During our last visit to Anguilla in December 2014, we missed the opening of Artisan Pizza by one day. So as you might imagine, it was at the top of the list for this trip – and I liked it so much that we made two consecutive visits!
Artisan isn’t beachfront; it’s located on the road to Island Harbour. But the owners have created a charming ambiance with a covered patio, painted wooden tables lit by lanterns, and a pretty garden sitting area. And clearly, it’s very popular – the restaurant filled up completely on both of our visits, largely with residents/expats.
Dinner starts with a jar of caramel popcorn – perfect to munch on as you read the menu, which is filled with nuggets of info about Neapolitan pizza.
It all comes to life when you see the pizza oven imported from Naples. This is one serious oven:
Neapolitan pizza has a very thin and chewy crust, baked for just over 60 seconds in a 900º oven until it browns and blisters. The fresh tomato puree – far lighter than regular pizza sauce – barely warms in the oven, but mozzarella still manages to melt.
Two pizzas make a hearty meal for two, and D had a great idea when he suggested that we order in two stages and share them both hot-from-the-oven.
Have the Margherita to start, a classic that lets you get a real sense of the style. So good. I customized our second pizza by adding peppery local arugula on top.
At Artisan, the pizza oven isn’t the only thing imported from Italy – so is the 00 flour used to make the crust (that’s the secret of the fantastic elastic chew) and a number of other ingredients, including nduja, which is like spicy salami but with a spreadable, pâté texture.
D ordered the nduja pizza special – there’s a flavorful heat to it, warm but not burning, balanced out by arugula. A pizza masterpiece.
Pizza’s the star of course, but there’s lots more on the menu. We had a great, simple salad of local baby lettuce, carrot, beet, and radish. And do save room for dessert – homemade gelato!
Parmesan is the consensus favorite amongst the regulars we met, though I preferred my coffee gelato. A small glass of passioncello under the stars rounds off a lovely dinner. Grazie, Artisan!
Note: reservations a must (easiest via Facebook)
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It is just such a cool place…with fabulous food, drinks and parmigiano gelato. But Jurgen, Indra, Kyra and Tramonto make it feel like home. I’m so happy when visitors to Anguilla leave their resort properties for the adventure to see the local way of life. Your pics are great. Thank you for sharing with us.