Popular French Restaurant Francine Abruptly Closes In Scottsdale

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Diners arriving at Francine this past week found the doors locked and a simple sign in the window: "RESTAURANT CLOSED. We apologize for any inconvenience."

No announcement. No farewell Instagram post. No email to reservation holders.

The French-Mediterranean restaurant, which opened in Scottsdale Fashion Square's luxury wing in 2020, appears to have shut down without warning.

As of this week, the restaurant's Instagram and Facebook pages are also down. Calls to the restaurant go unanswered, and the mall has not responded to a request for comment.

The only public word from anyone connected to the restaurant came from former executive chef Remy Lefebvre, who posted on social media that he had moved on from Francine and was working to bring new restaurants to Scottsdale.

"I wanted to reach out personally to thank you for being such a wonderful part of my journey there. Meeting you and having the privilege to cook for you has been a highlight of my time in Scottsdale," Lefebvre wrote.

Francine had been a fixture in one of the mall's most prominent dining corridors, sitting near Nobu, Toca Madera and Ocean 44.

The restaurant earned recognition from Phoenix New Times as one of its Best French Restaurants in 2021.

It was known for dishes like branzino baked in sea salt, grilled octopus, and mushroom rigatoni with seasonal truffle, olive oil and Parmesan, along with a happy hour that drew a loyal crowd.

No offiicial statement has been released.