With a focused menu and inviting atmosphere, Artisan’s Table serves up a memorable experience.

Artisan’s Table in downtown Orlando serves modern American fare in a comfortable open atmosphere off the corner of Pine and Orange avenues. Its location adjacent to the City Arts Factory attracts throngs of diners looking for sophisticated options during an evening out, as the restaurant captures the essence of what feeds the downtown arts crowd. The modern space showcases dark woods and light accents, not to mention floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the restaurant a distinctive metropolitan vibe that feels right at home.

During my recent visit on a Monday evening, the dining room was not yet at full capacity so we were seated promptly and introduced to our lovely server. I ordered The Woodsman ($12) made with Bulleit Rye, walnut bitters, maple syrup and sherry. The cocktail was like a wink and nod to the more traditional Manhattan, but felt more inspired by current mixology. One may not be enough.

My wife opted for the Stalker ($9), an interesting vodka drink that plays off its name with the addition of celery coulis and rhubarb bitters. Again, modern mixology flexes its muscles for all discerning boozehounds to admire.

A mix of small plates and shareable dishes make up the menu’s first phase and the many delectable selections made our decision extremely difficult. Ultimately, I chose the Salmon Belly Skewers ($8) and the Baked Feta ($11). The salmon belly was prepared perfectly, with a crispy outside leading way to the fatty belly interior and the accompanying miso-orange marmalade glaze was an undeniable pairing that made me wish I had doubled up on the order.

The block of feta was sat in olive oil and surrounded by roasted tomatoes and an olive tapenade and then baked and came with toasted artisan bread that worked wonderfully when it came time to dip the remaining pieces into the gluttonous garlicky olive oil. It was another match made in culinary heaven. I was so impressed; I tried to recreate the dish at home the next day.

With only slightly more than a handful of entrée options, the menu can seem limited, but it changes frequently to showcase fresh ingredients and chef inspiration. The Pan Seared Salmon ($24) with gochujang miso butter noodles, shiitakes, and a carrot basil slaw had my mouth watering, but because I had fish as a starter, I instead went with the Pork Porterhouse ($26). The protein had a bourbon Dijon glaze and was plated with brown butter and sage mashed potato along with braised red cabbage. Overall, the dish was dynamite, but the sauce could have been a bit silkier for my liking.

My wife chose the Shrimp Carbonara ($24), which made nice use of cavatappi pasta. The corkscrew noodles held the sauce nicely and coddled the bacon and peas so you can get a forkful of all the ingredients together, giving a true example of why components on a dish are supposed to be harmonious and not just thrown together.

In keeping with the restaurant’s exceptional ability to keep you on your toes, the dessert menu was equally up to the task. All the items are made in-house and watching some of the desserts make their way past the table, you can observe this in their presentation. I decided on the Baby Guinness Affogato ($7). It starts with vanilla ice cream with mini chocolate chips, then on a side sits a shot glass of their homemade tequila and Baileys. We poured that over the ice cream and enjoyed the sweet Italian ending. In fact, I was ready to blend it all together and make a milk shade. What a truly delightful sendoff after a remarkable meal.

As long as Artisan’s Table keeps pushing the envelope and serving up creative cuisine and cocktails, it should continue to make its mark on the Orlando fine dining scene. I, for one, can’t wait to see what comes out of the kitchen next and judging by my eagerness to get back, I won’t be waiting very long.

Artisan’s Table
22 E. Pine Street | Orlando
(407) 730-7499 | ArtisansTableOrlando.com

This article originally appeared in Orlando Family Magazine’s February 2019 issue.