Simply outstanding in every respect. Superb setting, superb service, outstanding/inventive food, a wine list to die for. Not cheap and worth every penny. Best restaurant I have eaten in in over 30 years..and some of those years were graced by a very liberal expense account! Go for a real treat.

Hands down the best restaurant that my wife and I have been. We will admit that we were skeptical given the location. However, are you make your way up the driveway you are greeted by a valet in the beautiful rustic setting. The interior is absolutely gorgeous with open layout and view of the kitchen. The staff was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. Then comes food… I’m not a food critic, but WOW!!! The ingredients were fresh and flavorful. I would go into detail on each of our dishes, but I’m certain you can’t go wrong with any of the selections on the menu. If you have read this review, do yourselves a favor and make a reservation now. I’m certain you will thank yourself.

Very fine dining with superb service. First class all the way. Octopus, Sea Bass, Scallops and desserts. Great environment. Excellent liquor selections. $95 per person for three course dinner.

Simply superb. Better than. Many of the Michelin rated restaurants of Europe. No pretentiousness, beautiful location. Worth every bit the wait.

Here is my honest review from just a normal dude that loves food. The environment is incredible. The drive up to this restaurant was gorgeous and the building and set up is the best I've ever been to. 10/10 there. The waiting staff is a well-oiled MACHINE. They're constantly in-sync and are extremely attentive. My water didn't go 10 seconds without being filled. 10/10 here, hands down. Shout out to Katherine! I'll explain our entire meal experience: Yeast rolls, Amuse, first and second course, dessert, and a sendoff (we don't drink so I can't give a review there). Presentation of all of the food was incredible. They really made these dishes pop and should be proud. Also, literally everything was cooked perfectly so my 3 stars is not because they did anything wrong, but instead they're missing the mark for a $250 meal. I rate my food on the following scale when it comes to taste (most important for me): Hate—Don't Like—Meh—Like—Love—Crave. Hate—> You couldn't pay me to eat this. Don't LIke—> Even though I'm really hungry, I won't eat this. Meh—> I'm tolerating this but it's honestly not good. Like—> It's good but I wouldn't order again Love—> I'd definitely order this again. Delicious. Crave—> Freaking mind-blowing delicious. Going into this experience, I was expecting an average of Love with a few craves and MAYBE a like. I'm obviously hopeful for craves at every course given the price point but I went in with moderate expectations. Here's my honest assessment: Yeast Rolls: Crave. Suckers are incredible. (My wife's favorite part of the meal) Amuse: Pimento cheese scone. Texture was awesome. Taste was meh. Like. First course: Tuna Tartare & Truffle Cauliflower Soup. Tuna Tartare was a Love. Citrus foam was the coolest part. Avocado sauce could use a little more zing. Truffle Cauliflower Soup was a Crave. This was the best soup I've ever had, I don't even like soup, and was my favorite part of the meal. Spectacular. Second course: Ribeye Cap with fries & Braised Pork. The Ribeye Cap was a "Like". Steak was cooked more on the rare side of medium rare which I'm perfectly fine with. It was incredibly tender but the sauce just wasn't good to me. They baste their steaks which is awesome but I think it would honestly have been better if it was just the steak, no sauce, and some veggies. Personal preference. Those fries though. Those fries were a crave for sure. I was disappointed to hear that they are delivered to the restaurant frozen and pre-cut but they're still delicious. Crave. The Braised Pork was also a Like. Meat was cooked perfectly but it was just boring to be honest. Both of our second courses were a disappointment overall. Dessert: Chocolate Entremet & Sweet Summer. Both, again, gorgeous presentation. Both have tiny portions so enjoy those bites haha. The Chocolate Entremet was a like and the Sweet Summer was a meh. This was very surprising since I love dessert and I usually favor those higher but neither of these we would order again. The Sweet Summer was very complex in texture and presentation but honestly, very boring when it comes to taste. Some of it tasted like it was coming out of a can. The Chocolate Entremet was ok but again, forgettable. Neither ice cream stood out to us. Big disappointment on how the meal was finished. Sendoff: They leave the check with a few butter cookies that were forgettable. These cookies are meant to be dry but if you're going to give us a sendoff, it should be just as interesting as a muse but an the sweet side. A truffle or eclair or homemade mini s'more would be more interesting than a single butter cookie. Meh. In Summary: Rolls: Crave. Amuse: Like First: Love/Crave Second: Like/Like Dessert: Like/Meh Sendoff: Meh. 2 Craves, 1 Love, 4 Likes, and 2 Meh's. Super disappointed now that I take a step back and think on the experience. Several parts of the meal could be improved, especially for the price point of $250/2 people. A once-in-a-lifetime meal experience that just is worth a little less than half the cost.

We dined here for the first time the other night. The food was great. Pre fixed menu with plenty of options for meet eaters and vegetarians alike. The restaurant was full both inside and out. There is a back terrace by the creek that seems pretty cool but we really enjoyed the ambiance inside as well. Rounded out the night with espresso martinis and a tour of the wine cellar. Good stuff! 👍🏻

One of the best meals I have ever had. Cocktails are definitely on pint. Hope to go again soon!

Absolutely a flawless experience. Thank you for making our 1 year anniversary one to remember!

Beautiful, serene vibe. Staff Hope and Lynsay were welcoming and professional. Spot on recommendations. Very knowledgeable about all items offered. My husband’s warm Brussels salad and his Veal Were excellent, My Tuna tartar and Duck 2 ways were both delicious. We have been Alcohol-Free for over 600 days. My husband enjoyed Becks non-alcoholic our breads and dessert cheese plate and fig tart equally scrumptious. Fine dining that’s inventive and not pretentious We visit everytime we are in Banner Elk

From the moment you spot Artisinal in the distance, you know you're in for a treat. Our companion said the evening was among his top 10 meals ever. Carol, Hope and the stellar staff complemented the stunning atmosphere and food with aplomb. Fight to get a reservation.

Amazing place nestled in the mountains. The food was amazing and the cocktails were out of this world. Great wine list and great service. The only thing I'd say is that the portions were on the large side for some of the dishes.

They do no advertising. No billboards. No road sign. Are miles off any main road deep in a hidden valley with Grandfather mountain in the background. Yet they are fully booked for weeks out. That tells you everything you need to know. This place would qualify easily for 2 Michelin stars if it were in a Michelin ranked city. The interior is upscale rustic (barn but doesn't smell like a barn) and the food is impeccable.

There are two restaurants I've dined with that were so incredible and so unique that I the experience stuck with me for days after. The first is a lovely Michelin star bistro in Paris called Benoit. The other is Artisanal. I went to celebrate my engagement and it was an absolutely incredible experience. The location is lovely - tucked into the mountains in a charming, rustic, and warm corner of the mountains with a lovely trickling stream in the back. Should you arrive early, they have a lovely spot on the patio near the fire to enjoy yourself. The food itself is world-class. If Artisanal were in any major city, I have no doubt it, too, would have one (or more!) Michelin stars. The croquets were a lovely start - and the calamari was absolutely incredible - perhaps the best I've had. The soup was killer - and even the rolls were among the best I've had - served fresh in a cast iron skillet. Our meals were exquisite - the ribs alone, a simple and common dish, were done to protection and melted. In addition, and I can't stress this enough, the staff were lovely - even going so far as to bring complimentary champagne for our celebration. The desserts, of which we'd taken the unusual step of choosing two - both of which were undeniably lovely. The bottom line is if you're looking for a world class meal (and don't mind it running a bit pricey) you can not find a better spot to dine for at least one hundred miles - but not with a better location!

Had dinner here for my birthday. The food was fantastic and service was impeccable! Great views from outside!

Beautiful location, excellent service and delicious menu options from the cocktails to desserts. We tried the beet salad and lasagna for apps, along with the sea bass and elk for main and desserts. Great location for special occasions. Wonderful experience!

The food was AMAZING but beyond that was the staff. This is such a well managed and run restaurant. The staff was friendly, and on top of everything!!!! We had our dedicated waitress but food/drinks were brought, cleared by the first available person. We watched multiple times as tables left they were quickly cleared and reset within minutes. Definitely a team atmosphere and a do again when we are in the area!!! Well worth the $$$

If you're pinching pennies, it's not the place for you. But we love an occasional meal here. The menu is always unique and we've never had anything sub-par or "just okay." Appetizers, sides, entrees, desserts: everything is unbelievably good. The wine menu is insane--selection, variety, and in some cases, price--and the atmosphere on the outside patio is unrivaled. It is among our favorite restaurants in the High Country and we make a point to visit at least once a season. We never regret it.

Beautiful and relaxed ambience while sitting outside next to the creek. The tuna tartare was an amazing 1st course as well as the St. Louis ribs. My wife enjoyed the lamb as a main course, and I devoured the halibut. Highly recommend the Doc Holiday cocktail if you enjoy an old fashioned.

By far one of the most memorable meals of my life. The dining experience was over the top, but not pretentious. The atmosphere was amazing yet warm. The staff was some of the best service we have ever had. Our new server Mike did a great job. Cannot wait to return to this very special place.

Wow..just wow!! Where do I begin? I have been to every high end restaurant within the “high country” since I’ve been coming here to Boone/banner elk and this place is just perfect on every level. It was my birthday today so we came for dinner and the food, service and atmosphere was phenomenal ❤️

My favorite restaurant from all the places I have traveled. Every plate is perfect, the service is impeccable and the atmosphere is superb - especially the patio. Always get the octopus. Always.

The food was one of the best meals I've ever had! Creative and delicious. The service was prompt and professional but very inpersonal. Our young waitress, in particular, was distant and cold. Her lack of emotion made us feel uncomfortable, especially after we made several failed attempts to break the ice.

We had icy a wonderful anniversary dinner. The restaurant was accommodating as we decided to sit outside and the service was impeccable. Jordan did a fabulous job. I d will be back! Thanks so much for the attention to detail!

Absolutely beautiful. Amazing good, service and atmosphere. Highly recommend!

Outstanding service, first class dining and culinary experience. Cannot say enough about the great evening my family and I had at The Artisanal. For those of you who enjoy craft cocktails with a flair, the Doc Holiday is the first smoked cocktail I’ve had where the flavor profile is carried from the first sip to the last.

One of the best meals I’ve had in my life. I was a little nervous because they recently pared down their menu but the selections were great. We started off with a couple of cocktails, this was probably my least favorite part of the experience. I ordered the queen crab soup as my first course and it blew me away. For my second course I had the sea bass which was also another winner. We finished up with a dessert. This place is pricey but completely worth every penny.

I thought the food here was all fine. Nothing AMAZING but it was solid. The chef might be trying a little too hard to make the food LOOK amazing that he kinda forgot that it also needs to taste amazing. Some of the foams that were on some of the dishes was very very tart and kinda ruins the flavor. Service was good. Not amazing. I don't like when you buy a bottle and they don't keep it by the table. I've never had such small pours and then all of a sudden my bottle is gone. Would we be back. Maybe. The place is really pretty and its an experience just being there.

This resturant is amazing and Catherine was amazing! We will definitely be returning!

6 stars all the way! We frequent Blackberry Farms annually and this by far surpasses their cuisine. We planned our Banner Elk weekend around our Artisanal reservations. I can always find fault and criticism. But I haven’t yet with this restaurant