Picnic Box by Luke Nguyen - Botanic House

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A picnic at the park is a great way to spend an afternoon with family or friends. And when in Sydney, one of the most favoured settings for a picnic is the Royal Botanical Gardens. My family recently spent a Sunday afternoon this way, availing of a gift voucher we received for Christmas for a Botanic House Picnic Box.

Botanic House is a modern Asian restaurant nestled at the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens, led by renowned chef Luke Nguyen. The restaurant is open for lunch daily and dinner from Thursday to Sunday, but a welcome addition to dining at the venue is their offering for packed gourmet picnics that can be enjoyed at the grounds of the botanical garden.


The Picnic Box by Luke Nguyen is good for two and must be preordered at the Botanic House website. On the day, simply turn up at the restaurant at your assigned time, let the hostess know you are collecting your picnic box, and your box of delicious Asian culinary treats will be available in a few minutes. The hostess may advise you of longer wait times if there is a queue.

While the menu and prices may change, at the time we enjoyed our picnic, the $90 box for two included: Roasted red pepper with local Vietnamese sesame crackers and wonton chips (v)
; Mushroom, cabbage, and corn spring rolls with Asian herbs (v, vg) (4 pieces); Lemongrass, lemon myrtle pork patties, lettuce, and pickled vegetable with sweet fish sauce (gf) (2 pieces); Grilled chicken thigh, tempura saltbush, cabbage, pickled vegetable, and Vietnamese herbs salad (gf); and Vietnamese coffee cake, lychee pudding, coconut tapioca, and fresh seasonal fruit. Our picnic also included a bottle of vino of our choice from among their selection as it was part of a promotional Christmas voucher.


After picking up your picnic box, traverse the pathways of the gardens to pick your spot for the day. We were fortunate to get a beautiful spot under a tree with the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as our view. You can supplement the picnic box with your own prepared goodies, particularly if you have children with you. Or double up on your picnic box orders as we have seen others do.

It is advisable to bring a large picnic mat as the gentle breeze invites many picnickers to lay down and nap afterwards. You may also want to bring refillable water bottles or order drinks from the restaurant as this is not included with the picnic box.

The Botanic House is located at The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

Mrs Macquaries Rd, Sydney NSW 2000 and can be contacted via [email protected] or Phone 1300 558 980. For more detailed information, visit the Botanic House website .

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