Maximilien

Great food, excellent service, beautiful view.

I’ve only had light fare here on sunny days dining on the outdoor patio so this review may be biased to this particular situation but every time it has been excellent. During my last visit we ordered a half dozen oysters, escargot (so good we ordered a side of bread for sopping up the butter mixture), a salad, and mussels with fries. It was a perfect evening to sit out and take in the views of the Puget Sound. Even with a full patio, service was perfectly timed and friendly. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone near Pike Place Market looking for a place to have a drink and small bite on a patio with a view.

I love the atmosphere and the foods , I ordered the scallops it was sooo good and fresh .

Sat down for a late lunch about 2pm on a recent November Saturday. It has beautiful views of the water; just can't compete with the visual atmosphere. Loved the the restaurant inside also. Great wait staff. Limited food selection but enjoyed it. Onion super wonderful, flank steak tasty and cooked well but a bit tough. Worth it for the atmosphere in view. Officially, I give it 4.5 stars taking off a .5 star for inconvenient parking and a small food offering.

Beautiful place to watch the sunset and have dinner, the view is incredible. Our waiter was very friendly and kind, the food came out super fast and was very delicious, as were the drinks. I recommend making a reservation as the place fills up quickly! Perfect spot for a romantic night ❤️

Located on the main level of Pike Place Market in the narrow hallway north of the fish mongers and butchers, this intimate cafe offers terrace seating outside, as well as spectacular views from the indoor seating area. Full bar, excellent wine list, and menu covering a wide variety of French dishes. Service is fast and friendly. Everything was delicious.

The BEST authentic French food outside of France. I went here for a birthday dinner, and the food did not disappoint. I had the pork, and it literally melted in my mouth and was served on a bed of DELICIOUS mashed potatoes. The staff was also super knowledgeable about the food, ingredients, and the proper way to eat it (I had the escargot for an appetizer and had no idea how to eat it, but our waitress explained the best way to eat the delicacy). The Basque-style burnt cheesecake was exceptional and not too sweet and was a perfect ending to the three-course meal. The prices were reasonable prices too, especially with the quality (and amount) of the food. The views were amazing, especially at sunset when the ferris wheel lit up. I cannot wait to go back!

My girlfriend and I visited on a cozy Sunday. We arrived at around 1:30 and there’s no line, the service is very friendly and warm. The view of the restaurant is fantastic and the vibe inside is quite romantic, thus we had a wonderful time dining here. We ordered onion soup, “chicken fried” pork steak, and salmon egg benedict. All taste delicious and would definitely visit again!

Super Clean and wonderful ambience..When we first saw the sign for the restaurant, I wasn't really sure about it..the entrance looks a bit shabby..but once we got to our table, everything was perfect. We got a great table not right next to the windows but we still had a great view and we were out of the sun..our server was amazing..she was always around when we needed her and not when we didnt..I had the 1/2dozen oysters to start with and they were fresh and delicious. My wife had the halibut, beautiful presentation and yummy again. I had the scallops for lunch, again beautifully cooked..my vegetables were buttery but not greasy just perfect..To top it all off, we had the grand mariner souffle and OH My God..it takes 15 mins to make but worth every bite..this turned out to be one of the best lunches I had..and it was our first day vacationing in Seattle..it set the tone for a great day :)

Great brunch! Food, drinks, service, ambiance, and view were truly fantastic! A genuine charm tucked into the Pike St Market. We are definitely going back when we visit Seattle in the summer.

This is an excellent upscale French Restaurant. You have your choice of being seated on a cozy outdoor patio with ocean views, or being seated in the lovely dining room with a relaxing and romantic atmosphere. The scallops are tender, juicy and well seasoned and they are served with flavorful green beans and a variety of fresh picked mushrooms. The bread is imported from France. This is truly a wonderful experience that I highly recommend.

