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Maze (∗∗∗)

Address:10-13 Grosvenor Square W1K 6JP
Tel:020 7107 0000
Email:
Website: Visit Maze website
Price: £68.00 Wine: £20.00 Champagne: £52.00
Opening Hours:Mon-Sun 12N-10.30pm

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Square Meal review of Maze: ? Write your own review

Gordon Ramsay’s omnipresence on the dining scene may be starting to irritate, but Maze remains one of London’s most effusively praised restaurants – perhaps because it’s the most atypical of GR’s operations. There’s no sense of stuffy fine dining about the place, & the menu breaks the mould with its choice of around 20 tasting dishes. Ingredients are boldly matched in exciting combinations & the kitchen pulls off all manner of triumphs, from braised shin of veal with pumpkin risotto & kidney powder, to slow-cooked quail marinated in foie gras with peach purée & ale-vinegar reduction. Small portions prove especially popular at lunchtime, while seasonally changing menus & a chef’s table banish the threat of boredom. True, there are gripes: the setting is highly corporate, tables away from the windows are disappointing, & some grumble that this kind of food only appeals for its novelty value. But for most, the whole package remains unrivalled, with ‘excellent & attentive’ service attracting particular praise.

Wine List: The sommeliers at Maze have created a great wine selection that also makes a huge effort to complement the food. A grazing menu requires flexibility from the wine list, so here are 30-plus wines & a range of saké by the glass, along with an extensive set of halves. Maze’s famous wine flights are a fascinating way to experience the different flavours a grape or region can offer & how they pair with food. Best Buy White 2007 Riesling Paulett’s Polish Hill, Clare Valley, South Australia, £39. Best Buy Red 2005 Dolcetto d’Alba, Germano Ettore, Piedmont, Italy, £32.

Chef: Jason Atherton

Maze’s Chef - Maze chef Jason Atherton

Jason Atherton’s reputation stepped up a level in 2008 following his resounding success on the BBC’s Great British Menu. His food so impressed the judges and voting public that he was selected to cook two courses at the show’s climax, a dinner for culinary luminaries atop the Gherkin. He also published his first book, Maze: The Cookbook. Meanwhile, the Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) chef has continued to launch restaurants, opening Maze Prague in 2007 and the New York-inspired Maze Grill joining neighbouring Maze restaurant in the London Marriott hotel last year. Atherton spent three years in Dubai heading up Verre for GRH before he unleashed Maze’s tapas-style cuisine on diners in 2005, gaining a Michelin star and winning the title of BMW Square Meal Restaurant of the Year in the restaurant’s first 12 months of operation.

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Reader reviews of Maze:

Andrew W.
Reviews: 1

Andrew W. (40s, Male, United Kingdom)

My wife and i are big GR fans, indeed we have eaten at Hospital Road and my wife collects his books. It is therefore with a heavy heart we have to say we were dissapointed with Maze. We knew what to expect, but the portions were ridiculously small and didn't taste wise really knock us out.

The service was ok rather than special. We also could hardly hear ourselves speak because of the music and generally noisy atmosphere.

On advice from the waiter we both had two starters and two main courses, plus one sweat.

My wifes fish starter barely contained a mouthful of fish and my pea starter was just a bowl of green liquid with no flavour at all. Some of food was pretty decent, but the portions are so small you do feel you are getting poor value.

Most reviews Ive seen are pretty positive and I know lots of people who really enjoyed it, so I don't want to put anyone off. Just we felt £200 out of pocket and very underwelmed really.

