Artisan

So disappointed! Had dinner there last night for one of their special menu nights and it was just terrible — 7 courses of food and wine pairing. First off the wine selections were low caliber wines that could be easily bought at Safeway. We were not able to drink them and they did not compliment the food but took away from it. It seemed like the kitchen was not able to handle the single seating as the food came out cold for the most part and seemed like forever between courses. To keep us amused the manager told jokes via a microphone… or the wine rep went on about how spectacular the wines were (which they were not even close). The one dish — torchon of foie gras with quince and chocolate nibs was better than all the other courses. And to top it off, the cost was for this fiasco was super expensive and not worth it. We will not return despite previous enjoyable meals.

Ate there with friends who go there a lot. Wasn’t too excited about menu, everything seemed to be trying too hard to be unusual. Ordered the rib eye, which is always a more flavorful, fatty cut. This was very lean and my medium rare was medium well. One of our friends took their steak home for the dog. Poor little guy. Brussels sprouts were good. For the price, looked good, but lacked execution. Also, I hate sitting at a table at an expensive restaurant where you can watch people come and go to the bathroom. The kitchen is right around the corner with no door, so u kind of feel crowded. Big disappointment.

Great food and friendly service. Little jewel hidden n Lafayette. Visited twice in one week.

We were pleasantly surprised and impressed by Artisan Bistro. Our dinner was on par with San Francisco restaurants. We will definitely be back.

Significantly overpriced with small servings. The ravioli dish serving barely passes as an appetizer.
Long wait. Waiter was nice, so I did tip accordingly.
Overall not what it is hyped as. Food was not anything special. Don’t go if you are hungry.
I don’t expect to return.

Returned for my birthday yesterday, and it was just meh to near awful this year. Disappointed, was looking forward to this meal. Overpriced boring food. Waiter forgot brussel sprouts after I asked for them twice – gave up asking after meal was finished. Whole experience made us not want to stay for the dessert and it was my birthday. The octopus appetizer was rubbery and had a weird smoky flavor. Hubs Filet Mignon was plain and dry as a bone – no sauce or anything to impart flavor except for a rare bite of pancetta. Same flavorless, undercooked, crunchy fingerling potatoes were on on every dang plate we ordered – yucky. My John Dory fish was boring – I could have done better at home with any white fish and a statue pan with lots of butter, lemon and wine – but at over $ 35 you would expect something fresher and more interesting, right? When I mentioned it to the waiter, he just shrugged and made apologies. My chestnut soup was good with small crunch bites of apple and hazelnut hidden underneath, but the foie gras on top tasted off. Even wine was overpriced and boring. My mother was a chef, and my father a salumario, so I know good cooking and I go to good restaurants because I expect them to do it as well or better than I can at home. When you pay large for food worse, it’s a huge disappointment. Sorta sucked that it was my birthday meal too.

Service was slow. Beet salad nothing special. Octopus app was unique but not impressive. Duck was flavorless, overpowered by bacon somewhat similar to a spam texture. Scallops well cooked but that’s about it. So sad wanted to love this place! Redeeming quality peppermint tea and pecan pie for dessert. Sorry! Not sure if it was an off night…

Great service, nice place for a date, food just avarege, almost everything was bland i was excited to try this place i wont be back!

This place has been here a few years, but I just recently discovered it when C took me here for my birthday. It is my new local special occasion restaurant.
Artisan Bistro is in an old house, one half block off of Mt. Diablo Blvd near where Jack in the Box is. There is street parking as well as a parking lot that is shared with Bonehead’s Texas BBQ.
The interior was warm and inviting on a cool autumn evening. We were greeted by our knowedgeable and competent waiter. They have a full bar, so I enjoyed my Johnnie Walker Black on the rocks while C has a sparkling wine. From there C started with their beet salad with goat cheese. I had a wonderfully prepared green salad. We opted for the same main course: roast duck with a delicious citrus sauce. We were both over the moon with our choices.
We’re looking forward to our next special occasion at Artisan Bistro!

Husband and I decided to try this place out after reading Unilocal reviews. Enviro/​décor charming both indoors and patio.
Food service/​waiter: fast and helpful.
We decided to be healthy and have seafood instead. Split a kale Cesar salad which was pleasant while the taste was very Cesar like.
He had the Ahi tuna which he enjoyed. I had the John Dorsy. I didn’t appreciate the red wine sauce but really liked the mushroom and fresh vegetables setting.
The portions are filling.
The minus for me would be the flavor of the iced tea which I am quite particular about.
We really enjoyed our dinner tonight and would revisit in the future.

I missed my man Andris, so we stopped in for brunch. (Crab Eggs Benedict and Prawn Salad). Perfect, as expected. But also had an unexpected treat: the craziest and yummiest Bloody Mary ever — with the standard green olives and celery garnish, but also potato chips, shrimp, bacon, pickled onions, a jalapeño, a huge chicken strip and a beef slider! Yes. Seriously. Totally worth the $ 18. Just maybe wait til you get it before ordering more food cuz I honestly could have been more than full with that drink order alone!

