Rick's French Bistro — Restaurant in Sarasota

We visited Rick's French Bistro on a bustling Saturday night, drawn by the cozy, traditional vibe and a craving for classic French cuisine. With only about eight tables, the bistro was packed, mostly with older couples who, like us, seemed to appreciate its mom-and-pop feel. The checkered plastic tablecloths, a modest bread basket, and a no-frills menu make it clear: Rick's doesn’t aim to pamper or impress, just deliver authentic, home-style French food.

My friend, who’s French, ordered the steak au poivre—a main reason for our visit. While my shrimp dish was tasty, the options for non-meat eaters were limited. And though the prices were on the high side (the steak was $45, my shrimp $34), we looked forward to a nostalgic meal in a quaint setting.

Unfortunately, our dining experience began to lose its charm. The bread and salad were lackluster. I had hoped for a decent wine selection, but with just a handful of uninspired reds, we opted for the $48 Bordeaux, which was underwhelming. When I tried to chat with Rick about the wine options, he quickly dismissed my questions, which dampened the evening. He was unengaged and visibly uninterested in our presence, showing no enthusiasm or hospitality—just a brisk response that made us feel unwelcome.

The portions, too, felt stingy—especially the potatoes au gratin, which was a tiny square accompanying my shrimp. By the time dessert came (the fondant au chocolat, which was thankfully delicious), we’d had a mixed experience but were still enjoying our night.

Then came the real letdown. As soon as we finished dessert, Rick swooped in with the credit card machine, urging me—in French—to “hurry up” and swipe my card without even presenting the bill. This brusque approach left me uncomfortable and unsure of the charges, which turned out to be $189. When I politely asked to confirm the amount, Rick dismissed me, even suggesting I needn’t return. I still do not have a bill to check or even understand if a tip was automatically taken out. Our waitress was kind and I would have liked the time to leave a proper tip.

In the end, while the setting and some of the food were reminiscent of a simple French café, the lackluster wine selection, the indifference of the owner, and the abrupt finale left a bad taste. It’s a shame, as we’d wanted to love this place, but Rick’s curt demeanor and lack of hospitality mean I’ll take his advice...

I went to Ricks with some friends who suggested the restaurant. While it is a quaint small restaurant, I was totally disappointed with the entire experience. We arrived and sat down to order which went relatively smooth. We waited 30 minutes for the food and we never received any bread or the salad that came with the meal, nor did anyone come by the table to tell us the time frame on the delivery of food. When the food was delivered we asked about the bread and salad and received a look of disbelief that we did not get either.

One of our guests wanted another drink and we actually had to get up to ask for another glass of wine as our waiter NEVER came by the table once. For a French restaurant the wine list was non existent (we were never offered one) and the table wine was average at best (if you could get one).

The food was not bad however it was nothing special. The salad was worst excuse of a salad I ever had in a restaurant. A few leaves of romaine and a few slices of tomato. They should be embarrassed to serve this with a meal.

Based upon this experience I would...

Eating at Rick's was a dining experience, not just a meal. The escargot was the most tender I have eaten and not overly salty. All of the entrees ordered in my group were prepared fresh, portion size was just right/a little extra on the fish dishes, large on the beef stew for us ladies. The bread served before and during the meal was hot, plentiful, and excellent. The small staff, including the chef, were extra attentive to us during the entire meal. They seemed to be genuinely concerned that we were having an excellent experience. For desserts we tried the chocolate mousse, profiteroles and the creme brulee - all excellent. My personal favorite was the cream puffs.Two of our party of four have been to Paris; the food was as good as the best food we consumed there. The prices were not inexpensive, but, I felt, in line with other restaurants of similar quality in the area. The prices were definitely in line with the quality of the food we received. I highly recommend...