It started with a concept: to create a restaurant with Vancouver’s incredible natural beauty and flora in mind – one that would become a destination for both international and local guests. “We worked for two years on the vision for Botanist,” says general manager Shon Jones-Parry. “We wanted both the food and wine programs to speak to B.C.’s strong sense of place: one that celebrates sustainability, organic, natural, foraging and plays of the scientific side of botany.”
Located on the second level in the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel, Botanist's decor matches its food philosophy. Showcased by four distinct sections – a dining room, cocktail bar and lab, indoor garden and a champagne lounge – the elegant casual eatery is bordered by floor-to-ceiling glass, limestone, whitewashed woods, ornate metalwork and planters filled with greenery indigenous to our province. There are more than 250 plants in Botanist, which provides some separation between each distinct section.