Restaurant in Amersham, United Kingdom
Serious cooking, Old Amersham prices, real value.
Laurie Gear's Artichoke is the most serious restaurant in Amersham and a genuine alternative to London fine dining at meaningfully lower prices. The entry three-course menu at £95pp, OAD Top 500 Europe ranking, and two decades of consistent cooking make it a well-supported choice for Modern British at destination level. Book two to three weeks ahead minimum for weekend slots.
Book Artichoke if you want serious Modern British cooking at a fraction of London prices, in a setting that delivers considerably more character than most city-centre fine dining rooms. Laurie Gear has been running this Old Amersham operation for over two decades, and the consistency is documented: regulars report returning for 13 years without a disappointing visit, and the restaurant ranked #444 in the Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in Europe for 2025 (up from #391 in 2024). The entry-level three-course menu at £95 per head makes this materially cheaper than comparable London rooms. If you are making a special trip from London, pair it with a browse of our full Amersham restaurants guide to plan your day around it.
Artichoke occupies a 16th-century red-brick townhouse on the main street of Old Amersham's market square — a genuinely handsome room where an inglenook fireplace and historic structural detail sit alongside considered modern design. A recent refurbishment added an artichoke-green colour scheme and an etched-resin screen that, when drawn open, exposes the kitchen to the dining room. Diners seated near the fireplace can watch the kitchen in action, which adds a layer of engagement the format rewards. The ground-floor dining room connects to a first-floor private dining space, and there is a clear sense that the room has been thought about, not just furnished.
The cooking is seasonal and regionally grounded. Signature bread — a miniature warm wholemeal loaf laced with Chiltern Black Ale , arrives early and sets the register: local, precise, unfussy. The menu structure gives diners meaningful choice: tasting formats sit alongside set menus, and the vegetarian and plant-based options are substantive enough to be a genuine reason to visit rather than an afterthought. Flavour combinations across the menu are described by reviewers as carrying "understated complexity" , the kitchen is clearly more interested in precision and balance than theatrical presentation.
Seasonality drives the repertoire, and the menu changes frequently enough to reward returning visits. Spring brings dishes built around lamb sweetbreads, first-flush garden peas, and morel mushrooms; the kitchen also works well with fish. The wine list is broad, with France and Italy as its backbone but genuine range , Armenia, Croatia, Uruguay , at accessible price points. Sommelier coverage has historically been strong, though it is worth noting the previous sommelier, Valentin, has recently left the business. Service overall reads as warm, well-paced, and attentive without formality.
The first-floor private dining room makes Artichoke a more practical proposition for groups than its compact street-level footprint suggests. If you are planning a celebration dinner, a business meal, or a group of six or more, requesting the private room gives you separation from the main dining room and a more contained experience. This is worth specifying at the time of booking rather than assuming availability. For smaller groups of two to four, the main room near the kitchen screen is the better choice , the visual access to the kitchen adds to the meal, and the inglenook creates genuine warmth in winter months.
For special occasions, Saturday lunch is the most attractive time slot: the kitchen is fully operational, you avoid the weekday lunch time pressure, and you have the evening to extend elsewhere in Amersham. The restaurant is closed Sundays and Mondays, which narrows the window. See our full Amersham bars guide and hotels guide if you are planning to stay over.
Saturday lunch is the recommendation for first-timers arriving from London. It lets you make a proper occasion of the Chiltern day out, and the dining room feels less hurried than midweek dinner service. Winter visits have the inglenook fireplace as a practical draw. Spring is the strongest season culinarily, when the kitchen's commitment to local produce is most visible , lamb, asparagus, morels, and garden peas feature prominently in the menu at that time of year. The restaurant runs Wednesday through Saturday (dinner from Wednesday; lunch from Thursday), so plan your week accordingly.
The entry-level three-course menu is priced at £95 per head. Tasting menus will run higher. The restaurant is open Wednesday evenings, Thursday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. It is closed Sunday through Tuesday. Bookings are described as moderately difficult to secure , this is not a walk-in venue at any point, and advance planning is required. The restaurant sits at 9 Market Square, Old Amersham, within walking distance of Amersham station (Metropolitan and Chiltern lines from London). If you are exploring the area more widely, our Amersham experiences guide covers the broader Chiltern day-trip proposition. For comparable destination restaurants in the region, see Hand and Flowers in Marlow and hide and fox in Saltwood. For the high end of UK destination dining outside London, L'Enclume in Cartmel and Moor Hall in Aughton are the reference points.
Quick reference: £95pp three-course entry menu | Wed–Sat, lunch Thu–Sat | Moderate booking difficulty | Private dining room available on first floor | Amersham station approx. walking distance.
Within Amersham, The Griffin is the most practical alternative, though it operates at a different register , more pub dining than fine dining tasting menus. If you are willing to extend to the wider Chiltern area, Hand and Flowers in Marlow is the closest peer: Michelin-starred, accessible in format, and similarly focused on quality British ingredients. For a full destination day-trip alternative, The Fat Duck in Bray is roughly the same driving distance from London but at a higher price point and with a more theatrical format. Artichoke is the strongest option in Amersham itself for serious cooking.
