Franca

Located on the junction of Villa Crespo, Palermo Hollywood and Chacarita, the restaurant Franca, is not ideally located, making it a bit beyond walking distance from all but the fringes of Palermo and Villa Crespo, but still favorably located for a brief taxi ride from any of the major tourist barrios of Buenos Aires.

This is more than offset by the more important characteristics of ambience, menu and execution of the menu, and the stellar service, on par with the city’s top upscale dining experiences.

A sleek, minimalist décor with plain yet tasteful furnishings place Franca in the upper level of casual dining haunts in Buenos Aires. The décor is almost elegant enough to place Franca in our upscale dining category. The napkins, although made of paper, are the thick, high-quality type that resembles cloth. Most of the tableware bears an attractive antique floral motif which is an interesting contrast the otherwise sleek contemporary furnishings and ambience. This one touch adds a slight bit of warmth to the otherwise cool, contemporary design elements.

Franca has a lunch menu and an expanded dinner menu graced with well-conceived, gourmet caliber menu with about twice the number of plates offered on the mid-day selection. The lunch menu features about five appetizer offerings and another five main-course plates with a choice of a dessert cheese plate or a couple of other sweet indulgences. The selection on the evening menu has twice the number of appetizers, main-course and dessert items.

Our roasted-pepper appetizer was the chef’s take on the classic Spanish dish, escalavida. The charred skins of the small mild peppers of various colors added an inviting smoky taste which was countered by the velvety puree of peppers which was both tart and slightly sweet. The charred peppers of various colors made for a dish that was as beautiful in appearance as it was in taste.

For the main-course we had the catch of the day which was a flaky white corvina on a beet purée with small wedges of beet root and supremes of mandarin oranges. The skin of the fish had been perfectly rendered to a crisp texture, yet the flesh of the fish was perfectly moist. The sweet beet purée was an excellent complement to the ample serving of fish.

The creativity and spotless execution of this menu made for an casual, affordable dining experience at a gourmet level.

The servers, clad in t-shirts bearing the restaurant’s logo and name, provided a slightly higher level of service than what you would expect for a casual dining experience in Buenos Aires. It was friendly, efficient, and professional. The staff includes waiters and a manager that speak fluent English. The menu is available in both Spanish and English. The restaurant uses the Meitre reservation and scheduling platform. Making a reservation was easy, quick, and worked without a flaw.

All of this adds up to Franca garnering an impressive 94% overall rating (4.7 stars).