Maze Grill

A starter (or ‘appetiser’ to you who dine out on accounts) is a restaurants first introduction. It is their opening, their welcome to you, an opportunity to sample in moderation and whet the taste buds, salivate the tongue, before the guest of the party arrives, and the main course. And what a main course is lined up at Maze Grill.

Steak is a main course. It’s a hearty dish, too manly and fatty and wholesome ever to be considered as a starter. It is the school bully of ingredients, the gatecrasher of a high school party, the beef, the over-trained, steroid induced bouncer of a swanky nightclub. It is the flagship dish, and Maze Grill, next door to Maze restaurant in Grovesnor Square, flies that flag at top mast. And with this I fluttered past the appetiser menu to the mains. It was past lunch and I was hungry for steak.

The room is smart enough, clean, calm in colouring. We sat in the corner by the window, as not to alarm the other diners. “Good God, look over there. He’s not wearing a tie. WHERE IS HIS BLACKBERRY?” At least by the window, on a fine day, we had a pleasant view across the Grovesnor square (over the heads of the suited smokers standing by the entrance, congregating like hyenas around their prey).

Let me simplify, there is Herefordshire and Aberdeen Angus steak (25 and 28-day matured), corn-fed Creekstone from America (35-day), a Casterbridge (21-day and Britain’s first grain-fed) and a Wagu, priced at £110 (that’s just for the meat) which has been wrapped in cotton wool, swaddled, and then massaged to death by some Japanese medicine master. An example of each cut is shown to you by a member of staff, wheeled over to your table on a presentation board, the meat wrapped in white linen with the degrees of marbling on display. It’s the presentation and overall fascination and care of the meat that is most noticeable.

I chose a rib-in-eye Herefordshire (£21.50) accompanied by creamy mashed potato (£3.50) and Portobello mushrooms (£3.50), the finest mushrooms in the country, seasoned and finished to the finest of fungi standards. A top side-dish.

Wine was Corte de Rhone (£6.00 a glass 175mml). Warm and almost carbonated, stinging the tongue for a second before flowing down the throat. A punchy matching for the rib-eye.

The meat was ordered medium, and arrived so. Tender and easy to cut through. The bone took up a large proportion of the plate but the welcomed taste of marbled fat, and seasoned meat tasting juicy and plump. The outer layer of fat however was not the same as in the centre (creamy) but hung loosely in stringy clumps along the perimeter. Disappointing as the meat itself was delicious.

From what I saw on the neighbouring table, three Essex boys in Moss Bros suits, media savvy bullshitters discussing selling techniques as if they were the only people in the world ever to have seen Glengarry Glen Ross, tucked into sirloin, which would have perhaps been a finer choice.

Dessert was five cinnamon donuts along with chocolate espresso froth and a dark chocolate expresso drink – sweet! Too sweet for me. And too much after my steak. I sat still, slouched, and bloated in the corner. Chubby and content, and paid the bill.

Dont bother

A group of us went there on a Friday night and the few empty tables were indicative of the fading fortunes of this resaturant. We were sandwiched between a table of suits and lookalikes from The Only Way is Essex. We had all been before a long time ago and this visit was very dissapointing – both in terms of food and service.

We started by asking three different people for wine and half an hour later, found the waiter that could actually take our order. Water is a rare commodity with empty glasses having to be asked to be refilled several times.

The whole theatre of the display of the different beefs tableside, was made a mockery of when the food arrived since two of our four steaks were hugely overcooked and when they did arrive correctly – one of the fillets was hugely fatty. We therefore ate our meal in two sittings – two of us whose steaks were fine and then the other two. Clearly not what you want and with sides getting cold etc, really not great.

Small plates of salt and pepper squid were nice and we didnt have dessert so cant comment on that.

In terms of ambiance the dining room is nice but the the 90s dance music was odd – don't know if they are going for a restaurant / disco feel but it's the oddest choice and doesnt fit with the ambiance or the style of the place. Felt like someone was going to clear the tables and produce a dance floor.. Bizarre!

At the end of the meal there was no apology from the manager – so we asked to see him and he said he'd take the service off the bill. Although the service wasnt great, didnt see why the service should come off as we didnt want to pay for the substandard steak so he removed this at our request but still, at £65 a head, there are much better places in London to eat steak.

Evening was topped off by a long wait for our coats so needless to say we wont be going back. Mr Ramsey ought to pay attention to Maze Grill before it becomes a kitchen nightmare.

8 of us had a business lunch at the Maze Grill on Wednesday 21st April. Five of us had the Onglet from the set menu and 4 have had food poisoning ever since. Not exactly what you'd expect. Service was also very slow, with a two course lunch taking over 2 hours.

