Botanica Gin Bar & NFT Gallery Ready To Unveil In San Diego's North Park

October 24, 2022

The owner of Wormwood restaurant in North Park and Tahona in Old Town is ready to unveil Botanica, a Spanish restaurant, gin bar, and NFT art gallery opening this week in San Diego's uptown.

Botanica is the latest project from Amar Harrag, a native of France and graduate of University of San Diego who co-owns numerous locations of Matisse Bistro in San Diego and Irvine, Tahona Bar and neighboring Oculto 477 speakeasy in Old Town, Hidden Craft self-serve beer bar and restaurant in downtown San Diego, Wormwood absinthe bar and French bistro in North Park/Normal Heights, and runs real estate brokerage Allied Green Realty. Under his Be Saha Hospitality Group umbrella, Harrag recently took over a 1,500 square foot space next door to North Park Art Produce for the opening of a new bar, restaurant and art gallery named Botanica. 

In addition to being a viewing gallery and marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with digital art display screens sited throughout the unit, Botanica will have a 48-seat bar and lounge with a cocktail and spirits menu devoted to gin and its juniper berry-made precursor genever. The cocktail list will be developed from beverage director Marina Ferreira, who will also offer education tastings at the bar. There will also be a menu of Spanish pintxos-inspired bar bites, with most items meant to be eaten by hand, from culinary director Janina Garay and kitchen manager Tiffany Tran, who previously worked together at San Diego's two Michelin-starred Addison in Del Mar.

Botanica will open at 3139 University Avenue in San Diego's North Park on Wednesday, October 27. For more information, visit botanicabarsd.com and check out the menu below.