The Artisan Bistro, Chelsea

Artisan Food has become somewhat a craze in recent years, I mean the rise in self-confessed "foodies" and people generally just becoming more interested in food means that London needs to cater for the masses. Give the people what they want, goddamit. 

That's exactly what The Artisan Bistro does. 

The Artisan Bistro, located on Hollywood Road in Cheslea, "showcases a truly innovative take on the Mediterranean cuisine serving small plates alongside traditional favorites" and these favourites include Lobster Mac'n'Cheese to Scottish Sirloin. Before booking, naturally I pondered the menu which further increased my excitement. I decided it was best to go hungry.

So after a 3.5 hour fast (I honestly eat hourly so this is a long time for me) we headed to Chelsea for our 7pm booking. After under-estimating the walk from South Kensington station we were a few minutes late, but we were warmly greeted despite this. The walk is a little longer than City Mapper says, as a heads up, but it's really not bad at all. 

We were seated by the open window, the table has a little potted hole filled with a plant, some candles and pebbles making it nicer than your standard table. I really liked being seated by the window, I'm an avid people-watcher so this made the experience perfect for me. You'd expect it to be loud given it's a Saturday evening on a relatively busy street - but you needn't worry.

Our host, Plamen, provides us with the menus for both food and wine. The menu isn't extensive - but it really needn't be. There is a good selection of food, and undoubtedly something for everyone. A selection of fish, red meat and poultry  - there are some Vegetarian options for small plates. 

Now the wine list - it changes weekly and Plamen chooses which wines he would like to feature that week, and it's not about price it's "about where they come from, their history and how they are made."

I am a lover of wine, but by no means an expert. I'll be attending a few classes in a couple of months time, however for now it's best I leave the wine choice to the expert. We ask Plamen on his recommendation for wine, opting for red, and he suggests a bottle of Pinot Noir - one of his favourites. He presents a bottle of Vidal Reserve. Hawkes Bay. We are told it comes from New Zealand, and he personally chose it.

On the first sip - I was in love. I often dine and mix wine, no rhyme intended, but with this you simply don't need to. The quality and taste is lovely; incredibly smooth, sweet and, most importantly, drinkable. We stuck with this the entire evening, and we had no regrets.

For our starters we ordered the Prawns with Squid Ink Polenta and Calamari (I'd actually been craving it all day). The prawns came highly recommended by Plamen, and I can absolutely see why.

Now I love anything with squid ink in; this topped my expectations. I love the squid ink polenta to the point I could have just had that. The prawns were huge and juicy - slight hints of garlic which I love.

The calamari was great - it was slightly over-shadowed by the prawns but nonetheless it's a great choice of starters.

Then, of course, came the main course. I opted for a Mathers Farm Sirloin Steak whilst my pal ordered the Lobster Mac'n'Cheese. Despite wanting the Mac'n'Cheese, I wasn't willing to eat a bowl of gluten on this occasion. 

In-between ordering and the food arriving, the restaurant began to fill up quickly around us. There were mainly couples, though we noticed a couple of groups of girls enjoying their Saturday evenings scattered around the restaurant. Despite the busy atmosphere, and two people manning the deck, the service never faltered. 

The steak was great - it's not the best steak I've ever had but it was by no means the worst. Paired with the truffle chips, mmmmm, and the Bearnaise sauce I was pretty content with my choice. I'd sneaked a bit of my friend's meal too - it was great. If there was a gluten-free option I'd have eaten the entire thing too! 

Another thing to note is the portion sizes; you won't be leaving hungry. They're absolutely huge and by no means are they scraping on giving you a huge portion.

We were both stuffed but decided to share a dessert; strawberry cheesecake. The top was sponge, which isn't typically what you'd expect, with a biscuit sprinkling and cream on either side. It was lovely and a great way to finish off a meal - without being too heavy.

Enjoy - I have no doubt that you will! 

www.theartisanlondon.com/

A: 14 Hollywood Rd, Chelsea SW10 9HY

T: 020 7460 0875