We were surprised by how beautiful the restaurant is at nighttime, we were promptly welcomed and since our “igloo” wasn’t ready yet- we were offered complimentary glasses of rosé immediately. The igloo is in a hidden patio with views of the sound, and during an atmospheric river the pitter patter of the rain while sitting in a heater warmed igloo lit by quirky neon signs and decorated butterflies was perfect to lift mid week blues. The incessant pouring rain did not slow down service and our server braved the rain to check in on us multiple times. The food was phenomenal- the onion soup perfectly balanced and not very salty as it is in most places. The tuna in the niçoise salad is perfectly grilled, the escargot buttery and delectable. It was one of the most romantic meals we’ve had in seattle with perfect ambience, great food and an unhurried pace. I cannot recommend a more romantic date night than this gem of a french restaurant!

Went for a Friendsgiving dinner and opted for the igloo seating experience. It provides a great view of the bay and the Seattle eye with sunset in the background. Their drinks are great - across cocktails, mocktails and also warm cocktails on request. What did we order? Hors d’oeuvre - charcuterie board and the fried Brie. Recommend the charcuterie board. The half baguette that comes with the board is enough to share Le plat - Duck confit, Halibut and the scallops. Liked all, must order the scallops. Duck was surprisingly not gamey. Please note that the helpings are generous and could be shared. They would also prepare a vegetarian main if requested. Sweet tooth - crème brûlée and the flourless chocolate cake. The brûlée was sweeter than I hoped it to be and could have benefited from a harder cover but the cake was great and very low on sugar.

Wonderful spot with friendly people. The food was delicious and hearty. French classics with a great view. Loved the space and the meals. Really good quality ingredients in the dishes. The French pinion soup was as good as any I have had in paris and the duck confit as well. Only advice I would give is use fresh lemon juice in the cocktails. That was just ok. Other than that we will be back!

When coming to Seattle, this is definitely a must visit to put on your list! The service is excellent, and the food is absolutely amazing. The ambience and the absolute welcoming staff makes your experience that much more pleasant, no pretentious attitude, only the best wait staff and talented chefs around. This is our fifth visit with each being a business and also on a family event basis. The escargot and lamb dishes are one to behold and you have to take in their selection of cocktails and wine to accompany your meal. They also offer a baguette and butter that is flown in from France, which absolutely melts in your mouth! Another one in our party had the steak and also enjoyed the halibut dish which was cooked too perfection. But don't miss out on the French Onion soup - outstanding each time! The photos do not do it justice as you have to experience for yourself!

Lovely French restaurant, great views, delicious food. I had the lamb chops on a bed of greens and my husband had the Chilean sea bass over greens and mushrooms. We both cleaned our plates - so, so yummy. My husband had the cheesecake for dessert and devoured every bite. Service is friendly and attentive. A very nice place for a special meal.

A perfect and intimate date night spot! The location is right on the water and in the heart of Pikes place market! I would recommend making a reservation ahead of time if possible as the space is smaller and quite popular! Everything on the menu looked so fantastic and everything that we tried was delicious! The wait staff was kind and not overbearing which is nice as I’m someone who doesn’t like being interrupted often. Some reviews mentioned the ability to not change the tip option, but it was available and at no point was I told I couldn’t change the amount if so desired. The ambiance was very nice and I would definitely return for special occasions!

Fantastic food, fantastic service, fantastic view. The waiter was really knowledgeable and delightful. I really appreciated the tidbit that the waiter shared that they import their bread and such from France instead of using American grains. As someone who doesn't tolerate American grains without consequences, but doesnt have issues with European breads this was a hugely pleasant surprise. All the food was excellent.

I made a reservation far in advance for our 6 year anniversary dinner. We arrived a few min past our reservation time and the host gladly sat us down with no issues. We had a spectacular view of the Seattle waterfront. The service was top notch and we received a complimentary champagne to celebrate our anniversary - thank you! The food and drinks were amazing. Oysters, Escargots, The duck special, Vesper martini, Syrah wine, just hit the spot. I highly recommend this place and highly recommend making a reservation. This restaurant is quaint and has a charm to it.

A hidden gem with spectacular views and an intimate atmosphere. The food was exceptional, and the service warm and attentive—a great French dining experience here in Seattle.

