Frederic Cafe Bistro in Maidstone

Very disappointed. We rarely go out and this was a special treat for our 46th wedding anniversary. The gentleman who finally greeted us made no apology for the wait and.. despite my being disabled, he went off at speed while we trailed behind him. Nobody pulled out my chair or made us feel welcome. In fairness it was very busy but that's no excuse. We've dined out enough in the past to know good service. I was never offered a second drink nor did anyone enquire whether we were happy with the meal. I don't remember ever feeling so ill served at this restaurant. The food was good but we had a simple lunch. We left feeling decidedly disappointed.

I had a wonderful lunch with my sister and my niece. The food was delicious, the service great and the ambiance first class. I’ll definitely be returning.

As always great value for money pre theatre 2 course meal. Good food, lovely staff. Looking forward to our next visit Thanks Ulric

Been here several times, The service is always so lovely and polite, the breakfasts always delicious too. Strongly recommend this place 👍😎

I don’t usually write reviews but felt that this was needed. Food was delicious with very generous portions, lots of options on the menu I would like to try. The staff were brilliant, served by numerous servers who were all very busy and didn’t stop, but they all knew what they were doing and worked together, very organised and hardworking and exceptional service from everyone across the board. When the bill came, tip was not automatically included which is a rarity and very modest, but very much deserved. Lovely atmosphere and all round great meal.

While we visited Maidstone we stopped at Frederic Bistro for a meal and we had an amazing experience. This place has a great location and excellent service. It should be on your list if you are getting to Maidstone. Excellent food, with lots of wines to choose from and drought French beer makes this place perfect for stopping by. I do recommend having a reservation but if you don't try your luck, the staff was very friendly with us and they offered us a table without reservation. I will definitely drop by next time when I visit Maidstone.

Went for our wedding anniversary a week ago, had been years since we'd been so was nice to go again. Our food was mostly perfect with the exception of the Seabass, which was slightly over cooked and the plate was served with sauce over the sides. My Sole was fantastic, as was the rabbit tart, blue cheese and walnut salad and our Tare au citroens. We was given the choice of where we wanted to sit by a well dressed gentlemen who couldn't have been nicer. Couple of gripes though! If you want a soft drink then there is no drink menu for this and when asked it was Coke, lemonade, rhubarb press and one other which I can't remember. All again with lemonade if we wanted. I'd seen ginger ale and others in the fridge later on but was a bit disappointed not to be told this. Also, when our cutlery was cleared by the same waiter after our mains, he just put the cutlery in the middle of the table for us to sort ourselves. Little things may be, but make all the difference on a special night. Would definitely recommend and go back but won't be in a massive rush.

The dishes are good and plentiful. The atmosphere of the restaurant, even if it is a caricature of the image of France, is nicely decorated. The service is friendly

Love the Bistro atmosphere here. The service is so friendly, and the food is lovely. They don't over stretch the menu, so quality is not affected imho. Never had a bad meal there. The patisserie is a dream too. . Stars for atmosphere reduced by one, as I feel the acoustics make it difficult to gear others sometimes - won't stop me returning tho.

Excellent food,excellent staff and very friendly. It was the perfect place for a perfect date.

I went here for my birthday and the colleagues really made my visit special. The best espresso martini ever! Beef bourguignon was amazing. My friends organised a cake and everyone sang happy birthday to me...very thoughtful. Thanks Frederics I hope to be back soon 🤞🏼

Food excellent. Bouillabaisse top notch, sea bass fillet excellent and Moules right on the button. Didn't need supper! Service was quick, friendly and efficient and added to the fun. Ironic that one has to go to Maidstone for a really authentic French bistro, so rare now in France. We'll done Ulrich, thank-you all.

The place to eat in town. All sweets and pastry are all handmand on site, and the price is very good. We had my birthday in May it was a fantastic meal. Staff are very friendly. The wine list is massive! Lunchtime is very popular very reasonable priced. Top marks.

