Below by Botanist

V I B ESso good.Music is always dope, cocktails amazing. The bartenders and servers and management are all the best people.I come back for the people: I stay for the music and drinks. And I don't leave cause I don't wanna!

After descending a flight of stairs into a dark subterranean establishment illuminated with the occasional colorful light, you find yourself in front of the bartenders of Below by Botanist. The decor is unique and interesting. This establishment is most definitely not ADA accessible. At first it was difficult for me to determine where the seating was in the dark and with the layout of the restaurant being what it was. There is bartop seating, a large booth, and many smaller tables that surround what could easily serve as a dance floor in an adjacent room which has several TVs and what looked like a DJ booth. The staff were friendly and helpful when explaining the nature of their businesses relationship with Hapa Barkada, the business that runs food service, and how ordering worked. The drink I got, while very pretty, left a lot to be desired. The flavor was a lot simpler than the menu led me to believe it was going to be. I got the Rizz Fizz, which purports to be "lavender-infused vodka, fresh lemon juice, blackberry syrup, club soda, vanilla aquafaba". I definitely tasted the lemon, but not much else. I did appreciate the use of the aquafaba, though; it was very creative and the vanilla flavor was subtle. I did not think that the price reflected the quality, even if it did look very fancy. Overall, I found the service to be decent, the ambiance to be fun, but the cocktail left much to be desired.

I've come here a couple times with friends now and had a pretty good experience each time. The inside has cool purple lights, the music is always good, and the overall ambience is just great for a fun night out.Here, if you want food you order by scanning a code at the table. However, after trying some of the different items, I feel like it's a bit overpriced for what it is. It isn't bad, but I didn't think it was worth the money. But! I do think that they have some fun drinks and cocktails here. And, the bartenders are always nice. I've never had a bad time here.

You can order at the bar or from your phone. The presentation of the poke dishes were picture perfect and vibrant almost too good to start eating!Poke was fresh and the flavors were good. The poke bombz are massive and you can't comfortably have it in one bite. When you take a bite, it falls apart. The poke nachos have a lot of toppings, making it hard to get a clean bite. It was a lot more messy than I expected. Definitely skip the poke dishes for a first date. The based brisket sandwich was good, the bun was great. For the price there should have been more protein. Lumpia was good. The prices were reasonable and I would go back or order to-go.

What a great bar! First... we don't have basements where I come from so anytime I can go to a basement business when I'm traveling I get silly excited. Second the drinks are top notch! I sought this bar out because I really wanted to try Hapa Barkada's food (see my separate review) and yes their food is delicious. But the bartenders were great and the drinks were tasty and not insanely priced for the skill and ingredients.While the space is a basement, the bar area feels lighter and airier than expected. And while there are stairs to get down into the space, there is also an elevator if that is needed. Parking is on the street.

Order: Imaginary Smoke, Sip'n on Gin & Vermouth, Rizz FizzPork Spring Rolls Won ton chiPros: off rip, the people/ the bartender was fun, inviting, and accommodating. She made recommendations on the drinks she likes and didn't like. The place is small but unique. The music was a vibe and the location was perfect. Bartender def. Took care of us even when I didn't like a drink.Cons: the imaginary smoke was not my favorite at all. The spirit used is so overpowering it made it unenjoyable. Also, the smoke gun was cool but it didnt really add any value to the drink.Overall, the drinks were just okay nothing super memorable. Their drink menu is really really limited so I hope they expand and provide more options. Also, the dj wasnt present even though they said one would be there. Seating is very very very limited.

I recently visited Below by Botanist and found it to be a delightful spot for a date night. The ambience was absolutely on point, creating a welcoming and pleasant vibe that complemented the evening perfectly. The highlight of my visit was definitely the drinks. I tried the 'Apple Jax' and 'Hapa Barkada' - both were exceptionally well-made and hit all the right notes. However, when it came to the food, my experience was a bit underwhelming. The Pork Belly Crisp lacked the necessary spices to elevate its flavor. The Lumpia, while fresh, was predominantly filled with veggies, missing the balance of ingredients I was looking forward to. And the Mochiko Spam Masubi was disappointing - it was mostly rice and poorly wrapped, lacking the robust flavor I expected. In conclusion, I'd definitely recommend Below by Botanist for their drinks and the fantastic environment. However, if you're going primarily for the food, you might want to temper your expectations.

Below by Botanist is a fresh take on the original Botanist that occupied the space previously. And what a cool refresh. The space is cozy and welcoming with a laid back speakeasy vibe. There are several little nooks to check out and a plant-inspired motif that pays homage to the original namesake.The bar area is small with a few seats - so you can belly up and watch the bartenders work their magic. The eating area is in this cool sunken space where you can enjoy the Hawaiian/Filipino fusion bites being cranked out by Hapa Barkada. There are some amazing eats coming out of that little kitchen!On the cocktail front, they keep things seasonal and inventive so there's always something new to imbibe. There wasn't music when I was there, but there's an elevated space for a DJ to push out the tunes. Up top there's a patio that I'm sure will go off in the warmer months. Below by Botanist has gone above and beyond on all fronts.

On the First Thursday in Pearl , this place also comes alive with the rest of the street because of the close proximity and also because they are a respite from the intensely hot afternoon sun .We used to frequent Botanist pre-covid and I feel they haven't deterred much from the previous setup or vibe . We stopped by for a few drinks and had a nice time overall. You need to order at the bar and grab a seat after that. Just like the previous version of this place , they have some great food options and drinks with fresh ingredients . Even though we didn't partake, the patio party seemed a lot of fun .

Below by botanist is a cozy little cocktail bar below the steps across the street the downtown Safeway on live joy. The drinks are amazing and but prict but worth it and the bartenders are amazing and extremely friendly. They also have amazing food from the Hawaiian Filipino fusion restaurant hapa barkada which is easily the best in the city. I've been like 4 times now and most definitely going back.