Francesca’s on Chestnut

Ambience – classic Italian feel Serve time – they were super quick even when they were packed on a wee night Food – The bruschetta was really nice. Zuca pasta was good. I also order veggie pasta which tasted nice. The red sauce feel was little different than the classic marinara Service – she kept checking on if we needed anything and was super quick to react

I’ve never had a bad experience at any of the Francesca’s restaurants and this was no different! I walked in on a Saturday evening 6:30pm with no reservations but was lucky to nap a walk in table that was right by the door. While the ambiance of my seat for the night was not the best as people were constantly coming in and out, the interior part of the restaurant is much more romantic but bustling with activity and happy diners! They do take reservations here so I’ll be sure to make one next time! Service here was impeccable and despite the fact we had 3 different people ask us what we’d like to drink in the beginning, they finally sorted out their communication and our sole waitress for the rest of the evening was a gem. She was perfectly attentive and kept our glasses filled and asked about our meal without being overbearing. All of the food was delicious for the evening and I would come back in a heart beat to eat in or even take out: – Definitely ask for starter bread because the herbed olive oil here is DIVINE. Good olive oil goes a long way and it’s heavenly from first bite to the last. – Calamari Fritti – perfectly cooked, soft and tender to the bite, and flavorful especially paired with the tomato sauce – Salmon linguine – a bit dry for my taste as I would’ve expected a bit smoother cream sauce, but the flavor was perfect and salmon was cooked perfect. There was a perfect ratio of protein, veggies, pasta, sauce. – Chicken diavolo – great option for those who like a classic italian chicken dish with a kick and bold flavors! This was definitely my favorite for the night because the chicken was cooked perfectly and I’m a sucker for olives. That red tomato sauce is so so flavorful – I want to eat it with everything! Great choice for dining in the area of the Mag Mile, just a short walk away and tucked into a corner. It’s definitely a hidden gem (though still very busy during dinner) in the area as I would not have found this place if I hadn’t been searching on yelp for dinner places in the area.

Another great carry out dinner, during the pandemic, from Francesca’s. The chicken Limone and rigatoni with sausage were delicious. Thanks for offering carry out options during this stressful time.

Today I had a lovely experience at Francesca’s on Chestnut. I was there for a lunch meeting in the basement wine cellar. The atmosphere there is amazing and I would recommend using the space for a party. It is intimate, cozy and very comfortable. We started w yummy bruschetta and salad. Both were delicious. We then had three entrees- lemon chicken, gnocchi and rigatoni. All three were fantastic. We were given a wonderful marscapone cheese cake for desert – double yum! Youth can’t go wrong here!

One of the best valued happy hours I’ve been to in Chicago! Francesca’s has a great HH from Mon-Thurs 3:30-6PM (I believe) with tons of food for low prices. Stand-outs are the mussels (huge plate of mussels soaked in sauce) for $6, personal pizzas for $6 (you choose 2 toppings), and bruschetta for $5 (lots of toppings, 5 or so large pieces of bread. Bread and olive oil is also complimentary and tastes warm and fresh. While the food is not the best I’ve ever had, for the price it’s hard to beat.

Very tasty pasta and salad. Some of the tastiest Caesar salad I’ve had. The staff was very friendly and attentive and explained the highlights of the menu since it was our first visit. Prices are comparable to the area. The bread is also warm and fresh and insanely good!

Was unfortunately super disappointed with our experience on Valentine’s Day. :/ I lived in Chicago for 8 yrs and Mia Francesca on the north side was one of my favorite restaurants. So when we came for Valentine’s Day weekend – stayed at a hotel downtown – I booked reservations here thinking it would be just as good. Spoiler alert: it was bad. Had reservations at 8pm, behind schedule but not bad – sat about 8:15pm. The room downstairs looked like a bunch of card tables squished together with folding chairs, ie not romantic. waited another 10 min to get water and even put in our drink order – by the time we got our drinks and ordered our apps, it was 20 min after we’d sat down. And, even though we asked for bread 3 times, we still didn’t have it. Not only was the service terrible, the 2 pasta dishes came out cold and rubbery. It’s really though to screw up pasta, especially at an Italian restaurant, but they did. At that point, we just wanted to get out of there. So sad I wasted our special Valentine’s Day dinner there when there are so many great Italian spots in the city (like La Scarola.) I won’t be going back, but hope Mia Francesca is still good.

Even through this pandemic, we found a restaurant that was offering Happy Hour from 3pm – 5pm. The restaurant placed well spaced tables in front of the restaurant. The three of us met there at 3pm and were able to be seated right away. Granted, the Happy Hour menu is limited, however, had great selections of appetizers and adult beverages. We greeted right away and the server went over the menus. He took our drink order and by the time he came back, we were ready to order. Each of us decided on the Polpette In Umido (Meatballs with side of Arugula Salad). By the time the appetizers were brought to us, we needed another round of wine. The wine and the appetizers were good sized portions. The server did check in with us several times. After the third round of drinks, we decided we should head out. Great service and food. I would highly recommend this restaurant and looking forward to my return.

A friend and I stopped by Francesca’s On Chestnut for Happy Hour al fresco. It was a gorgeous afternoon just off the Magnificent Mile. The Happy Hour offerings are diverse and are at a great price point. The discounted wine is quite tasty. The meatballs have the best sauce that tastes like Nonna’s old world recipe. Yes please! We also had a pizza that was so good we ate the whole thing. We finished our meal with a scoop each of pistachio gelato and blackberry sorbet. I felt like the service wasn’t spot on but nothing a little polishing couldn’t fix. It seemed a bit hit or miss but wasn’t bad enough to ruin our experience. Overall it was ok . I can’t wait to return for the amazing cuisine and cozy atmosphere.

Dining at Francescas on Chestnut 5 Star Reasons To Go There 1) Divine food , like my mamas kitchen 2)Ambience of the wine cellar 3)Dreamy desserts 4)Our family enjoyed , all of our evening 5) Top it all off with our charming, efficient Waitress TIFFANY!