Chiltern
The Artichoke

The Artichoke

United Kingdom, HP7 0DF, Chiltern

French • British • European • Vegetarian


"Pretentious, pool value. There are a number of great high end restaurants tucked away in and around Bucks, not to mention the multitude of options a stone’s throw away in london, Artichoke isn’t one of them. The staff seem uneasy and poorly trained. They are unsure whether to be robotically efficient, or inject some personality and warmth into the role. The end result is they are disengaged, and awkward in carrying out the basics. We opted for the 3 course menu. The initial melon Gazpacho amuse bouche was poor. Overly sweet and the consistency was too watery. The starter was a scallop tartare. I’ve had this elsewhere before, and so was very surprised by the meagre portion that amounted to two teaspoons. The main course was veal. Not too bad, but not a taste sensation. The veal should have been consistently tender, but we both had slices that were tougher. Dessert was funny. I had the cheese board. This amounted to a tiny slice of a single cheese and 4 stamp sized biscuits. Tasty, but a meagre portion. The 3 course menu was over £80 pp, and our bill was £287 with wine and service, and I was left wondering where I’d seen the value, given the lack of quality of the food, the overly slight portions, and the awkward staff…..having said that, one plus however. The sommelier. He was a young Frenchman, typically over confident and keen to tell you everything he knew about wine, but a welcomed character and entertaining. We both enjoyed his interactions. So, in summary, Artichoke has served as a useful benchmark for what not to look for in a high end local bistro."

The Three Horseshoes

The Three Horseshoes

22 Orchard Road, HP9 2XX, Chiltern, United Kingdom

Kebab • Steak • Seafood • Mexican


"Two weeks ago, I made a reservation for a group dinner at The Three Horseshoes. I had seen on Facebook that they were offering a lovely Christmas meal, so I assumed we would be able to enjoy it since it was December. However, when we arrived, we were informed that the Christmas meal was pre-order only, which was not stated on Facebook, and that we would have to order from the more expensive a la carte menu. We were given copies of the menu, but it turned out that the party had different versions, causing unnecessary confusion. Despite the pub looking festive with an open fire and Christmas tree, the table lacked a Christmas menu, serviettes, and crackers, making it feel unfestive. Drinks were slow to arrive, and we had to ask for water twice. Starters took about half an hour to come out and were decent. However, we then waited for over 1.5 hours for the main courses. After an hour, we were told that there were only four steaks instead of five, and it was clear that they hadn't even started cooking. One person was told to choose an alternative, but when they opted for a chicken burger, they were then informed that they were out of chicken burgers as well. We reluctantly made our third choice. The mains were disappointing, with the battered fish being wet, tasteless, and with a thick, hard batter, the steaks were chewy, and the horseradish sauce was overly salty and not homemade. The chicken burger was served cold. After waiting nearly two hours for our mains, we felt compelled to eat most of the food despite wanting to send it back. The manager apologized and offered a 50% reduction on our food bill, but for all of us, this Christmas meal was a letdown and a disappointing experience."