About us
The Experience
When you enter Botté, Saskatoon’s first and only Persian-inspired teahouse, we want you to feel as if you have entered an oasis of calm and tranquillity, where you allow your time to slow down. Surrounded by exotic smells, flavours and setting, this will be a total sensual experience. We want our guests to thoroughly enjoy their time, whether it is spent in their own company, with an intimate companion, or a bigger group of friends.
Our specialties are an ever-changing and always fresh, light, home-made foods, sweets and drinks inspired by Persian culinary traditions and culture. As a matter of policy, we have made a point of collaborating and engaging with immigrant women in Saskatoon, to bring you a line up of authentic delicious dishes from around the world.
We feature a lineup of rotating blends of teas, ranging from high caffeine to no caffeine, and a full gamut of flavour profiles from refreshing citrus-laced teas, to the stronger black and green tea varieties, all of which are offered in both hot or served over ice versions.
Although a smaller selection of coffee drinks than most other cafes, we have made a point of bringing the very best to Saskatoon: Belgium Rombouts coffee, which is the official coffee supplier to the Belgian Royal Court. Specialized in fair trade, organic, single-source coffees, EVERY single bean is hand-selected and carefully roasted to specifications. We have arranged our inventory to ensure that every cup of coffee tastes the same, time after time.
Our hot chocolates in the winters and fresh fruit drinks in the summer are sourced directly from Italy. They can be served with or without milk and are free of any animal products, additives and preservatives. We guarantee the very best hot chocolates in the city.
We also boast the largest variety of desserts, sweets and pastries anywhere in Saskatoon, with over 25 varieties at any given time. These are sourced in collaboration with local, and national suppliers, to ensure Saskatoon citizens and our guests can enjoy the very best.
The Story
Botté Chai Bar opened its doors on January 1, 2018. The planning and design and menu had taken the better of the 5 prior years. The concept was inspired by the culinary contributions of the first Iranian chefs to settle in the city, Behshid Zehtab-Jadid, who was among the first wave of Iranian immigrants to settle in the Saskatoon, arriving in the early 1980s, in the aftermath of the Iranian revolution.
Far from their homeland, and removed from all that was familiar to them, the Iranian community in Saskatoon remained small for years (numbering in tens). They yearned to have their own contribution to the rich and diverse culinary scene in Saskatoon. Botté is a gift to Saskatoon, offering a small glimpse of the complete Persian sensual experience and immersion in an environment of east-west cultural fusion.
The Name
The word Botté, pronounced “bow-teh”, is an ancient Persian symbol. A well-recognized teardrop shape, representing a cypress tree, tall and strong, with its head bowed in humility. Bent in tumultuous winds but never broken, is how Iranian people historically identify with it. The symbol was extensively
used in all regions that were once a part of the Persian empire, including India. The design was eventually adopted for duplication on textiles and fabrics in the Scottish town of Paisley, which is how the design is now known in the English language.
Everything in Botte Chai Bar has a story. The space is specifically designed to make our guests feel like they have entered an oasis to get away from all the busy-ness that is their lives. The physical setting, represents a modern western take of the elements of a classical Persian garden: the verdant plants representing the rose gardens and orchards; the water fountain representing flowing streams; plush seats with cushions of Persian rug designs; the hand-made stained glass light fixtures; the giant wall-paper design, depicting whirling dervishes, and a famous line from the famous Persian poet, Rumi: “wherefore is the beloved to intoxicate me but with the wine of love?”
The Story.
Far from our homeland and removed from all that was familiar to us, the Iranian community in Saskatoon remained small for years (numbering in tens). We yearned to have our own contribution to the rich and diverse culinary scene in Saskatoon. Botté is our gift to Saskatoon, offering an east-west cultural fusion, and a special taste of the sensual Persian experience of sharing food and drink.
Botté Chair Bar opened its doors on January 1, 2018 after nearly five years of ideation and planning. The concept was inspired by the culinary contributions of the first Iranian immigrants to settle in Saskatoon, arriving in the early 1980’s, in the aftermath of the Iranian revolution.
in march of 2020, we temporarily closed the doors of our teahosue in an effort to do our part to stop the global pandemic. Before the unexpected closure of our teahouse, we had long dreamed of growing into a full Persian kitchen, of being able to share the traditional cuisine of Iran and the family recipies that have been nourishing us since childhood. We never imagined this dream would bein to unfold so soon, but when we needed to lcose our teahouse due to Covid-19, we decided to use Botté’s empty kitchen space and go for it!
Since the launch of our takeout service in May 2020, Botté now proudly offers two unique branches of Persian tradition for you to enjoy—Botté Chai Bar and Botté Persian Kitchen.
Botté Persian Kitchen serves fresh, authentic Persian home cooking in the comfort of your own home—available for pickup or delivery.
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The experience.
When you enter Botté Chai Bar, Saskatoon’s first and only Persian-inspired teahouse, you enter into an oasis of calm and tranquillity, where time slows down. Surrounded by exotic smells, fresh flavours and soul-soothing decor, your senses will be delighted as you sink into the environment we have created. We want every guest to thoroughly enjoy their time, whether it is spent in their own company, with an intimate companion, or a bigger group
of friends.
Our specialties are ever-changing and always fresh, light, home-made foods, sweets and drinks inspired by Persian culinary traditions and culture.
We feature a lineup of rotating blends of teas, ranging from high caffeine to no caffeine, and a full gamut of flavour profiles from refreshing citrus-laced teas, to the stronger black and green tea varieties, all of which are offered either hot or served over ice. Our coffee is made from fair trade, organic, single-source beans that are hand-selected and carefully roasted. We pride ourselves on providing the very best hot chocolate in Saskatoon; along with our fresh fruit drinks, they are sourced directly from Italy.
Because the richness of any life experience becomes amplified when we share it, we love partnering with other local makers who are passionate about what they do. We boast the largest variety of desserts, sweets and pastries in Saskatoon, sourced in collaboration with other local and national suppliers to ensure that our guests can enjoy the very finest treats.