We were looking forward to returning to Ma Maison as we had had a very good experience there on a previous occasion. This time, we felt the service was poor and the food was uneven. Our main courses were served before we had finished our appetizers. Two of the four main courses - the mussels and the scallops - were cold. We returned on of the dishes and asked that it be reheated. We were celebrating a birthday and asked if a candle could be put in a dessert we ordered. Before we ordered our desserts, they brought a piece of pumpkin pie with a candle, and none of use liked pumpkin pie!
P3119ORraymondc
VERY DISAPPOINTED!!! We were first served by an older waitress who was extremely rude. It took her 15 minutes to bring us bread after we asked, and when we tried to order drinks and appetizers while the rest of our party was still parking, she waved me off and walked away. She never returned. We eventually had to ask the hostess for assistance, and they reassigned us to another server. It was clear from the beginning that she had no interest in serving us. We ended up leaving after our appetizer without ordering dinner. Terrible experience.
Shannon
I was searching for a cozy, local dinner spot in Boston, and Ma Maison kept popping up on every list. And after eating there, I completely understand why. I started with the simple but incredibly juicy beet salad, but the huge short rib bourguignon stole the show. The rich sauce, the fall-apart tender meat, and the perfect potato croquette made every bite unforgettable. If you are in the mood for French cuisine, give them a chance!
Lisa
Whenever we are in Boston, we make the opportunity to have dinner at Ma Maison. We go for the classic French menu and atmosphere, but the food is also reliably great and the service energetic and warm. The prices are reasonable as is not always the case at French restaurants.
David
Excellent classic French restaurant. Great onion soup. Duck breast (not half a duck) cooked perfectly with crispy skin. Tasty lamb shank with nice couscous and vegetables. Good champagne cocktails. Limited wine-by-the-glass selection. Excellent bread, but you have to request it. Attentive service. Tables are a little too close to each other, but we met some very nice, interesting people from Wales
29arts
The waitstaff is American, but the chef is French. This small, compact place across from the MGH serves authentic classic French bistro cuisine at a reasonable price. There is tripe and veal kidneys on the menu for the more adventurous, but our veal chop and duck entrees, as well as the appetizers and desserts were all high quality. I will make this my first stop on a return trip to Boston.
Jeff Correa
I came to Ma Maison for the first time to celebrate something very special, including a birthday. It was also my first time trying French cuisine, and I had high expectations given all the great reviews. Unfortunately, while the food itself was very good (around an 8/10), the service from our waitress, Larissa, was extremely disappointing and unprofessional. (I had to ask the hostess for our waitresses name).
From the start, she came across as rude and arrogant. I was speaking Spanish with my cousins and ordering for them, and it genuinely felt like that bothered her. Every time I tried asking for appetizer suggestions, she gave short, dismissive replies like “I don’t know, whatever you want,” offering no help or enthusiasm. We ordered oysters, soup, and each had our own entrées and drinks and desert as well— but throughout the experience, her attitude made us feel like we were inconveniencing her.
At one point, we politely asked if one cocktail could be adjusted with a little juice because it was too strong. Larissa refused unless we paid for a brand-new drink, which felt unnecessarily rigid for a restaurant of this level. Thankfully, a busser named Alejandro noticed our discomfort and kindly helped us fix the drinks — he was polite, friendly, and genuinely made us feel welcomed. Honestly, Alejandro would make an excellent waiter, because his kindness and professionalism completely outshined our assigned server.
What made things worse was overhearing Larissa loudly arguing and scolding Alejandro afterward for simply helping us, which was both uncomfortable and unprofessional. Later, she brought a free dessert for the birthday, which we appreciated — but it felt like an attempt to make up for how poorly she had treated us the entire lunch. She then left mid-service without saying goodbye or letting anyone know, and we were never checked on again for the rest of the meal.
Overall, while the ambiance and food were solid, the service ruined what should have been a special and celebratory lunch. I really wanted to show my cousins a nice, luxurious dining experience, but instead, we left feeling unwelcome and disappointed.
Ma Maison has potential, but no matter how good the food is, poor service like this can completely destroy the experience. I truly hope management addresses this so no other guests feel as unwanted as we did.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Jodi Carroll
We were late for our reservation, but they were kind enough to hold our table, even with a full house. The staff was so kind and attentive. We were in from out of state to celebrate my birthday and our anniversary. From the gracious and kind staff's welcoming reception, to the wonderful service and exquisite food, it was a perfect evening. A special thank you to our server, Blake. He made our night absolutely perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elisa H. Gonçalves Steger
We love this restaurant. Even our kids. It is very small place so reservation is needed. Food is amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rick Goulburn
Excellent. Classic but relaxed French food. The restaurant was packed and noise level is high but that didn't distract from a lovely meal. Very good value. Will definitely return. Beware the plates. Blisteringly hot
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Petit Beef Tenderloin Bordelaise Frites, Duck Magret à L'Orange Sanguinaire with Wild Rice
This restaurant was very discriminatory. We had a reservation made and an open table with the same party size at the same time (very different last name) was given that one despite us arriving first. They instead tried to seat us outside in the 40° weather without any heaters. Another party came in and asked for a table and the waitress didn’t even dare to suggest they sit outside, they only offered them a table inside.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Peter
The sweetbreads were delicious. It is very hard to find that on a menu here, but I had some in Paris earlier this year and it was just as good here.
Nick
Recommended by other people. I worked in France for a year and have to day this is not the best French food I had in France or New York City . It is an okay food and like the place.
Julia
We love Ma Maison! Amazing food and wonderful service— feels like being in someone's home kitchen. Do not skip the French onion soup!!
