# What happened
# Design and concept
# Food offering Head chef Stefano Turconi is responsible for the bar's menu, which covers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Example dishes listed in the announcement include:
- Lobster roll dressed with pickled fennel and basil mayonnaise
- Sea urchin on toast
- Potato gnocchi with porcini mushrooms
- Roasted venison loin with celeriac purée
These items sit alongside Franco's existing reputation for classics such as cooked breakfasts, lasagne and tiramisu, which the restaurant has served since 1945.
# Drinks and wine The bar's cocktail list presents Franco's versions of Italian-style aperitivo. Named highlights include the Apple Sour Spritz (apple whiskey, lemon and prosecco), Zest (limoncello, citrus vodka, lemon and mint) and Tarts and Flowers (vodka, amaretto, maraschino cherry and roasted almond). Classic cocktails like the negroni and Aperol spritz remain available.
Head sommelier Paolo Pellegrino has put together a wine list that features rare Italian vintages and champagne. The list also includes three cuvées created exclusively for Franco's in partnership with Le Pianure, a winery in Italy's Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
# Management view Jason Phillips, director at Wiltons Holdings, said the redesign "represents the next chapter in that journey, creating a destination guests can enjoy throughout the day while preserving everything that has made Franco's one of London's most loved Italian restaurants for generations." The statement frames the bar as an extension of Franco's existing identity rather than a replacement.
# Practical details Location: Franco's Bar, 61 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6LX. Opening hours as published: 7.45am–10pm.
The new bar is positioned to attract morning coffee trade, early-evening aperitivo guests and later cocktail drinkers, while the wider restaurant continues to offer its full food menu.
# Why it matters Franco's is a long-standing fixture on Jermyn Street. The addition of a dedicated, all-day bar and a curated wine programme is a strategic move to broaden when and how customers interact with the venue while keeping a focus on Italian food and wine traditions.