I came for the fried artichoke and it wasn't even cooked properly. The salad was absolutely drenched in dressing and the tea was terrible too. The only thing I would recommend is the mashed potatoes and the apple crisp. The service was not that great. They didn't do anything after I told them the artichoke was not cooked well!!!! Also, never asked how I was doing! I would not go back nor recommend this place! read more

Wonderful birthday experience! Food fantastic, service good and the ambience comfortable read more

This little Abq staple is a must try! We got the beef tenderloin and mussels for entrees, and both were amazing. Flavors are good and the quality is excellent. Dessert was also amazing with a pistachio gelato and espresso chocolate drizzle, and our drinks were strong and good. Only gripe about the evening was super slow service. Our waiter was amazing and took great care of us, but he was definitely pulled in many directions that night! I recommend making a reservation for weekend dinners. read more

I honestly never come here for lunch or dinner. I mean. Not normally. But REGULARLY come to the bar for a light dinner, wine, and cocktails. Tonight we got 4 appetizers and a bottle of gamay and I could not have been happier. We were lured in with a mussel and white wine cream sauce special. Completely rich and fresh and wonderful. Every single time we come here, we get the saffron arancini - sort of an Italian rice ball, served with chunky fresh marinara. Also, they have a rotating liver pâté that is so good. It has changed over the years but always delicious. Oh! There is currently beef carpaccio on the menu. I assure you that if rare beef makes you queasy, you need to give it a chance. Paper thin with fermented vegetables on top. It was salty and full of umami. Seriously. I've had just about every single thing on the menu over the years. It's all delicious, all the time. And just because you're sitting in the bar area, doesn't mean you won't get top notch service. read more

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The food tastes awesome. Prices were great. The dip was the best along side the pork chop special. The service was good but could be better on our order. I would 100% recommend this restaurant read more

The Artichoke Cafe - Artichokes and green chili dip - New American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Came for a work dinner, been here once before. Tried the pappardelle (spelling?) which is prepared differently nightly, this time with duck - so delicious. Succulent duck, did not skimp on it, perfectly prepared with the sauce, I'd highly recommend it. It was quite filling, perhaps even enough to share with someone. Desserts are quite good, even for someone who doesn't particularly love dessert. Their creme brulee was amazing - with cardamom, crisped the top perfectly, have to kind of "crack" the top layer, well made. I'd get that again. Mango sorbet also delicious, least favorite was the chocolate but it was pretty good, with a pistachio foam on top and I believe raspberry compote. Pretty dense and decadent, just not my preference. Excellent service - one of the best places to keep water filled despite a relatively small glass. Sounds small, but this is no small feat keeping water filled. Our waiter was excellent, patient, we had a weird situation with work only paying for so much but he was very good about it. They do charge an automatic 20% gratuity for large parties which he definitely earned. Also, a 3% charge, this weird new thing places are doing to supposedly support their employees. I get it and support it, but part of me wonders if every business actually gives this back to the employees or not. I digress. For the price, I'm not sure I'd come back regularly but for special occasions I'd consider coming back here. read more

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A great dinner while in town for Balloon Fest. The staff here was so friendly and helpful. We were there celebrating my Mom's birthday. They were nice but not over the top about things. Everything was very yummy, but the squash ravioli was fantastic. I'm still dreaming about it. The flourless chocolate cake was also a huge hit with everyone in my party. So glad we were able to enjoy such a lovely place. read more

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Server was excellent - friendly, helpful and attentive. The support team was awesome too. My water glass was never empty very long. The ambiance? Dimly lit, intimate and warm. Food was well prepared and well proportioned. I had the lamb shank with some roasted carrots. Definitely worth a try. read more

Outstanding service and the food is an excellent fusion of culinary genius with New Mexico flare! Bravo read more

