The Artichoke - Chiltern

Pretentious, pool value. There are a number of great high end restaurants tucked away in and around Bucks, not to mention the multitude of options a stone’s thr... read more Pretentious, pool value. There are a number of great high end restaurants tucked away in and around Bucks, not to mention the multitude of options a stone’s throw away in london, Artichoke isn’t one of them. The staff seem uneasy and poorly trained. They are unsure whether to be robotically efficient, or inject some personality and warmth into the role. The end result is they are disengaged, and awkward in carrying out the basics. We opted for the 3 course menu. The initial melon Gazpacho amuse bouche was poor. Overly sweet and the consistency was too watery. The starter was a scallop tartare. I’ve had this elsewhere before, and so was very surprised by the meagre portion that amounted to two teaspoons. The main course was veal. Not too bad, but not a taste sensation. The veal should have been consistently tender, but we both had slices that were tougher. Dessert was funny. I had the cheese board. This amounted to a tiny slice of a single cheese and 4 stamp sized biscuits. Tasty, but a meagre portion. The 3 course menu was over £80 pp, and our bill was £287 with wine and service, and I was left wondering where I’d seen the value, given the lack of quality of the food, the overly slight portions, and the awkward staff…..having said that, one plus however. The sommelier. He was a young Frenchman, typically over confident and keen to tell you everything he knew about wine, but a welcomed character and entertaining. We both enjoyed his interactions. So, in summary, Artichoke has served as a useful benchmark for what not to look for in a high end local bistro.

Had a beautiful Tasting Menu here with wine pairing. The food was very tasty and the wine pairing was explained why it was chosen for the course. The service wa... read more Had a beautiful Tasting Menu here with wine pairing. The food was very tasty and the wine pairing was explained why it was chosen for the course. The service was excellent and the staff brilliant. Although expensive, it was well worth it for those special occasions. You wouldn't believe from the outside (apart from the MICHELIN star plaque they received in 2019) that it would be such a beautiful restaurant and experience.

Outstanding! Visited the Artichoke in Amersham for the first time for our wedding anniversary and it just blew us away. We had the seven course tasting menu tog... read more Outstanding! Visited the Artichoke in Amersham for the first time for our wedding anniversary and it just blew us away. We had the seven course tasting menu together with the wine flight and we cannot recommend it enough! If you haven't been it can appear at first glance to be quite pricey, and certainly isn't in our normal budget for dining out either, but honestly it was worth every penny. I wouldn't go in a big crowd; keep it small and intimate and definitely get the wine flight alongside the tasting menu if you're able to. The Sommelier is super helpful and his wine pairings were brilliant; even wines we normally think we don't like tasted amazing when paired with just the right dish. Would thoroughly recommend the Artichoke!

Superb. Great tastes and ideas in this tasting menu read more Superb. Great tastes and ideas in this tasting menu

Excellent tasting menu with really creative flavour combinations. read more Excellent tasting menu with really creative flavour combinations.