Francesca’s Trattoria

Reviews

• John D.

  star star star star star 17 July 2026

  I was pleasantly surprised when we visited during move in weekend. My wife had been before for lunch with my daughter and really enjoyed it. The place was full and the service was good but not great but part of the issue is that you should treat it like a true "sit down and enjoy it" experience.
  
  The fried rice ball appetizer was highlighted with a spicy marinara. They went quickly.  My daughter and I each  had a chicken and shrimp special with a pink sauce and housemade pasta. Generous portions and very good. Large fried shrimp with fresh mozzarella and butterflied chicken breast. We had leftovers to go.  My wife had shrimp francese, also tasty with a light sauce. I often judge Italian restaurants by how they make two dishes: 1) Caesar salad and 2) tiramisu. Both were excellent. The salad was flavorful but not heavy. Nice hint of anchovy without a heavy hand on the garlic. The tiramisu was light and creamy. Nice addition of chocolate on top.  
  
  A chocolate pecan pie outperformed the tiramisu.  We learned they make the desserts in house.  Nice plus.
  
  This is not cheap for Gainesville but would be very competitive in a larger market and the food is definitely on par with any of the places back home.

• Leon C.

  star star star star star 17 July 2026

  Francesca's Trattoria is a great Italian restaurant hidden in the NW side of Gainesville. Admittedly, it's hard to find but it is quite the gem if I do say so myself.
  
  Atmosphere - 5/5
  It's dimly lit all around, however they're are small light candles around the room, some Christmas light hanging on the winery cupboards, and from the kitchen. Definitely gives a romantic ambience and a more high end feeling to it.
  
  Service - 5/5
  My waiter was great, she wasn't super overbearing and gave some great recommendations. She was always there when my water was low to refill it without me asking! Can't ask for anymore.
  
  Food - 4/5
  I got the presectora, a seafood (scallops, clams, mussels, and shrimp) pasta in a spicy marinara sauce and it was delicious! Portion size was huge and the seafood quality and quantity was superb. The price is what gets me though, kind of a broke college student and it was $30. I can't complain too much though.
  
  You also get garlic bread with refills!
  
  Overall - 5/5
  I would highly recommend anyone who's feeling like they want a night out with some fine Italian food!

• Emily S.

  star star star star_border star_border 14 July 2026

  I had been craving Italian food so we came here for lunch. The lunch menu is smaller than the dinner menu, but the prices are better because the portions are smaller.
  
  When we were there only one front of house employee was working. She was the bartender, server and hostess. There were only two other tables occupied, but because the one employee was being stretched so thin, it took a bit of time for us to order and receive our food.
  
  I liked that there was freshly grated parmesan cheese for topping our food. The food itself was all right, but I think it could have had more flavor.

• Pam B.

  star star star star star_border 13 July 2026

  Dining here again.  Come around 4 for happy hour wines.  Luv garlic knots, just need to add more oil.  Had Caesar salad that had too much dressing, I forget to ask for it on side.  Other salad was house which was fine.  Tried linguine bolognese which was very flavorful.  Husband had pasta primavera that he felt sauce flavor was lacking.  Daughter had chicken Marsala that had good rich sauce.  Going early we always get great server and plenty of leftovers to enjoy.

• Jon A.

  star star star star star_border 10 July 2026

  Went to Francesca's last night. I have been meaning to go for a long time, and just never got around to it until now.
  
  Entering the place is not exactly the brightest lit restaurant. There is a definite "date night" vibe with the place that is actually quite rare for Gainesville. Our group was seated right away, as we had reservations, and drink orders were made. They have a decent selection of wines available, so pairing should not be a problem for folks.
  
  Reviewing the menu, they have a good variety of Italian dishes available, and I decided to go for the linguine with clams in a wine sauce. This was one of my favorite dishes growing up, though my dad would always use chopped clams from a can since they were not as readily available in the places we lived. Having the whole clam cooked and placed on the top of the dish is, frankly, not my favorite way to have this dish prepared. Presentation-wise I get it, but I really enjoy having the chopped clams instead because you can then get bits of clam in every bite. Obviously this is a personal preference, and the dish was quite good.
  
  The service is exceptional, and our waiter was quite attentive without being intrusive, which is a balance that is hard to achieve. He knew the menu, what the kitchen could do, and any specials that were available. The live music in the corner was also a nice plus, particularly since their volume was appropriate. Too often I have gone to restaurants that had live music that was simply too loud, and detracted from the ambiance and ability to speak with those at the table.
  
  The one thing that I feel is a problem is that when the room has a full load, the noise level is a bit high overall, with guests speaking louder than they normally would simply to be heard over the din. The walls and ceiling are reflective, and this causes the noise level to climb to levels that are distracting when compared with the overall ambiance. This is really the only thing that is keeping me from five stars, unfortunately.