maze

Interesting food, lovely service, a real clean experience. The sommelier we had at lunch seemed quite uncertain about what she was recommending, so we chose our own. Otherwise, a fantastic experience.
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JS - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, July 12, 2010

My partner and I visited Maze for lunch today to celebrate our 8th anniversary and we had a very good experience. There was a wonderful sense of relaxed and laid back dining - lunch lasted 3 hours!

The service was polite, attentive and not too obtrusive - if on occasion a little too quick to clear almost as soon as we put our cutlery down; but this was only a minor blemish on an otherwise very good service.

The food was, on the whole, extremely good. The stars were the ox tongue and cheeks and the monk fish. Some portions were a little on the small side (mainly the ones my partner chose - the quail and the lamb tongue and shepherds pie) but the others were very adequate. In any case we left feeling satisfied. The price of the dishes was fair - most dishes were the same size and price of a large starter in comparable establishments.

The only real negative comment that I would make is that the seating arrangements were almost like having tables down both sides of a corridor so that there was a constant stream of waiting staff moving up and down between the tables - this rather distracted from the ambiance.

On the whole this was a good dining experience and a lovely way to celebrate our anniversary.
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FrFlatt
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Saturday, March 27, 2010

Disappointing....over-rated, poor service, staff who couldn't speak English, tiny portions and expensive...a let down...such a shame, had high hopes!
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5 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I recently paid a visit to maze on Valentine's Day for a dinner sitting., having been a number of times previously. The great thing about this place is certainly its consistency (quality of food, service) but also the way you can still be surprised on every visit.

As is inevitable, the Valentine's menu was a set one of six courses (with some courses having two options to pick from), but this was not a problem as the menu had clearly been thought about carefully and was exceptionally balanced. I was dining with a vegetarian that evening - one of the reasons I opted for maze, strangely. Whilst I'm sure I've heard Mr. Ramsey moan about vegetarianism previously, the other guest was given an entirely vegetarian six course menu (with some courses having more than one option). Maze were extremely accommodating and without any fuss on this aspect.

Now for the food. The Jerusalem artichoke velouté, duck ragoût, Lincolnshire field mushrooms on olive toast was exceptional, better than I remember it being on previous occasion. There are quite a few flavours going on, but the pairing of slight sweetness of Jerusalem artichoke with the savouriness of duck is the main pairing. Whilst the vegetarian diner was able to go for this dish without the duck, I did feel that they might be missing out though they said that they thoroughly enjoyed this course. This was follwoed by another Atherton signature - Marinated beetroot, Slipcote cheese, pine nuts and Cabernet Sauvignon dressing. Extremely refreshing, if not a bit rich. The only problem was that this was only the second course and, with the portion being quite generous, one could quite easily have been filled up by these first two coruses alone. And then the third course - but this is where my only slight complaint of the service comes in. Now, I'm all too aware of thow this review could be description of one course after the other, quickly and consecutively without room to breath. The problem is that this is what Maze were doing. The sitting was only a 2 and a half hour one, but the service was too efficient. It really was a case of what seemed like a one minute gap between one course being cleared and the next arriving. It was when the seabass 'by the sea' appeared instantly after the beetroot and cheese that this was first noticed. The fish was cooked very well and had a curious bed of what I confess to be an unidentifiable seafood, kale (potato somewhere too perhaps?) and other maritime accompaniments. The menu only listed seabass a component of this dish - I did imagine that it might have a foam of some sport nodding to the sea, but no. Whislt the fish was moist, it could have done with a liquid or sauce of some sort, even in a tiny amount.

