While the cooking at Restaurant Magma was superb, the gestalt experience was haphazard and amateurish. It made me sad, because the chef is very talented and deserves more.
Restaurant Magma attracts the young and hip from its Oberkampf neighborhood, and everyone knows everyone else. Clientele meet up with the servers and kitchen staff, hugging, kissing, and clicking glasses. Often, the task at hand is overlooked. The pacing for our meal was ridiculous, and our dinner lasted over four hours. Our first three dishes on the set menu came quickly, but then we waited, and waited, and waited. The servers would disappear out the front door for periods of time, and our needs were forgotten. Wine orders went array, and the server would come back 30 minutes later and apologize. While the wait staff were perfectly lovely, the lack of professionalism was mind blowing as the kitchen was turning out Michelin quality food. Because we were older, we were sat next to the only other older diners, and when those two tops left the restaurant, we sat alone with the Berlin Wall separating us from the young and cool patrons. It was apartheid dining. I felt very self conscious.
My partner/spouse was disgusted, but I found humor watching the kitchen staff drinking beer while at the stoves. I never saw anything like it at a renown restaurant in Paris. It was a brave new world. After 12:30 AM, we staggered out of Magma. Our hunger had dissipated at 22:00 after sitting down at 20:30. I feel bad for Magma, and the food was good enough for a return visit. However, I'll be alone, because my partner has no further patience for Magma. read more