Fredericks

Over the last few years we have used Fredericks for a pre-theatre meal prior to going to Sadlers Wells. We did the same this Saturday. Arrived promptly at 5.50pm needed to be in and out by 7.10ish. They knew this, even had the cheek when checking to confirm our reservation in the afternoon to ask that we were out of there by 7.45. I replied then that it would help for once if they got us finished on time. For the third time in a row they were unbearably slow with their service. We ordered from the simple "pre-theatre" type menu. We didn't get our main course until 6.45 after having nagged several times. And in the end there was no time for a dessert. This seems to happen every time for us with them - if it is not waiting an excessive time for the food it is waiting for the bill and we end up in an avoidable rush every time - so no more. A pity because the food is good and the room very pleasant - but the service is appalling.
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John Shinton
4 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Monday, December 10, 2012

Frederick's certainly promises a great deal - the venue is lovely (although all the hard surfaces in the conservatory area make for a somewhat noisy dining experience) and the menu is limited but full of potential. They have a vegetarian menu, which is a big plus, although the dishes lacked any real enthusiasm for making a genuinely interesting veggie dining experience.

Of the starters, the scallop dish was incredibly small and lacked any hint of the promised chorizo, with the pepper and tomato mimosa being incredibly overpowering. The dress Colchester crab was similarly mean (and at £13.50 a go these aren't cheap starters) and the avocado sorbet was tasteless. The chicken liver/foie gras parfait and plum compote was good, and the aubergine salad was dull but passable.

Our vegetarian was brought a salmon main course instead of risotto - an inexcusable error which took 15 minutes to rectify, by which time the rest of us had finished out main courses. The 'Fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef, fondant potato, summer vegetable parcel, horseradish jus' turned out to be fillet steak, asparagus and a strange, bland, reconstituted potato. No bite to the horseradish jus, very disappointing - use of the word 'parcel' rather suggests something delicious in filo pastry, but it was not to be. The steak itself was very good. The duck dish was appalling - four tiny slices of breast on top of something which looked like it had come from our local Chinese takeaway.

We elected not to have dessert or aperitifs and made good our escape. Even with our pre-dinner drinks comped as recompense for the error, the price was well over £75 a head - pretty steep for three scallops, a piece of meat half as big as my fist, six stalks of asparagus and two glasses of wine. You can eat far better and at significantly less cost elsewhere in Islington. Go there instead.
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Soap - View all reviews by this user
5 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Stop moaning. This place is great. Went there for dinner on Wednesday and the food, service and atmosphere were excellent. And with a Taste Card it's an absolute bargain.
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9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Friday, May 06, 2011

Yesterday (12/11/10) my husband and I went to Fredericks. It was Friday, but it was early, 6pm, so fairly quiet. You could tell it was quiet, as there were waiting staff standing around. Unfortunately, standing around looking bored does not mean being attentive to customers.

Our menus came. However, it was almost 10 minutes before a waiter came to take our order. We ordered our meal and wine. I'd finished my water and my husband had almost finished his. The waitress came to change the cutlery. Not a single word was said to us, no hello, nothing. Nor did she notice that we needed more water. Wine arrived halfway through our starter. We asked the waiter for water. He disappeared. Starters finished and we waited patiently for our water... Eventually we had to ask another waiter for it.

I'm quite happy to pour my own wine, but if Fredericks insists on keeping the bottle with the waiting staff, I think it is their responsibility to ensure that our glasses are filled. Yes, you guessed it, we finished our wine. I pointed out to my husband that there were four members of staff standing near the serving area and not noticing our empty wine glasses. I bet him that if I went to the loo, I'd come back and still find our wine glasses empty. I won the bet, so we had to ask the waitress for our wine.

The mains arrived at c.6.50pm, steak and chips. Firstly, Fredericks may think it looks attractive to have a steak on a plate and then the bearnaise sauce in a little pot on the plate and chips on a dish also placed on the plate, but all this 'fancy stuff' does is tell the diner that the restaurant is trying to make the plate look full when the steak is small and there are hardly any chips on the plate. We're not stupid. Anyway I asked the waitress for mustard and Worcestershire sauce and then waited and waited and waited for it... Meanwhile my meal was getting colder and colder and seven minutes later she came back with the sauces.

Oh, yes, then our wine glasses were empty again. This time the staff weren't standing around, even worse some of them were walking up and down the dining room, unfortunately just exercising, not being attentive, as none of them noticed the empty wine glasses so we had to ask again. I said to the waiter 'Please just fill my husband's glass', obviously they have listening problems too, as he still filled mine.

The only thing that arrived quickly was the bill, but even that was fraught, as the waitress couldn't get a signal with the machine... Oh well, more fool me for expecting anything less.

We were very disappointed with our visit as in the past although the food has been 'ok' what made up for it was the good service. I hope last night's experience was not a sign of how service is going to be in the future. However, I doubt very much if we'll find out too soon, as it may be a long long while before we return after that experience!
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3 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Saturday, November 13, 2010

We arrived at the restaurant and were taken straight to our table - the restaurant is very attractive, with subtle lighting and generally a good feel/ambience about it. We were given our menus and wine list and then waited ages for the waiter to come back - we ordered our wine and sat for a whole lot longer - eventually the waiter came over saying the wine was on its way but would we like to order. the 3 of us decided we did not want a starter so all 3 of us ordered main courses, we were then told by the waiter that they had some system in the kitchen whereby we would not be getting our main course for 35 to 40 mins, however if we ordered a starter that could be with us in 10 mins - crazy. we sat a little longer mulling it over still waiitng for the wine. the thought of having to wait 40 mins for our food and the fact that the wine still had not arrived we decided it was time to leave Fredericks. I still cannot understand why there was to be such a delay in the food , the overall service we received was very slow and poor and surprising for a restaaurant that seems to charge hugely overpriced food. we will not be returning.
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happy - View all reviews by this user
3 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 2
Saturday, September 18, 2010

We visited midweek and it was bustling and busy. The bar staff were friendly and helpful and we were seated pleasantly and efficiently at a table in the garden. We then sat for a while without being attended...then we were offered water...and several minutes later some bread. The wine menu wasn't offered automatically, we had to ask for it. Our food was ok but we have eaten better in far less expensive places. We requested steak medium rare and it arrived well done - which one doesn't expect in a restaurant like this. The waiting staff were pleasant and helpful and were very busy. Any chaos or lack of attention wasn't their fault. It must be said that the garden is very beautiful and it was good to experience dinner here. But given the price (£70 each including aperitifs and one bottle of wine) we'd hesitate to recommend it.
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5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 2
Monday, July 05, 2010