Treat this as a moderate-difficulty booking. Two to three weeks ahead is the minimum for a preferred Saturday lunch slot; for a specific occasion or group booking with the private dining room, four to six weeks is more realistic. The restaurant runs a short operating week (closed Sunday through Tuesday), which concentrates demand onto fewer service slots than a seven-day operation. At £95pp entry-level pricing and with OAD European top-500 ranking, it draws visitors from London specifically, so weekend slots fill accordingly. Weekday dinner Thursday or Friday is more forgiving.
The evidence supports yes, with a qualification. The OAD ranking (#444 Europe, 2025), long-term local loyalty, and 4.6 Google rating across 337 reviews all point to a kitchen that delivers consistently. At £95pp for the entry three-course menu, the value relative to comparable London rooms , CORE by Clare Smyth or The Ritz Restaurant , is clear. Tasting menu pricing is not specified in available data, so confirm the full cost when booking if budget is a constraint. For the quality level on offer, the entry menu is strong value by London fine-dining standards. The extended format rewards diners who want to see the kitchen's range; the three-course set is the lower-risk entry point.
No formal dress code is specified. Given the price point (£££), the 16th-century townhouse setting, and the OAD ranking, the room naturally skews smart-casual: most diners will be dressed for a special occasion without being in black tie. Business casual or a step above will fit without feeling overdressed or underdressed. Jeans in good condition are unlikely to be a problem; trainers would be out of keeping with the room. When in doubt, dress as you would for a London restaurant at a comparable price tier.
At £95pp for the entry three-course menu, Artichoke is priced below comparable Modern British cooking in London. CORE by Clare Smyth and The Ledbury both operate at £££££ and require London travel. The OAD Leading Restaurants in Europe ranking (#444, 2025), Google rating of 4.6 across 337 reviews, and two decades of documented consistency make this a defensible spend for the quality level. Reviewers consistently flag the price as "rather pricey" in the Amersham context, but those arriving from London benchmarking against comparable rooms will find it competitive. Worth it if seasonal Modern British cooking and a well-constructed wine list are what you are specifically after.
A few things that will help your visit go well. First, the restaurant is closed Sunday through Tuesday , check the operating hours (Wednesday dinner; Thursday through Saturday lunch and dinner) before planning. Second, the entry-level three-course menu at £95pp is the accessible starting point; tasting menus run longer and cost more, so confirm the format and pricing when booking. Third, if you are coming with four or more people, ask about the first-floor private dining room at the time of booking , it gives the group more space and a different dynamic from the main room. Fourth, the Chiltern Black Ale bread is a signature opener worth paying attention to. Finally, Artichoke is walking distance from Amersham station (Metropolitan and Chiltern lines), making it a practical London day-trip destination without a car. Browse our full Amersham restaurants guide if you want to build a fuller day around the visit.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artichoke | Modern British | £££ | Moderate |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | ££££ | Unknown |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | ££££ | Unknown |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | ££££ | Unknown |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | ££££ | Unknown |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | ££££ | Unknown |
A quick look at how Artichoke measures up.
There are no direct peers in Amersham itself at this level. For comparable Modern British cooking with similar ambition, you are looking at London: The Ledbury in Notting Hill and CORE by Clare Smyth in the same area both operate in the same serious-but-not-stuffy register. Artichoke's case is that it delivers cooking ranked in the OAD Top 444 in Europe at prices and in a setting that London cannot match.
Book at least four to six weeks ahead for a weekend lunch slot, which is the most sought-after sitting. Wednesday and Thursday evenings are more achievable on shorter notice. The restaurant is closed Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday, so your window is narrower than it looks — plan accordingly.
The entry point is a three-course menu at £95 per head, and tasting menus run higher. Based on OAD Top 444 recognition in Europe and a 20-plus-year track record under chef-patron Laurie Gear, the kitchen justifies the spend. If you want the full picture of what Gear does with Chiltern seasonal produce, the tasting format is the right call; the shorter menu is a reasonable introduction if budget is a factor.
The venue data does not specify a dress code, but Artichoke is a long-established, refurbished fine-dining room with a private dining offer and tasting menus from £95 per head. Dressing neatly is sensible; a jacket is appropriate for evening visits, less mandatory at lunch. Treat it like a serious restaurant, not a casual gastropub.
At £95 for three courses, Artichoke is priced at roughly half what you would pay for equivalent cooking in London. The OAD Top 444 ranking in Europe and consistent recognition in dining polls over more than two decades back up the kitchen's credentials. Reviewers note it is 'rather pricey' for Amersham, but that is a relative observation: pound-for-pound against London comparators, it holds up well.
Saturday lunch is the best entry point: the Chiltern day-trip format works naturally, and the dining room — a refurbished 16th-century townhouse with an inglenook fireplace and a kitchen-facing etched-resin screen — shows well in daylight. Start with the signature Chiltern Black ale bread. The restaurant runs a vegetarian menu alongside its seasonal menus, so it is a practical choice for mixed-diet groups. Book well ahead and note that it is closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