Food is lovely and the atmosphere is good. We ordered from the Saturday lunch menu, which was nice and varied and was reasonably priced. The deserts are a little expensive but very nice

It was a really pleasant experience with tasty lamb chops and a variety of desserts to try on our way to the coast. My partner had something else with fries. And oh my God, best fries we had in a while!

Simple food cooked to perfection. A fantastic restaurant that we visit regularly.

Always the best food and service!

Fantastic food, music and atmosphere. A great mid-week treat. Thank you Breakfast is amazing too . Oh and lunch 😋

Food was good. Service was good apart from waiter who was a little creepy and condescending. Unfortunately the entire experience was ruined by another customer who took it upon himself to be extremely rude and racist to my Russian friend, making comments like "we don't want Russians in our country" and other horrible things. They were a pair of old stuck-up men who think they can be racist and generally awful to anything they meet. Staff did not intervene even though they walked past several times and must've overheard. I reported the issue the waiters who who were congregated by the till. They were apologetic but didn't really seem to care all that much. I don't think I will be returning. But as I said, food was good and well cooked.

Great venue let down by bland food. Other choices looked better so will try again.

A very nice place to grab some breakfast or brunch. Plenty of space, affable staff and good food (I had the toasted cheese and ham sarnie).

They say they are open until 5 for lunch so what is the latest you can get there we tried at 3 .55 and we're closed and we knew what we wanted so how early do have to there ?

I was really looking forward to eating here. Starters were lovely. Mains were OK, very big portions so i didnt finish mine. Service was slow which surprised me as we went on a thursday, it took a long time to get attention for anything that was needed. Would probably go again for a pastry and tea/breakfast but not rushing back for dinner.

I've been to Fred's a few times for lunch and breakfast and not been disappointed. I'll be dining there one day soon so I'll report back then 😁 The staff are very nice and you never get shifted out to make room for other patrons.

Food still every bit as good as last visit. Best wine list for miles around.

I’m wondering why people talk so highly about this place. The Champagne was flat, the beef bourguignon was awful and the accompanying potato dish was raw. It was all such a disappointment.

The two of us had an early meal before yhe Haslett concert. Not only is the venue convenient for that, but the food was delicious- and the House Merlot was yummy!

The food was excellent, as was the service, but they could do with some additional ventilation/AC as certain parts of the restaurant got particularly hot. Having said that, we were there on a Saturday at lunchtime so the place was extremely full!

I love Frederick Bistro, but today wasn’t the best time. We had brunch, ordered pancakes and the big wake up (full English breakfast). Unfortunately the pancakes were rubbery not fluffy and soft, drowning in maple syrup and there were 5 blueberries in total. The full English breakfast was okay. Sausage was overcooked and dried, toast cold and rubbery. Waiters didn’t offer options for brown bread. In fact the bread was a huge disappointment to my friend that ordered an avocado toast. I would assume they would serve s quality sourdough bread for the price. But not! The service is always great, and I left a tip despite of all. I am not sure I will come back. Frederick needs to get their act together.

Brilliant location. Staff are excellent and the atmosphere was spot on. Cakes are great and so was coffee.

Wonderful atmosphere, great service, fabulous food!

Attending a charity event at Frederics was an absolute delight! Ulric and his team provided impeccable service throughout the evening, ensuring every guest felt both truly catered and cared for. Despite serving a large group of 65 people, the food surpassed expectations and maintained the restaurant's renowned high standard. A truly wonderful experience, with top-notch service and delicious food, all whilst raising money for a great charity too.

Great place to eat, very buzzy atmosphere and food delicious. Service was very good and waiting staff very professional, polite and friendly.

Always great food and good wine. Service very good

Brilliant lunch on a Friday, packed as usual, top notch French cuisine in the county town in the garden of England. Good friendly prompt service.

