Francesca's on Chestnut Review

Great experience. Delicious food and the lunch special is a good deal

Francesca s was amazing! Food was delectable, service was fast & one of the few restaurants we could get reservations we could get the day of. The only thing I don t recommend was the mixed drinks/cocktails.

Had dinner there last night with my daughter. The food was excellent. The service was as good. The were slammed and it took them a little long to bring out the food well worth it.

They were very kind and the manager was refilling drinks

Thanks for a great experience

A hidden gem. The General Manager (Hobert?) is hospitable, like you're being welcomed into someone's kitchen, and also bolsters that kindness with a deep-dive knowledge of their wine list and Francesca's delicious menu. The ambiance is all things old school Italian and everything Chicago! Make a reservation now...trust me.

Great pizza, good wine, but the acoustics are not great for conversations.

THE FOOD IS EXCELLENT..THE SERVE YOU WITH DEDICATION. (The food is perfect. The attention is careful)

Not bad. A safe choice - great place to go when you're with a group or family. There's something for everyone, and the service is excellent.

I was there for a wedding not at the actual restaurant but the food was excellent.

Excelent ltalian food, low prices, good service, clean place, delicious salads.

Same consistent level of food and service as all the Francesca locations

We celebrated our 3-year wedding anniversary here for dinner! An excellent menu and courteous staff. The 1/2 roasted chicken and cheese tortellini pasta was delicious. We didn't have reservations prior to arriving but were seated very promptly despite the crowd.

Really classy, solid Italian restaurant. Had a brilliant risotto and one of the best calamari's I have had in a while.

The place is a little bit narrow, but the food is not bad.

Always solid. The food delivers and the wine list is a real treat.

i liked it. a lot. in fact, i made numerous moaning noises during the meal that might have been embarrassing if i were with someone other than my boyfriend. the ambiance was charming. the staff was friendly and attentive. the food was prepared and served quickly. the pizza was GREAT. i have a feeling i'll be back.

The menu is diverse and the food was very good. Francesca's has ambience and and a courteous staff.

Awesome food! The menu was unique, there were a lot of cool dishes I would come back for. The cocktail menu was nice too. It was a little crowded and loud inside, the tables were very close together and nothing around to dampen the sound. The calamari appetizer was one of the best I've had, it was light and crispy, perfectly done.

Went with friends to a wonderful meal during restaurant week at Francesca s on Chestnut. Greeted by Manager, Nicole, thanking us for coming. Don t get that at even the best restaurants. Impressive! I ordered off the restaurant week menu. I got glass of smooth wine, finest salad, sumptuous salmon, and decadent warm chocolate cake w mint ice cream and fudge. All this at a very reasonable price. Delicious! Joe, the other manager, checked on us through out our meal and asked if everything was good and to let him know if we needed anything. Very impressive!
The atmosphere, the food, the service, the cost can t be beat. Love, love, love this
dining experience!!!

A great place that doesnt get too busy during the day, a good alternative to the Signature room. Good food, nice staff, incredible desert, clean. Worth checking out..

The valet parking lost or stolen my remote control for my garage door opener and they owe me 70 and I am going to call the police thank you Larry cione Sr THANKS

Just had lunch here. Quite possibly the worst meal I ever had. Salad was 6 pieces of cardboard. Three called tomatoes. Three blue cheese. Then pizza which was clearly a frozen rejected tombstone pizza.

Avoid

Gorgeous intimate setting and reasonable prices for such fresh, delicious food

Outstanding dining experience in a relaxing environment. Great ambiance, terrific menu and excellent service. The salmon and tiramisu were fantastic Two managers came by to talk to us about our meal and made us feel even more special

The pizzas were not too far from what you would get in Italy

I loved the atmosphere of this
location but unfortunately
had to leave before I
could order any
thing tonight.
It meant alot to me that
the staff didn't reject
me due to wearing
jeans & sneakers
since so many
places tend
to do so...
There is a very upscale
feel when entering
yet the cost is
very fair...
Whenever I do return
downtown I hope to
arrive dressed in
more formal
attire...
No one gave the feeling
that I was unwelcome
or an unimportant
guest there....

We dined at the lower level, very good place if you want privacy. The food was very good, consistent with Francesas across Chicagoland

Good Italian food in a tucked-away corner of the Gold Coast. Just as good as the Little Italy location. Go for the excellent, attentive service and great selection of wines.

A very consistent local chain. I have been to a handful of the Francesca's restaurants all around Chicago and they are never disappointing.

I can't say any dish is ever mind-blowing but it is all very good. I usually order the pork chops because they are cooked to perfection and never dry. They have a great mushroom sauce and I don't even like mushrooms. The pastas are also cooked perfectly and always consistent.

If you want very good and dependable food you can never go wrong if there is a Francesca's in your neighborhood.

A great local place for an excellent Italian lunch or dinner. Somewhat hidden from the hustle and bustle on Michigan Avenue, this restaurant offers a comfortable, calm dining space. Always excellent service with daily menu specials. Full bar with a good wine selection.

Yummy Italian food. My tuna carpaccio salad was solid. I had a slice of my dad's gluten free pizza and was shocked by how great the dough was. Our server Liz was great too.

Good food but they forgot to serve my friend's fish and they didn't even try to make it up to us by sending dessert or anything

It s so delicious & the staff is always so accommodating!

We came in as a family gathering...excellent food, service...they went out of their way to make us all feel welcome.

Delightful, authentic dishes and pleasant staff. Always a pleasure to dine here. Save room for the pistachio profiteroles!!

Great service! Accomadated a planned menu with last minute notice of a few with dietary restrictions!

