Artisanal Restaurant

ALMOST an An Amazing Anniversary until the last BUNGLE — 5 Stars Wait staff 5 Stars Amazing Chefs 5 Stars Same 4 the Sommelier –the delish decanted selection 2007 Alban Vineyards Red was the BOMB just what I had described… RUINED by the front desk idiocy that Broomed us during dessert & after dinner drinks & such — we were pleased to make way — but absent the promised proper landing spot & then basically sat by the door without further service… because our driver wasn’t there yet?! IT pretty much blew my mellow husbands mind. Wow never imagined such a thing… really never ever… quite unique in a bad way.

Had dinner here for our anniversary. Simply amazing! From ambiance, to service, to the food, all top notch. The setting is gorgeous — like being in a horse barn, next to a creek/​waterfalls. You must sit outside if the weather allows. Service was amazing — very attentive without hovering. Friendly. And the food. Wow. Appetizer pasta is a must. I had the scallops with truffled cauliflower and it was delicious. My husband had the pork chip and it was perfectly cooked. Can’t say enough good things about this place. Might be one of our top 10 dining experiences.

My favorite restaurant for about a year now! I cannot wait until they open the Charlotte location. We spent our fall break in Banner Elk and ate at the Artisanal with our then 9 year old son. He loves to dine at fine restaurants. He and my husband had steaks while I opted for a vegetarian plate whipped up by the chef. The wine was delicious and a good time was had by all! I just made my reservation for this fall break and I can not wait!

The most beautiful restaurant with awesome atmosphere. Cuisine did not disappoint. I had the tomato & mozzarella salad, and scallops entrée, and my husband had the short ribs in a veal reduction sauce that was «out of this world»! However my only negative comment to the management is that our female server, though prompt and efficient, made us feel as though we were being «herded» through our meal. I would not expect that of a restaurant of this caliber.

5 star experience again. I love this restaurant. Introduced my husband to it tonight during our weekend stay at Blowing Rock. Worth the 35 minute drive for sure. The space is really beautiful. Wasn’t lucky enough for an outdoor table on the patio, fingers crossed for next time. Since they were kind enough to squeeze us in for same day reservations, I was happy to take any table. Arrived about 20 minutes early to enjoy a cocktail in the bar area. Great cocktails! All staff is attentive and professional. Our waitress gave excellent recommendations. We both had the 10 year anniversary tasting menu. Definitely try this if offered. Menu changes with what is fresh. Our meal began with delicious warm yeast rolls served in a skillet with salted butter, followed by a delightful salmon amuse bouche. The tasting menu started with a fried squash with lobster, mushrooms, and heirloom tomatoes. This dish was both of our favorites and a real stand out. Hubby gave it a 10, which is very very rare. Next course was a superbly prepared scallop with house made pasta, mushrooms, brocollini, acorn squash, and a green vegetable that I did not recognize. Also excellent, a 9 out of 10 from me and a 8 for hubby. Main course was veal short ribs with mushrooms, a small round house made pasta, and according to hubby: «fancy carrots and onions.» Husband really enjoyed this dish. I don’t go wild over beef so this was good, but not a stand out for me. Fourth and final course was strawberry shortcake. While one of the prettiest desserts I have ever seen, was good but not Meg Ryan coffee shop great. With the check came complimentary macaroons and my dessert yearnings were completely satisfied. Will be back. Don’t miss this restaurant, price is completely justifiable.

Currently my favorite restaurant. So much to say about this special place. Beautiful location, beautiful interior and flawless food. Try the calamari starter or beet salad. More later.

I was floored by this place. I didn’t expect to find this level of cooking way up here in the mountains. Truly amazing and one of the best meals I have ever had. The waitstaff was organized, efficient and attentive without being intrusive. The open-​front kitchen was organized and ran like a perfectly engineered machine. Every person we saw was a complete professional from the valet to the barkeep to the waitresses. The wine cellar is an impressive space for a special dinner. I can’t recommend this place highly enough.

My husband and I had a fabulous meal at Artisinal for our anniversary. From the valet to our server everyone was so nice and attentive. We started with the calamari appetizer which I was afraid would be too spicy for me since it had wasabi on it. The server assured me it wasn’t spicy, and she was spot on. It was perfectly cooked and presentation was lovely. My husband had the pork trio and I had the Sitka halibut. Both were delicious and plated beautifully. I ordered the zeppoli for dessert and my husband the chocolate dessert. Again beautifully plated and delicious. We couldn’t finish them and they generously boxed them up and had them waiting in our car when the valet brought it to the front door. This was our second trip here and we will definitely be back. It is pricey, but definitely worth it!

