Just before Christmas my husband and I had a rare date night out together. Every year my husband’s old school friends and their respective partners get together for a meal. This year we all chose a local family run restaurant Cafe Frederic in the heart of Maidstone. It’s not long ago expanded, although it retains it’s intimate friendly feel. I took the opportunity to dress up and we took a stroll through the lit up streets.
I wore my suede look mini skirt from Tu at Sainsburys, short sleeved black jumper from House of Fraser, coat from Wallis and my new winter boots from River Island. They are very comfy, with a stretch leg for an easy fit. They look good and make me feel warm and cosy whilst keeping the look stylish.
I love the box they came in, it had a leopard print base – I’ve kept them in there for protection and also because I like it! They came swiftly after ordering online and it’s a nice little pick me up when they arrive.
On to the meal at Frederic’s cafe – it was of course their Christmas menu, they have an a la carte menu for day to day dining, and they happily cater for large groups. We were 7 in total. The bistro itself is situated near the town’s theatre, The Hazlitt, so if you’re heading there for a performance, it’s easy to eat at the restaurant beforehand. It’s child friendly too, the owners have four boys so they’re well versed in family friendly catering. The food is anglo-french, the chef draws on his upbringing in the Dordogne region of France and cooks everything from scratch. His wife makes all the cakes and puddings, something I’m always happy to sample.
I felt like I was in a little French bistro, it was simply decorated with the obligatory Christmas cracker atop checkered tablecloths. The staff were attentive and friendly. For starters I had the prawn cocktail, a lifetime favourite of mine which didn’t disappoint. I don’t like to have Christmas or roast dinners in pubs and restaurants because to me they’re never better than at home or by my mum – so I opted for the salmon, which was delicious. The vegetables were slightly undercooked, but better that than mushy and overcooked. It had a topping of herbs, butter and breadcrumbs that was divine. I had an empty plate at the end of it.
The wine was flowing and I got into the party spirit, chatting away to old friends. Of course we ended up talking about our children, but they do take up a lot of time.
I just about managed to fit in dessert, there was lots of choice available. If you know me, you’ll know I love chocolate, and if it’s on the menu in any shape or form I find it hard to resist. I had the raspberry chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream – it was rich, chocolatey and rather heavenly. I didn’t need to eat it but boy did I enjoy it. We left feeling satisfied and ready for the full festivities to commence. I found it all around good value, including drinks it was approximately thirty pounds.
Disclosure: I was gifted the boots from River Island, but we paid for ourselves at Frederic’s Cafe. All opinions are my own
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