As is the case with all JNcQUOI restaurants, you don’t go to Frou Frou only for the food. What’s on the plate is in fact quite good, but the attention is on everything around you. It’s on the vibe.
Frou Frou occupies a secret dining room tucked into a corner of JNcQUOI Asia, on Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon. Behind the doors is an opulent, gleaming room designed by noted architect Jean-Philippe Demeyer. Lotus blossom lanterns hang from the ceiling. The carpets are paisley, and the tables are lacquered. It’s all very Shanghai in the 1920s.
The sound designer, Hovannes K, gets equal billing with the chef, because the place has the feel of a club. Sometimes the music is traditional Chinese instruments like the guzheng, and sometimes its unapologetic numbers by a flirty drag performer called Miss Frou Frou. A magician flits between tables.
Amid all this theater, the food, by chef Mário Esteves, is in fact quite good. It’s somewhat Cantonese, though they keep things simple and just call it all Chinese: fried dumplings with wasabi, prawn, and chicken; Hong Kong–style noodles with lobster; tiger prawn and sesame toast. For those who want a dinner as theatrical as the trappings, there’s a full-on Peking duck served with all the trimmings.
After dinner, the party really gets started, with a menu of creative cocktails and a beverage list that skews toward premium Champagnes and bottle service spirits. On weekends, the festivities last until well past midnight.
For more information, visit the Frou Frou website.
Frou Frou
JNcQUOI Asia
Avenida da Liberdade 144
Lisbon
Phone: +351 210 513 015
Email: book@jncquoifroufrou.com
Hours:
Sunday to Wednesday – 18:00 to 24:00
Thursday to Saturday – 18:00 to 02:00