Absolutely fabulous!!! The signature drinks were creative and spot on. We had the fried green tomatoes and calamari to start. I could have licked the plate. All the salads were so fresh and interesting. Made my taste buds explode. Then came the halibut… Best I have ever had. Service was impeccable. The ambience and atmosphere is one of a kind… I will not spoil it. Check out the fire pit outside with the babbling brook.

Atmosphere very relaxing. Food simply amazing!!! Put this on your «must visit» places!!!

As good as it gets, in every sense, from the welcome at arrival through an exceptional meal. About a perfect ambiance, a balance of rustic and elegance. The entire staff was outstanding, individually and as a coordinated team. The open kitchen was fun to watch. The food was excellent, the wine list exceptional. One of our best dining experiences worldwide, at a much lower cost than one might expect. Worth a trip just to dine here.

The best experience I’ve ever had. A coworker suggested Artisanal, and we made a special trip from Charlotte just to eat there. We stayed in Blowing Rock, and the 30 minute drive to the restaurant and back in the dark and the rain and the fog was totally worth it.
First of all, the place is beautiful. I loved the rustic barn feel, and I hated that it was so rainy when we went because the outdoor seating along the brook with fire pits looked so cozy. However, the indoor was amazing, too, with high ceilings, a horse made of wood, and a minimal — yet effective — bar area with couches. Quick tip on the parking — I think you have to valet park, so don’t look dumb like we did and try to park in the lower parking lot; just drive on up to the valet stand at the front door. :-)
Our service was spot-​on. Our waiter, Roger, was helpful and attentive, and the sommelier, Jamie, was great when we needed a recommendation on a pinot noir. Their wine menu is extensive, and it’s on an iPad that lets you sort and search all sorts of ways! Surprisingly (but maybe it shouldn’t have been), the wine he suggested was truly the best we’ve ever had.
We started with the fried green tomato appetizer, which was good, but the tiny yeast rolls in a cast iron dish they brought beforehand were ah-​mazing. For dinner, the fella got the surf and turf special, which was a 5 ½ oz. Wagyu steak (they even showed us the certificate of authenticity) and a lobster tail. I thought the steak was the best I’d ever tasted, and he said it was definitely top 3. The lobster tail was solid. I got the pork chop based on the other Unilocal reviews, and it was delicious! For dessert, we got the doughnuts — there were 3 in a lemon sauce, and they were pretty tasty.
Quick note about the dress code: I didn’t see the sign about no jeans that another reviewer mentioned, but the fella begrudgingly wore khakis and wound up very glad he did. Ninety percent of the men (and boys even) were in jackets (the fella wore a short-​sleeved polo), but I did see one guy in jeans. I appreciated that although most of the customers had an air of hoity-​toity snootiness to them, the restaurant didn’t feel that way. The bartenders, waiters, sommelier, etc. all seemed so nice and down to earth, which I loved.
Overall, we spent more on this meal than any other meal we ever have, and that includes some pretty fancy European places along with your usual chain steakhouses, but it was soooo worth it. I didn’t put a lot of stock in the other reviewer who said this was better than all the meals he’s had across the world, but I should have! Do yourself a favor, and make the trip to Banner Elk.

Loved this place. My husband and I r foodies and we just enjoyed everything we had. As far as the sign as one person mentioned no jeans or shorts — never saw that and my hubby had jeans on. It is dressy most people in dress clothes but u can do a little casual. All was good

I have just recently began using Unilocal so this review is based on a meal I had there on May 20^th of this year.
I made reservations for my fiancé and I to eat here after researching nice restaurants in the area. We arrived about 10 minutes before our reservation time and they asked us if we would like to order a cocktail before being seated so we made our way over to the bar. The bartender was very nice and made both of our drinks very well. We were seated near the kitchen and the waiter we had took excellent care of us.
My fiancé ordered the lamb loin and I ordered the dry aged ribeye. We ordered the asparagus, broccolini, and fingerling potatoes as sides because we wanted to sample each. All three of the sides were delightful and tasted great.
My fiances lamb was cooked perfectly (med rare) as was my ribeye (med). Both tasted exquisite and came beautifully plated.
We both loved the atmosphere as well as the quality of the food. We will, without a doubt, be revisiting the Artisanal whenever we are in the area. Great service, wonderful atmosphere, and phenomenal food!

This is the best restaurant in North Carolina!!! Food and service is always impeccable! Definitely worth every penny! My only recommendation is to offer more variety on the menu like chicken.

