Walk into Frankie’s on Franklin and you’re met by Christian Belperio, who greets you like an old friend -and probably won’t let you leave without a glass of vino, or at least a coffee and a chat.
Officially opening next Monday, Frankie’s is the newest project from the young hospitality duo behind popular Pasadena cafe and pizzeria, Balthazar. Front-of-house dynamo Christian, and chef Frankie Ng, whose name now reads across the door.
Marketing manager Ashley Hunt told Glam Adelaide last month that the team signed the lease just four weeks before opening. “It was a very, very tight deadline,” he laughed.
But standing in the finished space, you’d never guess. Italian prints hang in frames, retro-style menus and takeaway cups sit ready for the caffeine crowd, and the team chat easily as they ease friends and family into the new venue.
The space, once home to Crack Kitchen, is bright and open, drenched in natural light and perfectly pitched between casual cafe and versatile social space. Black accents give it a crisp, modern edge that nods to its corporate-district setting, softened by trailing greenery and pops of red that lend a playful, Italian-diner energy.
Upstairs, the beautiful mezzanine makes the most of those sky-high ceilings, offering a tucked-away perch ideal for private functions or Christmas get-togethers – or a lunchtime escape from the city hustle, a place to dig into your sando in peace.
Frankie’s is all about simple things done properly. Housemade sauces and pickled preserves sit next to the racy red, Italian-born flywheel meat slicer. House-baked focaccia forms the base for Parma prosciutto with pistachio-basil pesto or grilled eggplant with artichoke cream. While the sandos are the stars, the menu stretches further into comforting Italian territory. There’s gnocchi with Sicilian pistachio, truffle arancini, a breakfast menu, and cannoli piped to order.
Coffee comes from Rio, alongside playful sips like iced tiramisu lattes and blueberry matcha. The venue’s fully licensed, too, with plans for monthly “office kick-ons” – Friday night canapés and local wine for the after-work crowd.
“We want people to finish work and have a couple of glasses with colleagues. We don’t really have that culture in Adelaide yet, so we’re hoping to start it,” Ashley said.
Whether it’s a weekday sandwich, a long lunch with colleagues or a glass of wine to ease into the weekend, Frankie’s is the CBD’s cheekiest newcomer, and it’s ready to serve you all the Italian lunch hits, house-baked foccaccia, and the kind of friendly smile that keeps you sane through the workday grind.
Frankie’s on Franklin
Where: 13 Franklin Street, Adelaide
When: From Monday, Monday to Friday 6am-4pm, Saturday 8am-4pm
Office kick-ons tentatively booked for the last Friday of the month, til 7ish
For the website, click here.
@frankiesonfranklin
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