Prince Gastronome. I’m going to go on a limb and guess that red neon bulbs probably weren’t around in 1818. That’s not saying I wasn’t excited about visiting, but I had doubts about many of its claims. Its full name is The World Famous Frankenstein 1818. World famous? I know the novel, The Modern Prometheus, which for me is a more ominous title than just Frankenstein, but world famous? Is the novel world famous or is it the pub, because I’m pretty sure I can ask ten random people in my home town and they wouldn’t know anything about it. Can you just call yourself world famous? And its title, “The World Famous Frankenstein 1818”, was the pub was founded in 1818? That’s somewhat hard to believe considering the novel was published in 1818. And that really is its full name, The World Famous Frankenstein 1818. That’s a mouthful, so I’m just going to call it Frank from here on.

When I entered, instead of some dated dungeon-like pub replacing walnut wood panels with roughly interconnected cobblestones, I found that Frank had red faux leather chairs, iron girders, and...what do you know, walnut wood panels. This is not to say that I was disappointed with Frank. As pubs go, it’s breathtaking, except it feels more like a night club than a place people would gather to eat. Frank is very dark, almost shadowing the details of an establishment which probably cost millions to construct. It blends old-fashioned and décor with modern accents though I felt the latter overshadowed its attempts to be dated.

I can’t hate Frank...I can’t. It looks too good; I just wished it looked...well...older. As it is now, it’s more of a tribute to the films than the novel, a snapshot of some fantasy we wanted the world to look like in 1818, not as it actually was. Frank is a collage of movie sets slammed together into a pub. Not bad, just not what I expected. It’s part steampunk, part gothic, part modern nightclub. I would even go so far as to say that your opinion on the décor can radically change depending on which angle you’re looking at.

As for the food, we opened with a shared plate of nachos, towering taller than the red cuillins. This would be enough as a meal for two, but we were foolish and had already ordered mains. I had the Franken-furter (oh I saw what you did there) while my girlfriend enjoyed the haggis, neeps, and tatties. These are huge plates of food for surprisingly reasonable prices. One would expect huge markups given the location, but no. I keep getting reminded that most pubs don’t offer good food, but so far, this has not been my experience.

If you ignore the borderline menacing décor, is Frank a worthwhile location? I would say so, but I would also say that its intimidating nature may frighten away people looking for something a bit more mundane. Don’t get me wrong, Frank must rock during Halloween, and I would rather return here than to The World’s End for the simple fact that I can stretch out my arms in Frank without taking out an eye of someone at another table. But it’s also obvious that Frank is not meant for anyone older than 40. It’s not where men in tweed jackets gather around for a pint after a long day’s work. It’s for students after exams are over, and they become possessed with an overwhelming desire to get so inebriated, their gait and mannerisms would make the famous monster articulate and agile. The truth is that I would not be caught dead in Frankenstein after 10:00 pm given the obvious demographics that would congregate within it...but until then, I would definitely love to book it for my next birthday.

DECOR: 9
PLATING: 7
SERVICE: 7
FOOD: 8
VALUE: 7

OVERALL: 7.6 out of 10

'Frankies!' this is the perfect venue for a full evenings entertainment... It's not just about the menu which has something for everyone. It's all about the experience; theatre, atmosphere, and energy! Whatever your night - stag - hen - or just the a good drink, this place is a must!