While I am nearly at a loss for words to describe the way I was treated at this restaurant, I think my experience is an important one to share. My fiancé and I traveled to Banner Elk to celebrate a friend’s birthday. We had made reservations at the highly acclaimed Artisanal far in advance to enjoy this special night together. Might I add we were prepared and willing to spend a pretty penny on the evening.
After dropping our car off with the valet, we walked into the admittedly gorgeous restaurant. We were so excited to dine here, we had practically memorized the online menu.
I am going to be honest with you – I love all things fashion, hair and makeup. I spent approximately two hours getting ready for this dinner. I wore my brand new Diane Von Furstenburg tweed shorts with a conservative silk top and tasteful pumps. I was feeling pretty good about myself! That is, UNTIL, I was told I would not be allowed to enter the dining room area due to my clothing selection. The hostess pointed to a sign that said, «No jeans, no shorts.» The fact that my shorts were very dressy and fashionable is not the point. The point is that, as we were being kicked out, an older female walked by me in her white jeans, saying to the hostess, «Goodbye, thanks for the lovely meal».
A note to the owner: learn how to treat your customers, before you lose a future generation of them.

Banner Elk’s finest.
My bride and I visited Artisanal Restaurant for the first time and now I wonder what took us so long.
We started out with the Pogio Vignoso Chianti which was cost effective and always delicious. We had the Tuna Duo and the Calamari as shared apps, a special 38 day dry aged Rib Eye and a beautiful Escolar fish. We finished off the meal with the Doughnuts and Chocolate Gâteau.
I’ve had better steaks but I don’t know that I’ve had better fish. Odd since we were nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge. It was fantastic as were the apps. The duo consisted of a taretar and a caviche. The doughnuts were wonderful and the start of the dessert. The mousse was fantastic but was just a layer of the dish.
We look forward to returning. Tab was $ 200 without tax and tip. It’s worth it, I assure you.

Great food and great atmosphere! Anita Greene and chef Bill Greene have made a world class culinary destination in the mountains of North Carolina. This is our 4^th visit and the food was unique and top notch, keeping it fresh with new inventive selections for each season. Our latest visit presented a Bouillabaisse appetizer, Alaskan Halibut, Kobe Ribeye, Prime Filet and a trio of chocolate for desert. Each course was excellent and accompanied by now Bill’s signature fabulous sauces. The selections were all flavorful but on the less spicy side, if you would like more heat by all means ask your attentive wait staff for fresh ground pepper or hot chili sauce. Enjoy the experience!!!
The wine list is EXTENSIVE. Make sure you go down to the spectacular wine cave (this room available for parties of 16 to 24). The inside dining room is elegant yet rustic and the outside porch seating has a stunning view of a creek, rock boulders and deep woods. Not cheap but not expensive for what you get either. Count on about $ 70 per person for a full 3 course meal with wine. Entries range from $ 28 to $ 42, appetizers around $ 12, deserts around $ 10, and wine from $ 35 to $ 1,000.

This place is something very special, world class in every way! It goes head to head with the finest restaurants that I have dined, in the states and Europe. I am somewhat of a foodie and am not wowed by the ordinary. The creative menu, preparation and presentation here are anything but ordinary. The service is superb and the atmosphere and wine list to match. My wife and I have dined here on at least four occasions and each time our experience was superb. This may not only be the finest restaurant in the NC mountains but entire state and beyond. If you enjoy true fine dinning, this experience is not to be missed!

Came here for my graduation dinner and had the best experience one could ask for. This place is first class, super sophisticated, and without a doubt the best restaurant in the high country. From the scenic entrance way to its rustic architecture you are enveloped in luxury. As you walk in you are confronted by a large beautiful driftwood sculpture and vaulted ceilings that showcase the reclaimed wood used to construct the building. The place is absolutely gorgeous, with the most elegant décor imaginable. Virtually all of the seating is arranged to create a subtle privacy for the diners experience. Check out
for great pictures highlighting this place’s beauty. Well as you might imagine the food is exceptional. The waiters are virtual food scholars and are extremely helpful in educating those who are pressed for choice by the exceptional menu options. For my appetizer I ordered the Lobster bisque… which consisted of a delicate yet rich bisque poured over the most perfectly cooked piece of lobster I have ever encountered. For an entrée I ordered the crispy duck breast which was so succulent I salivate at the thought. Furthermore, Artisanal has an exceptional wine cellar that would put many wine connoisseur’s collections to shame. Also, I very much enjoyed the selection of local seasonal beers. In conclusion, my dining experience at Artisanal was impeccable and provided the perfect celebratory meal for an unforgettable moment in my life. I highly recommend Artisanal to anybody celebrating graduation or any special event in life. This is also an excellent place to bring your loved ones or most likely the quickest way to impress any date (assuming you can afford it). My only hope is I can find an excuse to visit this place again very soon.