Artesian at the Langham

Bars, Japanese·
££££
·
Silver Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Artesian at the Langham

Silver Award

Artesian is a legendary name on the cocktail scene - the famous bar once had an unshakeable spot at the top of the pyramid, and was ranked as the best bar in the world for years. It may now not hold that top spot by many accounts, but head bartender Giulia Cuccurullo and bar manager Lorenza Pezzetta have their eyes set on bringing Artesian back to the front of the pack. 

The newly-devised Duality menu picks out individual flavours and builds two cocktails around them, representing two different sides of the same coin. Spirit and Matter cocktails, for example, both feature dulce de leche, but the former whips the richness into feather-light, almost ethereal foam, and backs it up with bergamot and lime juice. The latter is altogether darker and more sultry, mixing vermouth, Mount Gay rum and miso to wonderful effect. There's plenty more to crack on with on the menu, with the star of the show for us being The Sun, a gorgeous, crystal clear glass of Thai basil, yuzu, elderflower, Casamigos Blanco tequila and Taittinger. 

Another indication of the fresh, exciting things happening at Artesian comes on the food front, where up-and-coming Humble Chicken chef Angelo Sato has been recruited to devise a new menu. The results are absolutely fantastic - Sato mixes some crowd-pleasing classics (Peking duck bao sliders, and buttermilk chicken karaage with spicy miso mayo) with some more intriguing ideas (mussels with citrus kosho ponzu). Everything is fantastic, but the stand-out is a beautiful tuna tartare that comes with tomato ponzu, avocado and shiso leaves, as well as seaweed crisps to scoop the mixture onto. Bar food can sometimes feel like an afterthought, but Artesian has nailed it here.

On top of that, service is utterly charming and knowledgeable, as one would expect. On all fronts, it feels as though Artesian has found the right mixture of elements here - this is a bar on the up and up. 

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £30 - £49
Cuisines
Bars, Japanese
Ambience
Dark and moody, Glamorous, Luxury, Romantic
Perfect for
Dates, Romantic, Special occasions

About

A constantly evolving space, Artesian at the Langham is world-renowned for its award-winning cocktails served in a luxurious setting. Here, innovation is key, with the passionate team of mixologists coming up with new drinks list in line with the seasons, to keep things interesting. Indulging in a serve here is much more than the sum of its parts, it’s the collaborative experience of enjoying incredible service and world-class cocktails in one of London’s plushest hotels.

The drinks list changes theme from time to time, but currently cocktails at Artesian are centred around celebrating ingredients of the future - with 16 different cocktails that focus on an idea that ‘every sip tastes like a step towards a healthier planet and a better tomorrow’. For example, Soil cocktail is described as an earthy Artesian twist on the dry Martini, and includes the ingredients haku vodka, sake, soil scent and koji. There is also a cocktail called Insects, and is a take on a classic Whiskey Sour with dry and smokey tones; think bourbon, campari, nixta, crickets, chicatanas corn, coffee and lime.

A handful of timeless Artesian favourites are also available, including The Bridge (a favourite of head bartender Giulia Cuccurullo), which combines Patrón Silver tequila, Martini Ambrato, rhubarb cordial and tomato water, and The Godfather (Macallan 18 and Artesian’s Amaretto)

Alongside the accomplished drinks list – which includes additional wines, Champagnes, spirits and beers – there is also a carefully curated menu of snacks to help keep hunger at bay. Humble Chicken chef Angelo Sato has devised the latest menu, which delves into bold Asian flavours. Snacks on the menu include tuna tataki, smoked buttermilk chicken karaage, Humble Chicken katsu sando, and crispy pork bao sliders. This tasting experience menu can also be combined with a cocktail pairing from the Ingredients of the future menu.


FAQs

Does it serve food?

Yes there is a snacks menu available

Helpful? 0

Does it serve drink other than cocktails?

Yes, there is plenty of wine, beer and spirits available.

