Maison
French restaurant · Charleston
708 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Highlights
French bistro with creative dishes & impeccable plating
French bistro with creative dishes & impeccable plating
"If $8 martinis at happy hour isn’t enough to pull you into French eatery Maison, then chef Vandy Vanderwarker’s menu of classic Parisian dishes should convince you. Choose between an expertly dressed salad of local lettuces, buttery escargot, steak frites, rabbit en croute, and a field pea gratin. The room is relaxed with black-and-white bistro touches reminiscent of old-school cafes in the City of Lights. Best for: A fancy date night off the beaten path." - Erin Perkins
"During most days of the week, Maison puts out stunning plates of classic French flavors, but on Wednesdays, chef Vandy Vanderwarker releases a burger that is simply a work of art. The kitchen builds everything from scratch, including the duck fat bun. This burger is house-ground beef, house-made duck sausage, melty caramelized onions, a rich Gruyere sauce, and a bordelaise that takes the umami levels up to 100. After the first bite, you will need a knife and fork to finish this masterpiece." - Erin Perkins
"Breezy French restaurant Maison highlights the precision and craft of chef Vandy Vanderwarker (formerly of the Ordinary). The menu adds seasonal touches to dishes like steak tartare, mussels bourride, and dry-aged duck. The plating here is beautiful enough to give pause on any Instagram feed. For a deal, customers should stop in for the $5 champagne happy hour and stay for dinner." - Parker Milner
"French restaurant Maison gently cooks the soft shell crab in brown butter, dresses it with a caper vinaigrette, sits it on a bed of savoy cabbage mixed in a chunky tartar sauce, and sets it all over a socca so that it can be eaten like a taco." - Erin Perkins
"Since opening in 2019, Maison has garnered a loyal local following and trust for the always delicious seasonal offerings coming out of the kitchen. Thus Chef Vandy Vanderwarker has begun to creatively spread his wings, and while there are classics like steak frites and escargot on the menu, he’s leaned more and more into a modern Parisian–read, forward-thinking–style, including seasonal terrines, sweetbreads, composed salads, housemade black truffle sausages, and Coq Au Vin with English peas. The plating is impeccable, and in general his cooking ultimately reveals a passionate practice of French technique with Lowcountry ingredients, all resulting in often stunning meals from start to finish." - Stephanie Burt
