Because there was a special event upstairs, we got to eat downstairs in the "wine cellar" which was lovely -- reminded me of places in Italy where we've dined. The Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce was generous with sausage and mozzarella and delicious! I'll be enjoying the leftovers tonight for dinner. Nice wine selection, too. It was after the theatre and it's hard to find a place in that neighborhood that's still open for dinner at 9:00 so we appreciate them being open and hospitable. I wish I caught our server's name -- he was delightful.
Brent
Make sure to be seated on main floor. We were escorted upstairs (even though we passed many open tables) where we felt like we were at the kid's table. And yes, we had a reservation made many weeks in advance. Brighter lights, less ambience, and service was frankly annoying. Wine order took way too long to arrive. Appetizer special (which was highly recommended and pretty much pushed on us) was way over done. Server tried to make it up to us by sending our original appetizer order to our table (comp'd) even though we said no thank you. Main pasta dishes were ok but definitely nothing special. As a visitor to the city for the weekend, had higher hopes for this restaurant but honesty had better experiences at nearby cafes and bars.
Laura
The manager was outstanding. He was very attentive to my gluten free diet. The food is very expensive and the portions are small. I wasn't happy that 3% was added to the bill.
Tina
I went there for dinner with two others. We decided on Francesca's because their online menu was so inviting and fun. When we were seated our waiter inquired about our evening to make sure our dining experience was comfortable and within our time frame for our night out. We ordered the Ceasar salad and the Meatballs for the table. They were so fresh and the Meatballs so tender. For dinner, I had the Filetto Gorgonzola which was superb and cooked just to my liking. My guests had the Linguine agli Scampi and the Rigatoni alla Vodka. The sounds we all were making from every bite! All portions were just right. After dinner, we inquired about the dessert menu. Our waiter explained that they are known for their Tiramisu and then described their Sticky Toffee Carrot Cake. We ended up getting the Lemon Olive Oil Cake and the Sticky Toffee Carrot Cake for the table to share. The description from the menu: "Carrot Cake meets La Dolce Vita—perfectly spiced, topped with candied walnuts, a kiss of orange zest, and sour cream gelato to keep things interesting." The Cake was warm, the Gelato on top was cold, the orange marmalade on top of that was warm. It was a delightful experience of flavors, textures, and temperatures. And just when we thought it couldn't get any better, our waiter asked if we would like an orange liqour drizzled on top of the Carrot Cake. AMAZING!!! I recommend going for it. We all were so glad we decided on Francesca's!
Sonia
** We had a bad experience with service (though the food is delicious), but I have to say that after sharing that with the restaurant, they reacted very quickly to give us another experience. I very much appreciate that. It makes me think that the one bad service experience was not typical of this restaurant.
robin
The food was amazing. The waitstaff answered our questions and gave us suggestions. Would highly recommend this place and would want to definitely return.
Karl
We had an enjoyable dinner. Service was friendly and helpful. The food was delicious. The menu features classic Italian favorites which are prepared with additional care and finesse. Also nice to see white tablecloths.
Opentable Diner
I arrived at 6 and the noise level was low. By the time I left at 7.30 the noise level was moderate as the restaurant had filled up and it was a Friday night. This is not a complaint, merely an observation. The food was excellent! The Caesar Salad had real anchovies, a rarity! Service was pleasant, professional, and efficient. I would return.
Horacio Hernandez Telcel
Excelent restaurant to go in order to celebrate a wedding aniversary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Enrique
Excepcional. La hostes maravillosa . A pesar de que llegamos una hora antes pudo conseguirnos una mesa. The QUEEN of Francesca
lovely downtown spot, near shopping and Michigan Ave strolling. Atmosphere needs some love but we sat at the bar and thoroughly enjoyed the food. Hillary, our bartender and server, was super warm & friendly. The portions are large, including the Happy Hour appetizers. We were impressed and will definitely be returning more frequently.
Blase
Francesca's never disappoints! Tried the chianti braised lamb shank special...amazing! Wife had her usual roasted half chicken. Terrific as always! We will be back!!!
Joan
We had a lovely weekday lunch prior to visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is just a short walk away. The food was outstanding and the service impeccable. And the Tuesday half-off price on nearly all bottles of wine was a nice surprise! This was my first visit to Francesca's and certainly won't be my last!
Ronald
Outstanding as always. Perfect neighborhood Italian restaurant for early dinner with family.
George
The bruschetta was disappointing to start as was the length of time to get our first cocktail. Main courses...chicken and two different pastas were very good. I was surprised that there were more California wines on the menu than Italian which I think is crazy! Also, no wines from Sicily (Mt Etna) which are some of the finest that Italy produces and reasonable prices. Tuscan wines were not plentiful either. Quite frankly, there should ONLY be Italian wines at, what is billed as, a fine Italian Restaurant. I'm quite certain there are better Italian restaurants in Chicago but Francesco's is more than adequate and, for us, was in a great location given it was pouring rain outside!