We have informed the restaurant of our food poisoning, but they have said nothing other than that they will call us back, which they have not.

one word..bloody awful, had ordered the rib eye steak for about £30, but was more like a minute steak, as we had booked at 5 pm they obviously though we where cluelsess tourists! after complaining to manager we were given proper steaks, but meat was poor, service was very average, i suggestion to the chef there, go to goodmans steak house and then u will see what a great steak should taste like. defo will never be going back. perhaps Mr ramsey should concentrate more on his business and less on his tv career.

I love this place…just the right amount of attention to detail and service without being snotty and in your face while offering great, well cooked dishes.

The steak is fantastic and if you are a carnivore like me then a big rump 28day matured aberdeen hits the mark, couple that with some crunchy vegatables, some dauphinois, a stilton sauce and your well on your way to a great meal.

The wine selection is good. albeit a bit toppy for an up market “american grill” but then you are getting the ramsey/atherton touch and those cleb chefs need to pay the bilss somehow.

The only issue I have with the place is the booking, if your booking a table early evening you'll be limited to your time and probably asked to stick to a couple of hours, which frankly when you are paying the best part of £200 for two with a decent bottle of wine and 3 corses is a bit cheeky…you've been warned. Better to book for 8.30 and roll on until the end.

Great bar, great cocktails and if they haven't got what you want, they will make it

do not believe the hype around this restaurant which are now outdated. Had a dreadful meal. food was fine but all of us had to return dishes because they were tepid. the service was terrible and disinterested. the decor looked like a restaurant in a mall – our table was 3 pushed together – cheap wood veneer that was chipped. An embarassing evening with friends from the US. Thought we were taking them to one of our best. GR you should be ashamed or maybe do a makeover on your own restaurant.

Dined at the Maze Grill Sunday 16/08/09
I cannot understand why some of the reviews have complained about the cost of the meal and wines. The costs of the meals and wines are fully published on the Maze Grill website, so you know the approximate cost before you make a reservation. Don't get me wrong we are certainly not weathy , but do like to treat ourselves when we visit London. This was our fourth visit to the Maze and on all occasions the food, wine, atmosphere, service and value for money have been excellent. I feel the way they explain the Steak types are perfect and gives you an understanding prior to ordering. The Maze Grill is more of a relaxed casual setting, where as the Maze Restaurant is still casual but a little more of a refined setting. Although I did notice one American couple with the husband wearing tailored shorts, I personally I did'nt approve, but maybe a bit hard to police if staying at hotel. Anyway, if you are looking for exeptional food and service you will not be disappointed, definitely book. You can find more details on their website ( www.gordonramsey.com. Then a link to Maze Grill), which will also give you an idea of the Menu and costs if required. Once again 10 out of 10.

Dinner for two on a Saturday night had been booked with some anticipation several months ago. My man had been to Maze the restaurant before, but he was hungrier than that, and the sound of the new Grill appealed.

You come in the smart street entrance, and turn left for Maze the Restaurant (swanky, inviting) – or turn right for Maze the Grill: brighter & brasher, to my view more American diner in style (ie not swanky nor particularly inviting).

Gulp! Should have worn my jeans…My heart sank a little as I slinked in platform heels and a killer dress past closely-placed, packed cafe tables seating in succession a family outing with young children, a very large man in a checked shirt (yup: American diner) & a birthday party or two, to be shoehorned in before the raised chef's table. This night, the chef's table was housing a hen-party who later – much, much later – headed into the kitchen with giggles and aprons to cook their own steaks. “As long as she's not cooking mine” the guy at the next table commented , eyeing up the happy but inebriated bride-to-be with some alarm.

Well, what was good, apart from a very pleasant conversation with the couple seated almost in our laps to my right? Nice sourdough bread with cold butter. A good bottle of Bordeaux (at £100 it should be), a lobster cob salad that was dainty enough to have escaped from next door, with perfectly-cooked fresh lobster (shame about the fridge-cold potato however) and a spot-on Aberdeen Angus fillet steak cooked medium-rare.

All ‘sides’ are extra: the steak comes on a flat wooden board with just a bulb of roasted garlic – a slightly precarious platform for pouring over the tasty but creamily-runny peppercorn sauce I had ordered (mind your meat juices too): maybe this is the practical reason for no tablecloths or mats? The chips were only so-so. Shame, shame: a great steak needs cracking chips and not much else.