I have to say, this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to in terms of view and ambience. It is so cozy and quaint that it just pulls you towards it. The food was delightful and very fair in terms of price. I tried their Steak sandwich(forgive me for forgetting the right name) and tried their crab cake sandwich. They were stupendous. The service was a bit slow, just for our table, but I cannot let that get in the way of the review. Overall it was amazing. I would DEFINITELY recommend this place!!

This is definitely the "must-visit" if you're in the area and looking for a great place to eat. (We've tried other spots nearby that were disappointing.) The service was excellent, the drinks were spot on, and everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. My husband even said it was one of the best foie gras dishes he’s ever had at a restaurant – and that’s really saying something!

I recently had the pleasure of celebrating a birthday at Maximilien and it was a wonderful experience. With reservations on a Monday evening it ensured we were promptly seated by the window, offering stunning views of the sound. The ambiance was warm and inviting, setting the perfect tone for a celebration. We started with cocktails that were expertly crafted, setting the stage for what turned out to be an exceptional dining experience our favorites were the Spritz and the Mule. The lamb and ahi tuna dishes were absolute standouts, cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor. Need to call out the butter that was served with the bread it was a 10/10. To make the celebration special a surprise profiterole arrived at our table, a delightful surprise that we couldn't resist ordering more of. Parking was easy as it was a week night and the market had closed. We felt fortunate to have chosen a weekday evening for our visit, avoiding the usual crowds and making our experience even more enjoyable. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply craving exceptional cuisine, I would highly recommend. We'll definitely be back.

Super friendly and accommodating staff. Great food . Would love to come back to try more items.

Making a special night, into a lifetime memory. The staff went above and beyond to make our anniversary/birthday dinner something to remember. We had the halibut and the scallops and a couple of bottles of champagne. From the food to the views to the staff, I don't think you can beat Maximilien for the finest of dining in Seattle.

Gemini Ai nailed it when I asked for a luxurious, romantic birthday dinner at a Seattle restaurant for 2. We had a reservation outdoors and our view was perfect. Jason was extraordinary. We each had a champagne flight, baguette and butter, Roquefort salad, soup du jour (all vegetarian) and the Alaskan halibut. We ended with profiteroles and cappuccino. And a night cap at the bar under pink lighting as the sun sank into the sound. Superb!

Mon dieu! We arrived terribly late fo our reservation on Christmas Eve, and the restaurant was so gracious and hospitable about it. They seated us and served us a delicious meal, boxing up the courses we had missed so we could enjoy them when we got home. Great food, great service - a true class act!

Adorable, romantic French restaurant on Pike Place. Don't be an idiot like me and walk right by the neon red signs pointing to it just past the place where they throw the fish. It's very cozy, very small. Lovely views of the water but beware you need to make special up charged reservations for a window seat. The food is phenomenal and the service is parfait. Would happily go again.

Spent 3 months in Paris and this restaurant is authentically Parisian. Each dish nailed the flavor and was balanced. Live music reminded me of time in St Germaine. Highly recommend. Great spot for a true Parisian experience without hopping on a flight.

- Outdoor ambience (8/10): the rooftop bar is not too big; the view is nice ONLY if you can sit near the wall, otherwise it will be hard to enjoy the view, you will be looking at other tables. They have outdoor patio heater that will keep you warm if is chilly and outdoor umbrella that cover you from the sun. The floor and the tables were clean and ready for us. Its a good place for a romantic date, nothing fancy, more cozy, friendly and chill vibes. Good for conversations and cocktails. -Food (8/10): well cook, good flavor. We ordered steak (very juicy) with fries (crispy but not too fried). A little Expensive for what it was. -Costumer service (9/10): they were friendly and nice, they kept check on us very often but without being annoying. Wearing mask all the time. - Overall: 8.5

