Maitre D’restaurant

I have been here twice and the food, service, drinks and atmosphere is just awesome!!!

Truly an exquisite experience. I have had the pleasure of dining at Maitre D’ many times. And each time is so unique, so special that it makes you long for the next opportunity to do so. This level of service and expertise can not be found anywhere else in San Diego. The owner is a man of many talents… you may find him dancing, playing the tambourine or making Café Diablo. All of which are done with his heart and soul. As a patron… you feel so special and like you actually went on a vacation. Truly unforgettable! I look forward to my next visit to Paris… in LaJolla;)

We went there last night. From the moment we walked in we felt like we were in Europe. That was just the beginning. The food from the appetizer to entrée to dessert was incredible! I have been to the finest restaurants in the world, This was the finest!! the owner was fantastic and the staff bar none!

Went here once for my grandparents anniversary. This place is creepy as hell, I felt like i was in the twilight zone. People there give me a serial killer vibe

My friend Andrea is a 32 year old, socially connected corporate president who was declined a reservation because she was was too young to attend a restaurant in La Jolla, according to the owner.
I’m a 59 year old, socially connected and VOCAL businessman who will NOT be making reservations any time soon, thank you very much.

Finally ate here after wanting to for quite some time. It started out great with the ambiance and greeting. Our entrees were excellent. However after finishing dinner, the owner (Louie) was verbally attacking one of the waiters/​bus-​boys in front of the guests — which is extremely unprofessional. Then our dessert came out incorrectly. They continually promoted a new bar in La Jolla which was very odd, and sang happy b-​day in a very «cheesy» way. Instead of singing happy bday, the owner Marco sang to «get the camera» to the busboy to take our photos. We felt like we were at Joes Crab Shack — they were just not genuine. We asked for a recommendation on a coffee drink — our waiter suggested a café diablo. The owner Louie became very distraught and told us they could not provide this to us. Then after both owners quarreled Louie wheeled out the cart to prepare it. We had no idea what was going on (Louie was very impolite) and feeling very uncomfortable, we declined. By this time we simply wanted to leave. Our bill was incorrect as well. Net, net if you want a great meal, stick to Flemings, Donovan’s, etc. This place seems very fake which is unfortunate. I’ve lived in La Jolla for 13 years, this is my first and last time going to Maitre D — quite a let down after reading so many great reviews.

My husband and I have been ay Maitre D several times for larger parties and decided to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary here. This restaurant is what fine dining used to be like. You can get dressed up, eating amazing food and have an intimate setting. Definitely a hidden gem in San Diego-​we drove all the way from Orange County!
The food was absolutely amazing and their menu has items you don’t typically see like Beef Wellington, Steak Diane and Rack of Lamb. I highly recommend the Beef Wellington. There are several flambé desserts that are completed tableside and just wonderful.
I highly recommend Maitre’D if you want an out of the ordinary restaurant with high quality delicious food!

The most fun I have had in a restaurant in a long time! Old world charm meets grandma’s parlour, with string lights. And the food is great too!
From the moment you walk in the door you feel like family, or old friends. Definitely don’t come here if you want a quiet evening. Piano playing, tambourine accompaniment, and Louis will tell you stories.
The menu is old school. Beef Wellington, Steak Diane, Baked Alaska. I had the Steak Diane. The steak is finished off at tableside, and the sauce flambeed before your eyes. You definitely have to order either an entrée or dessert that takes advantage of this. The steak diane, was delicious. I have no reference point since this is the first time I have tried it, so I must find it somewhere else and try it again. We ordered the abalone because where do you see abalone on the menu? This you must order. It was so delicate and delicious. The sauce it came in was divine.
The clientele skews older, but who cares? Go in with the right frame of mind and it will not disappoint.

