NOW EXPERIENCING:Ms Botanica
Drinks Directory|Pet friendly|Outdoor area|Specialty Bar

Ms Botanica

34 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, VIC, 3013
Phone
No phone
Website
msbotanica.com.au
Instagram
@ms_botanica

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 04 Jan 2024

By
Larissa Dubecki

At Ms Botanica, retro style runs headlong into a drinks list that’s pure modern Melbourne with a sharp focus on interesting gins served alongside smart, maximum-impact snacks.

The entrance to Ms Botanica in Yarraville
Why you goThere are plenty of reasons Yarraville has fallen in love with Ms Botanica with all the heart-eyed obsession of Pepé Le Pew. The sweet little spot in the sweetest little shopping village is a real locals’ hang, but the offering is elevated enough to make anyone grab their Myki card and jump on the next train heading out on the Williamstown line. Owners Stacie Sinclair and Scott Rice are big on gin, which helps explain the Ms Botanica name – the billowing displays of faux greenery also play their part in the poetic-allusion department – and their cocktail list is a thing of creative beauty. But they also come packing a secret weapon in the form of an ex-Cumulus Inc head chef who’s playing a mean snack-menu game.
Why you stayLet’s set the scene. It’s 6:00pm on a Friday and you’re drifting along Ballarat Street, trying not to succumb to the siren song of the fashion and homewares boutiques, when you hear the happy babble of voices coming from a bar decked out in the vintage finery of a bygone era. Meet Ms Botanica, a place where retro style runs headlong into a drinks list that’s pure Melbourne 2023. Run by a couple who know that a good bar starts with good people, it’s a welcoming spot low on pretension and high on fun times.
What drink to order Gin’s the thing here, especially independently produced and interesting Australian gins. The list has around 30 different iterations of mother’s ruin on hand – the team’s recommendation is to try it over ice so you get the full flavour profile before adding a dash of soda or tonic if you’re a barbarian (their words). But despite the purists’ approach, there’s really no shame in diving headfirst into the lengthy cocktail list where house-made syrups and shrubs (vinegar-based syrups) up the ante on things like the Strawberry Gum Swizzle, made with Brookie’s sloe, aka plum, gin with a strawberry gum shrub, lime and soda, and a Manhattan rocking popcorn syrup. The wine list keeps it short and sharp indeed – four whites, three reds and a bit of sparkling tick the big-name grape varieties like sauvignon blanc and shiraz – while a similar pared-back approach keeps the beer list to a pithy choice of four, including Moon Dog and Asahi.
Cocktails served up at Ms Botanica in Melbourne
Refined snacks at Ms Botanica
What to pair it withDropping in for a drink can easily turn into dinner when you see the food being ferried to tables. Chef James Cornwall has the minimal-ingredients, maximum-impact formula down pat, as evidenced by the Sydney rock oysters with shiso vinegar, finger lime and pink peppercorn or the little brown butter and seaweed madeleines capped with smoky pops of trout roe. Wagyu steak tartare takes on a Japanese accent with wasabi and furikake chips, while fat wodges of fried potato gem go bougie with pickled mussels and black garlic. Cinnamon doughnuts with dark-chocolate sauce finish with a comforting flourish.
Why we love it Can we say the glassware? Yes, really. Depending on which cocktail you order, you’ll be sipping from a light-refracting glass goblet or the daintiest coupe that practically demands the crooking of a pinkie. Along with the artistic dedication to different garnishes, whether dried in-house or just plucked straight from a willing flower, it makes even a quick drink feel like a swellegant occasion.
Regular’s tip A bar where it’s necessary to book ahead? It says plenty about the popularity of Ms Botanica that it’s regularly booked out, although blow-ins can hope to score a seat around the bar. Or bring your pooch and vie for a seat beneath a cute pastel umbrella on the AstroTurfed parklet out front. 
Don’t leave without Special mention has to go to the non-alcoholic cocktails, which are so good they could win over the most rusted-on zero-proof cynic. Case in point: the Ms Grey, a sour made with Lyre’s London Dry and Earl Grey tea syrup with lemon juice, orange bitters and a fluffy cap of Wonderfoam (which means it’s also vegan-friendly). Unless you’re really paying attention, you won’t even notice it’s all virtue and no alcohol.
Cocktails get close attention at Ms Botanica
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In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
Authour image
Larissa DubeckiLarissa Dubecki has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in reviewing restaurants and bars.
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Drinks DirectoryMelbourne – WestMelbourneGood for groupsCasual catch-upRestaurantA+ spirits listAfter work drinksKiller cocktailsDate nightSpecialty BarNon-alc OptionsRecently openedWheelchair accessibleFamily affairPet friendlyOutdoor areaBarVego Food Options
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