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!
Wendy M.
-
October 18, 2024
Kings Contrivance is a tried and true solid restaurant! For special occasions and some holidays, we go to Kings Contrivance. Why? The food is exceptional and consistently good, the service is always wonderful and the atmosphere always feels special occasion.
On this evening, we ordered the seared tuna salad with fresh avocado in a savory sauce was divine. The lobster stuffed w/crabcake and the truffle risotto w/ sea scallops were both delightful and quickly devoured. There was just a little room for the birthday tiramisu, the perfect punctuation to a wonderful evening celebrating a life milestones for a treasured loved one✨🎂💕
The menu is seasonal and always has a nice variety of special selections. Like many in the area, it’s a family favorite.
Kit Gee
-
July 01, 2024
We really enjoyed our meals here. The crab cakes and stuffed grilled shrimp were delicious. Good selection of appetizers and specials. Love the fried oysters and gazpacho. Desserts were perfectly prepared and presented. Atmosphere is traditional slightly formal. Great service.
Jimmy Wang
-
February 19, 2025
This is a restaurant that my wife have been to many times over the years to celebrate special occasions. The food has always been good, but for the price point, the service and atmosphere could really use an upgrade.
The restaurant is very dated, from the furniture to the plates they use. Maybe I’m not the target demographic but that’s just my observation.
The service is fine. Nothing glaring but it could be more personalized and attentive, especially when you’re spending over $100 per person for a meal. In our most recent visit, it felt like our server didn’t want to be there and did just what was needed and nothing more.
It’s a shame the restaurant has become like this. This place used to our favorite place to eat but it looks like we’ll have to look elsewhere.
Chris Farmer
-
March 13, 2023
Terrific place for an anniversary (or other special occasion) dinner! The restaurant is inside a charming old manor house. We sat in the end room with tons of windows to view outside while dining. Service was perfect. All staff that we interacted with were very friendly and did a great job anticipating our needs. The food was excellent. We started with a bread basket that was crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft in the middle, just as a good loaf should be. Baked brie in a puff pastry was a chef's special and I highly recommend it if offered again. The crabcake entree was superb with plenty of meat and not too much filler. 10/10 would get again! We had tiramisu for dessert, which usually isn't my favorite because I'm not a coffee fan, but theirs was delicious and not overpowering with the coffee notes. Overall this was a terrific fine dining experience and I would recommend it to others!
Our Address
10150 Shaker Dr, Columbia, MD 21046, USA
Claim Listing: The Kings Contrivance
Please Login or Register an Account to Claim Listing
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!
Kings Contrivance is a tried and true solid restaurant! For special occasions and some holidays, we go to Kings Contrivance. Why? The food is exceptional and consistently good, the service is always wonderful and the atmosphere always feels special occasion. On this evening, we ordered the seared tuna salad with fresh avocado in a savory sauce was divine. The lobster stuffed w/crabcake and the truffle risotto w/ sea scallops were both delightful and quickly devoured. There was just a little room for the birthday tiramisu, the perfect punctuation to a wonderful evening celebrating a life milestones for a treasured loved one✨🎂💕 The menu is seasonal and always has a nice variety of special selections. Like many in the area, it’s a family favorite.
We really enjoyed our meals here. The crab cakes and stuffed grilled shrimp were delicious. Good selection of appetizers and specials. Love the fried oysters and gazpacho. Desserts were perfectly prepared and presented. Atmosphere is traditional slightly formal. Great service.
This is a restaurant that my wife have been to many times over the years to celebrate special occasions. The food has always been good, but for the price point, the service and atmosphere could really use an upgrade. The restaurant is very dated, from the furniture to the plates they use. Maybe I’m not the target demographic but that’s just my observation. The service is fine. Nothing glaring but it could be more personalized and attentive, especially when you’re spending over $100 per person for a meal. In our most recent visit, it felt like our server didn’t want to be there and did just what was needed and nothing more. It’s a shame the restaurant has become like this. This place used to our favorite place to eat but it looks like we’ll have to look elsewhere.
Terrific place for an anniversary (or other special occasion) dinner! The restaurant is inside a charming old manor house. We sat in the end room with tons of windows to view outside while dining. Service was perfect. All staff that we interacted with were very friendly and did a great job anticipating our needs. The food was excellent. We started with a bread basket that was crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft in the middle, just as a good loaf should be. Baked brie in a puff pastry was a chef's special and I highly recommend it if offered again. The crabcake entree was superb with plenty of meat and not too much filler. 10/10 would get again! We had tiramisu for dessert, which usually isn't my favorite because I'm not a coffee fan, but theirs was delicious and not overpowering with the coffee notes. Overall this was a terrific fine dining experience and I would recommend it to others!