FRANCINE is the perfect restaurant. And here’s why.

Restaurant reviewers and writers are often treated to some of the most creative and delicious culinary concepts imaginable.

As is the case with most restaurants, if you try multiple dishes — even if most of them knock it out of the park in the deliciousness department — at least one of them is bound to be underwhelming.

And THAT’S what sets FRANCINE apart. You could throw a dart at the menu and you’re going to experience the best meal you’ve ever had. Every meal at FRANCINE is a celebration. No exceptions. From top to bottom, the menu is filled with amazing dish after amazing dish, all prepared to perfection, and all making you want to jump on Instagram and sing the praises of FRANCINE’s French-inspired Mediterranean cuisine.

READ ALSO: Surviving the odds: Opening a Scottsdale restaurant amid COVID

What makes FRANCINE even more memorable is the plant-filled dining room that features floor-to-ceiling windows, unique artwork, a rustic fireplace, a marble bar, and it all sits within the luxury wing of Scottsdale Fashion Square. So not only is the food perfect, the people-watching is next-level, too.

FRANCINE was created by well-known and respected restauranteur Laurent Halasz, who was raised in the South of France amidst the bounty of simple and soulful cuisine. FRANCINE is a spirited and loving homage to Halasz’s days spent in the sun and amongst gatherings and around beautiful meals hosted by his mother, Francine Halasz.

“Everything on my mother’s table was fresh, seasonal, and full of flavor,” says Halasz, “and that is exactly what FRANCINE offers our guests.”

Some of the most popular dishes at FRANCINE include the zucchini carpaccio, steak tartar, Salad Nicoise, ratatouille tart, poulet roti, mushroom and taleggio pizza, bone marrow pasta, and seared duck a la provencal.

If you’re looking for specifics to guide you on your first visit to FRANCINE, here are a few cannot-miss dishes.

• Start with the crispy calamari ($18) with zucchini and lemon aoili, which will be the best take on calamari you’ve ever had; or the grilled octopus ($24) with romesco, chorizo verde, and frisee.

• The salmon carpaccio ($22) with avocado, pine nut and dill, paired with Ayvalik olive oil from Turkey and a 2018 Albert Bichot Macon Villages wine, personifies the brilliance of FRANCINE’s menu.

• Another popular dish to discover is the Mediterranean Branzino ($35) with tomato sauce vierge and panisse paired with Aguilar Hojiblanca olive oil from Spain and a 2018 Vermentino di Sardegna, Pala ‘I Fiori’ wine.

• An amazing take on a French classics are the steak frites with shallot-tarragon bernaise and fine herbs ($36) and the L’Agneu ($44) — rack of lamb, gnocchi, cauliflower and pine nuts pesto.

Halasz opened FRANCINE in the midst of the global pandemic and it’s a testament to its culinary excellence that the restaurant has already become the go-to place for discerning Valley foodies who revel in FRANCINE’s new take on classic French Mediterranean cuisine.

Vive la France, especially when it comes to FRANCINE in Scottsdale.

Check it out

FRANCINE Restaurant

Location: Located in the luxury wing at Scottsdale Fashion Square at 4710 N. Goldwater Blvd., Scottsdale

Reservations: 480-690-6180

Online: francinerestaurant.com