Weekly Review: Bistro Freddie
Excellent cooking and great vibes make it a Shoreditch stand-out
Before I walk in the door at Bistro Freddie, there’s already a problem: Duchy is across the street. Literally right there. When I get inside and make it to my table — a lovely spot on the window — I spend the whole of my lunch looking longingly at Duchy.
After all, it’s a near-perfect lunch spot for me. Outstanding food. Attentive, thoughtful, engaging service. Stunning wine list. Great light. Energetic vibe. Abiding nerdiness. I went on and on about it. Then I returned and loved it even more.
So the central question is obvious: If I’m travelling to Shoreditch, would I ever pick Bistro Freddie over Duchy?
The answer is yes.
Where Duchy thrives on the French / Italian border, with artistic takes and flavours from its regions, Bistro Freddie goes all in on French techniques and ingredients. There are bold flavours and subtle notes. Where Duchy is artistic, Bistro Freddie is exactly what you want it to be.
So there is very much room for both of these gems in my life. And, indeed, in Shoreditch.
The vibe in Bistro Freddie is unapologetically, well, bistro. There are wooden tables and chairs, and a nice buzz about the place. Food come from an impossibly small, open kitchen behind a 10-seat food bar. Menus are hand written each day. There are specials and seasonal favourites. There’s an admirable wine-by-the-glass list and a really fabulous choice of bottles, too.
For professional lunchers, there’s space for a private conversation, though I’m not sure I would choose Bistro Freddie for a work dinner, as the romance vibes might be a bit much.
And the food and drink were excellent.
My friend and I were celebrating the long-awaited close of a major deal, so we opened with a glass of fizz. A lovely, affordable crémant was served in an old-school champagne coupe. It was a great start.
Starters were steak tartare, comte gougéres, and a crab crumpet. My gougére what a little over done, but the tartare was outstanding. The highlight was the crumpet, which positively sang. A delicious, light bisque was the perfect sauce, and the whole thing was a bold, crabby delight.
Our first main was “Cod schnitzel.” A wonderfully cooked piece of cod was breaded and perfectly fried, then served over a beurre blanc tartare sauce. That sauce was the best thing we ate. Absolutely stunning with big, rich flavour and exactly the acidic hit you want in a good tartare sauce. I don’t know why more people haven’t don’t this, but I hope we’ll soon see this sauce in restaurants all over town.
The other main was “Toulouse sausage with braised lentils.” This dish was so authentic, I could have been eating it in a café in France. The sausages were packed with flavour, and the lentils were creamy but a nice hit of garlic.
A chocolate crémeux was an ideal end.
I really enjoyed our lunch at Bistro Freddie, and I would certainly return. Perhaps, in the future, when deciding on a lunch spot in Shoreditch, it will come down a coin flip. Either way, I’ll win.
Quick hit: Excellent cooking and great vibes make it a Shoreditch stand-out
Details: Booking advised. Shoreditch. £££.
Restaurant website. More on Instagram.
Find it on Google Maps. 74 Luke St, EC2A 4PY.
Thanks for reading this week’s review. What’s your favourite spot for lunch in Shoreditch? Tell me in the Comments. And please subscribe if you haven’t already.
Ohhhh the suspense! Glad you like both places.