When an unexpected professional windfall came to pass, a very special someone suggested that we go out and celebrate together.  I was happy to accept his generous suggestion; he then made the smile on my face even bigger when he said he had the perfect venue in mind - The Artichoke Café.  It turned out to be an exemplary choice! Our food was nothing short of phenomenal; I particularly enjoyed the steak frites.  The dish was cooked perfectly with a lean, flavorful piece of meat and a small mountain of golden, crisp fries. Tip: I have no idea why they decide to call this place a café; it's anything but!  The venue is quiet and elegant; the service is exceptional and the napkins, tablecloths, and dishes are what you'd expect to find in a top-tier fine dining restaurant. This isn't a place to come when you're looking to dine on a budget, but given the quality of the food and the service, the prices are AOK.  We shared a bottle of wine, a salad, two entrées and two desserts, and the total damage was just under $175 - that would be a tough trick to pull off at a similar venue in San Francisco :-) read more

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Lovely little place with options that cost more than needed. Service is super great too. They're so nice there and I love them! Worth a visit for a nice dinner or drink. :) yummy! Also what ever happened to the artichoke themselves?? read more

went to this restaurant today with my sister first time there most definitely my last time there it was slow today we waited 40 mins for our food and when I say slow there was other people there only two table but they already had there food and they finished it so my sister and I were the only people they need to serve by the time we got our food my fries were cold and burnt and so was the burger the server didn't even come check on us at all my sister food was cold as well so then the prices were crazy why would I spend extra 5$ for some fries that weren't that good and then after all that it took another 10 mins for our check to come the only thing that was good about that restaurant was the drinks I DO NOT RECOMMEND this restaurant of if I could give this restaurant a negative star I would lol read more

This place was amazing, It's so trendy and cute. The food was amazing along side the service. Parking can be struggle depending what time of the day you arrive. When I'm back in NM I will definitely be back read more

We chose Artichoke Cafe following our daughters surprise engagement at the old Albuquerque High courtyard. They did a phenomenal job making the evening special and memorable. read more

The Artichoke Cafe - Family! - New American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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The food was very good, the service was great, friendly people. So why the one star? Artichoke committed restaurant cardinal sin number one in my book. If you are going to surprise me with a ridiculous "service charge" of 3% on my bill, at least put that info on the menu, OR have the waitperson tell us about it up front so we can walk out. Nothing on the menu, not a word from the waitress. Also, the waitress told us about the market price fish special. And then shuts up! I guess we're supposed to guess the market price??? This amateur hour act totally wrecked the experience for me. I prefer to patronize establishments that value their employees - and pay them. This is not about the money, it's a matter of principle and respect for your customers. If you expect ME to pay your employees because you don't want to, please let me know that in advance. Next time I drop $300 on dinner, it's not going to be at Artichoke. PS: If they had simply raised their prices, I not only would not have known that, but if I did, I would have been OK with that. Surprise charges magically appearing on your bill in the hope that you won't notice the charge they're clearly attempting to keep secret, are NOT OK. read more

I was visiting Albuquerque for a conference with my colleagues and booked a table at the Artichoke cafe for dinner. They were very accommodating when I asked to increase the table size from 3 to 4 at the last moment. The service here was impeccable. Usually I don't notice service at a restaurant, but when I get great service then I start to take notes. One woman was always on hand to top up our water and take our plates away. Our server (named Symone I believe) was great at suggesting drinks and food. She was very personable and clearly had a great sense of humor. She ahelped push our group over the edge into getting dessert which we don't regret. The food and ambience were amazing. Appetizers were good for sharing and my steak was cooked perfectly. Our group decided this was the highlight of our trip to Albuquerque. Thank you for a great time! (As a side note, we decided to walk to the restaurant from our downtown hotel and the walk seemed a little sketchy for us, including walking through a dark pedestrian tunnel. We took an Uber back. Could have just been our one time experience but I don't think it would be a comfortable walk alone, especially at night.) read more

