Our Story
"Good healthy food doesn't have to be boring!" — Alain Coumont, Founder of Le Botaniste
About Le Botaniste
“Good healthy food doesn't have to be boring!”
Le Botaniste was born from a simple thought: healthy, good for you food should be delicious, convenient, and good for the planet — additionally it is organic, and plant-based without compromising on taste.
Le Botaniste is serious about flavor — globally inspired, ridiculously delicious, and made with real ingredients and no compromise. We've flipped the script on plant-forward food by leading with what you actually want: delicious, craveable, nutritious meals.
Our Origins: Ghent, Belgium
Le Botaniste's story begins in Ghent, Belgium — one of Europe's most celebrated vegetarian cities. A trailblazer in sustainable urban living, Ghent has long embraced plant-forward eating as part of daily life, with its "Donderdag Veggiedag" (Thursday Veggie Day) drawing up to half the city's population to vegetarian and vegan meals each week.
In September 2015, Alain and his partner Laurent opened the first Le Botaniste in Ghent — an organic plant-forward restaurant and natural wine bar filled with art in a 19th-century apothecary-inspired décor, and lush indoor plants. The response was immediate and enthusiastic. Just four months later, Le Botaniste came to New York City, opening its first U.S. location on the Upper East Side.
Today, Le Botaniste operates two locations in Belgium (Ghent and Brussels) and seven locations across New York City: Upper East Side, Upper West Side, SoHo, Midtown East, Bryant Park, Penn Plaza, and Greenpoint.
Our Values
Delicious Food — Let Food Be the Medicine
At Le Botaniste, every dish is a complete, balanced, nutrient-dense organic meal designed to nourish as much as it satisfies. We take pride in offering unexpected, inventive ways to eat vegetables: vibrant, craveable, and deeply flavorful. Whether you're dining solo or sharing with friends, our plant-based menu was made for every kind of table. Each bowl is a mini vacation: a complete, nourishing meal crafted with care, balance, and an uncompromising commitment to taste.
Sustainability — Lead by Example
Our commitment to sustainable, organic restaurant practices isn't performative — it's built into how we operate every day. From sourcing certified organic ingredients to every decision is made with long-term benefit in mind — for our guests, our communities, and the planet.
Our Menu
Our menu is a globally inspired journey — flavors drawn from every corner of the world — everything is made fresh, made with intention, and made to delight. Every bowl is a complete, nourishing meal: organic, plant-based, fibers rich and built for real hunger.
Explore the full menu
Vino Therhappy
What is "vino therhappy?" We're so glad you asked! Vino is Italian for wine, and "therhappy" is a play on the French word "terre" ("earth") and the English words "happy" and "therapy."
Natural wine is Earth-happy therapy!
We're proud to serve a curated selection of wines from around the world that are simply 100% organic fermented grape juice, and nothing else. We choose each for its unique flavor profile, and offer a rotating selection of up to ten outstanding bottles.