Vegan
International
Organic
Salad bar
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
European
Fusion
Plant-based cafe and wine bar offering lunch and dinner foods. Extensive selection with everything from mezze and fusion bowls to soups and salads. One of several outlets in NYC and Belgium, this one est. 2015. Open Mon-Sun 11:30-21:30.
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Last update on 25 Jan 2024 by Guest
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Added by gverellen on 09 Jun 2015
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227 Reviews
First Review by JulieMarleneSimal
Evi
Points +92
Location and excellent food - Edit
We have enjoyed our meal. Good quality!!! We'll go again!!!
Read moreGuest
hlndb
Points +40
Great and well-executed concept - Edit
Le Botaniste is a wine bar that offers 100% plant-based bowls and other small dishes. The food is great and nutritional, plus very fairly priced especially for Belgian / vegan restaurant standards. There are a lot of options, inspired by different world cuisines, or you can pick-and-choose your own combination of ingredients.
Read moreI didn't try out any of their wine options but had a lovely local trappiste beer instead. Oh and the homemade lemonade was so nice that my boyfriend went to get a second one.
The interior is fun and beautifully executed, based on an old apothecary aesthetic (along the lines of a 'food as medicine' concept). My only comment would be that the lighting feels a little harsh and clinical, it could be cosier.
All in all a lovely place both for lunch or dinner.
Pros: Healthy and varied food options, Lovely interior
Cons: Lighting
Guest
Espinaca
Points +29
Delicious spicy bowls - Edit
Cozy vegan wine bar that serves tasty bowls of soup and stews as well as some entrées and sweets. Nice wines and beers available.
Read moreGuest
SatoshiSingh
Points +16
South Africans approve! - Edit
A very impressive, energetic restaurant. The food tastes incredible - and is honestly the best food we've had in Ghent. Portions are filling and staff are always smiling and friendly.
Read morePros: Pure vegan, see something you like and just eat it
Guest
JeffreyDunlap
Points +46
best bowls - Edit
Great find with big bowls of great flavors
Read moreGuest
Marjolyfje
Points +563
Yummy yummy - Edit
Nice atmosphere and lots of vegan options!
Read moreWe had the mezze for starters wich contained a bowl filled with hummus, curry-hummus-sort-of-dip and a dip made of veggies with a real interesting taste. In the middle of the bowl some olives, seaweed and grated carrot. And a few crackers and rice cakes to dip with.
Really nice!! I can really recommend it.
As main dish I had the Maroccan vegetable tajine with quinoa (very delicious!)
And my boyfriend had the Jeff bowl filled with potatoes and wild mushrooms.
Everything was absolutely delicious, an absolute must go when visiting Ghent!
Pros: Everything's vegan, Cute (small) place, Relaxed atmosphere
Guest
Carissima
Points +600
Bowled over - Edit
Le Botaniste specializes in veg-packed, gluten-free bowls, and there are more than half a dozen here: a Japanese noodle soup, chili with all the fixings, vegan pasta Bolognese, Moroccan stew over quinoa, Tibetan curry, a big salad garnished with colorful spreads, and smashed potatoes topped with sherried mushrooms. Customers also have the option to create their own combinations from the selection of sauces, toppings, bases, and sides. Other items include sushi made with brown rice and guilt-free desserts, such as a flaxseed brownie placed in a little pool of freshly made cashew milk.
Read morePros: Healthful whole-food concept , Order from menu or originate your own
Guest
NJ220
Points +742
Loved it! - Edit
Beautiful little cafe and wine bar. Great food and really lovely staff. We'll be visiting here again during this holiday!
Read moreGuest
Tharatos
Points +16
Delicioso! Delicious! - Edit
Lugar agradable y comida deliciosa, cln personal atento. Todo vegano y rico. ¡Repetiré seguro!
Read morePros: 100% Vegan
Guest
Thedreadpersephone
Points +81
Lovely venue, food OK - Edit
I've been here a few times during my stay in Gent and have really mixed feelings about it.
Read moreLa Botaniste has a really nice conservatory type room at the back and a few tables outside. Both have a great atmosphere for eating. The menu sounds interesting but unfortunately some of the dishes are somewhat bland. I've had the pasta and the chili which were both just ok. The Tibetan Mama was much more tasty. The food is already prepared so service is fast.
On one occasion we had a bottle of wine which was really quite expensive and not very impressive. The staff can be a little inept at times too.
