia, Denmark, Italy, France and the US.
What to pair it withBotanik’s snack offer is just as you would expect in a cocktail bar that knows what it’s doing, with the likes of top-notch cheese (mostly European), pâté, terrine, cured meats and anchovies, and a smart vegetable plate with pickles, peppers, dip and bread. It’s not dinner but, with many good restaurants only moments away, that’s not a problem.
Why we love itThere are myriad reasons to love Botanik, but the one that wins must be that it’s just so original. The duo behind this venue have always run left-field businesses (their much-missed Melbourne pub The Crimean was an ode to Eastern European food, design and drinks) that have an immersive and highly attractive theatricality. Botanik is no exception and we salute their vision.
Snacks served at Botanik in regional Victoria
The verandah seating at Botanik in Kyneton
Regular’s tipFrank Moylan has a talent for pulling together a wine list that surprises and delights, not least because he insists on keeping an eye on value. Wine buffs who have walked through the door should make a beeline for Frank’s Cellar List where you’ll find well-priced gems, many with some age on the bottle after having been stored in optimum conditions. German riesling, Austrian grüner veltliner, pinot noir from Mornington Peninsula or southern Tasmania – chances are you’ll find it here.
Don’t leave withoutCheck out the range of glassware and barware that’s on sale so you can try this class act at home. Botanik is also a bottle shop so you might even pick up something rare, or an old fave you haven’t seen since your last trip to Italy, perhaps. And those plants on the balcony? All for sale, too.
Sponsor logo
In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
image credits: Tara Pearce
Authour image
Michael HardenAfter 25 years writing about wine and food, Michael Harden is getting the hang of it.
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Drinks DirectoryDate nightSpecialty BarCasual catch-upNon-alc OptionsVego Food OptionsOutdoor areaAfter work drinksBarTakeawaysKiller cocktailsA+ spirits listRegional VIC
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