Recommended by friends of ours (who dined with us) and I am pleased to say that my wife and I were equally impressed. The restaurant has an interesting interior, with stocked wine bottle shelves covering most of the walls. It's cosy and relaxed. The waiting staff are friendly, attentive and patient. That particularly stood out for us. It's as good as anywhere we've been and definitely en point. For starters, I had the curried crab as a contrast to my main. The curry flavouring was not overdone, so it was flavoursome and light. The others went for the pate. This looked generous, as the pate portion was fairly large and served with plenty of bread slices. We then all went for the steak. All four were cooked to perfection - two medium and two medium-rare. It was a lovely thick piece of meat too. All ingredients were clearly top quality and it was a delicious dish, served on very warm plates. Obviously after such a delicious main, it's customary (in my book) to order desserts. My prune tart was just right, not too large and the taste reminded me of fig roll biscuits, which I love. Bearing in mind that we also had two bottles of red wine and coffees, we thought that the bill of about £60 per head was very good value. We felt slightly guilty being the last table to leave, but we didn't really want to go home!

Really enjoyable lunch in a lovely French ambience. The staff were warm and friendly. The food was well presented and very appetising. Will definitely return.

Perfect food, drink, service, and atmosphere

Fab restaurant with great service, and staff you will recognise each time. Classic French, generous great quality food from an independent restaurant. Also fab range of wines and spirits to buy and take home (will gladly give advice and let you try). Food service is rapid even when busy and generous and flavoursome. Don't forget to get a divine take away cheeseboard for later. Thank you <3

Tucked away in the middle of Maidstone. Such a beautiful restaurant, been twice and both times the food, service and ambiance is superb. The selection of wines are fantastic. Would highly recommend.

Frederic Café and Bistro offers high quality and tasty food in an pleasant and comfortable environment, this experience is further enhanced by friendly and knowledgeable staff. Highly recomended.

Excellent breakfast with my family; everything was spot on

Amazing food and a lovely and cozy atmosphere

Good value for money perfect for brunch

Lovely tasty food, very friendly staff and great atmosphere

Excellent atmosphere and food . Very French with a wonderful selection of fine wines Always a warm welcome from the owner and staff Occasionally they have entertainment as well

Such good quality food, great atmosphere and excellent service. What's not to like. Maidstone's best !

Wonderful, unique place. Fabulous food and a choice of so many wines Gins and beers. A good choice of meals also very yummy pastries etc. 😋 👌 all the staff are friendly and greet you with a warm welcome .It's my favourite place.

First time and not the last. Food was good and the service very quick. Good cocktails. Staff very helpful and friendly. I will go back to try the puddings !

Great food and great service, even when it was very busy.

A really lovely independent place, the food is always delicious and the staff are very friendly and accommodating. Our favourite place to go in town bar none, for brunch, dinner, or just a coffee and tasty patisserie! Highly recommend.

Love the French Bistro Vibe! Delicious food and pastries! The Beef Bourguignon and the Lamb Chop Cassoulet is magnifique! Highly recommend and will come back soon!

Visited for brunch, the staff were all very friendly and welcoming, as they have been every other time we've visited. We made a fair few changes to our order and they were very accommodating. Will definitely be returning.

Lovely service, fabulous food and a great atmosphere. 5 stars all round. It was very busy on the day we visited, but that didn't stop the staff being fabulous and the food even more fabulous.

Had a really nice Mother's Day lunch, I'm never disappointed with this restaurant. Thank you for the pot plant a really lovely gesture.

Visited for the first time on Mother’s Day. I had heard good things so had high expectations…all I can say is wow! The food was absolutely delicious (one of the best meals I’ve had in a while) and the staff were faultless. From arrival the door was opened and we were greeted warmly. There were flowerpots on each table for the Mums to take home, such a thoughtful gesture. Thankyou for making my Mum’s day extra memorable!

Buzzing atmosphere,a lively place full of welcoming staff.Great service,great quality of food and choices.The desserts are wonderful,like you’re in France that good.Fresh and again great choices.Prices are reasonable and portions are generous. I couldn’t be more impressed with Heidi.She served us with a smile and was very attentive.She delivered excellent customer service.Absolutely would recommend this bistro to anyone interested in eating out.

