L’Artiste Muscle

Lovely spot to enjoy some great wine. And don’t miss the charcuterie. Knowledgable and attentive staff. A must if in Mayfair.

Solid French place with a healthy selection of wine. Small and homey. You can see right into the kitchen from the dining area. I had the special which was a duck confit, the merlot and the crème brûlée. It’s a solid place at a reasonable price in a market of pricey places.

Fabulous food. Charming atmosphere. Yes, it’s small (no bigger than 8 to 10 tables) but the food and service are great. And at reasonable prices. Don’t miss it.

a funny little place tucked onto a corner of Shepherd’s Market. the smallish upstairs was full, so they ushered us down to an empty basement. some reasonable attempt at décor, but low on atmosphere due to lack of clientele. the waiter was an authentic Parisian brusque bordering on rude, but it added to the authenticity! we ordered a mid priced wine, a French white, and it was reliable if not notable for the price and label. the food came relatively quickly. my companions had both ordered cassoulet, and it very much looked like the canned variety though in fact I’ve had some good canned ones in the past they said it was just about acceptable. I ordered a duck confit, which was on the day’s menu, and it was pretty good. overall, considering the pricey neignborhood, the prices are not bad at all. I’d actually rate this a 3.5 star place if you can get a table upstairs, and expect acceptable brasserie level food and service, it’s just fine.

Casual French in the Shepherd Market area. Relatively inexpensive. Friendly, unhurried service. Can feel cramped when busy. Often not too difficult to get a table without a booking.

This restaurant has been around for years and, I beleive, has a loyal following. It is like a small French bistro and there are tables both upstairs and downstairs.
The food is very much French bistro food, good, traditional French cooking. Pâté and bread or soup to start and steak and frittes to follow. Chocolate pot or cheese to finish. The wine is good qality and not too expensive.
The tables are small and close together but there is a lot of atmosphere here. In the summer there are tables outside also.
I think that if you are expecting a proper restaurant you will probably be disappointed but if you are looking for somewhere less formal where you can have a nice bottle of wine and dip your bread in your food, you will have a great meal.

I went to L’Artiste Muscle for lunch and I was shown to a table that I practically had to hold my breath to get into it was in a tight corner or windows and walls and next to a table to four. I ordered the soup of the day, parsnip carrot, and a small green salad. The soup was decent, but unexciting. It was a bit thick, and there was too much parsley on top. The salad at first seemed to be OK, but once I got past the top layer, I realized it was absolutely drenched in a mustardy dressing. I couldn’t each much of the bottom half.
I was surprised because the place was filled with respectable-​looking businesspeople and every time the waiters would bring plates out to other tables, I wondered what was being served because the dishes looked quite good, especially the bigger salads. I might go back to try something else, since they had some nicer looking larger salads and a mushroom risotto.
It’s also a wine bar, though not knowing much about French wines I don’t have much to say about their list without having tasted anything. I also believe the bar is only open until 6 pm, not exactly prime drinking hours. There also seemed to be a downstairs dining room.
The best part of my lunch was when the guy at the table next to me called someone a Phillistine. And the service was generally quite nice and quick.