Fric-Frac, the temple of the croque-monsieur

I love croque-monsieurs. It’s one of the dishes I love making for myself at home. And, without bragging, I think my homemade croque-monsieurs aren’t too bad (the favorite photographer can testify to that). For this reason, among others, I am often (always) disappointed by the ones I eat in restaurants, even though they never seem to be missing from the menus of Parisian and French brasseries. So, I was more than curious to discover the Fric-Frac brand, which aims to bring the croque-monsieur back to a level of gustatory quality by using good products and offering, in addition to classic recipes, some original variations.

Well, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer: I was won over by the result! The croques are just super good, nice and melty; the flavor pairings are successful, and the quality products used in their creation clearly make the difference. What’s nice is that the establishment offers both hot and cold recipes, which is a great idea for the summer season, for example. And all the croques are served with a side of salad.

Fric-Frac now has two locations in the capital. I discovered the first address located near the Canal Saint-Martin in 2017 and the one installed in the Montmartre district in February 2022. I’ll tell you a bit more in detail about these two locations below.

Croque-monsieur cut in two, served with salad and beet at Fric-Frac Montmartre.

Fric-Frac Montmartre croque monsieur served with salad.

Grilled Fric-Frac Montmartre croque-monsieur served with green salad and tomato.

Fric-Frac Canal

Regarding the venue, the Canal Saint-Martin address is really quite small, so I advise you to arrive early if you want to find a seat.

During this lunch in 2017, we tasted:

The Aztec with 5-grain bread, Mexican-marinated chicken, smoked cheese, red beans, spicy crushed avocado, grilled peppers, and cilantro (€13.50).
The Mam’zelle, a premium version of the croque madame with cloth-cooked ham, béchamel, Emmental cheese, and a soft-boiled egg (€11.50).
As a side dish, if you are very hungry, I recommend trying the brown lentils (€3.90), the soup of the moment (€3.90) hot or cold depending on the season and served with homemade croutons, or the establishment’s artisanal chips (€2).
For dessert, we opted for the French toast (obviously related to the theme of the place) with the maple syrup option (€5.50).
In terms of drinks to accompany your croque-monsieurs, I recommend getting a small craft beer; I find it goes down better, but that’s obviously a very personal point of view. We tasted the Titi Parisien IPA (€6) by La Parisienne and the original Bapbap blonde (€5.50).

A person's hand taking a chip from a white bowl at Fric-Frac.

Woman eating a croque-monsieur and drinking a beer at Fric-Frac.

Wooden table set with glasses, cutlery, and graphic cushions at Fric-Frac.

Fric-Frac interior, walls decorated with croque-monsieur, wooden tables, and hanging lights.

Fric-Frac croque-monsieur served with salad and beets.

Green soup with bread croutons on a spoon pulled from a bowl.

Fric-Frac customer in front of a poster "Main Basse Sur Les Croques" with lunch.

French toast sprinkled with sugar, poured with maple syrup.

Fric-Frac croutons in two small glass bowls on a wooden background.

La Parisienne Parisien beer and BAP BAP Originale brewed in Paris.

Fric-Frac restaurant storefront with customers on the terrace in front of the sign.

A little extra: some tables are set outside to eat your croque in the sun during the summer season.

Fric-Frac Montmartre

This 2nd small Fric-Frac restaurant (here too, there is a small dining room that fills up quickly) is set in the heart of the Montmartre hill, in a neighborhood very popular with tourists but not only… On the menu, we also find croques here, obviously, with classic (ham, béchamel, Emmental) and more original versions (with salmon, Mexican-style chicken, or even an Asian version). I really liked the croq of the moment (€10.50) during our visit: the Croc’Dog with Frankfurt sausage, cabbage mixture cooked in white wine, Mornay sauce, and cheddar…

During this lunch in 2022, we tasted:

The Shaolin with shrimp compote, shiitake mushroom, lemongrass paste, soy sauce marinade, green onions, minced ginger, garlic, fresh cheese, Thai basil (€13.50).
As a side, we chose the bowl of fries (€4.50) and the lentils (€4.50), which we had already tested the first time at the Canal Saint-Martin location.
For dessert, I recommend the chocolate fondant with its crème anglaise (€5.50), simple and comforting.
For drinks, we once again opted for the BapBap craft beers (on tap or by the bottle).

Grilled croque monsieur served with salad, beet, and beer at Fric-Frac Montmartre.

Woman eating a croque-monsieur, fries, and salad at Fric-Frac Montmartre.

Customers seated at Fric-Frac Montmartre near the glass doors.

Fric-Frac Montmartre chocolate fondant with crème anglaise sauce.

Fric-Frac Montmartre chocolate fondant with crème anglaise.

Woman with a hat drinking a cup of coffee at Fric-Frac Montmartre.

Fric-Frac Montmartre storefront, Coffee Shop, Wines & Craft Beers, Gourmet Croque-Monsieur.

Thanks to Fric Frac for these invitations.

Fric Frac

79 Quai de Valmy 75010 Paris
4 rue des Trois Frères 75018 Paris

Price: between €8.90 and €14 per croque monsieur

open from Tuesday to Friday from 12 pm to 3 pm and 7:30 pm to 11 pm and Saturday / Sunday from 12 pm 
to 11 pm / from 12 pm to 7 pm

Find all my restaurant reviews in Paris below:
⇒ All my restaurant reviews in Paris

MAP OF MY GOOD FOOD ADDRESSES IN PARIS AND THE ILE-DE-FRANCE REGION

Restaurant Bar Pastry / Bakery Tea Room / Coffee Shop
Brunch Ice cream parlor

Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez
Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization is mandatory before any use

Fric-Frac, the temple of the croque-monsieur

Fric-Frac Canal

Fric-Frac Montmartre

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