Liverpool Life: Restaurant review: Franco's Italian, Castle Street, Liverpool

Luke Traynor pays a visit to a popular city restaurant that has stood the test of time

THERE’S something immediately comforting when you walk down the staircase into Franco’s. Away from the bustle of Castle Street, I felt transported to a little corner of Italy in this basement, with its stone floors and promisingly authentic decor.

Franco’s is a well-known name within Liverpool’s restaurant trade – the eaterie was previously know as Bar Italia, but in recent years has been rebranded to take on the name of proprietor Franco Colangeli.

The boss is one of the main draws of this underground trattoria and a beaming veteran of the kitchen, he scuttles around his headquarters with a quiet pride.

Franco’s is all about homestyle comfort, and the reassuring arm on the shoulder as he reveals the contents of his Gamberoni alla Franco, the chef’s signature recipe, is evidence of the convivial atmosphere here.

Two Peroni beers opened our account, which we followed with a perfectly drinkable small carafe of house red wine (£9.95).

Two things stand out about Franco’s – first is the lack of music, which is no bad thing, second is the absence of a pizza anywhere on the menu. Instead of pizza the focus here is on authentic Italian cooking, with pasta and risotto dishes taking the spotlight (available in starter or main form, £7.95 and £9.95 respectively) plus an array of meat and fish options.

Taking heed of the chef/owner’s good name, I plumped for the risotto alla Franco to start. A piping hot dish of chicken strips, pancetta, white wine and parsley, it was moist but not overly watery, with good bite to the rice. Chris also went down the pasta starter route with the spaghetti marinara which was brimming full of seafood and some well-placed tomato and basil.

He praised the perfectly al dente pasta which came with myriad sealife including prawns, mussels, anchovies and pieces of white fish. The rudimentary crabstick at the expense of fresh crab (or even tinned crab, he intimated!) got a thumbs down, however.

For our mains, we immersed ourselves in the 24 fish or meat options and I eventually plumped for Anitra al pepe nero pan – fried breast of duck served with crushed black peppercorns, fresh cream and brandy sauce topped with fresh parsley.

It comes presented with around six slabs of bird, pinky-grey in colour and wonderfully soft to chew.

The pepper sauce was pleasingly light so as not to overpower the duck in any way and while the meat did have a touch of fat, the breast was wonderfully succulent.

My friend boldly ordered the dish of the house – iletto di Manzo Franco's – a pan fried fillet cooked with cream, mustard, onions, mushrooms, tomato and brandy sauce topped with fresh parsley.

Chris was delighted with the true rareness, caramelised crust and immediate tenderness. The only negative observation was how it possibly needed resting a while longer as a touch of blood leaked into the sauce with each sweep of the knife.

At £19.95 and £23, these were top end main course dishes, and while undeniably well cooked, we felt they were a touch pricey and the accompanying basic boiled potatoes and vegetables were a bit of a let down. When forking out £20 or more on a course, I want more thought given to my greens and spuds.

We could have stopped here, but two courses, and generous bread baskets, hadn’t left us bursting yet, so the offer of ‘Dolci’ from our attentive waiter was hard to pass up.

Blackcurrant cheesecake for me and something caramel for Chris came straight from the fridge, and they were a lukewarm end to the meal, given you could no doubt buy something similar at your supermarket at a third of the price.

Still, it’s not a point exclusive to Franco’s, as the dessert chef seems a dying breed nowadays.

The bill, for two, was £87 and did make the lips purse a touch. But, we had steered away from the cheaper pasta and there was no denying the quality of the food.

The meal was finished off in typical style, with complimentary shots of limoncello. Foul in my eyes, but savoured by my friend.

Directly opposite Franco’s is fellow Italian San Carlo, a relative new kid on the block that, in its relatively short life, has become a very popular destination for Wags and footballers in equal measure.

Good then that the seasoned old pro across the road is hanging in there in these tough times.