‘Wow’ is the bottom line on Maitre D restaurant, so much so that I am writing my first-​ever review on Unilocal.This is one of the best restaurants in San Diego and one of the best I’ve ever been to, which includes restaurants across the country, Europe, and Asia. Let’s cover the key points:
Atmosphere — The atmosphere is warm, inviting, European, and elegant but by no means pompous. Classic European furniture and art is the décor, along with many photographs that lend the place considerable character. The piano music brings the space alive. The owner has been in the business for decades, including work in Paris, Seattle, San Francisco, and New York. So besides knowing his stuff, he is very outgoing and welcoming. He stopped by our table several times just to chat, but not in the nosy, forced, corporate way that a manager at a corporate restaurant would. He was actually interested in telling us about his business and was clearly very, very passionate about it. He was very full of life.
Service — The staff were completely on it. Impeccable, fast, detailed service. The guys seemed competent and professional and not just products of a corporate throughput efficiency program. Their job was to make the customer feel very well taken care of in an elegant setting, and they did just that. The head waiter was apparently a nephew of the owner and very well trained, including the use of a Tastevin, the type of silver dish a sommelier wears to test wine prior to tasting by a customer. Very classy.
Food — absolutely incredible. The entrée recipes were all classics, presumably following the recipes of the first French cookbook written by La Varenne in the 17^th century. The wine list was extensive, from your California basics by the glass up to the stratosphere (as in $ 5k+ for some bottles). I ate like it was Thanksgiving, but the food was far better than Thanksgiving!
I can’t praise this restaurant enough. It is very classy without being snooty. They knew our name. They walked us to the front door when it was time to leave. They took pictures of people celebrating a 50^th wedding anniversary and birthday parties. Every diner got a swan made from ice with sorbet in the middle. They helped an elderly gentlemen who needed help getting up from his seat. If you want a romantic evening or have a special evening with family and friends, this is your place. I can’t wait to go again.

My husband and I and 2 friends had dinner here on a Friday evening. We loved the feel mof the place and the genuine warmth and service and attention to detail. There was a large party that came in after we ordered our meal but we were not overlooked at all… in fact, we shared their dessert on the house. I loved the complimentary champagne and appetizers… nice touch!
We cannot wait to go back again.

Do not dine here. We went and were shocked as we could overhear the owner (Louie?) yelling profanities at the wait staff and telling them they are pieces of s_​_​_​. We thought the pianist was awesome and went to tip her. As we were complimenting her for creating a beautiful ambiance, the owner became aggressive in an effort to shoo us away. Then we heard him yelling profanities at her. The guy is nuts and abusive. If we hadn’t begun our dinner, we would have just walked out. The food was just so so… could have gone somewhere with a nice ocean view and an atmosphere where we could enjoy a nice night out rather than being exposed to a nightmare like that.
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I have been to this restaurant and enjoyed the very unique atmosphere many times in the past. Last weekend I had the pleasure of enjoying my son’s wedding reception there. It was «over the top» fabulous!!! The cordial service and attention to detail by Louie, Marco and Sasha were outstanding. The cocktail hour, impeccable service, outstanding food (choice of chateaubriand, rack of lamb or dover sole), flambeed bananas foster to accompany the exquisite wedding cake were all perfect. This was in a large group of almost 70 people. Louie and Marco were perfect hosts and took care of many details such as decorating the cake with fresh flowers in the brides’s theme colors. I couldn’t recommend this venue more highly for anyone wanting a small, intimate wedding. The pianist was entertaining and talented. The trademark sprays of orchids were perfection. The guests left raving. If you want to feel like you are guests of an elegant, traditional European family come to Maitr D’. If you prefer Claim Jumper or such, enjoy that instead. I’ll stick to Maitr D’.

Dinner Theater.
Interesting place. The interior is very frilly. A lot of antiques. I like it, some people might think its gaudy. The restaurant is run by two flamboyant men who provide the entertainment as well. Whenever feasible, things are prepared tableside by these men (I highly recommend the café diablo).
I do not suggest driving to this restaurant because it is a very drink intensive experience. You are greeted with vodka shots, and it keeps going from there.
The food is just fine. It neither amazed not disappointed. Its classic fare with lamb chops, grilled tenderloin, dover sole etc. While I did not have any, I hear rumors that there is an off menu schnitzel that is quite good.

