Artesian adds Surrealist snacks to menu

Envelope pushing cocktail bar the Artesian at The Langham has added a selection of Surrealist-inspired snacks to its menu to pair with its new cocktails.

The 14-strong, tapas style “Snax” menu was created by the hotel’s executive chef Chris King in collaboration with Michel Roux Jr, who sought inspiration from Alex Kratena and Simone Carpale’s new Surrealism-inspired cocktail list.

Among the snacks on offer are tuna tartare with basil and pine nuts served in mini ice cream cones; seaweed sesame sables with salted caramel; blue prawns with coconut and avocado; and Bloody Mary macaroons.

Guests are the bar are given a sheet of paper with all of the dishes on and are asked to tick the boxes of those that tickle their fancy.

In July Kratena and Carpale launched cocktail menu inspired by erotic cookbook Les Diners de Gala, written by Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí.

Taking a perfumier’s approach to the cocktails, the duo give scent, presentation and garnishes as important a role as flavour in the final serve.

Among the quirky drops on offer at the bar are the Join the Colony, a wheat-based vodka cocktail served in a giant copper ant, and the Your Room or Mine featuring Glenddich 15 Year Old and served in a Hermès-scented furry cup.

Also on menu is the Anti Hero, made with Don Julio Reposado, Muscat, gentian, smoke and blood orange, served in a silver Lego elephant with giraffe legs.

Led by André Breton in the 1920s, the Surrealists were inspired by Freud and imbued both everyday objects and their dreams with lofty significance.

Their aim was to try and give meaning and expression to their inner workings of their subconscious through automatic writing, fantastical paintings and abject objects that aimed to shock, surprise and delight.

Among the famous Surrealist artists are Max Ernst, Man Ray, Joan Miró, Marcel Duchamp, Méret Oppenheim, Yves Tanguy, Luis Buñuel, and, of course, Dalí.