Review: Il Botanico, St Aldates

I found a little piece of Italy in Oxford and all I can say is, buonissimo!

I fell in love with Italy years back from the moment I stepped foot in Rome, and a lot of that love comes from the incredible food that Italians have created. From pasta to arancini to pancetta, what is there not to love about Italian cuisine?

Anyway, let’s move on from my Italy nostalgia.

Il Botanico opened in Oxford in 2019 to bring top-quality Italian coffee and sweet treats to Oxford. The first branch opened in Headington and recently they opened a branch in St Aldates, which is the branch I was kindly invited to!

After genuinely taking at least 10 minutes to make up our minds, the final order selection was: Pistachio Bombolone, Cortado coffee, Thick Italian Hot Chocolate, and a Nutella Lobster Tail. The variety on offer was amazing and for anyone who prefers something savoury, don’t worry, they cater for that too.

All I can say is that thick hot chocolate has my heart.

I’ve had it before and trying it again just confirmed my love for it. If you prefer a milky hot chocolate, they also have this available. The hot chocolate comes out piping hot and the consistency makes it a meal in of its own. The lobster tail was stuffed with Nutella and was so crispy, you could tell how fresh it was!

The bombolone was beautiful, less sweet but the custard filling was just stunning.

The quality of the coffee was notable and as they state on their website ‘we are here to show you that our Italian coffee can cure all your tension’, and I can not argue with that! Oh and yes, I did have a chocolate/sugar rush shortly after this invite.

I will definitely be visiting again soon- highly recommended. My Italian friend approved as well! 8.5/10