Maison Mayci

I have been to Kings Heath fairly often as late and, as a result, tried most of the coffee shops in the area. On my last trip down (Friday Morning), I was meeting Unilocaler Dave M. and couldn’t think where to go. The trusty Unilocal app told me that there was indeed a café I hadn’t yet tried, and that café was Maison Mayci.
This little café is situated just off the High Street, on Poplar Road. Now, you might be a little confused if you look at a map or the address without walking down Poplar Road as it’s set back against the Street. You won’t see if by glancing down, but it’s the first unit you will come top; so it’s nice and easy to find.
The cute pastel exterior gives you an idea of what you can expect inside. You enter via the front of the café (by the till), which is kitted out in dark wood and you can get a real feel of the hustle and bustle of a busy café. I situated myself to the back of the shop (by the powerpoints) to quietly get on with some work whilst I awaited Dave’s arrival.
There are 3 areas to this café. The front area (described above), the back area (which has a few larger tables and is bright and airy) and the garden area (perfect for enjoying a croissant in the sunshine). On a Friday morning at 8:30am, this café was buzzing with people grabbing a coffee and meeting up with friends to celebrate the beginning of the weekend. I imagine this is a popular hangout for the parents dropping their children off at the school (which is just down the road).
The waitress came to see me promptly and offered me the menu. I opted for a Cafetiere of coffee (knowing I would be there a while) and it was bought over within 5 minutes of my order. The coffee was hot, strong and fresh; definitely in-​fitting with the Parisian style this venue is trying to recreate.
When Dave arrived, I had finished my coffee (having gotten a good 3 cups out of it) and we both went for tea. Peppermint for me and English Breakfast for him. We had a lovely catch up over our beverages before calling it a day after about an hour and a bit (we both had other meetings to attend). I was very pleasantly surprised when I went to settle the bill! For two pots of tea and my Cafetiere, the whole bill was £5.50. At first I thought this might be a mistakes, but no, they had charged us for everything.
What more can I say? Chic, reasonably priced, great service and a lovely atmosphere. I can recommend a visit to Maison Mayci in Kings Heath.

For a Friday Morning this was rather busy and I was meeting our Unilocal Community Manager Victoria for a catchup.
I’d been catsitting in King’s Heath for the week. I feel I’ve somehow turned catsitting into an art. Even thought I’m more Dog. Anyway…
I always get the feeling in King’s Heath that everything has always been super cool and urbanite even though I know this isn’t totally true.
Maison Mayci is off the main drag and down a side street. It’s a long corridor of a venue with light flooding in from the back.
I don’t wait to find out if it’s table service or not usually. I tend to head to the counter soon after finding seats. The staff were busy and polite.
Only nark was. NO WIFI! Goodness me! Lose one star! :-)

The service, food and location (I live locally in Moseley) are perfect. They do by far the best Soya Decaf Latte in Birmingham. Love this place. Excellent value for money too!

Maison Mayci is known to many locals as «the French café». The French theme continues from the name of the café into the menu and many of the signs around the café are also in French. For a café, it’s decidely at the pricier end of the market — you’re looking at around five pounds for a sandwich and between six and seven for a salad. In this sense, the buisness is aimed either at those with big bank accounts or those wishing to indulge themselves, something that’s not difficult to do when the French style cakes are as good as these, and of course, the coffee is delicious. However, it’s not a particularly spacious place and kind feel slightly cramped but there is an outdoor eating area which is nice. Service can get a little slow when the place is busy, though I wouldn’t see this as a reason not to visit. Definitely a good place to spoil yourself, or spoil your diet if you are on one. However, if it’s cheap burgers you are looking for, you sholud look elsewhere.

A café that gives Kings Heath a certain ‘Je né sais quoi’ that it would otherwise be missing.
It has the quaintness and character of delightful little cafés that I have visited in France. A very charming décor and display of fresh bread, exquisite patisserie, which is only enhanced with rustic furniture theme, circa 1950s art and classic posters.
The menu is full of delights too — an array of classic French dishes makes the experience a gastronomic joy. I couldn’t resist the steak hache and gratin, followed by crème brûlée on this occasion, which invoked a fond nostalgia of my many trips to France.
It also has the sensibility of a French café too. You are not hurried to do, well, anything — it is incredibly laid-​back. I have sat in Maison Mayci for hours with friends, slowly enjoying my many portions, laughing heartily and musing about life without feeling as though we had overstayed, as I have felt on other occasions in many-​a-​less authentic café.
Maison Mayci is a special little joint.

I’d like to write about the times that I had coffee in Mason Mayci. I’ve tried to do this activity twice. The first time we waited for 20 minutes and we went unnoticed, even as we walked out of the door. The second time we waited 10 minutes before being noticed by a French waitress, who came to take our order. She couldn’t understand what Café Latte was. After the help of some nearby multi-​linguists the waitress realised that we wanted ‘café lait’. The café wasn’t latte. It wasn’t even lait. Or late. It never materialised at all.
Maison Mayci is the kind of place that kept yummy mummies hang out after dropping their kids off at King Heath Primary School. Women with not only money in their pockets and time on their hands, so that may be why quick service isn’t a priority here. I glance at the specials board whenever I pass and there are some tasty looking quiches with interesting food combinations on offer that change on a daily basis.
If you have time to while away and you aren’t that bothered about quick service, this charming looking French café has some original dishes that you won’t find elsewhere.

There are now three of these, one in Kings Heath, one in Moseley and one in Harborne. The atmosphere is pleasant and the cream-​based décor is timeless and agreeable. The KH branch is a bit more intimate than the larger Moseley one I haven’t been to the one in Harborne. Food has been good, coffee is strong enough (which is still so often not the case in some places) and it is a nice place to sit and read or chat.

Maison Mayci is always an agreeable place to visit for a coffee and a pastry/​cake. The hot meals and sandwiches are good also. I frequent the Kings Heath venue, which has been extended and has a nice outside table area if the weather is warm enough. Maison Mayci is excellent for take away cakes and bread (numerous choices) which are lovely and well made. They bring tap water to the table with your meals and the service is usually courteous but is sometimes brusque and a bit surly/​rushed. All in all it is a nice place to sit and read and chat.

I really like it here although it can get very busy and its small so you just have to pop in and hope there is space. Its really good value, the portions are good, and the cakes are amazing. I like the chicken and cheese sandwiches. They do take away cakes and bread. I have found the staff quite nice, even if some seem a little shy at first.

After hearing many rave reviews of Maison Mayci, I decided to pay it a visit a while back. My first impression was not great — it is quite a small café and I went in and waited for a table. None of the staff greeted me at all and overall I found the service distinctly unfriendly and from the start, quite rude. In fact I began to feel a bit like a lemon standing there! I did get a table and had a nice enough lunch. I like the fact that they bring tap water to your table without being asked. The have a good selection of cakes and are one of the few bakeries that do sourdough bread, which is the only reason I visit them now and that’s only if I am in Kings Heath. I would never go out of my way to eat there — but if a friend really wanted to go I’d be tempted to give it one more go to see if it really is as unfriendly as my first encounter.