27 May 2009
Overall:6
Food and Drink:7
Service:6
Atmosphere:7
Value for Money:4
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Foodess
Gold Reviewer

Foodess (50s, Female, United Kingdom)

Maze was a brilliant lunchtime experience from my foie gras & smoked eel starter to the excellent Portuguese wine recommended. For me the star of the show was undoubtedly the Daurade with shrimp & lobster risotto. My partner’s iron bark pumpkin latte with duck was in the super yummy class too. Staff were efficient, friendly and helpful. My only gripe was that one dish was too cool because it had been waiting to be served before we’d finished starters. However, we had been warned that the dishes are served in quick succession (a bit like Amaya), and we were admittedly rather slow munching through the scrumptious bread and starters, but thankfully the last two dishes arrived at a much more leisurely pace. Also liked the clean modern setting. Dined first time mid Jan 09 and can’t wait to return.

5 February 2009
Overall:8
Food and Drink:9
Service:10
Atmosphere:8
Value for Money:8
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Thurloe W.
Reviews: 1

Thurloe W. (30s, Female, United Kingdom)

went here in December had chefs tasting menu didn't like the food at all there was one course out of the seven that my husband and I liked and we are both adventerous eaters – the atomosphere is very good but the food was at all to our liking and it was very expensive for what it is.

1 January 2009
Overall:5
Food and Drink:3
Service:7
Atmosphere:3
Value for Money:3
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Mark D.
Reviews: 1

Mark D. (30s, Male)

I agree with another reviewer: The Chef's Dining Experience at Maze was by far the best dining experience I've had the pleasure to encounter. It was probably one the most expensive meals I've had, but it was also the best value for money. It wasn't a meal, it was 5+ hours of gastronique entertainment!
The Chef's table is separate from the main restaurant, and has windows and a door onto the (suprisingly calm and quiet) kitchen. For one course the ‘birthday boy ’ dons a chef's outfit and everyone else wears aprons, and we were given a tour of the kitchen followed by the ‘birthday boy’ cooking the scallops we were about to eat.
As each of the 10 courses was served the chef who cooked it (different chef for each course) described what were about to eat.
It's changed my attitude to going out for meals: no longer will I regularly go for a local pizza or curry, but instead will save my money for occasionally going somewhere as exceptional as this.
If you've got 10 or so people and a special occasion I wholeheartedly recommend that you go.

21 November 2008
Overall:10
Food and Drink:10
Service:10
Atmosphere:10
Value for Money:10
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Andrew S.

Andrew S. (20s, Male)

This place is amazing. I've been twice. Once soon after it opened and then again more recetly. Jason Atherton is a legend!

21 November 2008
Overall:10
Food and Drink:10
Service:10
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:10
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R.R.Gill
Gold Reviewer

R.R.Gill (30s, Male, United Kingdom)

I was lucky enough to be invited to join a colleague to sample the Chef's Table experience at Maze and have to say without a doubt it was the most amazing dining experience I have ever had. The entire experience is meticulously put together and the selection of dishes is fantastic. We were asked for any likes or dislikes prior to the meal and let the Kitchen team, supervised by Jason Atherton come up with 10 dishes of pure heaven. With a matching selection of wines with every 2 courses a tour of the Kitchen and one of our table press-ganged into cooking one of the courses for us, it was a mixture of dining and theatricals. The price for this experience doesn't come cheap but after trying this culinary delight I think for a special occasion (and considering the excellence of the meal all round) it's well worth it. The atmosphere has been marked very high because of the company I was with and be warned it's a long long meal so go with your best friends and if lunching cancel all your afternoon appointments.

28 October 2008
Overall:10
Food and Drink:10
Service:10
Atmosphere:10
Value for Money:8
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Gemma H.

Gemma H. (30s, Female, London)

We recently enjoyed an interesting meal at Maze. The food all comes in a bijou form which does tend to leave you wanting but that's not to say it wasn't tasty – which it was. You are encouraged to in effect order 2 starters and 2 mains each which we decided to share and we certainly enjoyed an eclectic mix of flavours. The service is as it should be and the decor and atmosphere all seem to work, but I still don't think the overall experience merited the £200 bill for 2 people.

7 October 2008
Overall:7
Food and Drink:8
Service:8
Atmosphere:7
Value for Money:6
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