We enjoyed this restaurant on the water. Atmosphere is great, food was good, we had -Foie Gras Frais (4.4 out of 5, was good but have had better, chutney was great). For main course had -Les Moules Marinière Mussels steamed with butter, wine, shallots, garlic, & parsley(5 out of 5) cooked perfectly very tasty. -Pike Place Market Salad Niçoise with Tuna Grilled Ahi Tuna, baby greens, olives, green beans, red bell peppers, hard boiled egg, heirloom tomatoes (3.5 out of 5) was alright tuna was not the best Ahi, tomatoes not heirloom, and just lacked taste I was hoping for. -Steak Frites Choice of flat iron or filet mignon steak, Roquefort and demi-glace. (4.5 out of 5) steak tasty and cooked to temp, nice crust, if any critique the roguefort was slightly overpowering. But very good. DESERT -Gateau Basque au Fromage Basque style burnt-cheesecake (4 out of 5) glad we got it, different -Profiteroles au chocolat Olympic Mountain Vanilla Ice Cream-filled cream puffs, topped with chocolate sauce and sliced almonds. (5 out of 5) OTHER 5% service charge, lacks class and honesty in my opinion ( I don’t care if it’s printed on the menu it’s not classy ) for a pretty classy place. For goodness sakes, I am coming here for a nice meal $2-$3 dollars more a dish is not what will stop people from coming here. Keep it real, price the food appropriately, remove service charge and don’t make customers have to calculate the “all-in price” Overall fun time would return.

Came here for my wife’s birthday. Had to reserve weeks before since it was a quite popular place with a great view. We ordered a steak frites and mussels with foie gras as an appetizer. The mussels were pretty good and fresh. My steak was way over cooked and the fries weren’t the typical skinny fries you would expect from a good French restaurant. Besides the subpar food, this place charges 5% service fee regardless the size of your party. I am not sure what it is for really. 🤔 I generally dislike restaurants which make decision for me when it comes to tipping so it is safe to say I won’t be coming back anytime soon.

I really wanted to like this place. I love French food and was excited by the idea of finding a new place to go. I was very underwhelmed by my experience here. I gave them 4 stars because I feel it’s a decent place to see the view and I would go back for a drink on the patio or inside the dining room. The dining room may have a better view because the patio’s view was somewhat obstructed by the short wall. Also, I was there around 3 :30 and the menu was limited so maybe the dinner menu is better. Otherwise, the service was average at best. I felt like my server was phoning it in with flake smiles and lack luster conversation. I was by myself so maybe they thought I would not spend a lot. I ended up spending $88 for this meal and I don’t feel like it was worth the price. To begin, I had the escargot appetizer and it was just ok. Also, they charge you for the bread. I did really like the bread and butter. The bread tasted pretty fresh and the butter had a nice salty flavor. I also ordered the steak frites and a glass of wine. The steak came loaded with sauce and got on the fries and salad too. The flat iron steak was cooked ok but didn’t have any flavor even though it was covered In sauce. I ordered a glass of wine to see if I could make it taste better but it didn’t help. I ordered the Rhône wine which was just ok. No complexity at all. The fries were bland, tasted like oil and were on the soggy side. They included a salad but there really was no point to it. It was just lettuce with basically no flavor; it just took up space and offered no value. The only upside to this experience was it was a nice sunny day on the patio.

We didnt had reservation because we live across the street on 2nd and Pine and we can just walk. I saw that you have to pay deposit online and I didnt like it. Never made any deposit for a restaurant. I hope they will change it. Place was full since it was Friday but they found a table for us inside in the corner because we came early around 5 pm. They have main floor, second floor and patio seating as well. FOOD Appetizer was great. Honestly I just came here for foie gras and duck Foie gras was amazing. My duck l'orange was delicious. But hubbys steak was mediocre and cheewy. He ordered few times steak there and all the time It was cheewy. I also took mussels the other day and it was good. We also had halibuts with purple cauliflower pure. I recommend them to add more fish dishes not just salmon. But star of the menu its souffle. Absolutely the best in Seattle and I have been in many restaurants. Also as a European that lived in France I really enjoyed their souffle. It's very very close to authentic one that you can find only in France. Overall nice ambiance and definitely worthing view. Definitely will come back. I hope their menu will be bigger next time.

