Frederic Cafe Bistro in Maidstone

Had another fantastic meal at Frederics last week. The food is always consistently excellent - matched by the friendliness of the team who looked after us. Still our favourite place to eat!

Lovely food, excellent service. They coped well with my food intolerances which can often be a problem.

Great evening with lovely birthday cake brought in by staff Alex and Nathan really good Lovely wine Love the wine bar side

Nathan and Alex were lovely! Amazing birthday experience

This is one of the few restaurants where the service is amazing and the food tge same. Love the place

Exceptional food and service. Our place to go for a great meal out.

We visit the bistro often and cannot fault the food, wine and service. The menu is brilliantly simplistic. Yesterday we visited the newly open Maison restaurant. The Chateaubriand was probably the best I have ever had. The wine list in Maison is a little different than the brasserie but all fairly priced. Staff are always very welcoming. We will be frequent visitors!

Great place. I chose the wrong food!

I have had lunch on a Saturday afternoon with a friend several times here in the last few months as we have decided that this is one of our favourite places to eat in Maidstone! The quality of the food, the friendly atmosphere and attentive service make this independent café/bistro one of the best places in eat in Maidstone. The lunch menu is really varied and we have both eaten different dishes every time that we have visited. The lemon sole with capers butter, served with broccoli and green beans is my favourite, but the chicken with wild mushrooms in a tarragon & cream sauce is also delicious. The deserts/pastries are also delicious, especially the strawberry & cream roulade and Paris Brest with hazelnut cream and the flat white coffees are perfect. The cost of the food is relatively inexpensive for this quality. This independent restaurant is very popular on a Saturday lunchtime with a constant stream of customers. All you can hear are people talking, with no loud music!

I have had lunch on a Saturday afternoon with a friend several times here in the last few months as we have decided that this is one of our favourite places to eat in Maidstone! The quality of the food, the friendly atmosphere and attentive service make this independent café/bistro one of the best places in eat in Maidstone. The lunch menu is really varied and we have both eaten different dishes every time that we have visited. The lemon sole with capers butter, served with broccoli and green beans is my favourite, but the chicken with wild mushrooms in a tarragon & cream sauce is also delicious. The deserts/pastries are also delicious, especially the strawberry & cream roulade and Paris Brest with hazelnut cream and the flat white coffees are perfect. The cost of the food is relatively inexpensive for this quality. This independent restaurant is very popular on a Saturday lunchtime with a constant stream of customers. All you can hear are people talking, with no loud music!

Went recently with 5 friends and although the meal was fine we were cold! Also feel that perhaps a little bit of etiquette training needs with some of your servers. For example one of our ladies is a slow eater but all our plates were cleared away before she had finished which made her feel awkward and surely no plates should be cleared away until everyone had finished. Also food and hot drinks served over our shoulders when there was plenty of room to serve each person. Hot drinks were served across me when he could easily have walked round the table and served her directly. Could have been nasty if drink had spilt! Anyway won’t put me off going again as always enjoy the food

We always enjoy our trips to Frederic, amazing food, friendly helpful service and great vibe.

For a reason I don’t really understand we haven’t been here for ages but we were very pleased that we returned. We had booked in advance and it was very busy but we were quickly seated and offered menus and drinks. The menu was interesting and we were spoilt for choice. The service and food were both excellent. I had the walnut and Gorgonzola salad to start and my husband had the Camembert. This was followed by the sea bass and Moroccan lamb. Perfectly cooked and well presented. I didn’t want a dessert but my husband had the raspberry and pistachio tart and was delighted to find that it could be accompanied by a good glass of sweet wine. The only down side was that the radiators were off and it was a very cold evening, however we will be back but perhaps when the weather warms up.

Great place to eat. Food is excellent

A french style bistro in Maidstone, this independent restaurant is a lovely place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Service is always good, and the food delicious.

We shared a wonderful evening, celebrating Burns Night. The whiskey sommelier was excellent. Very friendly and knowledgable about his craft. We will definitely be back.

The staff are helpful and friendly. I love the patisseries in there, and did you know you can order the Pear Tart and Apple Tart as long as you give 24hrs notice?

