The Positano Limoncello Drop Martini from Franco\'s restaurant. (Alyssa Orr/The Palm Beach Post)

The bar: Franco Italian Bistro, Wellington

The scene: Elegance just steps away from the mall? Si! Tucked across from The Mall at Wellington Green, Franco is simply beautiful - dark woods and gleaming metal, with the Italian liquors on full display behind the bar.

The crowd includes ladies who lunch, shoppers who enjoy a classy respite from their purchases and people who like hearty, delicious food.

The cocktail: Following Franco's theme of highlighting Italian ingredients and flavors, the Positano Limoncello Drop ($12) name-checks Italy's deliciously citrus-y libation and its picturesque seaside village. It's pretty and smartly, sweetly tart.

Other noteworthy libations: Alice's Key Lime Pie, a winsome concoction of rum, lime juice, cream and other good stuff, topped off with a graham cracker rim. The raspberry-tinged Amalfi Kiss Pomegranate Martini, the dryly delicious Capri Kiss Pear-Lychee Martini and the Raspiello Drop with Chambord. All are $12, all have an Italian or Palm Beach twist, and all are delicious.

Bar bites: Co-owner Vittorio Divivo, formerly of Palm Beach and Baltimore's Victor's Cafe, knows his stuff, and the item we've had the most fun getting to know is the Medaglioni di Granchio ($16) better known as crazy-good, meat-filled Maryland jumbo lump crab cakes. Cocktail Culture has been known to be choosy about crab, so we mean it when we say "yum." And the Clams Oreganate ($12) are nothing to sneeze at.

Deals: Happy Hour is 4-7 p.m., seven days a week, with half off every drink with the exception of Veuve Clicquot.

Info: Franco Italian Bistro, 10160 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington; (561) 615-1551.

T H E C O C K T A I L

Positano Limoncello Drop

1 1/2 ounces Grey Goose Le Citron vodka

1 ounce Limoncello

Fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Combined ingredients, shake and pour into glass with sugared rum.