What was bad? What was really bad, no, outrageous the more I thought about it… on arrival, we ordered two glasses of champagne and we were offered rose which I chose (my man stuck with normal house). When it was poured, the rose did not foam AT ALL. I questioned this, and was assured that it was a fresh bottle that day. When I said that it tasted flat, I was told that it was the style of that rose champagne: they would open another bottle if I wished, but it would be just the same. “If you say so” I said doubtfully, in the face of this brick-wall of certainty. God, who'd be rash enough to argue with ‘Gordon Ramsay’?

My man tasted it, and declared firmly, “it's flat” with even more certainty, and hoicked over the wine waiter to open a new bottle and guess what? The new bottle foamed up normally, as every other champagne has ever done when poured, and it tasted fresh and completely different to the flat bottle the staff had been so determined to palm off on me – at £15 a glass. Sadly, there was no apology or offer of a free glass. (NB to myself: do not feel cowed into drinking unbubbly ever.)

The bill for 2 starters, 2 steaks with 3 sides and 2 portions of sauce, 1 dessert, 1 coffee, 1 bottle of mineral water, aforementioned £100 bottle of wine and the infamous 2 glasses of champagne came to £250 including service.

“Do you realise that cost as much as Texture?” said my man (Texture does champagne rather better). “Where would you rather eat?” Texture does quite a lot of things rather better than Maze Grill, but it's not comparing like with like, other than cost.

Gaucho steaks are pretty close to as good as Maze Grill, and the same sort of menu at Gaucho Smithfield a few weeks earlier was nearer half the price with double the occasion factor, if you follow me.

Maze was good, but not great as a special night out. Cost, ambience and service all come into that equation, and despite a great surf'n'turf act Maze didn't quite cut the mustard for me.

Gordon Ramsey affordable? Yes, yes it is true. With a great set lunch menu at amazing value, this restaurant has become a favourite of mine. On a recent dinner there, we were pleased to have appetisers, two gorgeous steak dinners with sides, a bottle of wine, water, and service all total under £100. The staff was great, inviting us into the kitchen to meet the chefs. They even brought out a birthday treat for my partner and encouraged the entire dining room to sing him a happy birthday.

What a night! Great place!

Berni Inns 2008 style at silly prices. Very slow and sometimes incomprehensible service…the impression given is that the aim is maximum revenue at minimum cost.

After being seated 15 minutes late (for a 9:45 booking) we were asked 7 times in quick succession to place our order.
The waiter's grasp of English although very coached and obviously following a series of rehearsed monologues was pretty bad and it was very hard to understand them.
Most of the staff were not English/British and their sole aim seemed to be to rush us through our meal and produce the bill for us.
To the point that we were forced to make our last drinks order before we had even seen the desert menu as the bar was closing and then made to order our deserts in a rush as the kitchen was closing.
Why accept a booking at 9:45 when it's not possible to provide a meal that the diners can enjoy? Needless to say the £45 tip was removed from the bill after a chat with the manager.
Shame as the food was quite good.

I finally got a chance to visit the lovely Maze Grill – i had only heard from those who had been on business lunches that it was excellent so i longed to try it out myself. Hurray – finally!

OK, in terms of decor, its very white/light in colour a la Chez Bruce and tables are well laid out so where i sat, you could see the chefs at work. I was hoping to see Jason Atherton as id loved watching Great British Menu but nothing, just normal cheffy types. Service was good – pleasant knowledgable waiter who was very friendly, and i noted how other groups were treated as so too – always a nice thing rather than waiters frowning as they turn their backs.

Foodwise – both of us picked lovely fillet steaks which was close to £28 each. This was Hereford grass fed – ie i think meant to be very good, but there was also an array of meaty options, many of which i could have gorged down. I have to hold my hands up and say, the food is excellent and mouthwateringly so. I don't remember tasting a more perfect steak aside from maybe the ever excellent Gaucho. Anyway, I didn't really want to say that Maze Grill is as good as it is as it is hugely expensive for ‘just a steak’ but as my sister put it, ‘its really not that easy to find a decent cooked one’. Everything was also exceedingly well presented on a little wooden chopping board type things with a large roasted garlic bulb – very cool and satisfying my comfort craving tendencies…all in all, the main course was incredibly filling and satisfying that we didnt have pudding but i'd say we were mainly there for the steaks, desserts could come later!

Downsides – the price as at £70 for two and just for one course, this was very hefty for the average person who sees dining out as a treat but hasnt a huge disposable income – but i did note that one of the larger family type groups there went for the set menu which was 2 courses for £15, 3 for £18 which is pretty amazing given it's Central London and part of the Gordon Ramsey chain. I left thinking yes it's pricey but that i'd definitely go back as a treat – a real luxury for a London carnivore i'd say!