Thomas Maxwell Bistro

Sunday, April 5th, 2015

Reviewed by Lauren King

To clarify, the service of the server/s was impeccable - unobtrusive, but always available, friendly but not overly familiar. The service of the Maitre d' however was abrupt to the point if being rude. I ordered the mussel starter and the fillet with truffle and fois as a main - having read earlier on the website that the fillet was served with fois gras, that is what I stipulated. The maitre d' then launched into an unseemly and frankly uncalled for rant at the fact the the fillet was in fact served with duck liver and NOT goose liver and that they are completely different. Ummm, ok, if you are going to be a pedantic @ss about it, then please stipulate on your menu that in fact you use salmon roe and NOT caviar and should one of your guests refer to the local bubbly as champagne, then let them know (as well as the rest of the restaurant) that they are in fact ordering an MCC - also, please ensure that they feel like complete idiots in front of their friends and colleagues. As to the meal itself - mussels were perfectly cooked, succulent and plump with good texture, the sauce however lacked depth and flavour which was disappointing, the chips were perfection. On to the main - the fillet with DUCK LIVER, was perfectly cooked as requested, the truffle was generous but the fois was not particularly evident, the roe didn't necessarily enhance the taste but was a nice textural component to the dish. The vegetables for the table however were confusing - why on earth, in an upmarket bistro, serve bog standard chain staples like pumpkin and creamed spinach? Both were seriously underwhelming vegetable dishes with very little to recommend them. Finally, the table shared a couple of the dessert tasting plates and beignets. The macaron's were exceptional, the lemon tartlets were a delight, the beignets were a little heavier than anticipated but tasty nevertheless. Would I eat here again? Unlikely - abrasive, rude service will leave a bad taste in the mouth that lasts far longer than any meal.