Beautiful, pink, chic, and green are the aesthetics that first draw your attention to Café Maud, situated at the corner of the UES, 85th and 2nd Ave. My attention to this place was birthed by its beauty and Parisian-esque balcony and sustained by the long queue of hip New Yorkers I saw waiting in line, not once, not twice, but every time I walked by. And like any true millennial living in NYC, I too wanted a piece of the pie, the Maud pie. So as soon as I arrived in my apartment after my long walk, I searched Google for reservation details. None are needed. Okay, so no reservations. Great, no reservations about that.
I called my best friend up (who had just endured her first 24 hour shift of her internship) and told her we are getting drinks here to celebrate. We arrived promptly at 6:30 pm on a Sunday night to be greeted by the ever fresh, ever noticeable smell of dog poop. Initially, I imagined it was a smell in my head, crafted by my own senses as a punishment for agreeing to visit a restaurant that does not take reservations. But then, one by one, as others joined us in the queue, the expressions and soon the comments helped me confirm that the universe indeed was not punishing my impulsivity and that in fact the UES hottest new spot was indeed the conduit of this scent.
No worries. We were told our wait would be 30 minutes.
“But it is supposed to rain,” I remarked. “What if it starts raining?”
“Thirty minutes.”
“Can we wait inside if it does?”
“No. Everyone must wait outside.”
So we did, and pulled out our umbrellas when the drops started. But our predicted 30 minute wait became 20, and soon we were directed to the upstairs floor of the restaurant.
I will say, the aesthetic of this place is unmatched. It is exactly the vibe any self respecting NYC baddie would want to entertain on a Saturday night (again, minus the dog poo). It is speakeasy meets chic, meets you definitely need to pull out your flashlight to read this menu. The wait staff all look straight out of an Abercrombie 2000s paper catalog, and the bouncers and bartenders definitely work out seven out of seven times a week. Aesthetics: 5/5.
We began with drinks. I had something with “paradise” in the name (this is why we should not blog days later, Belita…) anyway, at the recommendation of the waitress. After sipping on it for two minutes, I discovered that I am allergic to kiwi. Yay me. The staff was extremely kind about it and offered a new drink for free.
I ordered the steak and frites (partially because I do love a good steak and frites, but also because that was one of five options available on the dinner menu). I would give it a 3/5. Nothing special.
My friend and I chatted, laughed, and celebrated her accomplishment as an intern doctor, and mine as an MD PhD student. We raved about how aesthetic the bathroom was, took multiple pictures on the balcony, and extensively talked about my allergies.
Overall, I would give this place 3/5 stars. It is not bad, and the proof is that I have been there multiple times after. But I think that is more because I am a sucker for anything that imitates Paris, and less so because of the food itself. I think there is a lot of potential here, and I cannot wait to see how they grow.
Final verdict: Not too good, not too bad. Third or fourth date night spot. Friday or Saturday night drinks and light food. You get the picture!I was chasing.