Went there on a Saturday so was busy. Atmosphere good, service prompt and pleasant. We had Moroccan Lamb (£18.95) with chickpeas and rice and Lemon Sole on brocolli (£18.95). Food was delivered quickly; this showed in the taste. I would rate the lamb 3/5. Generous amount of lamb, minimal seasoning, I would have preferred less meat and more chickpeas, and more of the flavours that characterise morroccan food. This would have taken little effort to make perfect. The sole again was unseasoned, but granted, this is common practice here. A slice of lemon, a sprig of parsley and a splash of cream sauce would have easily transformed the dish. The broccoli was fresh and crisp. I would rate this as 3/5. In summary, good place to visit for the vibes, coffee or pastry. Very quick service, but if we wanted speed we could have gone to the kebab shop opposite. The meals we had felt rushed and could have easily been made excellent, but perhaps their other dishes do them more justice.

What can I say? It was fantastic to see my favourite restaurant packed to the rafters barely two weeks into the new year. Once again the service was impeccable with some familiar faces serving the happy patrons. I had the house Malbec which was delicious on its own. Crab was magnificent for starters, a blue fillet for main and a cheeseboard with a port for dessert. All finished and enjoyed with vigour. I am so happy when I go to this marvellous breath of fresh air in central Maidstone. Long may this establishment thrive!!!

A quite wonderful place to eat. All of the food we ordered was delivered without too much delay and was really very delicious. I had Dover sole which was cooked to perfection with fantastic crisp vegetables and a sauce to die for. For dessert, I had the Tarte au Citron which was very, very nice. Drinks wise, they have a wonderful selection of wines and quite a collection of fizz. Personally I stuck with their Alcohol free beer which was very tasty and refreshing. The staff were amazing. I would certainly recommend a visit and I will be returning.

Very nice place to meet for lunch...food was nice .. a lovely blue cheese omellete with chips I will go again..

Best Beef Bourguignon I’ve ever tasted. Staff were friendly and the place has a real authentic feel of a French bistro. Great meal will be revisiting very soon.

Pate starter no butter with baguette, beef bourginon no gravy completely dry had to be returned..my fillet steak was very small & served medium & I asked for medium rare? Chocolate brownie so dry , I could have made it better myself, overall very disappointed .

Food ok but small portions, the worst bit was it was freezing outside and there heating was off clod radiators.. Dont be so tight you make enough money, or is it keep them cold and they wont stay long.

Wait-staff was friendly enough when they finally paid attention to me. I had a full English breakfast, which was standard, though I found the scrambled eggs a bit on the wet side, and the bacon could be cooked longer.

I attended with friends for our. Christmas lunch. We felt we were just pushed in space which we could no move as they had unexpected wheel chair which was bit uncomfortable. And put in second space which was so cold It too aged to get drink and order food, on food arriving i had to send back my cheese as was not melted enough so my chips got cold by time was returned . I feel it’s not as good as use to be they cramping too many people and can’t cope with all , so it not place I will go back to or reccomend

Absolutely amazing food Lovely atmosphere and Phillipa our waitress was very attentive and professional. Would 100% recommend and will definitely return in the new year.

Just lots of people are rude entitled so and sos and should really stay at home because they don't know how to behave or be have an ounce of respect

Frédéric is one of those rare gems where the Universe aligns and you experience a true fine dining service in a beautiful restaurant, with lovely friendly staff who are passionate and at great value for money. Being next to the theatre they offer deals if you show a ticket too. My mum used to come here regularly just for their croque monsieur at lunch. You can even buy an incredible bottle of whisky, wine or gin too which are displayed on the wall. You will need to travel a very long way to find somewhere more specifical than Frédéric.

Really enjoyed our lunch first time we went there food was lovely and well presented we are coming back for breakfast we give frederic'so 5 stars

Lovely place. Very attentive staff. Great food. Great atmosphere.

Great Bistro with lovely food and very nice staff. Would highly recommend.

Had a superb lunch today with my Mum and our 2 friends. Excellent service as always. And although very busy we didn’t wait long at all.

Amazing evening at the bistro, food was fantastic and the service exemplary, will be back soon!

