Friendly, cheerful, and a real treat for food-lovers, Frasca boasts traditional Italian fare of the kind we love. Our verdict on this fresh new place: love at first sight.
© Saskia Vanderstichele
| Frasca is also home to a shop selling high-quality produce.
Review
Frasca: an irresistible trattoria
Devoted to expertly homemade fresh pasta, Frasca is the brainchild of a couple of restaurateurs from Liège who left their home town behind to establish themselves in Brussels. It's not every day that you see someone make that kind of move. To put the project into action, the duo gave up its two establishments in Liège – Maccheroni and Altro Maccheroni – which have long brought joy to lovers of food.
Being perfectionists – if you try their Spritz (€8), you will understand the attention they pay to detail – Eric and Karima Lecuyer could not bring themselves to manage a restaurant remotely. In fact, they can almost always be found in this irresistible trattoria, whose labyrinthine architecture is also home to a shop selling high-quality produce. As well as the tables one would hope to see, there is a little marble counter allowing customers to eat on the go – worth mentioning because it is sometimes the best way to enjoy this place, which has been mobbed ever since it opened.
There is a little marble counter allowing customers to eat on the go – worth mentioning because it is sometimes the best way to enjoy this place
As a starter, we chose the porchetta (€17), supplied directly by Andrea Purgatori's farm. Served on a long oval plate, the delicately aniseed-flavoured dish can be eaten on the go. The suckling pig had a deliciously crunchy skin. A few nicely crisp leaves of iceberg lettuce added a touch of freshness to the dish. As a main course, the spaghetti alla puttanesca (€17) demonstrated the expertise and authenticity of this restaurant, which is set to become a classic. The perfectly cooked al dente pasta contrasted beautifully with the smooth sauce that married tuna, anchovies, capers, parsley, and olives.
Last but not least, it was paired with a viticultural oddity that was out of this world. Dry and saline, Ciliegiozzo (€41) is a cheerful and natural sparkling wine by Vini di Giovanni. This absolute gem is supplied by Vino Vivo, an importer of Italian natural wines which had the good idea of joining this venture, which has caused a stir from day one.
FRASCA
rue de Florencestraat 21, Elsene/Ixelles, 02-735.50.65, www.frasca.be
wo/me/We > za/sa/Sa 10 > 22.00
Read more about: Resto & Bar , Frasca