Quality & Quantity at Artisan

I would have never thought about eating out in a hotel restaurant (unless it is situated in St Martin's Lane and called Asia de Cuba), but there is always a first time for everything. And what a first time it was!
We arrived early at The Westbury. The weather was crap, we were thirsty and the bar was open. Lydia opted for a berry champagne cocktail, mine was called Lady Marmalade. Mandarine Napoleon with ... yes, marmalade; served in a tall glass over ice. Possibly the best non-cream based cocktail I have had so far.
It didn't come in cheap at 24 pounds for two drinks. But there is one thing that makes hotel bars well worth it: unlimited nibbles. Whether it is The Westbury or The Four Seasons: nuts, crisps, mini bruschettas, olives, capers... everything that is addictive.
So by the time we went across the bar to our restaurant we were already happily satisfied. But what came next exceeded all our expectations.
Ok, so it wasn't St Martin's Lane: no trendy, stylish crowd or decor. Just pure class, actually. The chandeliers were big, the music played nicely away in the background and the waiters were attentive. And the food: gorgeous.
First came the amuse bouche: gazpacho with avocado. Not sure whether the avocado was ripe enough to go into the soup nor whether it was necessary to go into the soup, but as a whole the gazpacho was quite nice and refreshing.
We did a no-do for starters and ordered the same dish: Scallops with squid-ink polenta. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the polenta not only a nice touch of colour but also a tasty addition to the tender and juicy scallops.
As for mains I stuck to my mid-year resolution: no more foie gras. I love foie gras. I adore it. But ever since I got reminded visually how it is made I started enriching organic duck liver with double cream and butter to fake the experience at home. So no, no black chicken leg with roast foie gras for me but beef fillet with polenta (again!) croquettes. The fillet could have fed 1.5 people and my sister, a dedicated potato croquette fan, would kill for the polenta version. Crispy on the outside, unbelievably and high calorifically creamy on the inside.
The palette cleanser, berry puree with bits of steamed apple reminded me of jarred Hipp baby food. But then, I do like Hipp baby food, so no complaints.
Lydia finally opted for the perfect dessert: pan fried apricots with lavender ice cream. The ice cream was to die for: and I usually do not even like ice cream.
My chocolate fritter with ice cream of undefined flavour (yes, I can read a menu, but neither Lydia nor me have ever heard about this fruit/nut/liquor...) wasn't bad but the post-dessert pre-bill sweeties were much better: homemade marshmallows, truffles, mini madelaines and chocolate dipped orange peel.