Masraff's

I was excited to try Masraff's after hearing about it for years. The service was fine, and the ambiance was okay. The noise level really deterred from having a conversation. The main problem was simply the food. We tried out the Houston Restaurant Week menu with high hopes, but found each dish to be lacking. The calamari was cooked satifactorily, but missing flavor. The mushroom ravioli was on the verge of being great, but missing the very basic ingredient of salt. The paella was entirely overcooked, and again, missing salt. The New York strip was cooked well, but missing flavor. The Pear Creme Brulee wasn't a true Creme Brulee at all, but more like a vanilla pudding with slightly carmelized brown sugar on top. I won't be going back. more

This place never ceases to rock my world. I had arguably one of the best fine dining meals here that I've had, and this is speaking after eating at a few other excellent Houston Restaurant Week locations. Although I had 3 mushroom ravioli with truffle oil that was pretty good for an appetizer, I shared with my buddies' garlic seared calamari steak appetizer (not deep fried) that was sauced and seasoned so deliciously that I could have been happy with that as my meal. The accompanying oyster mushrooms in a soy reduction sauce was mouth watering. My entree was the pan fired NY Strip, which was one of the best steaks that I've had in Houston. Served with Two Potato Lyonnaise, Port Wine Reduction and Pomme Frittes, I think I swabbed my plate clean of the meat and sauce... that wasn't very elegant of me, was it? oh who cares, the food was damn good. Finally, I think I had one of the best bread puddings for dessert. Ever. The warm Triple Berry Bread Pudding served with White Chocolate, Blueberry Compote and Cream Cheese Mousse was to me the perfect ending to a great meal. I'm not usually even a fan of bread pudding, but I ate every last morsel up... the bread pudding was just the right amount of firmness that didn't go down soggy or saturated. The service was excellent and I also really appreciated how everyone kept checking on us, including Mr. Masraff himself. more

We went to Masraff's as part of our annual Houston Restaurant Week trek. I chose Masraff''s because the menu looked genuinely interesting and not too "run of the mill." The new location is chic and upscale, but not at all pretentious. What impressed me the most was the fact that Tony Masraff himself was patrolling the restaurant, talking to customers about their experiences. The calamari appetizer was TO DIE FOR (this coming from someone who usually hates calamari). It didn't taste fishy at all, and there was nary a tentacle in sight. The sea bass and scallop entree was perfectly cooked and the portions were more than generous. The bread pudding was also delicious, but my boyfriend's chocolate cake was truly remarkable. We will definitely be returning! more

There were two Rolls Royces parked out front, and there was a seventy year old woman in a tube top inside. Masraff's is a strange place. The wine was acceptable, and the food was generally passable. There were some issues with food temperature--particularly with the foie gras I ordered. The calamari bordered on good. Nothing, however, was spectacular. The service was oddly over-attentive in some respects, but my wife was the only one who would refill my wine (which was poured into the wrong stemware). In any event, this is not the hidden jewel that was described, and I doubt I'll return. Pros: everything was basically OK Cons: nothing was better than OK more

Wife and I had a date night and decided to give Masraff's a try. The current location (new location coming in April '10 per the notice in the menu) is a bit off the beaten path but we had heard great things about the restaurant so we thought we'd give it a try...it didn't disappoint! Started with the Crab Cake...divine! Not stuffed with bread crumbs or filling, truly a "crab" cake, not a stuffing cake with a little crab mixed in. My wife had the Spinach Salad which was excellent! I had the soup du jour, Chicken Chowder (?), which was good but not the best I've ever had. Not normally a big bread fan but the "square" herb bread they had was great. Main courses were the Filet Mignon cooked to perfection and the Chilean Sea Bass...absolutely incredible!! BOTH are highly recommended depending on your mood. The risotto served with the Bass was truly mana from heaven. Wine menu was thorough but given that I'm the only wine drinker in the family I thought the 'by the glass' selection could have been a bit longer...great though for group dining or those who may be heavier drinkers than I am ;^). I've always been a big fan of Mark's...Masraff's will now split time at the top spot for my 5-star dining date nights. We'll be visiting the new location shortly after it opens in April. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Pros: Excellent 5-star menu more

We had a diverse group for Sunday brunch. We were promptly seated, and our table was ready. There is something for everyone on the menu. The prices are reasonable. I was the only one drinking coffee, and I had to ask for refills, so a little more attention to that detail would be appreciated. Also, the variety of breads offered on the table was a little lacking in flavor and choice. Otherwise, we loved it. Valet parking. Pros: Good food, lovely ambience Cons: A little noisy more

This place is great Pros: Delicious more

Wonderful restaurant! Great food and fine dinning experience. The atmosphere is like being in an great lodge or Italian villa. Nice bar and wonderful staff. more

Had business dinner there on Wed night, and it went well beyond any expectation -- very diverse menu and wine list with excellent service. We each had three courses, all of us ordering something very different and each of us were very pleased. Pricing is fair for good quality and service, and wine list was not outrageously marked up. Will eat there again when at Galleria. Pros: Diverse options, flavors, all great Cons: May not be good for small, private conversation more

all aspects were amaizing. The owners are always on site to say hi and check on your meal. The wine list is half off on Saturdayd!!!! Pros: wonderfuly attentive service and great food Cons: none of note more

