Måurice: the luncheonette that packs a serious pastry punch
Photo: Lehman Pekkola
Words: Caitlin Pangares
Måurice is a serene, singular luncheonette tucked into a triangle of storefronts on W Burnside that feels worlds away from the pace of Portland. Created by chef-owner Kristen Murray, the bright, intimate space blends Nordic influence with French technique, offering a tightly focused daytime menu built around seasonal ingredients and quiet precision. With its restrained hours, ever-evolving dishes, and celebrated pastry program, Måurice is designed as a place to slow down, pause, and savor food that feels both refined and deeply personal.
Photos: Lehman Pekkola, Måurice, Dina Avila, Brooke Fitts
Måurice is a place both serene and singular, a reprieve from the pace of day-to-day life. Nothing in Portland is like it.
Owner, Kristen Murray, created her dream luncheonette, which happens to be the platonic ideal for many others too. The space is tucked into a triangle of storefronts on W Burnside, across from the steady foot traffic at Powell’s and yet it feels a world away. Måurice is a bright and tidy space, with a narrow countertop, petite two-top booths and two larger tables nested into the front-facing windows. The walls are sparse, the built-in shelving intentionally decorated with vintage items that nod to the menu’s European leanings. It feels transportive, like Copenhagen or another elegant, Nordic city.
Murray made a choice to keep Måurice’s hours tight. Originally, it was just lunch. Now, they’ve slightly extended into the morning to capture a late breakfast crowd. Such a limited dining window feels almost counterculture, especially in an economy that rewards burnout.
This intentionality is echoed in her cooking, too. Dishes are hyper-seasonal, often swapped in or out based on what farmers deliver. Each ingredient is treated with respect and a finesse that’s typically seen only in a fine-dining context. And that’s the best part — Måurice’s food is the same caliber as that of a stuffy, Michelin starred restaurant, but in a comfortable, quaint neighborhood setting.
A similar philosophy is seen with their sweet offerings. No meal at Måurice is complete without ordering dessert. While many dishes, like the light-as-air lemon soufflé cake or circular, rich black pepper cheesecake, are menu mainstays, some are more ephemeral. A seedy madeline served with salted butter and drizzled with honey might be reinterpreted as a loaf cake at a later date. Måurice also has breakfast pastries, like currant-flecked scones, available for takeaway in the morning. Which is convenient, since one of the only places to get a traditional macchiato in Portland, Courier Coffee, is right next door. These are also part of Murray’s “fika” dishes — a traditional Swedish practice of taking a break in the day for a coffee and snack to recharge.
In connecting with Murray, we learned how Måurice came to be and how she has created such a stellar pastry program. Read our conversation here:
Can you share a little bit about the backstory of Måurice, in your own words?
Måurice is my dream luncheonette/restaurant where the techniques and ethos hold mindful intention toward the season, while playfully leaning into my Norwegian roots, threading the narrative with my French training as a chef.
Why did you pick that specific location?
I looked for the perfect spot for 2 1/2yrs…I almost opened a space on Division 3x the size…Ultimately, it felt more organic to grow into a larger space and stay micro…and the tiny bookshop on the tree lined street that I found was perfect. Still is.
Photos: Brooke Fitts
The menu at Måurice is always evolving, based on availability of ingredients. How does seasonality inform your menu planning?
100%. Obviously there are details I take into account when menu planning, spacial or equipment based, timing logistics with plating/cooking but it really narrows down to the essential ingredients that want to be celebrated and showcased. Each dish usually has three ingredients/flavors to balance and compliment, never more than five. I detest busy food.
Can you share a little bit about how you approach the pastry side of your business?
Yes, I was a fine dining pastry chef for over twenty years. I find there is a specific detailing in timing with pastry and a nuance of layering in textures/flavors that differs from most straight forward cooking where the focus is on the ingredient and possibly the cooking technique. I operate best in the dishes or style of my cuisine in control and whimsy.
There are mainstays (like the cheesecake) and some sweets that are more ephemeral (the seedy madeleines) — how do you decide what stays and what goes?
They are all my children and it’s wonderful to see people enjoy my creations…Honestly, the fika program is pretty dialed in after twelve plus years--only the seasonal fruits or nuts change on the daily/weekly. When I have extra hands or I am able to get a special ingredient, I adore creating a special… really everything is pretty special and made fresh as we sell out often given our size.
Måurice is open earlier in the mornings these days but your hours are set to capture a specific window. Can you share a bit about your decision to keep daytime hours, specifically?
Absolutely, we are one of the very few nice lunch and/or full scale daytime restaurants left open after the pandemic. The space tends to glow in the south facing light… not as charming in the nighttime either.
Is there a tether between what you cook/bake at Måurice and your own personal history?
Yes, everything has a story, an emotion that often is accessed through the dish, technique or ingredient… sometimes all three. Måurice couldn’t be more of an antithesis of a restaurant--it’s really a second home and ethereal gathering spot…a perfect place to pause and enjoy the sweeter things in life for so many, including myself.