I had dinner here last night for my birthday. We didn’t get any appetizers, saving room for dessert. I had the pan roasted rib eye. It was one of the driest pieces of meat I have had in a long time. It was cooked more than the medium I had requested and had no flavor. Very unusual for that cut of meat. My husband’s chicken was OK, but nothing special. For dessert we had the chocolate mousse and the pumpkin cheesecake. Both of those were excellent. However, my latte was delivered to the table a good five minutes before the desserts. It was gone by the time dessert arrived. We probably won’t go back.

Food quality is very good. We had the Bison carpaccio and Ahi Tuna entrees. Smaller portions but delicious. The Pecan cake with cinnamon ice cream was excellent also. The service was pretty good but our waiter did not know the wine list as well as he should have.

Wow! Incredible food and service that I didn’t even know existed in Lafayette until tonight! I can’t wait to try brunch…
My husband and I split two sides, two appetizers and an entrée. Oh and don’t you dare not get dessert. I was full but based on how good the meal was I knew I had to get some and I am so glad I did.

Food– 4.5 /​5
— Sauteed shrimp salad= The shrimp is seasoned and cooked perfectly; the roasted peppers add a touch of sweetness; the candied almonds add the crunch, and the honey lime vinaigrette ties everything together.
— Beet salad– Read a lot of raving, positive reviews about it. Eh, it was okay. I liked the shrimp salad A LOT more.
— Artisan burger– YUM! Juicy patty, delicious condiments (bacon compote, tomato confit, caramelized onions, choice of cheese, arugula), and fluffy brioche bun. We got a side of sweet potato fries which were delicious. I LOVE the GARLIC AOILI dipping sauce! Heavy on that garlic flavor. Mmm…
Environment & Ambiance– ⁵⁄₅
— We sat outdoors. Calm, peaceful, relaxing environment. Inside is nice too. Good for groups and family gatherings. Older clientele here.
Service– ⁵⁄₅
— Our servers were great. Very friendly, no complaints.
I would definitely come back here. This place has a lot of strong Michelin, Zagat, etc. reviews, and I can see why. Also, it’s away from the busier Downtown Lafayette (not that it’s busy compared to city living but it’s all relative). COME HERE!

My co-​worker, my boss, and I stumbled upon Artisan Bistro during lunch on a business trip (about a month ago) and decided to give this place a shot. It was that or The Jack across the street. We walked in from the outdoor patio (clean and well shaded) into the restaurant, which was a house that had been converted. The outside patio already had a few groups, so the inside was a bit more empty. Inside, the décor was definitely upscale (and artsy). The ambiance was relaxingly lit by sunlight. We were immediately seated by Daniel, who was our waiter for this lunch. Throughout the entire meal, his service and attitude was exceptional. He made sure all our needs were attended to, and served us with a cheerful attitude.
Artisan Bistro kept refilling our bread basket while we waited for our food. The bread was really tasty, and they brought out fresh butter every time we got a bread refill. (Not really necessary, but a nice touch.) I ordered a lamb shoulder sandwich with a salad. My co-​worker ordered a lamb sandwich with fries, and my boss ordered the grilled Portabella mushroom sandwich with a pea soup. When our food arrived, Daniel added pepper to our food from a pepper grinder, which was also a nice touch of service and class.
The quality of the food was superb. Everything tasted really fresh, and the lamb shoulder sandwich was amazing. Here’s what was in it: Tzatziki sauce, grilled zucchini, roasted peppers, feta cheese, cucumber, spinach, focaccia bread. YUM! Best lamb sandwich I ever had. The only other comparable meal is the Lamb Shawarma Plate from Falafel, Etc. in Fremont. I didn’t try the Portabella mushroom sandwich or the Pea soup, but my boss thought it was pretty good. I tried the fries though, and those were really good too.
On the menu it says, «We use fresh, local, seasonal, organic products and sustainable raised ingredients. We are proud to support local farmers and artisans.» So that’s one factor that contributes to the cost (and quality) of the food. I think the current price is a bit expensive, however, I would rather pay even more and get a bigger, more satisfying portion instead of paying less for less. An entrée here is about $ 13 – 20; if you get appetizers, drinks, and/​or desserts, expect the bill to be $ 40-​$ 60. So the cost can be moderate or spendy, depending on your appetite.
Daniel’s service (the waiter) made the visit to Artisan Bistro totally worth it. If I was served by someone else I might have only given this review 4 stars. I usually eat at cheaper places, so I was I blown away by Daniel’s attentiveness to our group. He was very kind and pleasant to us throughout the entire meal, and had a good sense of humor. If you read this, thank you for the awesome service, Daniel. Wish you the best. And thank you, Artisan Bistro. That was a tasty lunch and an incredible experience. If I had wings, I would like to fly back to Lafayette and eat more of their food. Try it out!