French place nestled in Pike Place Market in Seattle. Great menu, lives upto the French standards, lovely and absolutely gorgeous view, excellent service. They were very helpful with wine selection, making the food as requested and supportive of our requests. Loved it here. A bit crammed though, but that gives off the cosy vibes and has a super atmosphere

Decided to give this place a try while on vacation! First impression was lovely, was greeted warmly and the host was able to accommodate us even though we arrived 20 minutes prior to our reservation. A ton of people were out on the patio but we chose to be seated inside and it was like we had our own private space! Very lovely view of the bay. Our server was super sweet too with each interaction. The baguette was nice and fresh, and I wish I could buy the sea salt butter they had by the pound! For my main course I ordered King Salmon and in all honesty I was a bit disappointed as it was pretty dry. The potato’s and veg that were served with it however was really flavorful though especially with the sauce that was plated with it. Dessert was also ok, but aside from the pretty plating it wasn’t anything to write home about really. I’d be interested in coming again, but would definitely need to order something different I feel.

June 2025 update Arrived at 12noon well before our 145pm reservation on a Saturday in June but we were greeted at the front desk and promptly seated at a table next to the windows with a great view of the waterfront. Service was very friendly and good. Salade Verte au Roquefort was fresh and tasty. Moules Mariniere were served hot and were tasty. French fries were quite disappointing as they were not served hot and were limp and not crispy. Pan-seared Alaskan Halibut was served hot in a beurre blanc sauce with potatoes and mushrooms and was quite tasty and delicious. French baguette was good but unfortunately unsalted butter was not offered. Overall, with the exception of the limp french fries, we were quite satisfied with our lunch at Maximilien but be prepared because it is quite pricey. Previous review: Arrived on time for our 1130am reservation on the last Saturday in June. Once doors opened at 11:30am, we were greeted at the front desk and promptly seated at a table next to the windows with a great view of the waterfront. Service was very good, delivered by an experienced server from Paris. Seared foie gras frais was served hot and was tasty. The escargot in butter sauce were quite tasty without too much garlic. Halibut a la Francaise was also tender and quite delicious. Also ordered the Confit de Canard which was well cooked and tasty. French baguette was good but unfortunately unsalted butter was not offered. For desert, really enjoyed the basque style burnt-cheesecake. Overall, we were quite satisfied with our lunch at Maximillien but be prepared because it is quite pricey.

We came here for a late lunch, they accommodated us outside with no reservation which was great. Steak was very tender and cooked perfectly. Mussels were also good, although you need to order a side as they come with nothing. Food was fairly expensive Staff were friendly and attentive. Only thing that let the experience down was the lack of local wines on the wine list (it is almost exclusively French wines to suit their menu and no American sparkling wines at all) and the owner, who was unfriendly and rude. We had a baby with us and I got the impression he would prefer adult only parties. The owner was in the entrance as we left and didn’t even say goodbye.

Went here for a special occasion. We were on time, but this restaurant has a $30 cancelation fee and you must add a credit card for a reservation. I don't like this at all and haven't experienced it before. They only hold your table for 10 minutes and wouldn't seat my date while I parked (Pike Place Market so not easy to find parking). I felt the ordeal to book a reservation, get seated and put a credit card on file was absurd. While I understand people flake on a reservation often, I think only holding a table for 10 minutes should suffice, the rest is ridiculous. Now, our server was very sweet and knowledgeable about the menu, a young woman named Grace. She immediately brought over sparkling rose for our date, which was lovely and was nice to be remembered on our reservation. I ordered the foie gras but was disappointed because it was a slice of liver versus pate that Im used to, the photo on the menu on the website looked like a delicious piece of pate and I booked the restaurant for this meal so that was a big disappointment. My date ordered escargot for the table, was delicious! Perfectly cooked. My date had the duck leg confit with lentils and a bowl of French onion soup-I tried the soup, it was the best I've ever had. The view was amazing of Puget Sound, the service was very good (except the seating bit) and the food was good and what i expected for the most part.

Everything here was absolutely wonderful! The food, delicious! The Service, great! Views, awesome! Then comes the bill. They add a 5% charge, I asked and no one knkw why. There is a statement that says the 5% goes to the restaurant?!? They who pays for the food? Its confusing and it's annoying. It would be great if someone can explain why the 2 seperate charges. That cost them 2 stars.