Located in the Old Town of Amersham in Buckinghamshire, Michelin-starred Artichoke is owned and led by Chef Patron Laurie Gear and his wife Jacqueline. They opened the restaurant originally in 2002 with the aim of providing the very best neighbourhood dining experience, a feat largely undertaken by Chef Patron Laurie Gear and Head Chef Chris Chegwin. While Laurie runs the kitchen team, Jacqueline oversees the day-to-day management of Artichoke with a strong background in business.
The restaurant is set inside a 16th century Grade II listed building with many of its original features left intact. The style, however, is slightly different to its historic foundations, with the interiors designed by Fiona Johnston Parke in a Scandi-chic aesthetic. Drawing on Laurie’s time spent in Scandinavia, expect lots of soft tones of walnut, grey and lilac, with finishing touches including amethyst glass and hand-crafted pottery.
When it comes to the food, the team at Artichoke have devised a selection of menus which can be ordered at different times throughout the week. As certain menus are only available on particular days, we strongly advise that you double check this before you book. For example, in the week guests may choose between the three-course Artichoke menu and the tasting menu, while at weekends only the latter is served. There are also stipulations on the lunch menus, which range between set and tasting, too.
In terms of style, menus are inspired by modern European dining and use only top quality ingredients that are locally sourced and hyper-seasonal. While their seasonality means menus are subject to change, the website offers a taste of what to expect with dishes such as Cornish lobster with scallop mousse, English garden peas, fennel dressing and pork belly crisp to start, followed by roast breast of Adlington English label special reserve chicken with cocoa beans, stuffed courgette flower and courgette puree for mains.
To drink, there is an international wine list that is broken down by region and can be ordered by the glass, half bottle or bottle.