Oh my. Bistro Freddie just keeps on giving. Under new head chef Alex Henderson, this Shoreditch favourite is on quietly brilliant form – confident, generous, and effortlessly charming. It’s already one of our go-to spots in the neighbourhood, the kind of place that turns a 1pm lunch booking into a “wait, is it really 5pm?” situation. Excellent French bistro cooking, genuinely warm service, and a room that hums in exactly the right way. This is somewhere you don’t want to leave.
We kicked things off with a glass of Crémant while we settled in and sized up the menu – the perfect way to ease into proceedings. Then came the Comté gougères: light, puffy, deeply savoury, each one hiding a molten centre beneath a generous snowfall of grated cheese. Addictive. We followed with the steak tartare and the crab crumpet with lovage on a crab bisque: two small plates that quietly showed off the kitchen’s range. Each was great on its own; together they felt like a perfect introduction. We immediately clocked the egg mayonnaise with anchovy for next time.
Choosing mains is where Bistro Freddie really makes you work. Do you go classic – pork chop with hazelnut praline and quince mustard, Toulouse sausage – or chase the specials? We sat at the bar (always recommended), watching the kitchen in motion, and spotted a beautiful fish being prepped. The catch of the day: brill fillet in sauce meunière. Then we saw a sirloin hit the flame grill, sliced and laid out medium rare. Decision made. We ordered both and shared.
It was exactly right. The brill was delicate and perfectly cooked, all butter and restraint. The steak was succulent, deeply flavoured, and tender, served with our choice of bone marrow butter, and flanked by excellent fries and standout sprout tops. Two very different pleasures.
Dessert sealed it, shared because we’re sensible like that: a most excellent sticky toffee pudding and a chocolate crémeux with clementine and almond, finished with a touch of olive oil and salt that gently sharpened the flavours.
We washed it all down with a couple of bottles of Tâcherons organic Pinot Noir – light, expressive, and dangerously drinkable. Bistro Freddie is that rare thing: convivial, unfussy, consistently delicious. The sort of restaurant that makes you book your next visit before you’ve even paid the bill.
74 Luke Street, London EC2A 4PY
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@bistro_freddie