Artesian – London

Artesian; surely everybody who is interested in cocktails has heard about this place. Their reputation precedes them. The unchallenged No 1 in the world over the last four years. Alex Kratena has built himself a memorial in the Langham Hotel just north of Oxford Circus. Probably more guests walk in and out of the hotel for the bar rather than the rooms. He is not often there as he travels so much but he can count on his excellent staff, first of all Simone Caporale, his No 2. No 2 though sounds not very positive and does not give him the credit he deserves.

The last three times I was there, Simone was there too and what a host he was; knowledgeable, efficient and very funny. What more can you ask for? Ahh yes, he recognised us six months later and not because we didn’t behave well, because he is the epitome of an excellent host. You can debate about the interior of this place; after all it is a hotel bar of a 5 star hotel. Marble wherever you look. Expensive lighting, extravagant furniture, all in all slightly pompous. It very much suits the high heeled crowd. Very pleasant though that everybody is welcome and has an equal chance to get in. I give them a lot of credit for that. It makes the place even more interesting. Very international clientele.The service is impeccable not only when you sit at the bar but also when you are served by the rest of the staff. If you want the knowledge and magic though you should try to be close to the bar of even stand there. Going in the afternoon might help for that. Funny enough though most people prefer a table it seems. I say good, just take a seat. More space at the bar. The service is 5 star through and through. Nibbles arrive quickly at the table, water too. The menus fly in and you can dive into the 19 cocktails they have at the moment. The menu was released recently and is as usual very extravagant.

Not only the composition but also the presentation. Don’t think everybody looks at you funny if you don’t order one off their menu, which you should though, but in the end it’s a hotel bar. You see champagne, wine, beer, G&T. Anything you like. Focus on the cocktails though. The classics are great too. Executed with perfection. Coming back to the actual menu, I will only point out a few drinks as I tasted many and you have to explore some yourself. The first drink that I tried was called Chameleon crystals with Tanqueray 10, pisco, lime, perilla, chilli and soy. A rather sweet cocktail but comes with a very nice presentation in a box and when you opening it it feels like opening a treasure chest as a bright light shines out of the box. It was a good mix between sweet and sour but I was not tasting anything from the soy and the drink was missing some complexity. The second cocktail I ordered was called “Fast money comes at a dangerous price”; Johnnie Walker Gold, chamomile, vetiver, sandalwood and kombucha. Sounded like an unusual creation. It had this slight woody taste, a hint of chamomile. It felt like I was drinking the flowery earth of a perfect garden, almost like a secret potion.

It had a slight note as if you walk in the back room of an old apothecary. Overall slightly sourly and a subtle sweetness. The last cocktail and greatest delight was the “Last Wish” with Bulleit rye, calvados, Armagnac, amber and essensia. An excellent recipe that was full bodied. An explosion in my mouth. A sheer complexity that I seldom tasted in a cocktail. One of my top 10 I tasted so far. If you get hungry after a few cocktails, the food at Artesian is excellent too. Well its pricy yes but its worth it. The small bites are a real delight. It can round off a perfect evening. The bar can get noisy as the level of chatter is rather high and in the background plays some house music. One can debate if it suits be bar but it certainly doesn’t diminish the quality of cocktails. While writing this article I read the news that Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale are leaving Artesian. Well that was big news and I was not sure if I shall write the tale differently but I wrote it how the place deserves it and it really does deserve an excellent review. Now one gets curious how this place will develop further once the two masters are gone. What makes you even more curious though is where the two will go and what their next project will be.

Update: Alex Kratena & Simone Caporale both do not work at Artesian anymore!

Photos © Artesian at the Langham Hotel

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