Maxim's, the iconic Paris restaurant synonymous with la Belle Epoque, is today Maxim's de Paris, a brand owned by Pierre Cardin, with nine branches around the world. The latest is Maxim's de Paris at the Solana Mall.

Wait, doesn't Beijing already have a Maxim's? Long story. In 1983, Pierre Cardin embarked on a joint venture with the Chongwenmen Hotel to open a Maxim's de Paris in the Chinese capital. It was only the second French restaurant in Beijing, and in those austere times the ravishing Art Nouveau interior and the glittering clientele electrified the city. It was the site of Beijing's first modern fashion show and a magnet for well-heeled foreigners and Chinese insiders. Today, Pierre Cardin licenses the Maxim's name to the Chongwenmen establishment, subject to guarantees of quality and service.

The new Maxim's is a wholly owned Pierre Cardin enterprise located in a two-story space at the eastern end of Solana Mall. At present, they only offer brasserie service: the upstairs restaurant should open in mid-October, under the direction of Alain Le Meur, the chef at the Chongwenmen Maxim's de Paris for the past ten years.

The decor at the Solana establishment is studded with Art Nouveau touches, but with the characterless wood-look paneling and the Edith Piaf tape on loop, the place has the kind of ambiance that arrives crated with instructions and a hex key. It's not helped by the overly bright lighting and cramped, asymmetrical downstairs space.

The dinner menu has prix fixe options of RMB 165 and 360; a la carte mains are very reasonably priced from RMB 78 to 90. The wine menu offers a fair range (mainly French) and there is a decent house wine.

I had a starter of salmon gravlax (RMB 52) dressed in a light cream sauce that was excellent – when I finally found it behind the thicket of ruffled lettuce that was thrown on top with a squirt of salad dressing. The other entrees – a ballotine of foie gras and an egg in aspic – were very good indeed. All three mains were of a high standard. My grilled beef was tender and perfectly cooked. The other two dishes were a duck magret and a sea bass fillet, and though we had lingered over our starters, both arrived in perfect condition. But the mixed salad was a sorry mess, an anonymous jumble garnished with vile-tasting tomato slices and topped with a Jackson Pollock scribble of mayonnaise. The meal ended well with fine desserts (RMB 30-45). Service throughout was flawless.

Maxim's de Paris

Daily 11am-2pm, 6-10pm.

C1-20/21 Solana, 6 Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District

(010-5905 6203/04)

(thebeijinger.com October 24, 2008)