[Shanghai] Franck

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[Shanghai] Franck

Franck

Add: Ferguson Lane, 376 Wukang Lu, near Tai’an Lu / 武康路376号, 近泰安路
Tel: 158 2167 6767
Hours: 6~11pm last order (open daily)
Website: www.franck.com.cn
Price: 450~600 RMB/person
Visited on: Jun 2012

Despite all the negative reviews Franck has received (most of which targeted its service and price), I had a very charming dinner here just a few evenings ago. The prices are still up there, but the service has improved dramatically since the restaurant’s earlier days, while its ambience remained as bewitching as always with its Jazzy lounge music, exposed light bulbs, and dark wood furnishings. And the food? Fantastique.

The menu du jour, scribbled in French on two blackboards, offers a selection of hearty dishes that changes according to the availability of ingredients. Our waiter, a young Chinese man who has been working at the restaurant for 4 years, was knowledgable about the details of each dish and happy to explain.

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[Shanghai] Le Petit Franck

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[Shanghai] Le Petit Franck

Le Petit Franck

Add: 374 Wukang Rd, near Hunan Rd / 武康路374号，近湖南路
Tel: 64331213
Hours: 11am~1am (open daily)
Price: [snacks] 15~60RMB [plates] 50~170RMB [drinks] 25~180RMB
Website: www.franck.com.cn
Visited: May 2012

In weather like this, sitting outdoor while sipping a glass of rosé at dusk is almost mandatory. That’s how I found myself on a late afternoon just a few days ago, out on the charming (and much coveted) patio of Le Petit Franck in Ferguson Lane. Wine, simple snacks, evening breeze, warm glow, buzzing conversations. It’s quite perfect.

A glass of rosé (45RMB/glass), Chateau du Puget, Cote de Provence 2009.

Terrine de Campagne (80RMB), house terrine served with salad, bread, and some pickled olives and cornichon.

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[Shanghai] a Côté

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[Shanghai] a Côté

a Côté

Add: Ferguson Lane, 376 Wukang Lu, near Hunan Lu 武康路376号, 近湖南路
Tel: 3368 8757
Hours: 12-2:30pm, 6-11pm (closed Monday)
Price: 80~160 RMB/12-inch pizza
Visited: June 2011

a Côté, literally “next door”, is a small pizzeria by Franck Pecol from the neighboring Franck Bistro and Le Petit Franck (see update below). The short menu, scrawled in French on a piece of wooden plaque, consists of 10 Marseille-style pizzas and nothing else (though a green salad is available upon request). There’s no novelty here. It’s simple, and it’s good.

2014 update: Just got word that a Côté is no longer associated with Franck. I wonder who is in charge now?


For lunch, two of us shared the Royale (120 RMB), a gorgeous tomato sauce-based pie generously topped with mushrooms, ham, olives, and cheese. The crust is thin just the way I like it, and pulling one piece away from the pizza dish is not an elegant affair as the pie disintegrates. Juicy, greasy, messy, totally satisfying.

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