Located within an impossibly-cute weatherboard shack in Brisbane's West End, Bar Francine might just be the biggest surprise Brisbane has to offer. The interior features timber floorboards, rustic furniture and an elegant bar with a dozen or so stools. The windows open to the laneway and on a warm spring afternoon, there are few better seats in Brisbane than one perched up at Francine's bar with the breeze in your hair.
The menu here is reimagined daily, so it's impossible to say what you will have on offer. But a sample menu includes the likes of french toast with a mushroom parfait and onion fritters with sour cream and sweet chilli for an entree, as well as globe artichokes with feta and tomatoes à la grecque.
Mains include a barbecue beetroot steak with béarnaise sauce; monkfish with almond rouille and mussels and spaghetti capuliato with grana padano. There are sides and desserts on offer too, and if you can't decide, leave it in their more than capable hands to sort out a menu for you.
You'll want to pair your meal with some wine, and by the glass, Bar Francine offers quite a lot. If you're thinking sparkling, a glass of Torzi Matthews prosecco from the Barossa is a treat, while a Clare Valley chenin blanc is a great choice for a light white. Their orange list includes a gewürztraminer from Tasmania, while its rosé is a malbec from the Macedon Ranges. The red list includes all the favourites, be it a pinot from Tumbarumba or a shiraz from the Barossa.
Cocktails include the Francine Refresher, with XXXX and lemonade, the Fire Engine with Archie Rose vodka, rosella cordial and soda, and the Francine Negroni with plum bitters. If you're after a beer, they've got a good range, and they're one of the few joints in Brisbane where you can grab yourself a Reschs. Drinks-wise, Bar Francine has the lot.
