Botanica

4.6

33 Reviews

$30 and under

Japanese

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 5, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 24 times today

Experiences are available.

Charming
Great for creative cocktails
Great for happy hour

Botanica is a craft cocktail bar offering an exquisite selection of unique cocktails inspired by classic paintings. Our sexy and inviting space is perfect for enjoying artfully crafted drinks paired with delectable small bites. Step into our lounge and experience a fusion of artistic elegance and sophisticated flavors.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Japanese, Tapas / Small Plates, Sushi
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–12:00 am
Phone number
(619) 310-6370
Website
https://botanicabarsd.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Adrian Villarreal
Private party facilities
We have a lovely front patio, back garden, and dining room available for private events.

Location
3139 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104-2008
Neighborhood
North Park
Cross street
We are at the corner of Herman and University Avenue, right next to CVS.
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Close to the 7 train
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Experiences

Botanica Kaiseki Dinner Experience-5 course meal
$55.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Indulge in a modern multi-course dining adventure inspired by traditional Japanese kaiseki! Enjoy five exquisite courses, including Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice with its sake pairing, flavorful Yakitori skewers, Wild Mushroom Polenta, signature sushi rolls, and a decadent dessert. Join us for an unforgettable fusion of Japanese flavors and Botanica's creative touch, all for $55 per person. Perfect for food lovers seeking a unique culinary journey or a great date night!
Tropicalia Burlesque Brunch January 19th
$10.00 per person
Prepaid
Jan 19, 2025 only
11:30 AM
Ginger N. Whiskey presents *Birds of Paradise: A Lush Omakase Oasis of Tantalizing Tropicalia Join us on January 22nd for a tropical-inspired brunch seatings starting at 11:30 PM. For $69, enjoy bottomless drinks and a chef's brunch omakase, a culinary journey to a tropical paradise, with live performances. Ticket options: - $69: 6-piece chef's omakase, unlimited craft cocktails, front row Green Couches seating. - $50: 6-piece omakase, à la carte cocktails, table seating. - $25: Show ticket only, bar seating. All other items à la carte. This ticket is just a deposit, tickets to be fully paid at venue.
Tropicalia Burlesque Brunch January 5th
$10.00 per person
Prepaid
Jan 5, 2025 only
11:30 AM
Ginger N. Whiskey presents *Birds of Paradise: A Lush Omakase Oasis of Tantalizing Tropicalia*. Join us on January 5th for a tropical-inspired brunch seatings starting at 11:30 PM. For $69, enjoy bottomless drinks and a chef's brunch omakase, a culinary journey to a tropical paradise, with live performances. Ticket options: - $69: 6-piece chef's omakase, unlimited craft cocktails, front row Green Couches seating. - $50: 6-piece omakase, à la carte cocktails, table seating. - $25: Show ticket only, bar seating. All other items à la carte. This ticket is just a deposit, tickets to be fully paid at venue.

What 33 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Diego
Japanese
San Diego
Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Botanica charms with its "absolutely fantastic cocktails," "creative small plates," and "great vibes." The atmosphere is lively yet intimate, perfect for a date night or casual outing. Patrons rave about the "unique and well-crafted" drinks and attentive service. A true gem for cocktail enthusiasts in San Diego!

33 Reviews

N
Natalie
VIP
San Diego
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We opted for the Kaiseki experience, which consisted of five courses with smaller but filling portions, starting with a sake pairing. The first course, spicy tuna crispy rice, was a highlight—perfectly crunchy, slightly spicy, and packed with flavor. For the second course, I had the New York strip and shrimp yakitori skewers. The New York strip was tender and delicious, but the shrimp skewers fell short, lacking flavor and coming across as underwhelming. The third course, wild mushroom polenta with truffle oil, was quite tasty. The drizzle of honey added a pleasant sweetness to balance the savory flavors. The fourth course featured two sushi rolls—the Kraken roll and Japanese flying saucer. Unfortunately, both rolls were overly heavy on rice with minimal filling, resulting in a lackluster bite that felt more like eating seasoned rice than sushi. The final course, “Some More” churros, were slightly dry but still enjoyable thanks to the chocolate and marshmallow sauce—hard to go wrong with churros. Cocktails were visually appealing and well-crafted, adding to the overall experience. I overall do recommend booking the Kaiseki experience as it was fun, creative, and tasty, but I would likely not repeat after experiencing.
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S
Scott
Washington DC
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Not our favorite New Year’s Eve experience. I understand the restaurant industry is swamped on new years, and not an ideal date to schedule a date, but for $150 I expect better than cold sticky rice, limited quantities of food, relatively slow service, and a limited drink menu.
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K
Kevin
VIP
San Diego
30 reviews
5.0
30 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Botánica was the place to be for New Year’s Eve! The Ambiance, Crowd and Music were Fabulous! Amazing D.J.’s! They played Super Cool & Fun Tunes all night. The Kitchen and Bar Tenders were so in Tune keeping everyone happy with food & drink! We will go there again soon and bring Friends!
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K
Kaliyani
VIP
San Diego
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on December 28, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Incredible 5 course meal experience. Our server was very knowledgeable on the menu and offered excellent choices for drinks to pair well with the dishes. This was my first visit and I’ll definitely return! 10/10
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J
Jada
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 27, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It was so cute! I went on a chill vibe to get a drink with my friend and it was so so cute.
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M
MIchael
San Diego
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on December 11, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great spot for a craft cocktail. Tuesdays are Tini Tuesdays with a large selection of specials!
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F
Fernanda
Los Angeles
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 8, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Unique artisanal cocktails and amazing service. Love the ambiance. It’s lively and romantic but not too loud. Perfect place to have a conversation over fantastic drinks.
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V
Vince
San Diego
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Really enjoyed something unique with creative small plates and cocktails
Is this helpful?
G
Geena
Calgary
14 reviews
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on November 14, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Loved our evening here-absolutely fantastic cocktails and great vibes. Highly recommend
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M
Michelle
San Diego
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 10, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a great time. The cocktails are delicious. Don’t miss the espresso martini.
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FAQs

Botanica is rated 4.6 stars by 33 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 5, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 24 times today

Experiences are available.

3139 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104-2008

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
We are at the corner of Herman and University Avenue, right next to CVS.
Neighborhood
North Park
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–12:00 am
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Japanese, Tapas / Small Plates, Sushi
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Close to the 7 train
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Adrian Villarreal
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Website
https://botanicabarsd.com/
Phone number
(619) 310-6370
Private party facilities
We have a lovely front patio, back garden, and dining room available for private events.

Botanica

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

Botanica Kaiseki Dinner Experience-5 course meal

Tropicalia Burlesque Brunch January 19th

Tropicalia Burlesque Brunch January 5th

Menu

What 33 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Botanica restaurant rated?

Is Botanica currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information