And then the fourth course; I had pidgeon with berries and a dark chocolate ganache - it was very good, but by this point I was already feeling quite full (we had not been sitting down for not that much more than an hour when this arrived). In a strange way, I felt like it could have been dessert, given not only the opulence and near-decadence of this dish but also how full I was feeling. The other half had a mushroom risotto and seemed very pleased, if not getting full as well. There was no significant break between mains and dessert as the fifth course arrived extremely promptly; however, this was by far the best course, and possibly one of the greatest desserts I've ever experienced. Apple and blackberry trifle, cider granité and almond financier - this was the cheeky mix between English and French cuisine which maze does so well. It at first seemed like a palette cleanser, being served in a long shot glass, but this was solely about layers, texture and flavours rather than portion size. It worked well as the first of two desserts. The cider granité on top at first gave the impression of a rather adult dish, in taste as much as concept. As you progressed downwards, aspects of the dish which were entriely familiar began to emerge: the flavour combination of apple and blackerry as well as that sweet, creamy trifle taste experienced by everyone in childhood at some stage. The dish really was like a journey backwards, taking you out of the Grosvenor Square seriousness and into a playground of taste sensations somewhere past and distant. It was finished in no time and the final dish arrived. I'd gone for the Lemon meringue, citrus curd, lemon sherbet, basil sorbet - quite a sensible choice as anything richer would have been hard to swallow at this stage. Neatly laid out and very light, but with a strong and unusual basil flavour trying the whole thing together. The lemon sherbert was extremely bitter (and again a flavour slightly evocative of school days) with a sweet, sticky and airy meringue. A perfect end to the meal. The other guest enjoyed their signature peanut butter and cherry jam sandwich, which was first rate, albeit a slgihtly more sickly ending to the meal. Petits fours are not usually worth commenting on, but there was a violet honeycomb chocolate brought to the table which was one of the best chocolates I've ever had.

A quick note on the drinks; as this set menu included a glass of rosé champagne on arrival, we stuck with this and enjoyed another glass halfway through the meal rather than opting for wine. All in all, a very enjoyable evening. The price was quite inflated even by the usual maze standard, but working out at ~£160/head with service, it was worth it given the quality of food and memories the occasion has given. Will be back again soon, possibly for the early supper offer as that does seem like much more of a bargain!
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9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Thursday, March 04, 2010

Fantastic meal with creative touches only Jason Atherton could invent. Definitely not Gordon Ramsay's food-- I have been to Gordon Ramsay Restaurant and the two cuisines could not be more different.

Maze is exciting and vibrant. You are constantly surprised and amused throughout the meal.

Jason is a true genius.
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Emily Haurnton
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, February 09, 2010

At the outset, I have to say that if it had not been for the maitre d', this review would have been full of superlative praise about the quality of the food, which is in general excellent. There were also high points in the service, most notably the sommelier, who was knowledgeable, patient, and interested in trying to make sure that what he recommended worked with what we had ordered. The problem is that our experience last Friday night goes to show that one really low point, even in an overall experience that is above average, can have you leaving the restaurant never wanting to come back.

I would support the comments made by other reviewers that the service can be a little too prompt and efficient....I am afraid I never think it is appropriate to put a course down on a table for two when one person is not at the table, particularly in a restaurant with a Michelin star where part of the experience should be the theatre of serving the dish and plating the sauces etc. A plea to the waiting staff...please think about what you would want if you were out to dinner...this is not rocket science. Ironically the second set of dishes then took so long to come out that a waiter came out and apologised profusely for the delay! In general there are too many people moving randomly around the floor, and a disconcerting number of different people who appear at your table throughout the evening to perform various functions. Despite this, we struggled to get our water glasses filled more than once, although the wine flowed freely.

On the very positive side, the food was generally creative and thoroughly enjoyable, as I would expect from Jason Atherton. Several dishes were outstanding, with one of the best being a Cornish lamb and tongue, served with a mutton Shepherd's pie and mint jelly. The lamb was perfectly cooked, and the flavours well balanced. The other dish in this set, a Suffolk pork cheek and belly was simply glorious, (without a doubt the best pork belly I have ever eaten) and was presented with a crunchy spiral of perfectly seasoned and crunchy crackling. The earlier fish dishes were worth their wait, with the highlight being the 'Scottish breakfast' which included a tiny glass of smoky kedgeree, with a quail's egg on the top, which lent a gloriously creamy texture when eaten. The patisserie chef should be congratulated for swaying me by the perfection executed in his chocolate delice, which had molten fudge inside a mousse of a texture I could only aspire to in the kitchen. For someone like me who hates chocolate desserts, I had to admit that my other half had chosen well, as my rice pudding was good, but lacked the extra spark I would have expected from the Maze kitchen. Braised octopus was less successful; though the dish had excellent depth of flavour, the texture verged on the tough.