Because there was a special event upstairs, we got to eat downstairs in the "wine cellar" which was lovely -- reminded me of places in Italy where we've dined. The Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce was generous with sausage and mozzarella and delicious! I'll be enjoying the leftovers tonight for dinner. Nice wine selection, too. It was after the theatre and it's hard to find a place in that neighborhood that's still open for dinner at 9:00 so we appreciate them being open and hospitable. I wish I caught our server's name -- he was delightful.
Make sure to be seated on main floor. We were escorted upstairs (even though we passed many open tables) where we felt like we were at the kid's table. And yes, we had a reservation made many weeks in advance. Brighter lights, less ambience, and service was frankly annoying. Wine order took way too long to arrive. Appetizer special (which was highly recommended and pretty much pushed on us) was way over done. Server tried to make it up to us by sending our original appetizer order to our table (comp'd) even though we said no thank you. Main pasta dishes were ok but definitely nothing special. As a visitor to the city for the weekend, had higher hopes for this restaurant but honesty had better experiences at nearby cafes and bars.
The manager was outstanding. He was very attentive to my gluten free diet. The food is very expensive and the portions are small. I wasn't happy that 3% was added to the bill.
I went there for dinner with two others. We decided on Francesca's because their online menu was so inviting and fun. When we were seated our waiter inquired about our evening to make sure our dining experience was comfortable and within our time frame for our night out. We ordered the Ceasar salad and the Meatballs for the table. They were so fresh and the Meatballs so tender. For dinner, I had the Filetto Gorgonzola which was superb and cooked just to my liking. My guests had the Linguine agli Scampi and the Rigatoni alla Vodka. The sounds we all were making from every bite! All portions were just right. After dinner, we inquired about the dessert menu. Our waiter explained that they are known for their Tiramisu and then described their Sticky Toffee Carrot Cake. We ended up getting the Lemon Olive Oil Cake and the Sticky Toffee Carrot Cake for the table to share. The description from the menu: "Carrot Cake meets La Dolce Vita—perfectly spiced, topped with candied walnuts, a kiss of orange zest, and sour cream gelato to keep things interesting." The Cake was warm, the Gelato on top was cold, the orange marmalade on top of that was warm. It was a delightful experience of flavors, textures, and temperatures. And just when we thought it couldn't get any better, our waiter asked if we would like an orange liqour drizzled on top of the Carrot Cake. AMAZING!!! I recommend going for it. We all were so glad we decided on Francesca's!
** We had a bad experience with service (though the food is delicious), but I have to say that after sharing that with the restaurant, they reacted very quickly to give us another experience. I very much appreciate that. It makes me think that the one bad service experience was not typical of this restaurant.
The food was amazing. The waitstaff answered our questions and gave us suggestions. Would highly recommend this place and would want to definitely return.
We had an enjoyable dinner. Service was friendly and helpful. The food was delicious. The menu features classic Italian favorites which are prepared with additional care and finesse. Also nice to see white tablecloths.
I arrived at 6 and the noise level was low. By the time I left at 7.30 the noise level was moderate as the restaurant had filled up and it was a Friday night. This is not a complaint, merely an observation. The food was excellent! The Caesar Salad had real anchovies, a rarity! Service was pleasant, professional, and efficient. I would return.
Excelent restaurant to go in order to celebrate a wedding aniversary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excepcional. La hostes maravillosa . A pesar de que llegamos una hora antes pudo conseguirnos una mesa. The QUEEN of Francesca
Restaurantji Recommends
lovely downtown spot, near shopping and Michigan Ave strolling. Atmosphere needs some love but we sat at the bar and thoroughly enjoyed the food. Hillary, our bartender and server, was super warm & friendly. The portions are large, including the Happy Hour appetizers. We were impressed and will definitely be returning more frequently.
Francesca's never disappoints! Tried the chianti braised lamb shank special...amazing! Wife had her usual roasted half chicken. Terrific as always! We will be back!!!
We had a lovely weekday lunch prior to visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is just a short walk away. The food was outstanding and the service impeccable. And the Tuesday half-off price on nearly all bottles of wine was a nice surprise! This was my first visit to Francesca's and certainly won't be my last!
Outstanding as always. Perfect neighborhood Italian restaurant for early dinner with family.
The bruschetta was disappointing to start as was the length of time to get our first cocktail. Main courses...chicken and two different pastas were very good. I was surprised that there were more California wines on the menu than Italian which I think is crazy! Also, no wines from Sicily (Mt Etna) which are some of the finest that Italy produces and reasonable prices. Tuscan wines were not plentiful either. Quite frankly, there should ONLY be Italian wines at, what is billed as, a fine Italian Restaurant. I'm quite certain there are better Italian restaurants in Chicago but Francesco's is more than adequate and, for us, was in a great location given it was pouring rain outside!
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