Artichoke restaurant, Singapore - highlights

The first time we were welcomed with a beaming smile at a busy, humming restaurant, although we had not booked. They rushed us to a table and served water.(We were delighted. We had just walked out of a half empty restaurant, vegan or mostly vegan, in the art museum, where a sullen waitress passed and ignored us, then refused to serve tap water.)

 Our table was perfect, alongside a large window of a private room holding a birthday party. We could see the jolly balloons and gifts but heard no noise. My glass of Prosecco came up fast, a little too warm.

I loved the main course of crunchy chicken on a skewer with moist yogurt on top and onions underneath. I was disappointed ghat the unusual date cake was no longer available, and had to have the more familiar baklava . However, it was a brilliant baklava, nutty, crunchy, tasty.

Not so good the second visit. The second time they showed us to the wrong table, perched on bar stools. We queried this and the manager moved us to table 7, seated, by the bar.  The oblong box containing cutlery with the table number and our name on it was novel and a nice personalised touch.

To avoid an overhead fan, we moved nearer the next table of four, whose shrieks of laughter kept interrupting our conversation.

I noticed they had stools for the lades' handbags. I got a stool. Only when I asked, after putting my bag on the dirty floor.

My Prosecco came up warm. Not refreshing.This time we were not a sqeezed in booking. 

I opted for main course chicken on skewers. Again. The crunchy chichen on a skewer was good. I had my leftovers wrapped up to go. But I did not like the pickled carrot.

The waiter asked if everything was all right. Instead of telling him, or saying, I'll tell you in a minute, but first please wrap the leftovers  I first asked for my leftovers to be wrapped up and he rushed off.

The beef came with potato. If I had been offered a choice of vegetable I would have chosen the mash instead of onions and pickled carrot.

This time we got the date cake, but were sorry, because the baklava had been better.

The date dessert was crunchy and sickly, needed a piece of fresh fruit.

By now I had a string of dis satisfaction and disappointment, with the drink and food

. My Prosecco was serve too warm. The popular saying from Shakespeare's play title is all's well that ends well. This time the meal did not end well.

Big groups at long tables seemed to be having a fun time.

I was thinking, I had so looked forward to my second visit, but had been disappointed. The effect was slightly modified when the girl behind the bar called as we left, 'Thank you guys for coming'. What was missing, smiles and time to speak to us personally as we left.

If I were to return I would ask for my white wine or Prosecco to be chilled and I would opt for the Baklava dessert.

The venue is near Bencoolen MRT.