Kings Contrivance Restaurant

I had the pleasure of dining here for lunch with my work team a week before Christmas, and it was an absolutely delightful experience. We opted for the prix fixe lunch menu, which offered a variety of excellent selections--each dish sounded so tempting, you really couldn't go wrong with any choice. Everything we tried was delicious.The restaurant itself is tucked away in a quiet residential area, so it feels like a hidden gem you might not stumble upon otherwise. Inside, the ambiance was magical, with elegant Christmas decorations, a cozy fireplace, and about four beautifully adorned Christmas trees scattered throughout the space. It felt so warm and festive.The food was exceptional, and one standout was the escargot appetizer--a rare treat that you don't often see on restaurant menus. It was absolutely divine!The service was impeccable, and the overall atmosphere exuded a welcoming, sophisticated charm. This place strikes the perfect balance between classy and cozy, making it a spot I'd love to visit again. Highly recommend!

The Only Review You Need To ReadMy family celebrated a wedding anniversary and opted for Kings Contrivance restaurant for dinner, as Mom wanted to eat at a formal restaurant.This was my first time here and I was a little confused about the parking. I get that this place didn't start out as a restaurant, so no points taken off for that; I got it figured out.We reserved a room and were allowed to show up early to decorate, then the family returned later at our designated reservation time. We were seated promptly, and our evening began.I'll say this - our server wasn't particularly attentive. A couple of times I had to get up, find someone and ask for things because she would disappear for long intervals of time. And it was odd to me because it really wasn't all that busy that evening.My impression of the food was it was bland. The seafood bisque had tons of crab meat and shrimp and was very creamy (as bisque should be), but it didn't really have any flavor. I had to keep adding salt to it. My entree was the chicken breast florentine, and again, thank goodness the salt shaker was nearby because I needed it for every bite.For dessert, the creme brûlée was amazing. The top layer could have a bit more crispy, but it was thick and flavorful.I don't know if I would consider this a "formal" restaurant. I think "quaint" is a better description. It did have an "old house" smell to it when you first walk in, but that's part of the appeal of a historic mansion. This is a perfect date night restaurant - especially if the weather is nice and you could sit at one of the outdoor tables because the grounds are really beautiful.You'll probably need to get your alignment checked after leaving because the road leading into and out of the place is very bumpy.All in all, my personal impression of the place was "meh." However, I'll probably dine here again at some point as my girlfriend enjoyed it more than I did and said she would be up to coming back (I am versed in Female-speak, and in English, that means, "I'd like you to bring me back here again"). And you know if your woman wants something, it has to happen (females - am I right, guys?). Tip: bread is not automatically brought out - you have to ask for it. And it's not complimentary - they do charge for it. But it's pretty good bread.

Kings ContrivanceIt has been awhile since I had last visited this beautiful manor home located in Columbia that is situated in a residential area. We were set for our traditional annual holiday gathering and the group had unanimously decided they wanted to return to Kings Contrivance. We were a group of 10 and were given a very nice private room downstairs. They have beautifully decorated the interiors and dining rooms in festive holiday decor. We had a lovely waitstaff person and an assistant who provided excellent service and were very attentive. I believe having come on a Tuesday evening probably avoided the more crowded busy weekends.The dinner menu carried a well varied amount of choices and a few dinners were also selected from their Chef Specials. I enjoyed a deliciously thick and flavorful Cream of Mushroom soup, where you could really taste true bits of mushrooms in each spoonful. Others had salads or the Maryland crab soup. Entrées were presented in an appealing manner and everyone seemed to enjoy their choices. I had the Roasted Duck Breast with Orange Ginger sauce and fruit compote that had just the right balance in flavors. The side dish accompaniments were also well prepared and not overly cooked.A few ladies decided to share a few desserts and the Lemon Apricot Cheesecake was especially enjoyed. The white linen covered tables and poinsettia and holiday tree displays lent a very nice festive atmosphere. They are offering additional lunch service dates for the holiday period so it would be best to check their website for the most up dated information. It has always been known as a place to enjoy a couples night out but I would also recommend returning to the Kings Contrivance for group gatherings or family get togethers too. The ambience was much enjoyed, service was spot on and the food was delicious.

Such a wonderful evening in one of the best restaurants in the area. Never a bad meal have I had while dinning here. Unfortunately, the bread is no longer free, and my favorite desert the English Trifle is no longer on the menu.

Amazing Anniversary dinner at King's Contrivance Restaurant! Highly, highly recommend the crab cake dinner! Very best crab cake I've ever had! Family loved their meals, too. Daughter had rib eye steak, son had a beef dish, too and husband had the stuffed shrimp with crab meat. Prices were excellent for quality of food and excellent service!!!!

Kings contrivance is in a cool, very old historic mansion and I understand it's been there forever. Unfortunately the food was just okay. I got the seafood bisque which had nice chunks of shrimp and crab but the consistency was that of gravy, not soup. Way too thick! I then got the crab cake for my entree. The crab cake was okay but very mayonnaisey and lacking in old bay. Being a Maryland girl I was expecting more. Also the sides were sweet potato fries and green beans which seemed odd to pair with a crab cake and kind of easy. The saving grace was the crème brûlée - that was tasty and a nice end to the meal. There are definitely better spots, especially for seafood.

The absolute worst don't bother. The only thing good here were the martinis. I ordered the fillet rare and got well done. Bread came out with no butter I had to ask for the butter, seafood bisque was less substandard. Escargot was basically substandard. Don't come here it's not a good restaurant, not even for Thanksgiving waitress didn't ask even asked me for if I wanted dessert. No coffee offered. They were too busy trying to leave early for the day.

I remembered this place as quite exquisite from a previous work experience. So, based on previous experience, I thought this would be a great place to celebrate a family birthday on Saturday night. Won't say it was disappointing or great; will just say it was "meh". The mansion and the bar are well kept. The food was good (not great). Even though we called to make reservations very early we were placed on a folding table upstairs (it wasn't super busy). The service was good enough. The prices were high as you would expect for upscale dining but honestly the ambiance, service, and food just didn't match. We ordered the Pepita Salmon, Veal Piccata, Beef Tips, New York Strip, and the Stuffed Shrimp. We had to pay for our birthday dessert (slightly disappointing) after racking up a $400+ bill for 5. Would be a hard sell to get me back but definitely not what I remembered from years past.

This place is very old school in every way. Historic old manor house, white tablecloths, uniformed staff, offering a menu of familiar classics. Although those are usually not positives in a restaurant, in the case of Kings Contrivance they are. I probably come here with my family a couple times a year, including a few times for Thanksgiving. The food is simple, straightforward but CONSISTENTLY very well done. Lovely crab cakes, escargot, lobster bisque, steaks always cooked exactly to temperature and all accompanied by classic sauces and sides. Service is always polite and attentive.It's a popular place for Thanksgiving and always very crowded. Even with the extra pressure on the kitchen and staff they handle it well and everyone is always happy with their meal.

KCR is the most beautiful classic place for a meal in Howard County. The food in the past has lived up to the ambiance but in the most recent visit there were some let downs. The meal started with an excellent Brie and an excellent Riesling. The main courses were Crab Cakes and Veal Margarita. The Crab Cakes were very good but not quite as good as past visit although I still would go back for them. The big disappointment was the veal. It was a really ugly piece of veal that reminded me of processed meats. A bland marinara sauce over soggy spaghetti made the dish almost uneatable. The best part was perfectly prepared vegetables so it wasn't a total loss. A fruit tart was excellent as well. I still love the place so hopefully this was just a once off.