Pros: Atmosphere
Cons: Bland food
Guest
MairiRivers
Points +489
Delicious, healthy and fast! - Edit
We ate here twice on a visit to Gent, and loved the food. We had Tibetan Mama (chickpea curry with rice and kimchi), Mezze bowl, Sushi rolls, Pasta Mafiosi, and build your own bowls. The kids were able to have a bowl of plain pasta too which was useful! We also had a dessert and some cookies and they have vegan wine and beer too.
Read moreReally good food and easy to eat with kids too.
Pros: Great selection, Kid friendly
Guest
unmond
Points +769
Interesting, but not to everyone's liking - Edit
The three of us went there on a Friday night, and we got the “Full Treatment” which enabled us to taste a variety of the dishes on their menu.
Read moreThe mezze with sushi roll was a great starter to share, very tasty and rich in different flavours. The bowls we ordered however were rather disappointing: While they contained exotic ingredients (e.g. Gentse kimchi) and their flavour combinations were interesting (things I probably wouldn’t have tried in my own kitchen), not all of them were actually enjoyable. “Pasta al Mafiosi” was alright, as was “Tibetan Mama”, but “Jeff” and “Vegetable Tajine” just weren’t to my liking at all. (I still don’t understand why there were raisins and olives in the same dish…)
We also got to select three desserts, which were cookies and cakes of the day. They were okay, but nothing special, and we wouldn’t have gotten them if they hadn’t been a part of the deal because they were quite pricey for being so small.
After that, all of us were full, and we all agreed that this had been quite an unusual but also exciting dinner. Note that everything we had also seemed to have been organic, fresh, and reasonably healthy.
We took our time eating and noticed that it was never too crowded. We had plenty of time to admire the beautiful interior: It looks like you are dining in an old pharmacy.
All in all, it was an experience that I wouldn’t want to have missed, but I’ll probably not go there again, seeing as the taste of most of the main dishes just wasn’t my cup of tea. To others, I’d probably recommend the “Create your own bowl” option, which lets you pick and mix special ingredients according to your tastes.
Pros: beautiful interior, interesting flavours, gluten-free and nut-free options
Cons: hit-and-miss main dishes
Guest
GrietTheuwissen
Points +188
Loved it - Edit
My mom and I got the tibetan mama and vegetable tajine, which were both very good! I loved the flavor explosion & would definitely recommend it to others!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2017-08-12
Pros: Tasty food, Beautiful interior, Affordable
Cons: No cash
Guest
danieldelnaaij
Points +132
Heerlijke snelle betaalbare vegan bowls. - Edit
Veel keuze uit vegan bowls. Zeer snel bereid en super lekker! Niet duur. Ook ruime keuze uit biologische wijnen en vegan desserts. Je moet binnen bestellen en zelf je eten meenemen naar een tafeltje. Zeker Hier komen eten!
Read morePros: Alles vegan voor verschillende smaken , Goedkoop , Snel
Guest
asteris
Points +96
elegant and vegan - Edit
Great vegan spot.
Read moreWe loved the setting. High elegant ceilings. A choice of seating styles. Mainly casual.
Nice ambience.
We chose the orangery area. This was very nice.
The food was delicious. It felt healthy and hearty and there was a decent choice. Most things were bowls.
Pros: all vegan, nice setting, tasty
Guest
Mirte
Points +13
Sympathiek - lekkere gerechten - fijne plek - Edit
Lekkere gerechten, super aardig personeel en een fijne plek om te zitten. Goede prijzen. Gaan!!
Read moreGuest
fantascopio
Points +6
Disappointing - Edit
We had lunch at Le Botaniste today and even though the menu looked promising and the place itself is really nice the food was on the dull side. We had the tibetan mama bowl (hard to imagine any resemblance with any tibetan dishes or ingredients: coconut milk, kimchi (!), peanut butter sauce...) and the taijne (which was too soupy and the broth lacked depth while the scarce quinoa had sunk at the bottom of the bowl). Basically, if you're well traveled or have experienced authentic world food, you'll be let down by this Flemish "interpretation". On a positive note, the service (well, it's mostly self service) was friendly and the prices are okay.
Read morePros: prices, supposedly organic ingredients, place
Cons: taste
Guest
mikeandsunny
Points +121
Good Chile bowl - Edit
Good vegan Chile bowl with brown rice and quinoa.
Read morePros: exerything is vegan! bowls are quite large.