The Artichoke Cafe - New American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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I was super excited to try this place, but to be honest, everything was flat..... I sat in the bar and music is so loud people are yelling at each other, not the ambiance I expected, maybe from a dive bar, not one with this price point. The hostess was polite and sat me right away, however I then waited for quite a bit for someone else to come greet me. I was a little off put by this, but then again, people can get busy. So, I shall wait. If I have a cocktail, I don't mind waiting for anything. I finally ordered a glass of wine and then perused the menu. Butternut squash ravioli caught my attention, oh how I love the fall flavors. Once that arrived, it was covered in orange zest, which killed all of the savory brown butter and sage smell I was expecting. The flavors in the ravioli were good, but couldn't get the citrus out of my nose. That combination DOES NOT WORK! I have been trying to find this on a menu, grrrr Next came the fruit galette, recommended by the waiter, it was good, nothing that knocked my socks off. It was "just okay". Overall, I was kind of disappointed. Everyone had talked it up and I'm super easy to wait on, don't ask for anything, just roll with it, just didn't feel the vibes that I usually get with "fun dining". Just not a big fan... read more

This is a long overdue review for this cute restaurant that was in walking distance from our Airbnb. Our group loved everything we ordered from the pretty drinks to the delicious food. We ordered French onion soup, the house burger, the namesake artichoke with dip, the arancini appetizer, and a couple other things that I can no longer remember. We loved sitting outside near the leafy trees and people watching, and we really appreciated how the server honored the happy hour menu and pricing even though there were only five minutes left of HH. read more

The Artichoke Cafe - French Onion Soup - New American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Really enjoy this local watering hole. The extravagant menu falls short on delivery. Lengthy waits, so-so servers and tepid entrees marooned with exorbitant prices diminishes the by gone appeal The manager is spot on, but for some reason the day after Thanksgiving brought a listless hostess and server which led to a two and a half hour dinner, and sup par enjoyment. read more

We were celebrating our last night in New Mexico and enjoyed our $300+ meal of onion soup, burrata and mortadella, baked artichoke & green chile dip,beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin duck pappardelle, panacotta, ice cream and chocolate gelato, plus two martinis and two glasses of wine. It's a darn shame to have to write a negative review, but these first and final impressions negated the great food: 1) First impression: When the waitress tells you what the special is, she should tell you the price! Not "I'll have to check." 2) Final impression: How dare you charge me 3% for the "back of house staff" without posting it on the menu or via said waitress? It was a delicious farewell family dinner and I had no intention of ruining our evening by questioning this shady tactic, but I feel compelled to say that as a result, we'll never return. read more

I had the best Caesar salad I've tasted. The artichoke dip is devine(I liked all the veggies given to dip). My stepdad loved his ravioli. The atmosphere is sophisticated and warm. Our server was Ariana and she was top notch. read more

Making reservations was very easy to do online. I enjoyed going to dinner here. The ambiance was very elegant and the food was delicious. The menu was very small which actually made for an easier time deciding what I wanted to eat. My favorite thing I ordered was the artichoke dip. read more

A great quite little restaurant with parking on what otherwise is a busy street. Although the service was great and the restaurant was clean and inviting, the food was mediocre at best. I can say that they do have a decent wine selection. As the area continues to get more and more restaurants, I will probably opt to try something new before heading back here. read more

Stopped in for dinner, started with the beet appetizer. The actual beets were perfect & delicious, the combination is a little weird, they coat the bowl with something, then place farrow underneath the beets, a glob of goat cheese in the middle covered in sesame seeds. I like all of those things just not together. The chicken dinner plate was cooked well, it was moist and the skin was crispy. The Parmesan polenta was delicious but the entire plate was smothered in some spicy tomato sauce.... I did not care for the sauce on top & for me it ruined the dish. read more

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We had a reservation for 4 people for dinner @ 7:00 pm last night and arrived at 6:45 We were seated just beyond the hostess station behind a sheer curtain and in the heaviest traffic area. It was celebration for my 82nd birthday and mother's day combined. My wife asked the hostess if they could help us celebrate my birthday with something special -she never got back to us and we left without any recognition of the request. We have only been to your restaurant a couple times prior and had been seated in the upper section in a much less traffic and noise area and enjoyed our dinners. The evening was far less than we expected and I'm sorry I made the reservation=we spent $442 and left with a sour taste for your Cafe. rghomsher@aol.com 505 710 8727 read more

