The details
Fig & Frankie’s has been two years in the making for local foursome Tom and Sammy Angel, and Euan and Bella Lovell, who have scoured all ends of the coast and as far north as Brisbane to find the perfect home for their first bar venture. In the end, it was an old barbershop in a run-down alleyway (the one that links Cha Cha Japanese to Main Place at the back of The Phoenician) that caught their discerning eyes – and their vision for a small bar serving quality cocktails and refined snacks came to life. A full gut of the barbershop was required to make way for Fig & Frankie’s bright and breezy digs, which is complete with peach-hued walls, rustic bricks, raw timber and a glorious white-cement bar. Curious about the name? Fig is the name of Euan and Bella’s cat, Frankie is the name of Tom and Sammy’s dog.
The drinks
Those who have paid attention to the coast’s bar scene would be familiar with the name Tom Angel. The award-winning bartender has spearheaded a bunch of the city’s best bars, including a sizeable stint at Kiyomi at The Star, and more recently down at La Casita (from the owners of Fleet) in Brunswick Heads. Finally, Tom is in a bar of his own – and he has curated a fun and intriguing cocktail offering, alongside a concise cellar list, boasting a lean toward natural wines. The signature cocktails are numbered one to eight, with each one based around a specific spirit chosen by Tom – usually something exclusive, a limited release or a left-of-centre liqueur that he’s managed to get his hands on. When they run through the stocks of a particular spirit (which may take days or weeks) it leaves the menu and a new one is introduced. Essentially, Tom’s creations are here for a good time, not a long time – all the more reason for regular visits.
The food
Euan will also be a familiar face for locals, having cooked in the kitchens of Burleigh Co-Op, No Name Lane and more for the past decade. For Fig & Frankie’s, Euan has put together a menu of small plates and bar snacks, all designed to be enjoyed with a drink in hand. You can nibble on heirloom tomatoes served with whipped buffalo ricotta, or scoop up the housemade lemon and paprika hummus with shards of toasted flatbread. There’s also cubes of fried haloumi with truffle honey and rosemary salt, spicy ‘nduja with burrata and sourdough, as well as ‘figs on toast’ – housemade fig paste, whipped ricotta and truffle honey on rye bread. While it’s early days for Fig & Frankie’s, the team are planning to expand its current 45-seat capacity by taking over the space next door, which is set to happen in the coming months. There are also plans to hold mid-week pasta nights and long-table feasts in the laneway – watch this space.
Fig & Frankie’s is now open! Head to our Stumble Guide for opening hours, location and contact details.
