Harden's survey result
Summary
“Laurie Gear and his team never fail to delight in this French fine dining establishment”: a “small and intimate” haunt in a characterful part of Old Amersham, where “the best seats are downstairs by the kitchen where you can witness how hard and skilfully the chefs work”. For many years now, the opinion has been widespread that its “impeccable” cuisine and “warm and welcoming” service were being inexplicably ignored by the tyre men, but in October 2019 Michelin finally gave way and gave it its long overdue recognition with the award of a star.
Summary
“Laurie Gear and his team never fail to delight in this French fine dining establishment”: a “small and intimate” haunt in a characterful part of Old Amersham, where “the best seats are downstairs by the kitchen where you can witness how hard and skilfully the chefs work”. For many years now, the opinion has been widespread that its “impeccable” cuisine and “warm and welcoming” service were being inexplicably ignored by the tyre men, but in October 2019 Michelin finally gave way and gave it its long overdue recognition with the award of a star.
Summary
“Why no Michelin star?” Laurie Gear’s “simply brilliant” fixture in a characterful part of Old Amersham espouses all the values the Tyre Man is supposed to hold so dear. “The tasting menu is a stunning experience” with “first class” cuisine and service highly “professional”. “The open plan kitchen is interesting to watch too”. Gripes? “It can feel a bit squeezed-in at busy times”. And “try to get a table downstairs, you’re more in the action: the upstairs room is a little quiet”.
Summary
“Perfect, perfect, perfect!” – “It’s such a surprise to find this gem nestled in Old Amersham”, and Laurie Gear’s “magnificent” establishment on a picturesque Georgian street would enjoy a much higher profile if it were not bizarrely overlooked by Michelin year-on-year. Chef/Patron Laurie Gear’s “complex cooking comes with a very deft touch”: “beautifully crafted, rich, with gorgeous accompanying wine, and delivered by staff who make you feel a million dollars”. “It is incomprehensible that it doesn’t have a star” – in fact some say “it’s worthy of two” – yet a number of fans feel that “the fact that it lacks recognition almost improves it”: “please let them keep missing out, because it keeps the place just about affordable, and we can get a table when we want!”
For 31 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Artichoke?
Owner's description
The restaurant was extended into the adjoining building in May 2011, which ironically was the scene of a devastating fire in June 2008, which forced Laurie and Jacqueline to close the Artichoke for 18 months to rebuild the property to its former 16th Century glory. The interior was designed by Fiona Johnston Parke from the Award winning Emily Todd Hunter, who combined the original features of the building with Scandinavian inspired interiors, in memory of Laurie’s time spent at Noma; with muted grey tones and accents of amethyst, which create a seamless, comfortable but stylish extension of the original building.
Now the Artichoke offers three dining areas including a Private Dining Room with its own wine cellar, the Kitchen Dining Room with an open Pass, Chefs’ Tables, and the Garden Room, with a view onto a botanical “living wall” of herbs.
Laurie’s innovative cooking showcases well sourced ingredients, changing with the seasons, using highly dedicated producers. The open kitchen with its willow resin screen offers the opportunity to experience the culinary theatre of the Pass. The collection of expressive menus include an approachable set lunch, intriguing five and six course lunch tastings and an artisan seven course tasting featuring highlights of the main menu. Dishes focus on flavour, presentation and taste combinations, often inspired by time spent with Rene Redzepi at the legendary Noma during the enforced closure.
The notable wine list features forward thinking winemakers and local ales with all tasting menus offering eclectic wine pairings, chosen by Restaurant Manager/Sommelier Matteo Scaccabarozzi, combined with the open pass and the ultimate Chefs’ tables, the Artichoke offers a unique fine dining experience.
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £65.00 |  |
|
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| Cost | Availability | Courses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu1 | 55.00 | Lunch only | 5 |
| Menu2 | 85.00 | Always available | 7 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £25.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £5.50 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
Restaurant details
Artichoke Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Definitely try for a downstairs table with a view of the kitchen. We go about 6 times a year and always enjoy the experience, the food and the service. It almost veered into the too obsequious but has relaxed with its well deserved star and now is almost the perfect restaurant for a treat night out."
"Now that it has a Michelin star the prices have gone up but still good value"
"It has taken Michelin 8 years to catch up with us and our rating of Artichoke as a star-worthy restaurant, and our latest experience, with Head chef Ben Jenkins overseeing the smoothly-operating kitchen, served to confirm our opinion. Every single dish was an exemplary display of the wonderful balancing and contrasting of prime ingredients and their accompaniments, with outstanding pea and buttermilk elderflower sherbet on the crab, brilliant smoked haddock-infused Lincolnshire poacher sauce on the freshest asparagus, the Artichoke classic, rose veal sweetbread, with a brigade of mushroom elements, sublime lobster cannelloni on the perfect halibut, the clever duck leg pie matching the Goosnargh duck breast, and raspberry gateau with a novel meadowsweet pastry cream following the palate-cleansing blackberries and frozen vanilla marshmallow. Keen, young and well-drilled staff saw to our every wish and once again our 90 minute drive from home was thoroughly worth it. "
"A return to form after a disappointing last visit. Superb starters and mains, slightly disappointing desserts, friendly and the open kitchen gives some needed atmosphere (remarkably calm in the kitchen). Ask to be seated downstairs"
9 Market Sq, Amersham, HP7 0DF
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Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 6:15 pm‑11 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑4 pm, 6:15 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑4 pm, 6:15 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑4 pm, 6:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑4 pm, 6:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