This has to be one of the most under-rated restaurants in Houston. The menu is ambitious and interesting, and the food delivers. Excellent dishes using finest fresh ingredients. Service can sometimes be a little overweaning, although better too much than too little attention. Beautiful decor, and one of the few top restaurants in the city where you can actually hear each other talk. All in all, one of the finest dining spots in Houston. We highly recommend! Pros: Food, abience, service. more

My wife adn I booked into Masraff's for a special occasion adn ordered the Chef's degustation menu, accompanied with wines. The waiter helping us on this night was very attentive without being too obvious and obtrusive. He knew the menu, cooking style and ingredients of all our dishes and also spent time talking us through the wine pairings. The wines were exceptional and there had clearly been a lot of thorught put into the food pairings. We were even introduced to a fantastic German Riesling which I've since bought on a numebr of occasions. To top this off, the waiter (quite unexpectedly) offerd to send us a copy of the menu for our records, including the details of the wines we'd had. This was e-mailed within 3 days and we continue to refer back to that when we think back to the magnificanet dinner we had. Overall, a top notch experience and comparable to some of the great degustation meals we've had in Europe. Pros: Excellent food adn great service more

This restaurant is definetly worthy 5 stars in houston. It has great ambience, exceptional service, and the menu is amazing. I have gone 4 times here even for brunch and I was never disappointed. The clients that come here are truly classy people, definetly no nuvo rich crowed. The owner has truly studied what it means to provide its clients the best experience in culinary enrichment. Kudos to Masraffs father and son. Pros: Exceptional Food, Atmosphere and Service!!!!! Cons: No competitors, this is a great restaurant!!! more

The Brunch at Mastroff's is FANTASTIC. I recommend making reservations and sitting outside on the patio ... it's the perfect sunday brunch that includes soothing Jazz music. The service is exceptional and the food will melt in your mouth (try the banana/pecan pancakes or the crab meat eggs benedict). Oh yeah, and they serve delicicous breakfast croissants that arrive before the meal with an orange glaze ... phenominal (be careful not to fill up on the croissants!). Pros: Delicious, highly recommend more

The food Masraffs is always excellent. This quiet, romantic spot with excellent food and wine list is just the spot for an anniversary, birthday, or other celebration of a couple's special occasion. more

I took my fiance to Masraff's Saturday evening to celebrate her birthday, and I must say that I was extremely disappointed in the meal. The venue is beautiful, and the service was good, but the meal was one of the most bland and flavorless I've ever had. My fiance had the Divers Scallops and I had the Seabass, and both were flavorless. I've dined at many of the best restaurants in the US and have only written one bad review out of hundreds upon hundreds of meals, but felt compelled to write this one. The food was cooked accurately and served warm, it just was devoid of any sort of flavor. Both seabass and scallops are fairly delecate seafoods that take very well to seasonings, sauces, etc. and both meals were devoid of anything resembling flavor..it was as if they were simply seared in a pan and served with no afterthought. Additionally, the wine we ordered was not the correct year listed on the wine list. I'm not a wine snob by any account, and our bottle was not anything especially pricey, but I can imagine that in certain situations/with certain people this would be a huge issue. All in all, it's a beautiful place with good service but rather lousy food, at least in my experience. I would suggest , if going there, to stick with dishes that do not count on a chef's ability to add or bring out flavor. Steaks, lamb chops, etc. might be a safe bet there. Pros: valet parking, beautiful setting, good service Cons: very bland food more

The food and service were both very good, but the restaurant is terribly loud and exudes a cold feeling. For such a charming exterior, the interior did not live up to my expectations. This is not the place for a quiet, private or romantic dinner, nor is it conducive for conversing with your company. Pros: Food and service Cons: Atmosphere and noise level more

I went for the afternoon tea last week which i did not make the reservation. However, the waitstuff was very nice and explained to me that afternoon tea need to prepare beforhand. then, he told me about all the wondeful afternoon tea menu that makes me definitely want to go back to try it. Great experience, we had couple of the desserts, everything was tasty!! Pros: great customer service Cons: none more

Let me start off with saying the restaurant is beautiful and the waitstaff is fabulous. The food is another story. My husband and I went with another couple and my food was lukewarm - the cheese didn't even melt. The other couple's vegetables in her frittata were under cooked. My husband's salmon was overcooked. There was no seasoning whatsoever. The food was very bland. I do have to say that they have fabulous croissants. Beautiful setting, great croissants but the rest of the food is blah. Pros: Beautiful restaurant with a great staff Cons: Food more

Excellent menu, friendly staff, superb wine list. Love the decor and ambiance. Music is soft and crisp. You can hear conversations during dinner and know that music is in the air. The walls are fresh and distinctive but not overpowering, leaving you with a mellow feeling. The food is exemplary. Simple, creative and loaded with flavor. Save room for desert. Tonight we shared a number of deserts and each one was perfect. A truly enjoyable and delightful evening. Do not miss this treat. Pros: Thumbs up. Everyone was delightful, friendly and helpful. Cons: Nothing more