Botanica to Open on North Park’s University Avenue in Late Summer 2022
San Diego’s Be Saha Hospitality Group announced its newest concept opening this summer: Botanica, an art-forward cocktail bar from the team behind Tahona and Wormwood. Planned to open at the end of summer in the heart of North Park at 3139 University Avenue, Botanica will bring an immersive drinking and social experience to San Diego through its focus on botanical spirits and simultaneously supporting emerging artists, displaying and acting as a marketplace for non-fungible tokes (NFT) art.
Notably, Botanica will be one of the first cocktail bars on the West Coast and one of very few in the United States. One wall within Botanica will exclusively showcase NFT art displayed on custom-designed framed display screens, with guests able to purchase through a digital art gallery as they discover new artists from across the globe. Proceeds from NFT art sales will benefit the artist and Create Purpose, a 501c3 nonprofit providing educational programs to orphanages in Mexico.
Botanica’s prime corner location will share the complex that houses Art Product, a nonprofit cultural center that connects artists, cultural organizations, schools, urban farmers and businesses. Botanica’s 1,500-square-foot interior, designed by Studio Bel, will act as an ever-changing art gallery adorned in carefully curated works by local and international talent, including street and digital art. The space will feature a chic yet subdued lounge area seating up to 48 guests draped in elegant curtains reminiscent of classic speakeasies. Behind the building, an urban garden will provide a private venue for special gatherings, with a portion of event proceeds benefiting Art Produce Foundation.
The artistic essence of Botanica will also be immediately felt through genever and gin-focused cocktails crafted to reflect famous works of art; this innovative cocktail program is created by Beverage Director Marina Ferreira, co-founder of Rose Water Cocktail Club, a female-founded cocktail catering and education company. Genever, a traditional liquor of the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France, is one of Europe’s oldest distilled spirits and considered the precursor to gin. Guests will experience genever in the traditional way, served in elegant flutes, while Botanica’s gin and artisanal spirits selection will be one of the most diverse in San Diego with botanical spirits sourced from around the world.
Botanica’s food menu is designed by Be Saha Hospitality Group’s Culinary Director Janina Garay and Botanica’s Kitchen Manager Tiffany Tran, and focuses on the art of pintxos. First developed in the Basque region, specifically in the town of San Sebastian, pintxos mirror the traditional Spanish tapa while integrating French nouvelle cuisine.
Category: Business, Events, Local News, Restaurants
