Maze- Gordon Ramsay

Over the weekend, we celebrated Marcus' 21st birthday and so as a special treat, Marcus' parents took his family, my mother and I out for dinner at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, Maze.
Maze, situated in Mayfair, is a wonderful Michelin star restaurant serving 'French and Asian influenced' food. I had heard exciting things about Maze and so couldn't wait to dive in and experience what was on offer!

We met everyone in the cocktail bar, where I tried a delicious drink called 'Jasmine Garden', which was infused with a number of ingredients including jasmine tea, pear and almond syrup. I found it delicious and rather hard to keep my paws off! As the others arrived, they ordered equally interesting sounding drinks which were all simply but beautifully presented. The evening was off to a good start!

Before long, we headed to our table. We were presented with a rather long menu of savoury dishes, split into four sections. Our maitre d' explained that we were looking at a tasting menu and that the dishes went from light to heavy as you progressed down the menu. Eagerly, I started scanning the menu and instantly picked out a number of dishes that looked delicious!

We ordered and I excitedly awaited the first course. Then, the plates started arriving. Each was exquisitely presented and we were all peering around to see what the other had ordered. I had gone for the 'Maze sushi platter', while Marcus has chosen the marinated yellow fin tuna. My dish looked so pretty I (nearly) didn't want to eat it! However, before long I dug in- the sushi was delicious and wonderfully light- I enjoyed every mouthful! Marcus' also tasted amazing (of course I stole a mouthful but shhhhhh...!). Unsurprisingly, I was very happy there were to be three more courses coming our way.

The second dish I chose was 'pressed duck and foie gras terrine' (served with poached pear and walnuts), whereas Marcus went for the (in my opinion, perfectly cooked) 'beef fillet tataki'. Again, both were scrumptious- I particularly loved my duck!

For our third dish, we both opted for the 'dumpling of lobster, tiger prawn and salmon' which came in a deliciously fragrant lemongrass broth. The little parcels were melt-in-the-mouth and the broth had me slurping up every last drop!

For our fourth and final dish, we again both chose the same- the 'braised beef feather blade' which came with little shimiji mushrooms and again, was amazing. The beef was succulent yet just fell apart in your mouth!

The beef and a few of the other dishes on the table

Feeling very happy and rather full, I sat back in my seat and marvelled at the dishes I'd just consumed. I'd enjoyed every single one and had only just restrained myself from licking the plates clean!

However, it wasn't over yet- Maze had one last surprise for us! They brought out a beautiful birthday cake for Marcus, complete with chocolate shards and (of course) candles! We all sang 'Happy Birthday' as he blew out his candles. The cake was then whisked away and reappeared moments later, cut into small pieces, each with a little dome of vanilla ice cream on top. My eyes thoroughly bigger than my belly, I tried to trough my entire slice. However the last mouthful may have defeated me- the cake was incredibly rich!

All too soon, the experience was over and it was time to leave. We rolled ourselves out of our seats and through the front door, incredibly content with the little feast we'd just consumed.

I really enjoyed my trip to Maze. The decor was lovely (mostly pinks, aubergines and lime greens), the service was quick and attentive (I'm pretty sure my water glass never fell below half full!), the atmosphere happily relaxed and the food was fantastic. I couldn't have enjoyed an evening more, although I admit, that may have been more than partly due to the delightful company!

Happy 21st Birthday Marcus!