Harden's says
Not so much 'au revoir' as 'nice to see you again' - Marc Wilkinson closed Fraiche on 14 December 2018, with a view to transplanting it elsewhere. But his plans changed though, and this mainstay of the North West dining scene has now re-opened.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Marc Willkinson is a genius” and “never fails to impress” at his “compact” venue – an unexpected find “off the beaten track” out on The Wirral, in a conservation village bordering Birkenhead. It has, on several occasions, topped our diners’ poll as the UK’s No. 1 destination. With just a dozen covers, it’s very much one man’s labour of love with its “imaginative visuals and playlist”, not to mention his really “unusual” and distinctive cuisine, delivered as a six-course tasting menu. Save space for the end of the meal: chef really knows his way around pudding and chocolates. Early in 2022, there was news that the restaurant was to close, but this is not the case. Marc is hunting for new premises, though, and if he finds them change will be afoot.
Summary
“If you are fortunate enough to get a table in this gem of a restaurant you will not be disappointed.” Chef-patron Marc Wilkinson puts his life and soul into this tiny “intimate” venue in a conservation village on the Wirral, which has just a dozen or so covers, and “a music playlist curated by the owner”. There is a cheaper lunch, but the main deal is a six-course signature menu for £115 per head, which delivers “exceptional flavours”. (In September 2021, the restaurant’s Instagram account said the builders are in till March, so change may be afoot, but what that may be seems to be under wraps at present.)
Summary
“One of the best in the country” – Marc Williamson “never fails to please and delight with his superb food, excellent wine list, and friendly and knowledgeable staff” at this “very intimate” venture on the edge of Birkenhead. In December 2018 he closed the restaurant with plans to move across The Mersey into Liverpool and double in size from his existing 12 seats (it’s so small, you need to book months in advance). After a March 2019 rethink, though, he decided against scaling up and decided to stay put and do a minor refurb. As he commented in the Liverpool Echo, after he’d decided against going down the expansion route: ‘For good or bad, you get 100% of me – the décor is me, the visuals are me, the music is me. I care, I guess – it’s a passion’.
Summary
“One of the best in the country” – Marc Williamson “never fails to please and delight with his superb food, excellent wine list, and friendly and knowledgeable staff” at this “very intimate” venture on the edge of Birkenhead. In December 2018 he closed the restaurant with plans to move across The Mersey into Liverpool and double in size from his existing 12 seats (it’s so small, you need to book months in advance). After a March 2019 rethink, though, he decided against scaling up and decided to stay put and do a minor refurb. As he commented in the Liverpool Echo, after he’d decided against going down the expansion route: ‘For good or bad, you get 100% of me – the décor is me, the visuals are me, the music is me. I care, I guess – it’s a passion’.
For 32 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Fraiche?
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £20.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £2.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
11 Rose Mount, Oxton, CH43 5SG
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | CLOSED |
| Thursday | 7 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Friday | 7 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Saturday | 7 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm |
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