Helpful? 0

Artesian at the Langham is featured in

This venue also offers

The Langham Hotel
Event Party Venue

The Langham Hotel

The Langham Hotel
Wedding Venues

The Langham Hotel

The Langham Hotel
Private Group Dining

The Langham Hotel

The Langham Hotel
Christmas Parties

The Langham Hotel

Location

The Langham, 1c Portland Place, Marylebone, London, W1B 1JA

020 7636 1000 020 7636 1000

Website

Opening Times

Bar Afternoon
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu 16:00-01:00
Fri 16:00-01:00
Sat 16:00-01:00
Sun 16:00-00:00

Reviews

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4 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Toby N

30 September 2014  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 3
Country house meets Alice in Wonderland
Artesian is a thoroughly pleasant, if very expensive, experience. We went on a Friday afternoon after having enjoyed lunch at nearby Berners Tavern and arriving at about 4.30pm we found it initially very quiet, with a strange mix of customers, including ladies that lunch, shoppers having a pit stop and someone who appeared to be delivering a PowerPoint presentation to the other people at his table. As the evening went on the bar filled up and the customers started to more closely fit a stereotype that you might find anywhere like this e.g. expensive suits and no ties or designer heels and handbags. The room is really rather wonderful and a feels a bit like being in a country house crossed with Alice in Wonderland; lots of purple, several items massively oversized (like the lights and the bar), so that you feel one of the cocktails (which come in a curious range of drinking vessels, few of which resemble a glass) should have been marked ‘drink me’ and then have shrunk you. Air conditioning is a few degrees too cool. Music (though quiet) was surprisingly old school house, from the likes of David Morales and Frankie Knuckles. Service is fine, everyone seems to be good at their job, polite and happy to put up with us as we got increasingly intoxicated. Drinks are excellent, with a wide selection of everything you could desire, but at prices to make Barclaycard wince. Clearly going to any bar in a top West End hotel is never a cheap option and you always know there is going to be a significant mark up on drinks; this is no different with champagne that you could buy for £45 a bottle retailing at £135, and that’s before you add the service charges. We managed, with very little other than complimentary crisps (which I’m convinced were Walkers – I had expected something a bit fancier) and nuts, plus some nibbles, to eat, a single bottle of water and 2 bottles of the top (cheap) end of the extensive champagne list, plus a couple of other drinks to hit the £300 mark. I had a great time and if I was richer that would be the sort of afternoon out I’d have every week rather than a very few times a year.

Sophie A

13 July 2011  
Food & Drink 4
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4
Value 4
The Artesian bar is one of my favourite pit-stops when spending a long day shopping in the west end. Hidden around the corner of north Regents Street, its just out of the way enough of the rabble of Oxford Street shoppers and tourists, but close enough that you can stop in and enjoy a moment of luxury. Beautifully revamped, this is the place to have a tea or drink during the day for a lovely ‘ladies-what-lunch’ pick me up, or to start a special evening with some cocktails. Service is impeccable, drinks are expensive and if you are lucky you may spot an A-list celebrity (Sam Rockwell in my experience!)

Emyr T

06 May 2010  
Food & Drink 4
Service 4
Atmosphere 4
Value 3.5
Situated in the beautifully revamped Langham hotel, the David Collins designed bar is sleek, sexy and dramatic. With its 50 types of rum, Artesian is ideally placed for a post shopping cocktail or a refined haven from the frenzy of nearby Soho.

Oliver S

01 August 2009  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 2
A drink at Artesian is a glimpse of how the other half live; you won't see much change from a twenty and will leave lamenting the fact you haven't (yet) won the lottery. However, it's worth the agony. Artesian is at the front left-hand side of the hotel and it's no wallflower; powerful hues of purple are set off by gold chandeliers and the bar itself is an extravaganza of mirrors and yet more gold. The cocktails are pure art and the list is extensive; the woman next to us had some concoction which was then ‘perfumed’ (i.e. spritzed) at the table with a fine mist of Remy Martin. The drinks were served with monogrammed linen napkins as well as complimentary nibbles, which were incredibly moreish. If you want to impress, this is definitely the place to bring someone. The toilets downstairs are worth a detour with the upholstered in and out doors.
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