Botanist

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

At the Fairmont Pacific Rim on Canada Place, Botanist is built around a single conviction: that the Pacific Northwest is one of the world's most fertile and diverse agricultural regions, and that its ingredients deserve to be the centre of the plate. The moderate climate means the kitchen has access to produce year-round, and the culinary team leans fully into that abundance — sourcing sustainably, working with organic backyard suppliers, and applying contemporary technique to showcase each ingredient at its best.

A Space Designed Around Nature

The restaurant occupies four distinct venues under one roof: a Dining Room, a Cocktail Lab and Bar, a glass-walled Garden filled with plant species and a trellis, and a TASCHEN Library — one of only two dedicated TASCHEN retail locations in Canada, stocking more than 275 books and available by appointment. The overall design draws directly from the principles of botany, so the environment and the food speak the same language.

The Kitchen and the Bar

The menus shift with the seasons, reflecting what the region offers at any given moment. Dishes from the current menu illustrate the kitchen's approach well: black pepper-crusted salmon with smoked buttermilk and salmon roe, dry-aged duck breast with grilled duck leg, mushrooms and fava beans, steamed sablefish with sidestripe shrimp and bonito nage, and a Wagyu zabuton with potato dauphine and green peppercorn jus. For those who prefer to hand over the reins, a six-course tasting menu is available for the whole table, with optional wine pairings curated by Head Sommelier Matthew Jacobson — a program that has earned Botanist the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2025, a mark of the depth and seriousness of the cellar.

At the bar, Creative Beverage Director Grant Sceney leads a program that blends precision with playfulness. Cocktails are developed in a custom-built Cocktail Lab with a culinary-forward approach — think clarified milk punches, house-made cordials, and rotating seasonal builds. The bar has been ranked among the 50 Best Bars in North America, and the recognition is consistent with what guests find in the glass.

Lunch, Brunch, and the Full Picture

Beyond dinner, Botanist runs a weekday lunch with a two-course set option, and a weekend brunch anchored by a glass of sparkling wine and dishes that range from butter-poached lobster benedict to brioche French toast with buffalo ricotta. The seasonal, Pacific Northwestern ethos carries through every service, morning to late night.