Ma Maison Aptos
Ma Maison Restaurant
9051 Soquel Drive,
Aptos, CA 95003-4035
(831) 688-5566
| Ambiance | Cozy, Elegant, Intimate, Outdoor Dining, Quiet Conversation, Romantic |
| Cuisine | Continental, European, French |
| Dining Style | Fine Dining |
| Dress | Casual |
| Meals | Dinner, Lunch |
| Parking | Free, On-site |
| Payment Accepted | Visa,Master Card,Discover,American Express |
| Reservations | Recommended / Suggested |
Ma Maison Aptos - Summary:
(from mamaisonrestaurant.com) - We invite you to experience Ma Maison restaurant, renowned for its authentic French cuisine prepared with fresh California attitude. Owners Lionel and Janet Le Morvan will treat you like treasured guests in this refined yet comfortable setting in Aptos. You’ll feel warmly welcome in Ma Maison's charming atmosphere, whether you enjoy lunch in the intimate patio area, linger at the classic bar or share a romantic dinner close to the fireplace in one of the two dining areas of this beautifully renovated 1928 home.
Ma Maison Aptos - Reviews:
Positive Ma Maison Aptos Review:
As soon as I heard there was a French restaurant just a few minutes from my new house, I had to check it out. I definitely wasn't disappointed.
Pros
- Nice atmosphere. Felt classy but comfortable and relaxed. My boyfriend and I had a great time here, and it's perfect for a date or some time with friends and family, but I'm not sure how good it would be for kids or a very large group.
- Attentive staff. We showed up late, and were seated right away and met with polite, prompt service the whole night.
- Delicious food. I enjoyed the escargot. The duck filet was very tender; even my boyfriend, who isn't usually impressed by duck, liked it a lot. The ravioli was very interesting and the prawns were really good quality. The cheese plate made a great dessert, and one cheese in particular was amazing.
Cons
- We paid over $100. I never felt this was unfair, and this price did include appetizers, dessert, and a glass of wine, but the prices here may not be for everyone, and people should be aware that this is a place to go when you want to make an event of it, not a place for quick or inexpensive food.
- They only had 1 out of 3 of the side dishes advertised. Not sure if this was because we were there fairly late, or if it had been like that all night. If the latter, that could be a problem, as some of the sides really seemed to make the dishes they went with.
All in all, I had a great evening and an enjoyable meal. I'd definitely recommend it. In some pricier restaurants, you feel unsure as to what you're actually paying for, but that's not the case with Ma Maison. You definitely feel you're getting your money's worth - great, unique French food, good service, and a nice environment.
-Dana P., Aptos, CA
Negative Ma Maison Aptos Review:
Very disappointed with Ma Maison. I had hoped to have a decadent, delicious dinner, but unfortunately, Ma Maison did not deliver.
I'll start with ambiance. At 8pm on a Saturday, my guest and I were two of the four total guests in the dining room--quite lonely. I was startled by the dining room chairs - they belonged more in my grandma's dining room than they did in a "fine dining" restaurant (and this has to be considered fine dining for Aptos, especially due to the price point). Also, they had some French music on, which was sometimes charming, but at other times, totally cheesy. It would have also helped if they had lowered the volume down, especially since it was just the four of us in the dining room.
And then there was the food. The ultimate disappointment was the foie gras, which featured an anemic 2-ounce portion that was overcooked in way too much fat, and a mango-jasmine sauce that was puddled to the side ($17.00). The foie tasted off--too livery and lacking that wonderful melt-in-your-mouth richness that one expects. The mango-jasmine sauce was nice on its own, but it was an unsatisfactory companion to the foie.
I had the wild Alaskan halibut special ($24.00), which featured a beurre blanc, crisp thinly sliced potatoes, and broccolini. The halibut was sadly overcooked, although tasted all right. The potatoes were probably the shining star of the whole meal (followed by the warm, chewy yet crisp bread served before the first course). The broccolini was fine, but uninspired.
We skipped dessert, because, well, why would we want to risk it?
The service, unlike the food, was not bad at all. Our server was attentive, checking back with us often.
IIf it weren't for the price point, I'd give Ma Maison two stars, but for these prices, I'd expect higher quality, and therefore, a better value. If you're looking for a nice night out and a fine dining experience, I strongly recommend passing up Ma Maison.
-Stephanie M., San Jose, CA
Average Ma Maison Aptos Review:
It was my first visit to Ma Maison, my husband and I walked in on a Saturday night without reservations and a friendly waiter seated us right away. The restaurant's rather small, one main dining room, brightly lit, with yellow painted walls, no window coverings, and a small fireplace, and a smaller, more dimly lit dining room. The dress code was all over the place like it is every where around here - sweat shirts and shorts to slacks and ties.
I started with the onion soup, hoping for toasty bread buried in melting cheese, floating on top of piping hot broth and carmelized onion, but the small pieces of bread floating around were too dense to break up in the luke warm broth and they weren't good enough to even bother trying to cut to eat. Where's the cheese? The menu said they're known for their crab cakes I should have listened.
My husband started with the procuito, which came in a very generous portion with some gerkins and greens. It was okay.
Next, they brought the scallops and they were great. Four nice sized, perfectly prepared scallops in a light sauce that didn't mask their sweet flavor. They were served with steamed asparagus, again perfectly done, and what the waiter said was polenta. I love polenta, but this pile of yellow mush that had been piped frosting style onto the plate tasted like it might be a mix of polenta with potatoes and cheddar, and was disgusting. Sorry, but the texture was so strange and there was nothing about the flavor that was even close to polenta.
Hubby had the salmon and loved the generous portion served on a vegetable stew that was outstanding. Perfectly prepared salmon.
Just about everything was under salted, which I prefer to an over-salted dinner.
They have a full bar and satisfactory wine list if you order by the bottle, however if you prefer to order by the glass you'll have a very limited selection. Only about 8 wines are available by the glass.
The seating is a strange choice. The chairs aren't pretty, and don't go with the decor, and I have to bring them up because they've been designed to be comfortable for about 30 minutes, even with the beat up cushion on the seat! .
With drinks, appetizers and entrees, the bill was under $100 with tip, for the two of us.
-Dena M., Menlo Park, CA
Ma Maison Aptos - Photos:
