Best of Joburg - Perhaps but not quite. I have been to this restaurant many times. When I booked I asked for a booking for 8:15 and was promptly reminded the kitchen closes at 9.30. Most discerning restaurants close at 10pm. I was slightly irritated at the remark first off as I felt "warned". On arrival we were reminded of this fact by our waitron too. The restaurant has very poor ventilation with the open plan kitchen and smells of old oil which is off putting and also penetrates your clothing. It is Thomas Maxwell Bistro - The name conjures up little spot around the corner- local- but it is a little deceptive. It is considered Fine Dining but some of the criteria required I feel they fall short.

The "Waldorf" Salad was fresh, crisp and the dressing was truly delicious as were the sweet Walnuts. The mussel starter (We had as main course) is a firm favourite with lovely, crunchy fries and really is a winner albeit R70+ for a starter portion. The warthog starter was very tasty even though my partner felt it was a little dry. The tomato tart is really good, the pastry is really lovely and buttery. A generous filling of tomato and Goats cheese -lovely. The Salmon was very "fishy" and had a lot going on which overwhelmed the flavour of the fish. The Sirloin was pale pink in colour and rather tasteless and slightly tough. The extensive Wine List is impressive to say the least with much thought and attention to food pairing regions etc. I just feel the prices are out of hand for our local wines "Life From Stone" is currently R96 per bottle and they charge over R200 a bottle. For 4 people our bill was just short of R1500 and at R375pp for a 2 course meal with a Bottle of Wine and a bottle of still water, No dessert. No coffees or liqueurs I feel this is rather excessive.

The décor is sublime, quirky, vintage and very interesting with collectable pieces strategically placed. The music is lovely and creates a great atmosphere. So all round a good experience but I feel they are just a bit ahead of themselves with pricing. The little cupcakes are usually great as a treat as you pay your bill. Our were a little tough and dry. Attention to detail.

Fantastic restaurant - great service and very interesting menu, including rabbit dishes which are relatively rare in JHB. Chef always makes a point of checking on his guests which is a nice touch!

Whenever you need a business dinner venue - Thomas Maxwell delivers. Love the fries, steak is reliably great, and some of the deserts ate dangerously good

Let these guys impress you, they know what they are doing!
If i could afford it I would go regularly
only for special occasions