We have frequented this location more times than I can remember. If I had rated this a couple of years ago it definitely would have been five stars. Over the past three trips and several meals, the food and the variety has really gone down in my estimation. They have somehow lost the plot. They have revamped the inside and the seating is uncomfortable. The toilets are not clean. I would not recommend any fish meals. The only decent meal is the bacon chops. I would have to hear more positive reviews prior to my ever returning. What a shame! There is a new French bistro around the corner that I will try.
Meredith A.
Place rating: 3 Newcastle, United Kingdom
Bistro Franc is a sunny and stylish French restaurant in the heart of Liverpool. My fiancé and I came in here for lunch on my birthday, and it was a wonderful place to spend the afternoon. Rustic décor made us feel like we were in France. They offer a 3 course lunch for £10.50 which is an amazing deal, and we went for it. They call it the«lunch rapide,» and while it was quite tasty, there was nothing«rapide» about it! Service was incredibly slow, and though our friendly waiter was apologetic and aware of the issue, we waited absolutely ages to order and receive each course. This was disappointing as we wanted to get more sightseeing done, and we were confused as the restaurant wasn’t full to capacity and surely they should be able to handle a normal Tuesday lunch service with greater speed? Aside from that, we really enjoyed our meals, for the most part. My soup course was divine, the soup changes often but it was some sort of delightful vegetarian soup(I think the soup is always vegetarian?) and I really enjoyed it with warm bread. My main course was slightly disappointing — it was a chicken fillet and though I enjoyed the flavor of the creamy leek sauce, the texture of the chicken wasn’t very pleasant. I’m not sure why, but there was something just odd about it, as my fiancé agreed. He loved his main course though, though it’s been two weeks now and we’ve forgotten what it was! I’ll never forget that dessert though, it made up for the average main course, because it was probably the best crème brûlée I’ve ever had in my life. It was totally simple and yet absolutely divine; for a crème brûlée purist like me, it doesn’t get any better. And all for £10.50!!! Even though the service was slow, our food was quite good(great in some cases), and I’d certainly come back if I was in Liverpool again and hope for things to move a bit quicker. I feel bad giving it 3 stars, but with 4 star food and 2 star service, I guess that’s how it averages out! Do give it a try though, if you have time to kill, as you’ll get a good deal for your money.
Philip S.
Place rating: 4 Liverpool, United Kingdom
Bistro Franc is a top French style restaurant located around the corner from Jamie’s Italian. I was pretty impressed with their quality of food, menu variety and overall presentation. It was a lunchtime when I visited alone to try out their 3-course ‘le Lunch Rapide’ which provides a selection of starters, mains and desserts(all of which change daily) and comes at just £7.95 per head. I went for Meditteranean Ratatouille, Sea Bass(with vegetables) and Lemon and Almond Cheesecake. Each course is also automatically served with 2 slices of cold French bread and butter. Everything for me tasted sublime and ingredients weren’t too rich either. It was spot on, including the service which was a bit hindered during payment of the bill but taking into account that it was busy, is perhaps a good sign. Bistro Franc has a classic French theme with a pleasant atmosphere that is well worth the treat and good enough to go back for more!
Liam M.
Place rating: 4 Liverpool, United Kingdom
I am excited to say that I will be heading to Paris this summer and one of the main reasons for my boyish excitement is the fantastic French cuisine I hope to sample whilst there. When I came across Bistro Franc I could not help but book a table in order to hopefully get a taste of what I could expect in the wondrous city of Paris. I have to say that I was not disappointed with what I found inside as the food and service were both amazing. This place felt very authentic and I felt relaxed at once and my excitement for the summer ahead grew and grew as the evening went on. The atmosphere in here was very refined and it is the kind of place where you can really relax and get the most out of the exquisite flavours served up to you. I’m not sure how it will measure up to the real thing but it hit the spot for me.
Rana M.
Place rating: 4 Manchester, United Kingdom
Monsieur Franc concludes my reviews for the Bistro Trio for Liverpool. While Bistro Jacques and Bistro Pierre are very similar as you would expect with sibling restaurants. Bistro Franc resides in a churchhouse, a former residence of the Archbishop. Thank God indeed the quality of the food and the warm atmosphere continues with this installment. Sitting and having lunch or dinner here is for me like sitting in a Luc Besson movie where I’m expecting something crazy to happen and moment as I masticate my way through my plats de resistence. It never does in reality but boy does my imagination run wild, rerunning scenes from the taxi movies. With its prime city centre location if you do know what I am talking about, and are of the Besson persuasion. You’ll know exactly what I mean and will no doubt check it out to see if I am right. I would recommend a visit on a sunday as they have on their«Sunday Wine and Dine» offer which is two courses from the«A La Carte» menu plus a bottle of house wine per person for £13.95… Cest pas mal non? So what are you waiting for go.go.go.as Murray Walker used to say.
Anthony S.
Place rating: 3 Liverpool, United Kingdom
Part of the glut of new restaurants that are filling the Liverpool1 area, Bistro Franc is part of a set of restaurants that have been feeding Liverpool for many years and a known for their affordable set menu and pre-theatre options. I can’t argue with the value for money that you get here, 3 courses and a bottle of wine was enough to keep us all fat and giggly but it did take a lot of good customer service from the staff to win us over after shifting us from one over booked table to another and finally squeezing us in — after we had called and reserved a table a week in advance! They did though and it was clear this was a rare mistake as we were well looked after and the atmosphere around the place was great.
Matthew H.
Place rating: 4 Liverpool, United Kingdom
«Bohemian like you» as the Dandy Warholes always say sums up the whole feel of this two storey French restaurant at the edge of Liverpool ONE Complex which is the new beating heart of Liverpool city centre. The business is situated in Church House an old residence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool. This guarantees a fantastic and solid structure into which a little bit of France has arrived. For the tired and hungry shoppers that come to the shopping Mecca which is Liverpool One I like the image of somehow the Montgolfier brothers single handed airlifting the manager, chef and all the really friendly staff which are at the heart of this truly Gallic dining experience. The French food is of superb quality and made of the finest fresh ingredients. You will also be very pleasantly surprised by the great value of the three course special menus and reasonably priced French wines. So pull on your stripy top and beret park your bike and string of onions outside and enjoy the best of French food in the city centre.
Gastro
Place rating: 4 Cottingham, United Kingdom
Great food, friendly staff, very reasonably priced and goodness me they feed you well. Style of presentation is rustic rather than precise, however there is real quality in the cooking and flavours. Puddings are acceptable, but not worth saving room for, so go for starters an mains. What Café Rouge pretends to be Bistro Franc is.