Came across this place on a weekend away and popped in for a Friday lunch. The place was packed and for good reason as the food was simple but really good. I only had a main but the sweet options and patisserie looked fantastic. I'd definately return.

Tried here for the first time today & enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with family. The staff were lovely & friendly, the French style decor had a cosy feel & the food was delicious & good value for the price.

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.

Delicious, fast service, very pleasant

Amazing food and atmosphere, everyone was great

Food was nice, service not great. Waiter knocked over my guests beer. His comment was "no worries " but didn't bring him any to replace it.

We had lunch here and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The location, service and food were excellent.

Always busy and buzzing, great food and excellent service.

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

We have dined three times recently. My first visit was for lunch when I close the Bouillabaisse which was delicious. On my second visit I chose the Bouillabaisse again having enjoyed it so much before but was extremely disappointed. It mainly consisted of potatoes, was watery and not seasoned. My third was with my husband and we both chose the fillet steak. It came with anaemic chips and a very ordinary salad. I managed to eat mine but my husband’s was chewy and tasteless, he therefore left most of it. Very disappointed, we won’t be returning.

Very popular restaurant and well worth a visit you won't be disappointed

Staff - friendly and accommodating. Took us as walk ins, and sat us away from the crowd as we had a sleeping baby with us. Food - served quickly and perfectly at lunch time. A french omelette and chips, amazing. Only personal improvement - could have had more blue cheese melted into it! Ha. Also, the pastries are heavenly. Well done and thank you.

Pastry hits! I knew it with just a look 🤩 The apple pie (green with raspberry on top) calls me to order, seems perfect for the winter holiday. My sister loved the lemon pie. Would definitely come back to try a full meal x

Every course was delicious, service was excellent and the atmosphere was as it’s always been, casual and friendly. The gluten free black forest gateaux was the best GF desert I’ve ever had!

Great, authentic French food and fab service. Couldn’t ask for any more!

Something quite special about Fredeticks. Authentic french food in a nice environment. An we are returning soon for a Gin tasting evening.

First time here and everything was superb! Food was fabulous, flavoursome and plentiful. I had the Beef bourguignon and my husband had the cassoulet. Service was quick and personable. Really reasonably priced considering the quality and quantity of food. Definitely recommend.

Good place to pop in or have a long lunch with someone or on your own. Service was good .

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

Exceptional service. Walked in for a drink, and seeing that it's a wine bar, I just assumed that they do cheese and charcuterie platters. Turns out it's not something they have on the menu, but without hesitation, the waiter just said, "Leave it with me," and brought us an amazing cheese board with some cold cuts. Can't recommend enough. Thank you. Made our evening.

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 Tart au citroens. We were given the choice of where we wanted to sit by a well-dressed gentlemen who couldn't have been nicer. A 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.

What a Boujee gem! Fast service with classic French food that hugs you from the inside. You can pick your own bottle from a vast selection of quality and niche wines on display with an excellent Sommelier/Waiter who was there if you weren’t sure (without being pushy). Recommend the 5 cheese platter to finish, amazing!

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.

Great place to spend a few hours great atmosphere

Well, the food is actually incredible, the drinks sublime and service is impeccable. A pleasant and relaxed atmosphere too.

Food was lovely but the restaurant was really noisy

One of the best restaurants in Maidstone - delicious, authentic French food that never disappoints, with an amazing selection of patisseries! The staff are friendly and welcoming, and the service is impeccable. Always a buzzing atmosphere, with a great wine list. A lovely, cosy bistro that we love to visit often!

Eaten here a lot but today wasn’t as good. Pate and French bread was fine though a little basic. I had the goats cheese tartine and it was very bland, basically melted cheese on toast, very ordinary and disappointing. A change in the menu would be better too as we’ve been eating here for a few years now and nothing has changed. The desserts are always excellent and some of the menu items are good but definitely wouldn’t recommend the goat cheese tartine. Feeling like it’s time to move on which is a shame as there’s not many good restaurants in Maidstone Town Center.

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.

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

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.

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.

Excellent breakfast with my family; everything was spot on

Amazing food and a lovely and cozy atmosphere