Guest
MarieDesmet
Points +37
good food for a reasonable price - Edit
Cute little restaurant in the heart of Gent. There are about 6 meals to choose from and they're all vegan. Very tasty and not cheap at all (for Belgium). Cozy interior as well. They do prefer you to pay with a card and not with cash money, so keep that in mind.
Read morePros: in the city center, cheap, nice interior
Guest
AnneK
Points +111
Food was okay but a little under-spiced, leather seats made us question "veganness" of the wines - Edit
At first glance, you wouldn't suspect Le Botaniste to be an all vegan place, it blends in well with the other "normal" shops in the area.
Read moreThe inside is pretty cool, the front is made up like a pharmacy, staff even wear these white jackets, and the back is nice and colourful. However, the seats were leather, which we didn't expect in a place that claims to be 00% vegan. This made us question a little, if the wines were really vegan, too. We didn't ask, though, so please, go and inquire yourself, should you be interested in having a glass!
We decided that we wanted one of their bowls - you can choose from a (conveniently English) menu of ready bowls or create your own by combining different bases, toppings and sauces. The bowls were a decent size and definitely made us full. The taste was good, however, both our bowls could have been seasoned more and had some toppings we didn't really get. Unfortunately, there was no salt on the table either. The home made lemonade was really good. Prices were absolutely okay.
I would probably come again but sneak in some salt and create my own bowl.
Pros: Nice concept, Possibility to create your own bowl, Pretty inside
Cons: Food needs more seasoning, Leather seats
Guest
Kangzosa
Points +145
Delicious - Edit
The food is of great quality and taste, good ingredients and quick service. Good variety to choose from too. its a bit expensive but you are getting quality.
Read moreGuest
SG213
Points +875
Not bad, but a bit hit & miss - Edit
I think the location and stylish decor of this place sets you up for some high expectations, so when you get just okay food it seems a little disappointing.
Read moreYou can order one of the pre-set meals, or choose your own from a combination of base, sauces and toppings.
I tried the pasta dish and some of the "Tibetan" dish. They were good, but not amazing.
There wasn't a whole lot of complexity to the flavour, which was a bit surprising given the presentation of the place. Some of the dish names are embarrassingly silly - too much marketing guys - "Tibetan Mama" and "Pasta al Mafiosa" just come across as pretentious.
The fresh spring roll however was quite good, and made more delicious with the vegan aioli sauce on the side. Also the ginger & beetroot apple juice drink was excellent.
Worth trying if you're in the area and have already been to some of the other places nearby. Also they only take cards, no cash.
Updated from previous review on 2017-03-21
Pros: Varied selection, Very nice decor & seating area at back, Good location
Cons: Food can be a bit bland
Guest
AmyLan
Points +20
Great atmosphere and spirit - Edit
Very nice food, natural flavor like home cooked. Good staff, beautiful environment. Suitable for quick bite.
Read moreGuest
Lyra
Points +60
Delicious and quick meal - Edit
This is one of the best places to eat if you don't have much time. There is always a good choice of warm and cold dishes. I've been there a couple of times and it can be totally delicious to not that special and very small portion for what you pay. I think it depends on who is cooking or serving. In general, it is really good, all organic, freshly cooked foods, in a very fancy interior, and real fast.
Read morePros: Fresh foods, Variety, Tasty
Cons: Small portions, can be less special depending on the day
Guest
koekiesteph
Points +89
Good! - Edit
Very spécial foot the way i like it :) mostly pure and some raw. Very good plates, was stuffed as i left. Nice setting.
Read morePros: Yummy!, Fast service, Big portions
Cons: Cold with door open, Seating could be more comfy
Guest
Dubi_Hubi
Points +171
Not impressed at all! - Edit
The interior of 'La Botaniste' is amazing. It has a great feel to it! But that's where it ends for me!
Read moreThe flavors were just horrible in my eyes! Maybe is great for lovers of Indian and Mexican cuisine, but it wasn't anything for me! Quinoa-peanut butter cookie was hard as a stone, over-baked and blunt!
The people working there were slow and not very sympathetic. We had to wait more than few minutes to pay till the girl talked to her gal-pal! Plain rude!
I just can't believe the positive comments I read!
Updated from previous review on 2017-02-03
Cons: taste of the food, price
Guest
Roosvduuren
Points +28
Delicious - Edit
Very nice fresh vegan food, enough options to choose from. Very friendly staff. Housed in a former pharmacy, notice the details. Price - quality was good!
Read moreGuest
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