The newly opened Botanic Lodge is set lakeside in the heart of the leafy Adelaide Botanic Garden. It is a stunning spot to take the family for coffee and cake, a light meal, or even settle in for a long lunch.
Review by Sharon Harrington
The Botanic Lodge has replaced The Gardens Kiosk (Simpson Kiosk) which closed in early 2024. It is located next to the award winning Restaurant Botanic and is the more casual dining option of the two, featuring a family friendly menu that includes a kid’s section.
The menu has been curated by top chef Tom Tilbury (Gather, Aces, Press) who notes the menu brings his favourite childhood memories to life with “classics such as crumbed Tommy Ruff sandwiches, Golden Gaytime semifreddo and garden green pasties- all with a gourmet twist.”
The lakeside restaurant offers both outdoor and indoor dining, so you can choose to sit outdoors and soak up the natural surroundings or indoors in the Nordic styled interior. Both options have lake views.
Please be aware that when dining near the lake it is not fully fenced so as always be vigilant with children around water.
Chihuly | Adelaide Botanic Garden | 27 Sep 2024 – 29 Apr 2025
The Play & Go team popped in for a light lunch in the sunshine, and opted for Tommies (Tommy Ruff) in bread and butter with iceberg and mayonnaise and kid’s meals of pasta with Napoli sauce. Both were light and delicious.
The menu has four $15 (as at October 2024) kids’ options being roast chicken, chips, and salad, Pasta with Napoli sauce, grass fed steak, chips and salad and grilled tommy ruff, chips and salad.
We also opted for a couple of sweet treats, being the vanilla slice with cinnamon myrtle glaze and wattle seed caramel sable biscuits. We loved the native take on these classic treats. Other fun nostalgic desserts on the menu include coconut ice, lamingtons with quandong jam and Davidson plum jam and cream kitchener buns.
The adult mains sounded delicious and included barramundi cooked over coals, roast chicken with lemon thyme gravy and grass fed beef. We’ll be back another time for a longer lunch to give them a try!
Also on offer are chef curated tasting set menus of five or seven courses, which sound perfect for a special occasion lunch.
Please note: on public holidays, the Botanic Lodge can get quite busy and tables are not always available. You can only order from the menu if you are seated within the fenced area or inside the lodge. We would recommend booking in advance on busy days.
Evergreen Deli
For those looking for a more casual dining option, the Evergreen Deli is situated at the Schomburgk Pavillion (adjacent the Mediterranean Garden). You’ll find casual seating undercover, or outside under umbrellas next to the garden.
On the menu you’ll find everything from pies, sausage rolls and pasties to sandwiches, granola, burgers, fries, fish and chips and cheese toasty. Their drinks menu includes coffee, beer, wine, tea, soft drinks, hot chocolate, cold pressed juices, and other bottled drinks.
You can also preorder a picnic box online to collect from the Evergreen Deli.
Read more about Evergreen here
Chihuly – Glass Sculpture Exhibition | Adelaide Botanic Garden | 27 Sep 2024 – 29 Apr 2025
Wildlife Spotting by the Lake
Kids will love that there are loads of ducks and other birds inhabiting the lake and on a lucky day you might spot some turtles having a swim.
We loved the Botanic Lodge for its stunning scenery, relaxed atmosphere and delicious menu. Highly recommended!
Location:
Botanic Lodge is best accessed via Friend’s Gate, located off of Plane Tree Drive, Adelaide. Access is also available from North Terrace & Hackney Road, Adelaide.
Places to visit nearby along North Terrace in Adelaide
We like to visit one of the two* cafes when having a Botanic Garden day out with the kids and if we are visiting the SA Museum or Art Gallery of SA we’ll also pop in for some lunch too, as it’s just a short walk away.
*The Evergreen Deli is also located in the Adelaide Botanic Garden, and is perfect for a quick bite or coffee with the kids – review coming soon!
Chihuly – Glass Sculpture Exhibition | Adelaide Botanic Garden | 27 Sep 2024 – 29 Apr 2025
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Botanic Lodge website. You can also follow their Facebook and Instagram pages for regular updates.
All photos by Sharon Harrington for Play & Go Adelaide 2024
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently.
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
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