by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: July 28, 2009

Artisan is a restaurant with a difference to be found at 249/251 Main Street, Wishaw, Lanarkshire. It brands itself as a restaurant serving, "Scottish food with a modern twist." I was therefore unsure of what to expect but I visited it for a late lunch one Saturday afternoon with the friend who had so heartily recommended it to me and I was in no way disappointed.

Upon entering Artisan, I found it to be spotlessly clean, brightly decorated and very welcoming. The bar is situated straight ahead and seating is available to the left and to the right. We were immediately greeted by an extremely friendly young waitress and shown to a table close to the bar.

It was still the lunchtime menu which was being served and I was amazed to peruse the extensive selection of delicious sounding options, especially when I saw that two courses were available for only GBP6.95, or three for GBP8.95. I have to admit, that at the time, I wondered what sort of portions were to be served up at that price but I was in for a very pleasant surprise. We therefore placed our orders for two courses (two beers first!) and settled to wait for our food.

We had both plumped for the same choice with regards to our starter in Lanark haggis with peppercorn sauce and in what seemed like no time at all, they duly arrived. The portion was just right and the food itself was absolutely delicious. We both agreed that the starter at least had more than set the right impression.

I tend to be adventurous with food and will be on my next visit to Artisan but on this occasion, I was unable to resist the temptations of the beer-battered haddock and chips. My main meal arrived on a very unusual, rectangular glass plate but I was delighted to notice first of all that I was being served real chips and not those horrendous little French fries.

Without a doubt, this was the best plate of fish and chips I had eaten in a very long time. The haddock was cooked to perfection, the batter deliciously thin and crispy and the chips were equally well prepared. I am not sure whether the small bowl of tartar sauce was homemade or not but it was excellent, nevertheless.

My friend had opted for the rib eye steak and was kind enough to offer me a piece to try. Although he had requested his steak medium (and received it this way) while I always prefer mine rare, I could tell that it was a piece of true quality beef.

This was my first visit to Artisan - though it will certainly not be my last - and I found the all round experience and value fantastic, from the servers, to the food, to the price. I have been advised, however, that it is often necessary to book in advance at busy times and this can be done by calling Artisan on (01698) 373893.

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