Urban jungle Bar Botanique has it all
As I made my way north, seeing the tropical greenness of my birthplace Réunion fade out of sight, I settled on Amsterdam as my destination. As soon as I landed, my search for like-minded spirits began. When stumbling upon Bar Botanique, a “cafe tropique” in the eastern part of town, I instinctively knew that it would become one of my favourite botanical getaways. And so it did.
When the Amsterdam Cocktail Week came around in March, we teamed up for Sir Edmond Gin tastings with “startender” Andrew Nicholls, a hard-to-forget Bourbon vanilla infused gin dessert and parties that made them birds shake their tail feathers.
In August, Bar Botanique won the prize for Best Design at the first edition of the Foodbloggers Awards. That came as no surprise to me. Its soothing green walls, Scandinavian-style furniture and abundance of exotic plants create a unique atmosphere of cool. Whenever I set foot in this unusual eclectic stronghold of sophistication, I instantly relax. Of course the French-Mediterranean kitchen helps, too.
So when you happen to be in the neighborhood, do as this pink bird does: sit back, treat yourself with a refined Sir Edmond Gin, and say hello to my taxidermied friend behind the bar.