Ken
I had another amazing experience at Ma Maison. The staff and food are exceptional. We are lucky to have Ma Maison in our community!
We were looking forward to returning to Ma Maison as we had had a very good experience there on a previous occasion. This time, we felt the service was poor and the food was uneven. Our main courses were served before we had finished our appetizers. Two of the four main courses - the mussels and the scallops - were cold. We returned on of the dishes and asked that it be reheated. We were celebrating a birthday and asked if a candle could be put in a dessert we ordered. Before we ordered our desserts, they brought a piece of pumpkin pie with a candle, and none of use liked pumpkin pie!
VERY DISAPPOINTED!!! We were first served by an older waitress who was extremely rude. It took her 15 minutes to bring us bread after we asked, and when we tried to order drinks and appetizers while the rest of our party was still parking, she waved me off and walked away. She never returned. We eventually had to ask the hostess for assistance, and they reassigned us to another server. It was clear from the beginning that she had no interest in serving us. We ended up leaving after our appetizer without ordering dinner. Terrible experience.
I was searching for a cozy, local dinner spot in Boston, and Ma Maison kept popping up on every list. And after eating there, I completely understand why. I started with the simple but incredibly juicy beet salad, but the huge short rib bourguignon stole the show. The rich sauce, the fall-apart tender meat, and the perfect potato croquette made every bite unforgettable. If you are in the mood for French cuisine, give them a chance!
Whenever we are in Boston, we make the opportunity to have dinner at Ma Maison. We go for the classic French menu and atmosphere, but the food is also reliably great and the service energetic and warm. The prices are reasonable as is not always the case at French restaurants.
Excellent classic French restaurant. Great onion soup. Duck breast (not half a duck) cooked perfectly with crispy skin. Tasty lamb shank with nice couscous and vegetables. Good champagne cocktails. Limited wine-by-the-glass selection. Excellent bread, but you have to request it. Attentive service. Tables are a little too close to each other, but we met some very nice, interesting people from Wales
The waitstaff is American, but the chef is French. This small, compact place across from the MGH serves authentic classic French bistro cuisine at a reasonable price. There is tripe and veal kidneys on the menu for the more adventurous, but our veal chop and duck entrees, as well as the appetizers and desserts were all high quality. I will make this my first stop on a return trip to Boston.
I came to Ma Maison for the first time to celebrate something very special, including a birthday. It was also my first time trying French cuisine, and I had high expectations given all the great reviews. Unfortunately, while the food itself was very good (around an 8/10), the service from our waitress, Larissa, was extremely disappointing and unprofessional. (I had to ask the hostess for our waitresses name).
From the start, she came across as rude and arrogant. I was speaking Spanish with my cousins and ordering for them, and it genuinely felt like that bothered her. Every time I tried asking for appetizer suggestions, she gave short, dismissive replies like “I don’t know, whatever you want,” offering no help or enthusiasm. We ordered oysters, soup, and each had our own entrées and drinks and desert as well— but throughout the experience, her attitude made us feel like we were inconveniencing her.
At one point, we politely asked if one cocktail could be adjusted with a little juice because it was too strong. Larissa refused unless we paid for a brand-new drink, which felt unnecessarily rigid for a restaurant of this level. Thankfully, a busser named Alejandro noticed our discomfort and kindly helped us fix the drinks — he was polite, friendly, and genuinely made us feel welcomed. Honestly, Alejandro would make an excellent waiter, because his kindness and professionalism completely outshined our assigned server.
What made things worse was overhearing Larissa loudly arguing and scolding Alejandro afterward for simply helping us, which was both uncomfortable and unprofessional. Later, she brought a free dessert for the birthday, which we appreciated — but it felt like an attempt to make up for how poorly she had treated us the entire lunch. She then left mid-service without saying goodbye or letting anyone know, and we were never checked on again for the rest of the meal.
Overall, while the ambiance and food were solid, the service ruined what should have been a special and celebratory lunch. I really wanted to show my cousins a nice, luxurious dining experience, but instead, we left feeling unwelcome and disappointed.
Ma Maison has potential, but no matter how good the food is, poor service like this can completely destroy the experience. I truly hope management addresses this so no other guests feel as unwanted as we did.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
We were late for our reservation, but they were kind enough to hold our table, even with a full house. The staff was so kind and attentive. We were in from out of state to celebrate my birthday and our anniversary.
From the gracious and kind staff's welcoming reception, to the wonderful service and exquisite food, it was a perfect evening. A special thank you to our server, Blake. He made our night absolutely perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We love this restaurant. Even our kids. It is very small place so reservation is needed. Food is amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent. Classic but relaxed French food. The restaurant was packed and noise level is high but that didn't distract from a lovely meal. Very good value. Will definitely return. Beware the plates. Blisteringly hot
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Petit Beef Tenderloin Bordelaise Frites, Duck Magret à L'Orange Sanguinaire with Wild Rice
Restaurantji Recommends
This restaurant was very discriminatory. We had a reservation made and an open table with the same party size at the same time (very different last name) was given that one despite us arriving first. They instead tried to seat us outside in the 40° weather without any heaters. Another party came in and asked for a table and the waitress didn’t even dare to suggest they sit outside, they only offered them a table inside.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
The sweetbreads were delicious. It is very hard to find that on a menu here, but I had some in Paris earlier this year and it was just as good here.
Recommended by other people. I worked in France for a year and have to day this is not the best French food I had in France or New York City . It is an okay food and like the place.
We love Ma Maison! Amazing food and wonderful service— feels like being in someone's home kitchen. Do not skip the French onion soup!!
I had another amazing experience at Ma Maison. The staff and food are exceptional. We are lucky to have Ma Maison in our community!
Loading...