Went for a weekly visit for coffee and cake with a friend. Had the apricot tart, which was delicious. Usual good service.

Can't fault the food, the service is the best I've known - can't do enough for your comfort, and the atmosphere is great also. Just one thing that let it down for us as a group was the table and chairs, which I think could be more stable. We had 2 wobbly tables, and the chairs - 1 was wobbly and some of the chairs are narrow, which was uncomfortable for my elderly mother. The side bars of the chairs come in from the back and round to the side this giving a narrow seat. Saying that, it's still the best place to eat for miles.

Absolutely loved this place. Food was delicious (Coq au Vin & Black Forest Gateau) service was outstanding, and they make a mean French 57 cocktail. Will definitely be visiting again.

This is our favourite restaurant. Once again, the ambience, food and service were consistently excellent. Uric and his team always know how to make your experience special. We have been here for dinner with friends, date nights, family celebrations and long weekend lunches, never had a bad experience and consistently reasonable prices - don’t change!

Delicious lunch good friendly service and great atmosphere, very busy for a Monday lunchtime

Tried so hard to like this place as I've heard a few people say they like it. Perhaps evenings are better? My breakfast experience was poor. Scrambled egg and smoked salmon on toast was served on top of dry toast (ie not spread with butter), and when I asked why ... you'd have thought I was requested something outlandish. The smoked salmon that came with it was too thickly sliced and consequently leathery. The lack of soft-furnishings made the place very noisy so that conversation with our friends was difficult. Won't be hurrying back that's for sure.

Superb French bistro, great food, great wines and great staff

Lovely vibrant atmosphere, attentive waitress, but let down by bland food, notably Moroccan lamb and mussels, sadly lacking in flavours.

Absolutely outstanding! Can't recommend the seabass enough, it was the best I have ever had! I don't know our server's name, but she was brilliant - great recommendation on wine and even acknowledged my wife's birthday by arranging for a little surprise cake with candle to be brought to the table at no extra cost 😁 Can't wait to go back again!

Authentic French atmosphere and cuisine in the heart of Maidstone. This place never stops to amaze me, with quality of their food, great customer service. I am on the mission to try every single dessert and cake on their menu, as they look and taste out of this world. Today we ordered cheese board with authentic baguette and lovely chutney to take away and it was spectacular.

Exceptionally friendly staff - Lucy and Philippa were warm, welcoming and knowledgeable. They are an asset to this business. The range of wines in the cave would satisfy any wine lover. A delight to find this. The food was delicious and I cannot recommend this place highly enough

Absolute gem of a place! Great food, cracking ambience and such friendly staff. Maidstone's best restaurant by far.

Best bouillabaisse I have had in a longtime. Great value too. Thank you. Massoud

I have been coming here since it first opened when it was a tiny French bistro cafe. Over the years it has gradually expanded, but the same level of service and food quality is still there, despite being much larger and always busy. Best to book a table to avoid disappointment.

I had really bugged the bistro up as had been there before and always nice food today was awful out breakfast was cold the avocado was horrendous I’m not sure if it was because it is half term and they couldn’t cope as it was busier than usual but I will seriously think again before paying £9.95 for a vegetarian breakfast again

Food was amazing here. Tastes so good, very full of flavour yet comfy and rustic at the same time. Booked for a Valentines date, all the staff were so good, especially Alex our waiter. Thank you for a memorable day and great time

Best meal we have had for a long time. Could not fault it at all. I had the mussels and hubby had the beef. We shared a dessert which was out of this world. Wine and tea completed our visit. Going again for sure. Excellent.

Went here for a breakfast. We were given a table without even slightest consideration of where we would fit a pram. The food arrived and didn't look particularly appetizing. My avocado toast was with the cheapest bread they could get. The croissant (in the French restaurant!) was definitely made a day or two before, was not flaky at all.

