No critic could credibly review hotels and restaurants around Britain without visiting The Maze. It is perhaps one of the most famous restaurants in the world, only in part because it’s owned by that global brand, Gordon Ramsay. We decided our visit had waited long enough, so went along to try the new Wine Flight menu.
The Wine Flight is a tapas-style tasting menu that offers the opportunity to try both fine wines and fine dining. There is a set menu and a variety of wines to go with each course. The wine is selected to suit your choices, and is marketed as an ideal way to try wines from around the world.
The restaurant is on Grosvenor Square, which gives you an indication of the target market. The decor is sleek and hip, with a real touch of class. We were taken to a round section of the dining room and seated at a table for two that was nicely spaced from the other diners. Space isn’t at a premium here, there is enough room to breathe, and to enjoy a meal without the feeling of people looking over your shoulder.
There is a chef’s table at Maze, sat near the back so you can watch the artists at work. Booking a place there has just entered our to-do list. After seeing it on the various programmes featuring Gordon, it’s an opportunity not to be missed if you like your food.
There were quite a few people in the dining room, but the staff seemed to be coping well. Our waitress appeared quickly, with a menu and a smile. We selected the Wine Flight menu and placed our order.
Now it’s here that we need to make a confession. We were so excited about our impending meal that we completely forgot what wine we had with it. So although we enjoyed the array of wines thoroughly, we cannot accurately tell you, our loyal readers, what we had. What we have to say is that the whole experience really has to be tried to be believed.
We began with cauliflower veloute with smoked haddock and potato salad. A delightfully light and tasty dish that was more than enjoyable. Then we had Loch Duart salmon, fondue of leek, vinaigrette of brown shrimps and horseradish. It sounds fussy, but it was amazing. If there is such a thing as being fishy without being too fishy, this was it.
Both dishes were a delight, well balanced and seasoned just enough. Despite them both being fish, they were satisfying enough to be fulfilling. We were served a couple of glasses of red wine here, which is unusual for a fish course but worked perfectly.
Dessert consisted of gingerbread pan perdu, caramelised apricots, and egg nog ice cream and rice pudding, mirabelle plum jam, mascarpone ice cream, caramelised pecans. The gingerbread was a delight. It was spicy, sweet, rich and dark all at the same time. The apricots set the ginger off perfectly and the ice cream cooled everything down again.
The rice pudding was nothing like I used to get at school. It was light, perfectly cooked with a hint of sweetness. The plum jam was tart and the ice cream added a richness to the whole dish that we really enjoyed. With this course was a white wine, which was light, and fruity which set off the desserts perfectly.
I had high expectations for our supper at Maze, and our meal here exceeded them in every way. The style of the restaurant was modern and cool, even the bathroom was hip. The service was attentive, well trained and well informed.
The Bill: £65 per head
