The Botanist | Vegan Restaurant Deep-Rooted in the Mediterranean Gastro Heritage

On the other hand, many considered the idea of the brothers Stanišić, Roko, Vice, Duje and Lujo, to be too bold in opening such a restaurant in the very center of Zadar, and many predicted the project to be a failure.  There are numerous types of easily available cultivated and wild fruits and vegetables from the immediate surroundings of Zadar. But meat and fish, as well as dairy foods that are not used in the vegan diet, continue to be the basis of the diet and gourmet pleasures of the majority of the local population. 

But sceptics were wrong, of course. Soon after the opening, the Botanist became a hit! Today it is visited not only by vegans, but gourmets of usual gastronomic habits. And they do not only come to this vegan oasis out of curiosity but due to the excellent and creative dishes that come out of the restaurant cuisine.

The Botanist not only is a meatless restaurant, but above all it primarily relies on the Dalmatian and Mediterranean gastronomic heritage, which basically coincides in many ways with the vegan gastronomic philosophy. The Mediterranean “modest” cuisine has achieved world popularity due to its abundance of dishes with many vegetables, olive oil, wine and specific Mediterranean spices.

The chef of the Botanist is a young but experienced lady from Novi Sad, Diana Baranji. Chef Diana, as well as three Stanišić brothers that manage the restaurant are not vegans but vegetarians.  The fourth brother Vice is vegan and has his own restaurant in the locality of Ražanac, also a vegan restaurant. But that is not important in daily work and neither is the fact that Diana is not Dalmatian –– the Mediterranean diet and local foods of the Zadar region are her main preoccupation. Only occasionally will some Asian influence peek out from her plates or she will put together a vegan version of some globally popular dishes like burgers.

Chef Diana presented us with two dishes from the restaurant menu: one 'fish' and one 'meat' dish. Of course, these are dishes with substitute ingredients, although most of the menu is not made up of vegan alternatives to fish and meat. Diana explained to us that she prepares these imitation dishes not only for those guests that do not tend to eat a “clean” vegan diet, bit because they are exceptionally attractive and tasty to all, vegans and non-vegans.

OLM fish dish is an excellent and original modern replica of fried fish with vegetables, a usual Dalmatian dish. Fish steak wrapped in nori seaweed is actually a slightly harder cream made of celery, garlic and parsley. Diana fried the rolls and sprinkled them with a little reduced white wine, and the side dishes are typical Mediterranean ones, of course with new looks: cauliflower and potato puree, chard with garlic in olive oil, all topped with vegetable stock. 

Thumbelina Horse is an excellent meat steak – without any meat! The steak is made from soy proteins, and the texture and taste are like real meat. The chef wrapped the steak in black sesame and quickly and briefly fried it in a pan with vegan butter. The side dishes were once again typically Mediterranean, vegetables with a lot of olive oil. Zucchini puree with a strong flavor found itself in the company of Popeye's dish, spinach fried on onions and with more glazed seasonal vegetables, young carrots, peas, peppers…

All the dishes from the Botanist's menu bear the names of protected animals around the world. It is impossible, of course, to taste them all in one visit.  We, therefore, left the sea stone soup, which was prepared long ago by hungry farmhands and fishermen on hungry days, for another time. The same as the vegan burger and the traditional Dalmatian pašticada with gnocchi in a vegan version. And desserts that are made without baking.

Most of the ingredients for the dishes at The Botanist come from the gardens and fields of local family farms, so this curious Zadar restaurant is still a consistent heir of Zadar, Dalmatian and Mediterranean healthy gastronomy.