BISTRO FREDDIE // LONDON
RESTAURANT // BISTRO FREDDIE
LOCATION // SHOREDITCH, LONDON
MEAL // DINNER, 7PM
THE LOW-DOWN
It’s 6.45, and yes, I know that’s early, but it’s what we managed to grab, and with it getting dark so early now, it felt like 9pm anyway. Upon entry, we’re greeted by the cheeriest of people, the hostess to later be our waitress, Lauren. It’s her first night (ours too), and she managed to be the kick-off to a wonderful experience at Bistro Freddie.
We start by hooking our plethora of cold weather accessories onto the hooks by the door, that are each labelled for where you’re seated. Hooked onto ‘Bar’ it is.
Bistro Freddie’s interior is a mix of mid-century modern and cozy bistro. Sitting at the bar is an added bonus - you’ll really feel fully immersed into the magic happening in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the green, geometric bar stools are too large for me to sneakily slip into my bag and adopt as my own. It’s dimly-lit with an open kitchen concept and the constant chatter from tables all around.
The hand-written menu is just the right amount of enticing options, so deciding on the order was a short task. Next thing you know, the carafe of house red was with us, and we were watching the chefs behind the counter, hoping that it was our order being prepped as we observed them effortlessly doing their magic.
The snail flatbread
The circular doughs are ready and waiting in the background, then plopped onto the open grill each time a flatbread order comes through. It’s then removed and a bright green garlic & tarragon butter is slathered on, topped with the snail and dusted with crispy chicken skins. The snail was not overpowering, but a non-snail fan might feel otherwise. A complete bite felt something like this: snail, counter-balanced by crispy chicken skin chunk (gave a childhood-like feeling for some reason), earthiness from the melting tarragon butter, char and slight doughy-ness from the bread.
The chicken pot pie
The beautiful rounds of un-baked pies are slid into the oven for each order. You feel you’re a part of the process, as it becomes golden in minutes. It’s not a deep dish, but the portion is just right for 2 (menu says 2-3; I’d say depends on your order), given the side and starter in our order. It’s served with an XL spoon, but we just went all in and ate directly from the dish. The two people seated next to us later also received their order of pie, and when instructed to leverage said spoon, the chef caveated with “or the ladies next to you just ate it directly from the plate, which I found quite wholesome.” We then looked around and saw everyone was scooping portions into their plates. Oops. How boring of them!
Onto the details. The top crisp is just excellent. Saltiness levels are perfect. You can see the wholegrain mustard. There’s tarragon. The chicken is shredded into small bits and is so juicy that it prompted me to ask how it was cooked. Turns out they confit the chicken in oil which helps retain the moisture, and they only use the leg meat. This method along with chicken stock and the masterfulness of it all, lends to the beautiful, chicken-filled, golden pot pie. Warning: let some of the steam come out before your first bite…it’s hot!
The creamed spinach
If you want the perfect complement to the pie, do yourself a favor and order the creamed spinach. It’s so spinach-y - as it should be - and the cream is smoked with rosemary for a unique, herbaceous kick.
The wine
A carafe of the house red, a Syrah, to accompany the pot pie.
WHAT I WORE
Sage mohair sweater, black suede and silver hardware belt, straight-leg black jeans, and mid-calf boots. Plus all the other puffy nonsense, since it’s winter and all.
WOULD I GO BACK
We were practically blowing kisses to the staff as we left, as if they were family…so take your guess.
Shout-out to Tom for taking the time in between all the very calm and collected madness to explain the techniques for the pot pie and the spinach. And a shout-out to Olivia for the lovely conversation on her experiences to-date, the food scene in Atlanta, and the autumnal beauty of Asheville! I’m telling you guys, the wonderful experience didn’t stop at the food.
