Located on the second floor of Fairmont Pacific Rim in downtown Vancouver, Botanist is a restaurant and cocktail destination inspired by the ingredients, landscapes and natural abundance of the Pacific Northwest. The restaurant’s dining room features the Botanist Bar and a Cocktail Lab, where the beverage team combines regional ingredients with modern techniques and imaginative presentation.
The cocktail program is led by Creative Beverage Director Grant Sceney and is known for drinks that draw from botany, science and the coastal environment. Botanist Bar received the Michelin Guide Exceptional Cocktails Award in 2022, when the Michelin Guide launched their first Vancouver edition. Botanist restaurant is also included as a Michelin Guide Recommended restaurant.
My friend and I visited Botanist Bar to enjoy some of their drinks ranging from a floral cherry blossom soda to a briny coastal martini.
The First Bloom is a non-alcoholic drink made with cherry blossom tea, Douglas fir, yuzu and soda. It had a delicate floral aroma with bright citrus from the yuzu. The Douglas fir introduced a subtle forest-like note without making the drink taste overly herbal. Lightly sparkling and easy to sip, this was the gentlest drink of the four.
The Sudachi Girl combines cucumber, kinome, sudachi and tonic. It was crisp and herbaceous, with a cooling cucumber flavour and sharp citrus character from the sudachi. Kinome brought a mildly peppery quality, followed by the dry bitterness of tonic. It felt more structured and cocktail-like than a typical sweet mocktail.
The Botanist Marine Martini is made with a dry gin blend, house vermouth, kombu, chive oil and sea asparagus. The drink reflects Botanist Bar’s Pacific Northwest approach, with marine ingredients creating a savoury and distinctly coastal flavour profile.
This was a dry, aromatic martini with noticeable salinity from the kombu and sea asparagus. Chive oil added a soft herbal note and a silky texture across the surface. It would suit martini drinkers who appreciate briny and savoury flavours rather than fruit or sweetness.
The Cactus Kiss brings together blanco tequila, prickly pear, ginger, Cointreau, lime and sage. The prickly pear provided a mild fruitiness, balanced by tart lime and the warmth of ginger. Sage gave the drink an earthy finish, with the tequila remaining present throughout.
This was the brightest and most fruit-driven cocktail of our visit. It had enough citrus to keep the prickly pear from tasting overly sweet, followed by a gentle spice from the ginger.
Botanist Bar is located inside Fairmont Pacific Rim at 1038 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC.