“Food with balls.” Nestled comfortably within the charming and historic grounds of Sculpture Square lies a restaurant that challenges themselves in creating food that is going against the norm. You won’t find hamburgers or pasta here; you will only find food that’s greatly influenced by the gutsy flavours of Syria, Greece, North Africa, Lebanon, and all other Eastern Mediterranean countries that were once part of the great Ottoman Empire. Simply put, their cuisine can be described as a modern Moorish café fare.
Staying away from what’s often referred to as “flavour of the month,” Artichoke’s menu favours rougher and bolder taste, hence earning them the title of the restaurant that serves “food with balls”.
To top it off, Artichoke has a very interesting way of creating their menu – every month they let diners and the general public to come up with a list of random ingredients that they’d like to see as dishes on their facebook page, then the creative chefs at Artichoke will use this list and challenge themselves in concoct quirky and interesting dishes that are exclusive and unique to the world; a fan favorite has been a combination dish of Grilled Beef Tongue, Red Cabbage Escabeche, Haw Flake Molasses, Doritos & Kewpie.
And for those sick of restaurants who try to disguise themselves as fine-dining eatery, you’ll love Artichoke’s belief that food should be consumed and enjoyed when it is served, period. You won’t find dishes with fancy presentation or require eating instructions; communal eating is the way to go here as all their plates are composed in a way that is meant for sharing.
Babaganoush (smoked eggplant & yoghurt dip)
Dirty Fries and Local Mushrooms
Hummus (smashed chickpea & sesame dip)
Lamb Shakshouka (2 eggs cracked over a skillet of sizzling tomato sauce, roast lamb shoulder, kashkaval cheese, pistachio dukka, bread)
Local Mackerel (charcoal grilled, green chilli harissa, dirty onions)
Muhammara (red pepper, walnut & pomegranate dip)
Seared Scallops (fried cauliflower, pomegranate, yoghurt, almonds)
Shish Taouk (Lebanese charcoal BBQ chicken, toum garlic sauce)
Spanish White Anchovies
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