Artesano — Restaurant in New York

Like a 22yo newlywed dispensing martial advice, Artesano has all the right elements but isn't quite ready for primetime yet.

Our dinner started off well. We were seated quickly and enjoyed the cozy, quiet, beautifully decorated ambience.

The first few courses were stellar: The Artesano Ceviche was everything a classic mixto should be and had plenty of seafood variety, tiger's milk, choclo and sweet potato. The Pulpo al Olivo arrived nicely chewy with a unique accompaniment of tapioca crisps.

The entrees were where the inexperience started to show. I will say that our Branzino a La Parrilla was perfectly cooked, but the accompanying aji panca marinade seemed like overkill and was largely unnecessary when you already have a sauced and grilled fish that well done. The spring salad was nice, though, and not too tart.

The Mushroom Chifero was a huge disappointment. I was hoping for some true Peruvian-Chinese innovation (a la modern chifa), but this was mostly just large-grained sticky rice with roasted maitake mushrooms that were ruined by a completely unnecessary sweet and tart tamarind sauce. It felt like, in the interest of being creative and unique, they decided to throw in a fruit sauce to stir things up--but what is the point of serving a fried rice dish with fried garlic, scallions and mushrooms if you're just going to drown it in tamarind?

I didn't want to order this but was convinced to get aside dish of Truffle Yuca Fries. They were fine, but the truffle flavor was weak and they really needed the accompanying huancaina sauce to import any flavor. I get that yuca is a pretty flavorless starch vegetable, which is why I didn't really want to pay $18 (yes, $18) for this side dish.

After the entrees, the service team dropped the ball harder than Aaron Rodgers last month in Dublin. We waited at least 20 min, but no one came to clear our plates, check on us or ask if we wanted dessert. By this time, the restaurant had filled up and the vibe had turned distinctly clubby: my geriatric ears could hardly hear anything over the thunderous bass of DJ Whats-His-Face and MC Who-Knows-That.

When we finally flagged down a server, ordered dessert and finished it, well....it wasn't worth the hassle. I forget the name of the dessert, but it was Choclo something and featured corn sponge cake, corn mousse, chulpi praline, and mango gel. The sponge cake had perfect texture but barely any corn flavor. The corn mousse was lovely, but the mango gel overwhelmed it and felt unnecessary.

When we paid and left, no one acknowledged us or thanked us. Guess they couldn't hear us through the pulsating beats. All in all, a tepid finish to a...

Great spot suggested to us by a local. Quaint atmosphere with greenery decor and mid century style furniture.

Food is great! What we tried: Artesano Ceviche - That evening their catch of the day was flounder. Everything blended so well together with a fresh tangy flavor. Even the octopus was tender and not chewy.

Salmon Tiradito - Salmon is cured so has more of a salty flavor, but the sauce on the side adds a fresh unique flavor.

Pork Anticucho ordered with the side of Peruvian White rice - Basically a grilled skewer of marinated tender cuts of pork. You won't be disappointed by the flavors you'll experience. Each order comes with one skewer with dallops of different flavors on the plate - Orange color is a sweet potato puree and the red-ish brown is a chili puree (but it didn't have too much heat). Rice seems to be slightly fried with some hominy and seasoned to give it a nice flavor

Brussel Sprouts - grilled Brussel sprouts cut in half and cooked to still have a bit of crunch, topped with bacon and a balsamic type glaze

Truffle Yucca Fries - These are wide cuts of yucca fried to perfection. If anything, I would say each bite was heavy on the yucca side; whereas, I'm used to a smaller cut so the yucca and crispiness are a little more balanced. These are topped with grated Parmesan cheese and served with a truffle sauce.

Chiclayo Duck - the pieces of duck are cooked to perfection, tender and does not have a gamey taste.

Bathroom: There are two gender neutral stalls located downstairs. Each stall is essentially it's own room with only a toilet but is spacious and is still decorated with a little homey touches. Just outside of the stalls is the single sink that is given a whole outdoorsy vibe. Just FYI, the stalls are immediately to the right at the bottom of the stairs, I did not see a changing station or an elevator to go up/down.

Downstairs is also a lounging type area and a what seems to be a single room for...

I had high expectations, but I left disappointed.

📌 Food The menu boasts a good selection, but every dish we tried lacked some taste. While they clearly focused on the visual presentation, the flavors fell short.

◼︎Ceviche: it was good but far from memorable. It lacked sufficient sauce and a harmonious blend of flavors. ◼︎ Scallops: I do not recommend them. The "Manhattan style" foam made them look sophisticated, but the taste was underwhelming. The scallops were dry and lacked some salt and taste. ◼︎ Octopus: A standout dish! It was delicious and worth ordering.

We chose the seabass with cauliflower for the main course, which was a mistake. The seabass was mediocre -- it did not taste anyhow, and the cauliflower was almost raw and difficult to cut. However, the puree underneath the cauliflower was tasty.

Their Tres Leches are the 'one and only' must-try at this place! It was delicious and unforgettable, ranking as the second-best I've ever had.

📌 Service The service was subpar. Our server merely took and delivered orders without engaging with us or providing recommendations. The pacing between the dishes was sluggish, with more than 25 minutes between ceviche and appetizers, and then 20 more min between appetizers and main courses.

📌 Ambience The restaurant features an open kitchen, which is a nice touch, but the overall space is small, with tables that are closely positioned. I expected a more luxurious setting but found it reminiscent of a tourist spot one might overlook. Additionally, the bar lacked a better, more stylish appeal.

📌 Overall Experience I would not recommend it or go back just because it did not really resonate with me. The price did not match the quality offered, either in food, service, or ambiance. I was very disappointed, especially since this restaurant was at the...