Rick's French Bistro

As a local resident of Sarasota I'm ecstatic I discovered Rick's Bistro. Rick Drai helms a classic gem of a restaurant. A small, intimate restaurant reminiscent of a a true French bistro in the north of Paris. The menu provides traditional moderately priced offerings with a couple of specials daily. There were 4 of us and everyone was presented with a truly competently prepared and delicious meal. The vegetables were bright, simple, and perfectly cooked and the au gratin potatoes were well balanced. The beef bourguignon(rich, extremely well balanced, melt in your mouth tender beef stew), filet mignon au poivre(perfectly cooked with excellent brandy peppercorn sauce), and the special of veal calves liver(perfectly cooked, divine sauce on side with Caramelized onions, greaseless crisp bacon

I recently dined at Rick’s French Bistro and had a mixed experience. Booking a table was a bit of a challenge - the phone went unanswered, but I managed to secure a reservation via email, which wasn't clearly advertised. The food was a highlight, with my duck dish being soft and flavorful, although I was expecting a sauce-based accompaniment, but instead found it swimming in fat. My friend's lamb wasn't a hit, unfortunately. However, the desserts stole the show! The peach dessert was perfectly balanced, with just the right amount of sweetness, and the homemade chocolate dessert with ice cream was delicious. Overall, while the restaurant shows promise, there's room for improvement in terms of reservation logistics and consistency in dishes. Perhaps with a bit more attention to these deta

Perhaps this was an amazing French dining experience years ago. But now, the restaurant itself is old, the chairs are uncomfortable, The plastic table cloths are sticky and the grease trap odor that emanates from the bathroom is enough to make you hurl. The service is mediocre, and the food was just OK. My dinner was a special for the evening which was a fish with two shrimp, green beans, carrots, and potatoes. The same three sides they’ve been serving for years. The fish was mushy and brown — undistinguishable from the potatoes. The carrots and green beans were good, nothing special, but what can you do to a carrot or a green bean? I have to say for the money they charge for what you get, the juice ain’t worth the squeeze at Rick’s.

This small French restaurant was such a treat! We were in from out of town and my dad loves this restaurant. Not white table cloth but a cozy, more casual atmosphere. I have the escargot (excellent) and the filet mignon which was legitimately one of the best I ever had. My wife had the lamb chops which she loved and we shared the peach Melba desert which was a special, it was delirious! The service was by a lovely woman and very timely. If you are looking for a hidden gem while in the Sarasota area, I highly recommend!

Solid dining experience. Escargot was fantastic. Snapper had a sweet sauce which wasnt great, chicken was solid. Could have refilled drinks without us asking each time with empty glasses. Would likely return if another couple wanted to try. Cute French bistro decor with only 32 seats