The Botanist Salford

Part of a UK-wide chain bringing the outdoors in with its signature English country garden style, The Botanist in Salford also has a large terrace for al fresco eating and drinking, and private dining spaces including The Potting Shed, while botanicals put in an appearance on the list of gin and tonics.

Sticking with the gardening theme, the menus change with the seasons, although the “famous” (and trademarked) Hanging Kebabs always feature – skewers of marinated and glazed meats or halloumi, these dangle off a special stand with dipping sauce sitting atop and a bowl of chips below to catch the drips. The other mains cover pub classics like fish and chips and steak and ale pie and posh versions of curries and brioche bun burgers, both of which have plant-based options.

Botanist boards are perfect for sharing and you can choose between hot and cold, with charcuterie and English cheeses, or a vegan version. On Sundays, there’s also a two- or three-course fixed-price set menu, with all the roasts, including Yorkshire pud and gravy, and a mushroom, lentil and chestnut veggie option, and you can also add bottomless drinks if you’re so inclined. Desserts continue the posh pub feel, with the likes of sticky toffee pudding and chocolate brownies, and a lot of Biscoff and Oreos action.

Those gins hail from around the world and are divided into four sections: citrus, spicy, floral and – why not? – herbaceous. In the latter, the Secret Gin is from Manchester and has zest of grapefruit and a sprig of rosemary for a bit of extra oomph.