ARTISAN, 249 MAIN STREET, WISHAW

1 LOCATION, LOCATION

Sitting on Wishaw’s Main Street, Artisan is easy to find and there’s a free car park round the corner.

2 FIRST IMPRESSIONS

While it might look small from the outside, Artisan is like a whisky-filled Tardis. And a very smart, spacious and bright one at that. They’ve certainly invested a lot in the decor – every wall is lined with its whisky selection. There’s also a “whisky snug” hidden away to the right of the bar with lots of comfy sofas to sink into as you try a few drams.

3 SERVICE

The staff were friendly, accommodating and extremely knowledgeable about whisky but not the quickest, we were there on a quiet night.

4 MENU

A strong Scottish theme, including a few whiskyinfused dishes, with a wide choice and extremely generous portions. But the real variety was in the drinks menu, with a huge array of beers, ales, gins and, of course, whisky.

5 TASTE

The Bruichladdich Octomore beef sausages and gravy were delicious, rich and flavoursome and accompanied by a lovely smooth mash. My burger was huge and topped with haggis and peppercorn sauce. It tasted great but just a little dry. We loved the big slab of sticky toffee pudding smothered in sauce, and the Cranachan-flavoured ice cream.

6 PRICE

At £12.95 for two courses or £14.95 for three, the evening menu is extremely good value.

7 AMBIENCE

Relaxed and comfortable with good background music at a nice volume.

8 SOMETHING SPECIAL

Whisky and gin flights for £12.95. You pick four from a selection at the bar, and staff are happy to help you decide. It’s served on a nice wooden flight and ordered by recommended taste. My partner discovered a love of the Benromach 15. No doubt he’ll be dropping hints for Christmas!

9 TOILETS

Nice and clean, with fancy hand towels.

10 VERDICT

Lovely food, atmosphere and a dream for whisky lovers. Staff were polite and friendly but just need to up the pace a bit. 16/20