The Cocktail Worth Coming Back For

I’ve learned that I can really only do one margarita – which means it has to be worth it. And after fourteen years of quietly searching, I have finally found the one that takes me straight back to summer in California.

Most margaritas get it wrong. Too sour, too sweet, or too much at once. Botany's is perfectly balanced — bright and clean, with that sharp, thrilling zingy hit on the first sip that makes you close your eyes for just a second.

Tucked behind an old wooden door down a narrow alley in Newlands Quarter, Botany is the kind of place you feel quietly pleased with yourself for knowing about. Small, intimate, and richly layered in botanical charm, it feels worlds away from the city outside. Hanging plants cascade down dark walls, chandeliers catch the light from old wooden rafters, and a fireplace makes everything feel just slightly cinematic.

And then there is the little upstairs lounge – cosy, beautiful, and completely impossible not to love.

The staff have that rare ease that makes you feel like a regular on your first visit. Botany is the kind of place you want to keep entirely to yourself — and yet somehow you're already planning who to bring next week.