When my partner told me he made a reservation here for our 5 year anniversary, I was super excited - I've been wanting to try it for years. The French onion soup was very good, a tad salty for my taste. My pasta dish was just okay. My partner had the chicken and really enjoyed it. What was the biggest bummer of the night was the service. We rarely saw our server, and when we did, I felt a very condescending tone. To top it all off, he accidentally charged my partners card for a different table, over $200 & wasn't very bothered when we told him. They had to refund his card, which will take up to 3 days to go back to his account, and charge him again for the correct total. I'm not sure about you, but we don't normally have the funds to pay for TWO very nice dinners in one night. I won't be back, it was a huge bummer when I was so excited to begin with. read more

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This spot has great service, food, and ambiance to offer! The host Patty was friendly and inviting. They have a half dinning room area and the other half is more of a bar area where you can have delicious drinks with a friend. The food was amazing! The staff is great and you can tell that they care about their quality in food and service. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

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Amazing spot!! Very unique dishes, friendly staff and cute vibe. One of the best meals I've had. read more

The Artichoke Cafe - New American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Food , drinks and ambiance is great highly recommend checking out this place when in the area.

Such a lovely place! Amazing ambiance and everyone was so friendly and welcoming! The food was delicious and the cocktails were incredible I had 3 different ones. My wife and I will be back. read more

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There is a reason that this Café has stood on the corner of Central and Edith, with an unwavering stream of business, despite construction and the ghosting of EDO in wake of the ART project. That reason is that it is phenomenal. This place is top-tier of ABQ. The kind of little fancy restaurant you'd expect to duck into in the middle of NYC. It has that quaint old Italian feel, the exceptional personal service, and the amazing flavor. I just need you to order whatever is on special. You need you to order whatever is on special. This is the kind of establishment where you put your faith in the chefs and sit back and enjoy your spirit of choice. read more

The Artichoke Cafe - Beef tenderloin w/ scallop - New American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I'm a sucker for Chicken Piccatta a comforting classic Italian dish, and when I heard Artichoke Cafe had it on their menu for #nmrestaurantweek I knew I had to check it out. Complimented with fingerling potatoe, spinach and Brussels sprouts, the chicken was crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside....... cooked to perfection.....my only gripe was give me MORE lemon, butter & capers, that's the magic sauce! The Veal Marsala was a little dry with no Marsala..... poorly executed dish as this another classic comforting dish that should have some sauce.... see photo. Both desserts we tried were forgettable, I'm sad as I'm always looking for a good sweet ending. Service was exceptional and attentive, ambiance has always been stellar. I just think kitchen needs to work on execution for flavoring with all dishes. read more

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The reviews for this Albuquerque fancy restaurant are mixed however my first time at the Artichoke Cafe was excellent. Arrived at our reservation time and was sat right away in a secluded table by the window. Entrees came out promptly (butternut squash ravioli was divine) and the wine our recommended paired nicely with both pasta and steak. Cocktails were solid. Service was friendly. And complimentary birthday dessert certainly left us in a great mood walking out the door. read more

The Artichoke Cafe - Butternut squash ravioli and filet minion - New American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

This place is amazing! Great service, wine, and food! Definitely a must when visiting the area. Make reservations as they do get busy. read more

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Always amazing food and service. It's beautiful inside and one of the consistently best places in Albuquerque.

Classically chic East Downtown Aka EDO District that's a staple to the area. Menu neverhas disappointed. Favorite appetizer is the Saffron Arancini -house plum tomato sauce, parmesan, herbs. Rosemary chicken feel off the bone, carrots & mash potato side enough for 2-4 to share; the porkchop, greens & pineapple plate was a hit! Great portion sizes, service, drinks and dessert. Check for Downtown Yiftee BOBO gift cards. read more

The Artichoke Cafe - Classically chic East Downtown Aka EDO District that's a staple to the area. - New American Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Just had dinner here this evening and it was so perfect. Our server Noemi was such a treasure! Not only was she familiar with the food menu but the drink menu as well. I very much enjoyed the service as much as I did the food and drink! From the first sip to the sorbet, was delicious! Thank you Artichoke Cafe and Noemi for a lovely evening! Noemi, you're brilliant and every bit of input was appreciated and matched to what we were looking for! read more