Im a through and through New York style thin crust girl and I have never liked the deep dish styles because I found them soggy and unappetizing every time I tried them. I eventually stopped eating them till I visited Little Star with friends. Their pizzas were game changing for me. I loved EVERY bite! I was pleasantly shocked to find myself polishing off the crusts-which I never eat! Yay!! Thank you Little Star for making me appreciate the beauty of Chicago deep dish. Also a special shout out to the uber friendly n laid back staff :)

Awesome carpaccio. Got my Wife's order wrong and my pasta was cold.
Comped my cold pasta, gave me free coffee, but did nothing about getting my Wife's order wrong because she was too afraid to complain.
Waiter did a good job.

Seated right away. Food was ready very quickly. BEST Calamari ever! Most definitely coming back next time we are in Chicago

Absolutely Fantastic! Managers Nicole and Elliot saved my day!

Vibrant tasty downtown Italian fare but priced a bit above its quality.

Quiet compared to most restaurants in the area. No wheelchair friendly seating or door entry, but helpful waitstaff.

Part of a local restaurant group. Always good, fair price point. Homemade pasta, something for everyone one. Larger servings. Group and family friendly, but also good for business lunch and dinners and highend enough to impress a date. I go several times a year and have for years. Not a foodie place, but you won't be disappointed.

Wish I could give zero stars... Waited out front for twenty minutes with out a hostess, will not be back

The carpaccio here is superb and highly recommended. The pasta is also excellent.

The atmosphere, dishes and service was wonderful. Pablo our server when over and beyond we could've asked for.

Great food, lovely wine but the servers were the best- friendly, fun and so attentive! Highly recommend the Cappellacci!

Great lunch menu. Delicious food at a reasonable price. I loved the classy low-key relaxing atmosphere.

One of a small chain. Good food and service. Process moderate

Delicious! Visited upon recommendation of our hotel staff. Risotto was yummy and the best wedge salad I ve had in a long time. Nick took great care of us.

I liked, but some "typical Italian / American cuisine"

Always solidly good food, delicious desserts and good service

Elderly bartender at the front had the worst attitude, every time I ordered a drink I just got this weird look, I'm not sure why. It's just felt like he just doesn't want to be here, experience was really bad :(

Great Italian place, good food and not pricy. What i don't like is that it is noisy, if its packed u cant talk at your table, you have to shout !

I went here for a dinner date prior to the theatre and was disappointed. The food was flavorful but came in very small portions. My boyfriend was still hungry afterward. For the great atmosphere, location, and price of entrees, they don't even serve bread before or with your meal! I will not be returning.

Came here for a holiday lunch. The staff was very attentive and did a great job. The food was good for the price. The restaurant was cozy and the sitting area was a bit tight.

Because the kitchen has nothing Italian. The bruschetta is soaked in liquid garlic and the pizza looks like a dry piadina.

Reasonably-priced dishes that are really tasty--excellent service in a very nice environment. It's a winning combination.

Amazing. You re doing yourself a disservice by not going.

Amazing Experience.
The manager on duty the night of March 27 was truly amazing. I m embarrassed that I don t remember his name, but he noticed our strained expressions from spending a day with 3 little savages. He asked what we wanted to drink, and brought them to us himself. Honestly, who does that? Well the manager at Francesca s!!!
All meals served were excellent and everyone enjoyed their dinners!

Always a favorite for Italian! Fresh, homemade pastas. So flavorful! Always consistent and delicious! Lots of choices, menu changes regularly. Great apps, pizzas, pastas and more!

I was there for a wedding not at the actual restaurant but the food was excellent.

Great burrata! Great pasta! The real Italian food at an excellent price!!!

Delicious ! Service was very personable and efficient. I'd eat here anytime.

The other night were were looking for a place to celebrate our younger daughter's graduation from middle school, and were considering going down to Francesca's on Taylor, when I saw they had one up in our neighborhood, and figured we'd go to Francesca's on Chestnut rather than spend $30-40 to cab it down to Little Italy and back!

We had to wait nearly a half hour past our reservation to get seated, but I guess that's about par for the course for a popular place on Saturday night. I wish I could recall what other restaurants have been in that space at the Seneca Hotel, as I know I've been in there before. The room is fairly classic, with windows on two sides, and B&W photos from Italy as the main decorative element.

I was somewhat surprised that all their locations have the same, fairly limited, menu ... we split some appetizers, the fried calamari (which was as good as we'd read), and the "Quattro Stagione" pizza. I liked this (which comes with prosciutto, artichoke, mushroom, olive, and egg) well enough, but my kids (14 and 18) were kind of grossed out about the egg ... it's one of those things that might have a good reason for being there in a "regional cuisine" sense, but there was no "story" with it to explain why it was there, so it was just odd.

We each ordered pasta dishes, and I had the special, Orecchiette with ham and peas in a tomato cream sauce. This was good, but was oddly overpowered with a smoky flavor ... I don't know if this originated with the ham, or something in the sauce, but it was, while not unpleasant, like the egg on the pizza, notable without being expected/explained.

Most notable in the "good surprise" column was the very aggressively seasoned olive oil that was served with the bread, having a nice balance of herbs with enough garlic to give it a pronounced edge. I wonder if they bottle that!

Anyway, the meal was good, but not so good that we're dying for a return visit. It will definitely be on our radar when looking for "nice" places to eat in the neighborhood, however.

Service was excellent and food was great. Seafood was cooked perfectly

One of my favourite places in Chicago to meet friends and coworkers. It has a very nice aesthetic. The atomosphere is low key and classy. Its the perfefect place to decompress with friends over great food and conversation.