Maybe Frank417 - 421 Bourke St
Surry Hills, Sydney
Maybe Frank is a cool neighbourhood pizza and cocktail bar that has recently opened in the hip suburb of Surry Hills. Its right on the block of St Margaret’s, just behind Taylor Square. Once The Royal Women’s Hospital, a place where thousands of Sydneysiders have been born, the area is now a bustling urban community with cool café’s, shops and of course, its newest addition, Maybe Frank.
Maybe Frank is named after that successful show at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas which was so popular in the 1950’s. Its famous sign still dominates the internet to this very day.
But unlike 60 years ago, where you would rock up for a show to see Dean Martin and Maybe Frank or Maybe Sammy (get it?), this place has no question marks, especially when it comes to food.
We arrived for dinner on a Wednesday evening and found street parking quite easily. The place has a chic outdoor area with high tables and chairs, perfect for al fresco dining. Unfortunately for us, the weather was quite cool so we chose to sit inside. The space inside is equally as impressive with floor to ceiling windows and wooden features.
We started our Italian journey with a cocktail and here at Maybe Frank they have quite a few on offer. The waiter drew our attention to a very delicious list of classic Italian cocktails on the board but hinted we may want to consider their list of signature cocktails, printed on the menu. After carefully reviewing both lists, we both opted for a signature cocktail. The Bellini 2.0 is a fantastic twist to a classic cocktail. This one was, as you would expect, elegant, sparkling and beautifully scented and with the addition of Cocchi Americano. It had a dry but tasteful edge to it.
Count J’s San Martinez was just as smooth and full of flavour. If you love a Manhattan or a Negroni, then Maybe Frank’s signature San Martinez is a cocktail you want to try.
So now It was time for food, but choosing from such a great menu was no easy task, especially when there are over 2O different types of pizzas, calzones and an array of tantalising salads on offer. The pizzas are split into two camps, red based ones and white based ones. Although hungry, we decided to keep it simple and just order a couple of pizzas.
Choosing the pizza may have been a hard task, but watching the pizza being made was such a treat, Everything is made fresh right before your eyes, from dough to plate, you can see the whole process unfold right in front of your eyes.
We first tried a red based pizza and we chose ‘The Alba”.Served fresh right out of the wood fired oven, this delicious pizza had a crispy perfectly cooked base.
This was smothered with mozzarella, truffle pecorino, huge chunks of Italian sausage and delicious pieces of tomato.
It was big, bold and totally delicious.
Our next pizza was a Bianche delicacy called ‘The Bologna’. Do you love Zucchini flowers?
We do and we’ve never had them on a pizza before. They were a perfect pizza topping alongside thick pieces of mortadella and generous lashings of provola cheese.
Both pizzas didn’t last very long.
After cocktails and pizzas The Counts were ready to call it a night. We usually go for dessert but being content with the pizza we ate, we were happy to leave dessert for another time. Its great excuse to come back though and we will definitely be back. Maybe Frank really brings the authentic Italian kitchen to life. With simple ingredients, traditional recipes and a real Italian smile, it’s the perfect choice for your next Pizza or cocktail night.
Maybe Frank is open 7 days a week. They have some specials on weeknights so be sure to check out their website and if you’ve had a rough day and you just want to relax at home, Maybe Frank do all their food as take away, so you can just pop in, pick up your pizza and go. Bellissimo!
The Counts, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Maybe Frank. Special thanks Maz Coote from Coote Connex for arranging this.