I want to give a special shout out to Mike and Noemi. From the moment, I arrived to the restaurant, to the moment that I left, I felt extremely well cared for. Please, please, please get the artichoke dip. This is probably one of the best adaptations of artichoke dip that I have ever had in my life and I have had a lot of artichoke dip. I also think that it is commendable that the staff was able to gracefully adjust one of my orders without any confrontation or strife. They truly set the standard for customer service. The chef made it clear that he was really open to feedback--this place is above the rest. They also had non-alcoholic beverage options, which made me feel right at home. I would be remiss if I did not mention the crème brûlée, this dessert item was spot on. The vanilla tones were particularly delicious. They also nailed the temperature profile for the dessert item, which truly determines if you know how to make crème brûlée, artichoke Café knows how! Their menu is seasonal and based on what is locally available with a few staples, so come prepared to have a truly delicious dining experience. They also have a cool decor with local art on display. read more

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Wow! Just wow! Susanne had taken her daughters here last year for daughter, Sara's, birthday. They raved about the food and service but warned me that they racked up quite a bill! "Pricey but enjoyable." All my wife had was a Caesar salad and a glass of wine! My new therapist mentioned that this place has a "best/kept secret!" On Mon-Fri from 2:30-6:00 PM, they "reopen" the lounge area after the lunch service. They offer a marvelous collection of "happy hour" items, including drinks for $5 (local draft beers $4) and a lovely small plate inspired food menu ($5 each item). Oh, they also offer a vast menu of desserts and after-meal drinks (market value) apart from the happy hour menu. So, our server, Nicole, was excellent--very attentive and eager to recommend her favorites! Susanne enjoyed the house margarita served in a tumbler. I had a draught Grolsch from Steel Bender's. We decided to try a variety of menu items. As always, we shared! Three plates came out first: Buffalo wings, a mini cheeseburger with a generous serving of pomme frites, and taquitos. Everything is house made. The wings (5) were fantastic! I've heard the chef who makes these is actually from Buffalo! They were piquant with a little bite. I might say they were not the largest wings ever, but they were quite good. The Taquitos (3) are made from scratch every morning by a lady who also makes their raviolis. Having only ever had the crappy frozen variety, these were absolutely delicious! Crispy exteriors and ample filling made for a terrific bite. The mini cheeseburger was similar to sliders we've had but the fresh ground beef, spring mix and a surprisingly tasty tomato, garnished with a uniquely flavored aioli was very good. Sharing half each was plenty as there were lots of crispy fries. We decided to add one other dish to our Linner meal: the fried Brussels Sprouts. Neither Susanne nor I enjoyed this veggie as children but these were terrific. They were quite similar to the ones that daughter Sara makes for us in the broiler. Very nicely seasoned. We were ready to call it a day when Nicole suggested their dessert menu! Their in-house pastry chef is a genius! I always order crème brûlée if it's on the menu. This version was perhaps the best I've ever tasted. Susanne selected their deconstructed lemon meringue pie which you have to see to believe! Of course we have pictures of all of the food for you! The friendly bartender, we didn't get his name, stopped by to tell us about the genesis of Susanne's confection. Chef Massimo in Modena, Italy made a similar dessert after a "mishap" with a single-portion pie crashed! Separating the components made it "deconstructed!" The creamy meringue was sweet and tangy all at once. The lemon custard reminded me of fine key lime pie filling! Two cinnamon graham crackers let Susanne dig in a small bite at a time...a perfect dessert! What a fabulous value this is. We got to try really good food, prepared well, and served with care for a very reasonable amount of money. We promise to return for lunch real soon. Oops! Perhaps I shouldn't have revealed this awesome secret Nobody will go because it will become too crowded!!! See you there! read more

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Delicious food, friendly staff, nice wine selection. Honestly I wouldn't back just for the Artichoke Focaccia :)