The Franklin

Everyone needs a decent local, I don’t really live all that close to Ponsonby Road so it kind of rules it out for me, but I imagine that ‘The Franklin’ would be a good one.
I find myself at a loose end on Sunday nights foodwise now that I am no longer at home, considering my dad used to cook up the meanest roast dinner ever, and i dont quite have the skills myself to pull off such a culinary feat. So a friend and I rocked over to ‘The Franklin’ a couple of Sundays ago, to find that they were putting on a Sunday BBQ meal type thing. Its just $ 27 for a choice of two meats, salads and every sauce under the sun which is such a bargain. The last time I was here I had one of the $ 10 specials, which was champagne ham cooked on the BBQ too, with homemade brioche and quince shutney, so so good!
The chefs here are regularly doing dealios during the week from food through to drinks, and more often then not there is some live entertainment going on.
Its pretty Swell.

Have never been in the bottom floor of this place so I can’t speak to the comments of the previous review. However, what I can tell you is that the private upstairs bar is excellent. A mate of mine hired the it out for her 21^st, and the space fitted the occasion perfectly. I think it’s meant to have a speakeasy kinda vibe, with the leather-​clad bar occupying the centre of the room, wooden floors, and suede couches around the edges. It makes for a nice intimate setting, but deceptively large with a capacity of around 100. There are also other a couple of a adjoining rooms which were being used to display photos and other such memorabilia. The catering seemed pretty decent but nothing out of the ordinary, and the drinks selection at the bar was extensive (can’t speak to the price though as I’m sure drinks were subsidised). In all, the upper bar impressed me as a nice posh venue for all sorts of occasions.

I came here back in December after viewing the Christmas lights on Franklin Road. It was the first time and the last time. I didn’t like the space, it was uncomfortable and I wasn’t quite sure what is meant to be, a bar or an eatery that happened to have a license to serve alcohol. It wasn’t very busy and the back was completely empty which is where my friend and I sat. The seating was more like what you might find in a diner and the table was wobbly. I had the worst coffee of my life here and while I noticed they had a private courtyard through a door down the back I figured this may be the only thing they have going for them.
Not what I expected for Ponsonby, but different things for different people. Some people must like it or they would not still be in business though so don’t let my review put you off.