As we said on Tuesday, we’re back in business, but some others aren’t. Seeming among the restaurants that have recently thrown in the towel are Artisano, the sweet little Spanish joint on District VI’s Ó utca we profiled in an excitable “non-review” last year. Between now and then the place had at least one makeover, bringing in a Uruguayan chef who this past summer was cranking out some nice tapas and other Iberian and (we assume) South American nibbles, including the plates of chorizo, Galacian squid, and shrimp pictured above. While a nice addition to the neighborhood, the place never really did seem to find its groove, or a regular clientele. Hopefully it is not closed for good, and if it does reopen, next time it sticks.
I am absolutely not surprised that it had to shut down. We visited the place some time after it opened, since I love Spanish food after having lived there for many years. I did not have a good impression of it. They announced themselves as “Spanish restaurant”, but actually the menu card featured only some real Spanish dishes. We tested the waiter by asking him what sort of paella the “black paella” was and, surprisingly, he did not have a clue! The food was ok, nothing special, and, in my opinion, overpriced. Also the atmosphere in the place was not very welcoming. So, we never returned.
I’m sad but not surprised to hear it. Once it changed format and
brought in the new chef, I thought the food dramatically improved,
and the price of the tapas was very reasonable. The food was far
superior to other Spanish restaurants in town, and service was
attentive and knowledgeable the few times I went. I think the
location itself is not great, but the bigger problem was the decor.
When you walked in, you were faced with that wall and could not
see in the dining room. When it was warm and there were a few
tables out front, it was much more welcoming. I hope that they are
just closing to do a face lift, because it would be a shame to never
have those tapas again.
It’s open again. Different name. Not sure what style. The old sign is down and a new, rather temporary looking banner, put in its place.