The Artigiano website promises "Beautifully crafted espresso coffee, artisan food, fine wines, craft beers & cocktails in a relaxed and stylish environment." Ever since it opened a few months back I have always been intrigued as to what lay behind the doors and had ignorantly assumed that it was just a trendy coffee shop!Artigiano craft distinctive espresso with the perfect balance and taste. They promise that their skilled baristas understand the nuances of the extraction process. Their house blend of coffee is carefully selected and roasted exclusively for them!
But we visited at night, when the cocktails, wine and nibbles took centre stage. The inside is really nice with a healthy balance of bare brick wall and class. I was pleased to see they had my favourite cocktail, a Long Island Iced Tea - Gin, tequila, vodka, triple sec, coca cola & lime. This went down very nicely and I loved every drop! Their evening menu is simple, but full of decadence. I think everything they offered really was perfect for some nibbles while enjoying wine/cocktails. I had given myself a night off from the diet to go here, but we didn't anticipate how generous the portion sizes were, so probably ordered too much!We ordered a Charcuterie Platter- A selection of charcuteries served with chutney & freshly baked French bread. Baked Camembert- A whole Camembert baked in a wooden basket served with freshly baked French bread. We also had some hot glazed sausages- Finest local pork cocktail sausages glazed in Honey & mustard.
The meats were lovely and fresh and really high quality, there was a great selection and it was served with olives. I loved this. The bread served with it is was delicious and there was olive oil with balsamic vinegar (one of my faves). Sadly there was too much oil and I couldn't get to the vinegar!
The Camembert was divine, this may have been enhanced by the fact that I haven't had cheese in a while, but I was in heaven! The chutney was really smoky and went well with the meat and the cheese. I loved all the different crackers that were served with it as well, a great alternative to the bread! Some grapes really finished the food off and cleansed the pallet.The sausages were tangy and married so well with the honey and mustard glaze, I couldn't get enough!
We were so full and so so satisfied. I definitely want to come back in the daytime so I can try their variety of freshly made baguettes, sandwiches, wraps, tarts, salads and other savouries. Their website says that they produce them each day in store from fresh ingredients from some of the UK’s best artisan producers. They also stock a great range of baked goods (baked in store) and a selection of cakes and sweet treats.You can find them in Exeter, New Oxford Street and St Paul's in London. View their website here
Food ***** Service***** Atmosphere *****