A lively and welcoming venue with friendly and attentive staff. Fredericks had a small but wide ranging menu with something for everyone. We started the meal with a curried crab tart. Fredericks clearly care about and have thought about every detail, Their G & T with edible flowers makes G & T anywhere else, pale into insignificance. The star of the show for me was the Beef Bourguignon . Simply served, the beef was unbelievably tender, Cut into large chunks the portion size was very generous. I was s

One of Kent’s finest . Superb freshly prepared food , varied menu, wonderful setting and exceptional staff . Our personal favourite restaurant.

Always a great dining experience, this time Burn's Night.

Just an amazing French restaurant in the heart of Maidstone. Food and wine delicious. Friendly service, top draw dining, a huge selection of fine wine beers and spirits from everywhere. Eating there reminded me of being back in Paris in '94. Like its the real deal. It's got to be 1000/1000 from me, one of my favourite places too dine in central Maidstone. It's definitely worth a visit.

Everything perfect! Will be back! Service is outstanding even when busy.

Lovely french bistro with wine and cheese bar attached. Always busy and for good reason. Well worth a visit but you may need to book in advance

Lovely experience from the moment I entered. Alex’s attention to detail was first-class as was the overall experience in a beautiful setting. I shall be returning very soon.

Excellent restaurant all round.

Great food and the service was excellent...when I am in Maidstone again booking a return visit will definitely be one of my first things to do...

I Rate Frédéric Bistro as the best Restaurant I have ever been to. I would rather have a meal here than anywhere else. The food is excellent, as are the surroundings and staff. If you live nearby, then book a table, you won't be disappointed.

A lovely little lunch spot that would definitely be a great choice for dinner or drinks, too. The service was fantastic and the atmosphere was wonderful. The food hit the spot (with the coq au vin and lemon & lavender roulade being an absolute hit). Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend and will definitely be back next time I visit the area.

This restaurant a favourite of mine. Always my go to for special occasions or just an evening out. Special place with a unique feel and fantastic food served by great staff who interact very well.

Had an awful Brunch at Fredricks today, every one of our egg benedicks was over cooked and dry. Usually over the years we've not had an issue to complain tbh, but today we did, they did not seem to be bothered about it either! We had stated it was our daughters birthday on booking and not one tiny effort was made throughout our entire time there, not even the smallest of gestures, like a candle on a biscuit or whatever. A real disappointment!

Wow what a fabulous restaurant, first class staff and ambiance. The Manager was very hands on watching for every detail. Looked like he had come from The Savoy or The Ritz 😊. Great menu and the food was delicious. Will be back 😊

Best ever coffee shop/restaurant quick service professional staff high recommended

I enjoyed eating here with my friends

This must be my favourite restaurant in Maidstone. Great food, great service and reasonable prices. It is not surprisingly very popular. Can't recommend it too highly. It does a good breakfast too.

Great place! Recommend the onion soup, beef bourguignon Great atmosphere

Always busy, which is a good sign. I do find it a bit noisy sometimes.

Very busy, preordained from the Christmas menu, still nearly ab hour before the starters arrived. They forgot to bring one persons meal, that didn't arrive till everyone else had finished. Too many tables, not enough staff. Nice food, overpriced for what you got.

The product knowledge is second to none

Busy themed French Bistro style / wine shop. Christmas Lunch. Baked Camembert OK but bland bread. Fish very small portion (small fillet, half a courgette, a bit of pea mush, a pool of red sauce) and unexciting. Turkey main course much more filling but roast potatoes tough. Large cheeseboard but cheese probably needs longer out of fridge to develop flavour. Roulade probably nicest bit. I normally enjoy eating at Frederic but came away underwhelmed. I guess mass-market Christmas catering means something has to give and in this case it's the difference between OK and good.

The beef bourguine was disappointing. Sauce waterey ans rice too little considering thr price

Excellent experience-highly recommended.

I was with a group of friends and we all had a really delicious lunch. The food was cooked to perfection and staff were knowledgeable, efficient and friendly. I will definitely make a return visit.