Max Downtown
Hartford, CT 06103-3408
Phone: (860) 522-2530
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Haynes Street
- Best of Citysearch:
- Martini 2006, Romantic Bar 2006, Fine Dining 2006
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 11:30am-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11:30pm, Sun 4:30pm-9:30pm
Editorial Review for Max Downtown – by Jessica Konopa
The Scene
Half-moon banquettes and dark-wood paneling add warmth and class to this upscale hot spot for Hartford's trendsetters. Giant modern paintings adorn the airy space and artisanal chandeliers hang from the high ceilings. A black-and-white clad waitstaff is knowledgeable and provides impeccable service.
The Food
Max's food looks like it was prepped for a glossy cooking magazine and tastes even better. The sumptuous lump crab cake appetizer pairs well with crunchy pepper slaw. Beef and potato pierogis with buttery seared foie gras are arranged like artwork. Fragrant, spicy tomato broth, smooth ricotta and fresh basil accent the pan-seared jumbo shrimp with fallen herb kerchiefs (noodles) entree. The bone-in filet mignon is cut thin and served like a chop. Desserts include the Chocolate Bomb, a luscious chocolate cake and mousse sculpture slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Fresh berries provide a refreshing contrast to creamy vanilla bean crème brulee.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
What to DrinkRound out your meal with one of Max's teas, listed on the menu by caffeine content.
Look GoodWhile jackets aren't required, diners wearing them will probably feel more comfortable.
ParkingSpring for the $8 valet, or arrive a little early and shark the neighborhood for a spot.
User Reviews for Max Downtown
04/04/2008 Posted by Rich3268
Hartford has several good resturants, but Max Downtown is the best. The food is always very good, and sometimes great, the service is solid, and the bar is outstanding (though piano night is really tacky). The strength of the menu is the beef and Max Downtown offers several excellant cuts which the kitchen is willing to prepare however you like (i.e. if you order rare, you get rare, not medium rare). The other entrees range in quality from pretty good to excellant. The family-style veggies are mostly excellant (the creamed spinach and sauted mushrooms being the best) and all of the salads are very good. The desert menu is another strength and it is always evolving, which is nice. Both the wine list and the cordial list are excellant and the prices are pretty reasonable. Front of house is also very strong, with several waiters and waitresses being as good as you will find outside a major city and the managers are all knowledgeable, on-point, and customer-oriented. It has exactly the right atmosphere for a business lunch or dinner, or for an important night out. Max also does functions very well (My wife and I were married there), with the kitchen able to turn out a high quantity of high quality food quickly and the front-of-house able to handle both the service and the "little things" that always seem to come up during big events. Prices are reasonable in light of quality, portion-size, service, etc.
03/29/2008 Posted by Nomad38
I think that it is really important to make note of the dates of a review. This is a restaurant which, in the past, has offered a wonderful experience but things have changed. Because of the high price we limit ourselves to going to Max Downtown on very special occasions. After trying other restaurants, which serve fillet mignon, we came to the conclusion that Max Downtown was the best. Their side order of mushrooms could not possibly be compared to anything we tried elsewhere and their crab cake appetizer was to die for. Fortunately, on our last visit a week ago, they had not raised their prices since we had visited last year. Unfortunately, the portion of their steak had been reduced to half size and the side order of mushrooms was about 1/3 the former amount. The good news is that the food still tasted great but we left the table still hungry. I have lived long enough to know that everything changes with time but had thought that since Max Downtown served an expensive meal that both the size and the quantity might remain the same but that was not to be, We are very disappointed but now will have to revert to one of our other choices of restaurants. We are fortunate to have a wide selection in the Hartford area.
Pros: Great tasting food
Cons: Expensive, small servings
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