Maude and the Bear

“We dined at Maude and the Bear on May 23. We’ve enjoyed fine dining and Michelin starred restaurants around the world and Maude and the Bear is second to none. Everything was top notch from the moment we walked through the door. We started with cocktails and they were spot on! The wine pairings worked perfectly with the meal. All of the food was interesting and perfectly prepared and presented. We ended up adding just about every add on and were glad we did, despite the bill at the end and probably over stuffing ourselves. Worth every bite. The pork secreto from Autumn Olive Farms was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten (I actually liked it more than the waygu!). I think what impressed me the most was the service and the experience. Staff were so knowledgeable yet in no way stuffy or flaunting their knowledge. Definitely a special occasion restaurant appropriate for any celebration.”

“Absolutely incredible dining experience. Every plate was beautifully presented and full of flavor. Our top was the perfectly cooked duck and refreshing strawberry dessert. Even the complimentary bites and sweets at the end felt thoughtful and elevated. The entire meal felt like an experience rather than just dinner. Our waitress and the rest of the staff were amazing — warm, attentive, and EXTREMELY knowledgeable about every dish, ingredient, and pairing. One of those meals you keep talking about long after you leave. You leave paying a pretty penny but it’s worth it if you’re a foodie!”

“My husband and I came to Staunton for a little getaway, and he surprised me by booking the Chef’s Table experience at Maude & The Bear — such a special choice. We enjoyed 16 beautifully curated tastings with wine pairings, and every dish was incredibly thoughtful, creative, and expertly prepared. The flavors were impressive from start to finish, and the pairings elevated each course perfectly. We felt truly well looked after all evening. The staff were welcoming, attentive, and always happy to answer questions, which made the experience even more enjoyable. We had a wonderful time and can’t wait to return with friends. Absolutely worth every penny. Thank you, Kirsty & James”

“Does not live up to the hype. I posted a more comprehensive review on TripAdvisor. No issues with the service but the food just WAS.NOT.GOOD. Maybe I'm just not an adventurous enough of an eater but things just didn't taste good to my palate. Dinner is a five course fixed menu and while I tried everything, I just didn't care for most of it. Our meal included: liver mousse, raw oysters, rabbit, mussels - none of the dishes complimented each other and there was no flow to the menu. The only items I liked were the secreto pork (which was an extra $30) and the strawberry/rhubarb sorbet - both of those had great flavor. The rest of the dishes were not to my liking. If you want a nicer/high end restaurant in Staunton, go to Zynodoa.”

“We came here to celebrate a birthday as well as our recent engagement and had been looking forward to the tasting menu for weeks. My partner and I are big fans of tasting menus and love to try food as the chef intended. Unfortunately this tasting menu was very disappointing. Some of the dishes were very poor, there was no balance of flavor, and what would be considered the main course was based on scrapple which is typically not something that people of recent generations enjoy. There was only one course with meat base which is not typical of any other tasting menus we have tasted outside of vegan restaurants which this is not. The tzimmes which is typically a dish I love was really sour, didn’t have any texture, and was very hard to palate. Other dishes like the banana bread was paired with a piece of blue cheese larger than the banana bread itself. As for the service, the waitress struggled to remember all of the dishes and wines, though she tried it was not what you expect with a tasting menu. She also didn’t know how to properly eat many of the dishes which led us to not know how to consume them. For example, a thinly sliced then rolled up sweet potato the size of a silver dollar, served with a fork and spoon which couldn’t cut through the dish but also the dish was far to large to eat on one bite. It felt generally disjointed and overall was a disappointing meal for over 700$. Unfortunately I would not recommend this restaurant and wished that someone had left a similar reflective review so we could have chosen another restaurant to celebrate at.”