Artichoke is located in a 16C red-brick house set at the centre of a picturesque town. It’s a bijou place, with a heavily timbered interior and a contemporary, design-led style. The narrow, beamed main room leads through a second more modern room with a semi-open kitchen and glass screens etched with branches – and neutral shades give it a laid-back, ‘natural’ feel.
Self-taught chef-owner Laurie Gear has completed stages at The Fat Duck and Noma and, along with head chef Ben Jenkins, brings his experiences together in an array of menus. Accomplished modern British dishes are confidently prepared and well-measured flavour combinations have an understated complexity. The English larder is kept to the fore: lamb is reared locally, venison is from the Woburn Estate and seafood from Brixham is a particular highlight.