Le Maquis — Restaurant in Nice

We were lucky enough to get a seat at this place, it was on the outside table so it was dreadfully cold as it was the 4th December 2015 in the middle of winter. We managed to eat the first course outside. It was a wonderful mushroom pasta dish with a parmaham mousse which was just so delicious and delicate.

We got our main meal but by this time myself and my friend could barely feel our fingers anymore and asked to be moved inside, the staff were ever so helpful and found us a seat almost immediately when saw how cold we looked. We got a lovely little spot that was so warm and comfortable and we were able to finish our main course inside.

I went with the lamb shank with mashed potato as the photos I saw from previous guests showed how amazing it looked. I went for the tart for dessert which by this time I could have rolled out the door I was so full, it was probably one of the best meals I've had in a long time.

Yes as a lot of other people have said the place is somewhat hard to find but it's certainly worth the effort and try and get a reservation if you can apparently upto a week in advanced. It's also a wonderful location if you are looking to celebrate a special occasion while you are staying or just...

Came across this establishment from a recommendation by our host - was not disappointed by the level of food served. It was a shame we couldn’t share the set menu (as we already had tea before dinner) and was asked to order two mains at the table. We got the set lamb shank and an a la carte sea bass. Starter was an interesting caramelised onion on top of a crispy flat bread. The sea bass was an absolute delight - light sweetness from the fresh fish and beautiful roasted vegetables. Lamb was sliding off the bone and the mash that came along with it was buttery and fluffy. Really delish! The dessert was Mille feuille with a lovely vanilla crème and hazelnuts with caramel sauce. That was a winner.

Only gripe was that the servers had to be reminded a number on times for our table request (i.e. water) and we weren’t served the standard bread whilst the other tables had it automatically when their starter was served. They were also not quick to clear our tables despite attempts to get their attention and this delayed the next dish being served, eventually prolonging the dinner. The bill however was surprisingly quick to arrive when asked compared to the rest of service.

TLDR - come for the food but expect...

We had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. From the moment we sat down, we felt rushed. The waiter came to take our order almost immediately, even though we had just been seated and weren’t ready. He returned again shortly after and asked the same.

When we were finally ready, one of us chose a main course, while the other wasn’t hungry and only wanted a starter. At that point, the waiter informed us that each guest was required to order a main dish – something we hadn’t noticed on the menu. We politely asked for a bit more time to reconsider our order.

Only a few minutes later, the waiter returned once again. When we said we still needed more time, he pressured us, saying that people were waiting for a table. This was simply not true: the restaurant had plenty of empty tables, and there was nobody waiting outside.

We don’t believe we took an unreasonable amount of time to decide, but we felt very uncomfortable being rushed like that. Dining out should be a relaxed and pleasant experience, but instead we were made to feel like a burden. After the last comment from the waiter, we decided to leave without ordering.

We came hoping to enjoy a nice meal, but left feeling stressed...