I think there’s a good reason why Gordan Ramsey’s empire is starting to crumble, with our visit to Maze a testament to what you pay for a brand instead of the quality that you get. I remember seeing Maze when I first moved to London, thinking about how reasonable everything seemed on the menu only finding out later that they were for tapas-sized portions, not mains. Whoops!
Everything on the inside is definitely decadent and looks like it certainly deserves a Michelin star from the intimate detail with cutlery, the tableware and the interior wide and spacious considering how central its location is near Oxford Street.
The bread selection was lovely decent with a mini baguette and some bread sticks. The butter was so-so, not particularly flavoursome but okay nevertheless. As you can see, presentation was nice as well.
We came here on the three course lunch deal, which is probably the best value rather than ordering ala carte. Of course, you suffer a limited selection but you get a good enough idea of the quality of the food. Unfortunately I only took pictures of the starters, a beetroot and goats cheese salad which was delicious and a great way to start. I remember having fish for the main meal and though it was a much better serving than the pork belly, I don’t remember it being particularly special.
At the end of the meal, you also got some, not quite, petite fours (chocolate ginger and turkish delight here).
Out of all things considering, ambience and the brand are probably the two things you pay the most for. I remember service being particularly sloppy (we had to ask for top ups of our water) and no one seemed to really take notice of when we finished our meal and wanted the bill. I don’t even remember it being particularly busy.
Gordon’s empire may be built on something, but I can tell you that if this is what it was built on, he’s got many better places to compete with.
Name: Maze
Found at: 13-15 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6
Contactable on: http://www.gordonramsay.com/maze
TheKua.com rating: 6 out of 10