I was looking for a nice brunch spot to treat my best friend for her birthday. Artisan Bistro fit the bill and delivered as expected. This place is small, quaint and a cozy venue for intimate conversation while indulging in excellent French, American cuisine.
The service and the food was exemplary which contributed to a sociable, comfortable atmosphere. I picked out a nice seat by the window in the sun warming us through the opaque shades.
I began with a mimosa, moved to a bloody Mary with a juicy strip of bacon draped over the rim and finished with some mint Morroccan tea. It was a difficult choice between the Halibut fish tacos or the dungeoness crab eggs benedict, but since the crab benedict is not always available, it was a no brainer. Omg… It did not disappoint. The hollandaise sauce was a lovely flavor over fresh slivers of crab meat and runny eggs over the English muffins. I appreciated the balanced food group of adding a nice arugula salad and some very light, grease-​free flavorful country potatoes. My best friend enjoyed her veggie scramble. Our clean plates left an easy wash job for the dishwasher. We weren’t done yet though. Our meal ended nicely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and cheesecake with some cranberries and some orange zest on top (see photo).
It was a lovely experience. Now, I must take my bf out here for dinner!

Came here today for brunch because we happened to be in walnut creek to do some Xmas shopping. Unfortunately we didn’t find anything interesting there so we ended up finding this place.
Ambience: 5
I thought this place is pretty cute, you walk through this small patio before entering the restaurant. Service here is good, very family own type of feeling. Very nice service.
Food: 3.5
Overall I thought the food was just average — good but average. We ordered the fish tacos, steak Benedict, fries, and French coffee with some free bread on the side. I liked the bread. The coffee was very good too. They serve you pressed coffee meaning you have a choice of about 1.5 cups or 5 cups. We didn’t get to try the crab Benedict because we just had that yesterday so we went with the steak Benedict. I didn’t really enjoy it as much as other things we ordered. It’s probably the flavor of the meat. The side order of fries was really good, much better than the country potatoes that came with the dish. The fish tacos was pretty good.
We were pretty full by the end and didn’t have room to try bread pudding.
I feel that if you’re in the area it’s a nice place to swing by but for me it’s most likely something I’ll just try once and that’s it.

Artisan Bistro is all sorts of amazing. Amazing food. Amazing service. Amazing ambiance. The restaurant is located in a quiet part of town. The exterior mimic’s the neighboring houses so much that you can easily drive right by if you’re not paying attention. It makes you feel more «at home» when walking in, which makes for a more comfortable experience.
The inside, like the outside, resembles a house and you quickly get the feeling that this was built out of an old residence. We were greeted at the door by a friendly gentleman who seated us quickly after checking our reservation. The inside is divided into three or four rooms (like a house) and we were seated in the first room at a corner table. The inside lighting is very dim, making the mood much more relaxed and romantic. We got an extra little surprise when we looked at the menu and saw printed at the top it they «Wished Terri a very Happy Birthday.“The little things count the most.
Our serve Joe deserves five stars himself. He was so friendly that a few times he seemed more like a great friend than a waiter serving us. He was very knowledgeable about the menu and when we didn’t see the one thing on the menu we really wanted to try (tempura squash blossoms) he suggested another side that he described as «savory candy». We clearly made the right decision listening to him because the way he described it was dead on.
The «savory candy» he was talking about is the Sauteed Kale Sprout and Pancetta dish. The usually bitter kale is quickly made delicious by adding thick slices of savory pancetta, Whoever thought of this beautiful combo needs to be worshiped as a god.
Days before the reservation I already made up my mind on my entrée. The Bacon Wrapped Duck Breast. Just saying it aloud made my mouth water. The duck breasts was sliced into six equal pieces, stuffed with pear and laying on a bed of forbidden black rice and broccolini. The tender duck breast and the savory bacon are a match made in heaven. Great contrast of both texture and flavor.
For dessert we both decided on the Goat Cheese Cheesecake. Creamy, decadent, orgasmic. All of the above. On top sat a few cranberries, which added a perfect amount of tart to the sweet dessert. On the side they put a scoop of Orange Sorbet. The orange flavor was so authentic it’s like eating an actual orange. One that melts in your mouth.
Excellent food, excellent service and excellent atmosphere for a great price. It was the perfect place to celebrate the special occasion.

I went here for lunch with my mother and we both had a lovely time. We split the lobster salad which had fresh, tender, large pieces of lobster on it. The salad was light and vibrant in flavor. We then split the chicken sandwich that was full of different colors and flavors. They even let us do a mix of regular and sweet potato fries. To drink I had the sangria, it was pretty sweet but I like it that way and it was full of fruit.
We will definitely be back!