The dining experience here is a little strange. The building itself is quaint from the outside, but it doesn’t really look inviting. Once inside the restaurant, you immediately feel like you are in another world. Unfortunately the style is a little weird, sort of a Liberace-​type feel. The walls are filled with hanging pictures and other little knick knacks. However, the dining tables are spacious and sturdy.
The owner is a nice jovial fellow who is very helpful and makes you feel at ease. His over the top shenanigans and flamboyance actually make you feel a little uncomfortable though. He does his best to greet you with what seems like genuine goodwill. However, I could not shake the strange carnival-​like feeling that the room evoked in me. I found it sort of creepy.
The good vibe they imbue throughout the dining experience feels authentic about 50% of the time. The pianist did an excellent job with the music and the owner did a great job making the place jump (literally) with the beat of the music. At times it became way too showy for my taste and I questioned the authenticity of it all. However, it was easy to get caught up in the heightened energy exuded by the host and waiters during the course of my meal.
My appetizer was a cold potato salad brought out on a lobster tail. It looked nice but it wasn’t that good (a bit bland and tasteless). Being the eternal optimist when dining, I kept optimistic. The saving grace for this restaurant was the dover sole I ordered for the main meal. It was exquisite! However, do note that at that time I was buzzing from the over– flowing wine at the table so my judgement could have been slightly affected by the reality of my BAC. The dessert tasted delicious. I really enjoyed the chocolate portion (forgot what it was exactly) and the coffee! It was a nice last course combination.
All in all, the whole dining episode was fun but absurd. The food was great and the experience was wild, but I felt a bit dazed and confused at the end. It is hard to recommend this restaurant because I have had better for what I know to be half the price, but I enjoyed the experience.

This is my absolute favorite place for dinner in the WORLD, bar none. Louis and Marc run a wonderful place, disguised as an old house (camouflage, I’d say!) with an eclectic décor and the best staff anywhere! With most restaurants I visit often, I stick with a single entrée but at the Maitre’d, EVERYTHING is excellent. The Scampi en Croute starter is to die for, and salads are fresh, well prepared, NOT over dressed as with many ‘fine’ restaurants, and delicious. I have had almost everything they serve, Steak au Poivre, Steak Diane, Chateaubriand, Rack of Lamb, and the always excellent Beef Wellington (an individual serving, not sliced from a larger roast). They have an extensive wine list, not cheap but all excellent wines. For dessert you must have the Crepes Suzette, absolutely mouth-​watering. Enjoy the Maitre’d, I don’t mind sharing!

Yes very eclectic restaurant and yes Louie and Marco are a lot of fun… The piano player was awesome… and the food was very good. I had lamb that had no flavor and a big disappointment. However, other dishes which I tasted were all very good. What I did not like about my visit was how they treated their wait staff. They out right yelled and belittled them and quite honestly — made me very uncomfortable.

Louie and Marco have been providing an unique epicurean experience to foodies in La Jolla for nearly 30 years. Ask for a special drink made by them that is poured from a beautiful bottle covered in a floral ice ring. Simply… divine…

I am shocked that no one has reviewed this great restaraunt yet. But not surprisingly this is a restaraunt that doesn’t do any advertising and I would suspect that its current patrons wouldn’t want their well kept secret to be let out. I never even heard about this place until last Wednesday, courtesy of a long time patron and great person that I know. I have to say that I am so lucky to have been invited to a dinner here.
This is a very quaint restaraunt that has magnificent food, exceptional service and even better atmosphere.
I was there along with a group of about 15 others for a dinner meet and greet. When you look at the restaraunt from the outside you are kind of shocked that this place offers the kind of luxury that it does, but what a great shock it is. Once you walk into this establishment you are just overwhelmed with the decorations and pictures hanging on the walls. It has a very European classy feel to it, but its done in such fine taste.
I was immediately greeted by a host who asked what type of drink I would like. Sheer amazement at not only the quickness as to which he asked but also by the professionalism in which he asked it.
The place is beautifully decorated with paintings by the owner Louie and the many many guests who have frequented this restaraunt. Louie is a very jovial man who makes you feel right at home in the restaraunt.
We started off with the lobster salad and that was just outstanding.
But it was the main course that just had me in amazement. I love lamb and so I decided on that as my main course, usually when I go to other high end restaraunts, the lamb is good but the portions are kind of shocking. I do understand the concept of quality over quantity but in most other places there is no quantity at all. But this place serves you a very very fair portion of lamb while not scarificing any of the flavor and tenderness, love the sauce that came with it, distinctive yet not overpowering. Of all the places I have had lamb, this is the one place that I would go back to time and time again.
As I said before, not only was the service excellent, but attentive like no other. I have been at restaraunts where there are waiters standing around you and you will still not get the kind of attention and servivce that this place gives out. Impressed was me walking into the restaraunt, perfection is the only way to describe the whole experience at the end.
The price of the place is not cheap, nor should it be for the quality of food, service and so forth. I would rather spend a night eating here than those other highly advertised restaraunts in the same area. Dress code is enforced and rightfully so. I don’t know if they open for lunch or not, but reservations are required according to their website.
I have already told the gf that the next time she is down here in SD we are definately going to make a reservation for Maitre D. This is the best kept secret in all of La Jolla.