It's not cheap, but if you fancy a high-quality, beautiful dinner for an occasion, Maxims is the perfect place.
The nice thing about this Kensington restaurant is that despite being posh and elegant, it somehow remains comfortable and relaxing.
The dining room is small and intimate, giving the feel of being in your living room - albeit a high class one.
On top of that, the staff are extremely warm, welcoming and accommodating, helping to make sure your evening is as enjoyable as possible.
And of course, the food is amazing. It's almost like having a few restaurants in one, as they have separate menus and different chefs for each type of cuisine, making sure everything you order is totally authentic.
The menus offered are European, Chinese, Middle Eastern and Indian.
'What a treat'
To start, I chose the steamed scallop with garlic and a spring onion, chilli, sesame oil and soy sauce, £14, from the Chinese menu.
What a treat. I love scallops but they're not the kind of thing you get every day. There was a bit too much garlic but the scallops were very tasty and the dip had a nice kick.
My dining companion, Katy, went for a starter from the European menu - Scottish smoked salmon and Dorset crab roulade with apple jelly and puree, £14.
She said she had had a lot of smoked salmon in her life, but this was something else.
Katy stuck to the European menu for her main dish and ordered the steamed sole fillets and lobster tortelloni, £29.
This was honestly one of the most wonderfully presented main meals I have ever seen in a restaurant, it was like a work of art, and the flavours didn't disappoint either.
For my main meal I decided to mix it up and went for the king prawn and sea bass balti, £23, from the Indian cuisine.
This dish was the right level of 'spicy' and I thought it was interesting to have sea bass chunks in a curry.
You wouldn't believe after all this we still had lots of enthusiasm towards getting a dessert, but we did.
I got the white chocolate and saffron creme brulee, £8 - as highly recommended by a waiter, and although it may sound quite sickly, it actually wasn't.
Katy was tempted by the sound of the Maxims classic tiramasu, £8, and judging by the 'mmm' sounds, smiles and nods, it must have been good.
'Luxurious dining'
Although Maxims is perhaps more widely recognised for its casino, the restaurant has a worth of its own.
The venue had a multi-million pound investment in November last year which involved a major refurbishment of the restaurant and the launch of a new whisky lounge bar, offering more than 120 whiskies from around the world.
The restaurant is open until 2.30am with a reduced menu from 12.30am-2.30am, and they do a set three-course menu for £30 which is actually a pretty good deal.
If you want to treat a loved one, or yourself, and have a full evening experience of luxurious dining, I recommend Maxims.
See www.maximsclub.com or call 020 7581 0337.