So that is the positive....as you can see, generally a very good food experience. Trouble was, the dish of red mullet, served with garlic puree and braised cuttlefish with a rabbit bolognese was a disaster. The individual parts were fine, but the garlic puree had been tossed with what appeared to be strips of cuttlefish, and had been burned. We didn't eat it and left it on the plate....as anyone who cooks will know, the flavour of burned garlic is a very unpleasant taint. When we pointed this out to the maitre d' who cleared the plates, noting that it was a very minor criticism, he apologised, then returned about 3 minutes later to tell us that he had discussed this with the chef, and that we were wrong. We were told that we did not know what we were tasting, and that the garlic had not been burned. He had tasted the garlic puree in the kitchen, and it was definitely not burned. He had not tasted ours, but he didn't need to, as we were just flat out wrong. In very condescending tones, he explained that the cuttlefish was cooked on a char-grill, and that the purpose of that is apparently to add a charred flavour to the food....that is what we were tasting, he informed us. We terminated the conversation as quickly as we can....it remains beyond me what would possess a senior member of waiting staff in a top end restaurant to have an argument with a customer over a £10 dish, and what's more to have the sheer arrogance to assume that the customer does not know what they are tasting. Having been cooking at a high level for close to 30 years, I found his assumptions extraordinary. We found the whole experience embarrassing and insulting, and unfortunately it tainted what would otherwise have been a great meal.

Would we go again? Probably not, all things considered, even though the food and wine were good. We had a far better experience, for a similar price, at the Square a few months ago, and felt far less rushed throughout. There is no question that Jason Atherton is a gifted chef, and I really like the tapas style plates that you are able to share, but overall it just has a slight mass-production feel about it, and I have to wonder whether this is a Ramsay influence. In any event, someone needs to tell the maitre d' that it is simply not worth arguing with a customer over a £10 plate of food, even if you think they are talking rubbish. But then again, maybe Maze is happy to manage without repeat custom.
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Kate - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, December 22, 2009

had the most fantastic time t

here the food as always is fantastic . I know its a GR place but dont let that put you off the amazing food and wine
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paul bryny
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Saturday, December 19, 2009

had the most amazing meal, what a place. after seeing jason on masterchef decided to book and it was everything we had thought . simply one of the best in london . well done mr j
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mr o
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Friday, October 30, 2009

The food is absolutely good but not excellent, a lot of the dishes have the same herbs. The garlic puree is much too creamy. The atmosphere is nice but what we didn’t like is that the waiter comes immediately after each sip wine and water and fill up our glasses. Also the food came so quick, just after we ordered we started chatting and the food was right in front of us, two times asking to pause five or ten minutes before serving the next dish didn’t work. This gives us the feeling that they are waiting to prepare our table for the next set of customers.

After finishing our lunch going to the bar to drink our tea, you don’t get much attention anymore. We had to go to the waiter at the bar to ask for our bill.

Overall it was certainly not bad but it could be better.
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7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Monday, October 26, 2009

We went to Maze last June. The food was excellent, we had the Chef's menu 60 pounds, 7 courses. High quality for a good price. Portions good.

What we didn't like or a least a little disturbing is all that staff. Of course we understand you need a lot, to run the place smoothly. But one guy carries a big tray from the kitchen to the floor, waits untill he gets the attention of the waiter, then 2 of them join him to serve your plate. After that the Sommelier comes to pour the wine and finally the Maitre comes round to ask if everything is OK? This happens every course at every table.

But if you want to eat out and get a trendy dish, great taste you will be delighted!

I'm from the Netherlands and I still have to meet a Dutch chef who can cook as good and original as the restaurants we visited during our stay in London, (mind you for these prices.)
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Anne
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, September 29, 2009