Tasty good. Good service. Nice interior. Parking can be a little difficult during high traffic hours.

Francesca's is a solid food choice. Juan, our waiter was attentive and tried his best. If we asked for anything slightly out of the ordinary he worked to resolve it. We both ordered pizza and they were good but not great. I had sausage on mine and the amount of sausage was sparse. I would return but not rant about the food. read more

Everything we orders was great. The gnocchi special was exceptional. Meatballs tender and yummy. We love this local place for us.

The food is awesome. I love the atmosphere, warm and cozy. Classy! I had heard how good Francesca was, but it exceeded my expectations. The service was excellent and the server made my girl friend and I feel really special. The chicken piccata was so good! The employees give it their all! Bravo! read more

My husband and I took advantage of Francesca's happy hour menu (3-6 pm Monday through Friday) We had a pizza (choose two ingredients) that was so fresh and delicious. We also had the caesar salad that the waitress had divided onto two plates, and we ordered the meatball, which are three very large meatballs with sauce. We were so full, that we took home a meatball and two pieces of pizza that we enjoyed for lunch. Our waitress, Lyndsey, could not have been more efficient. Our water glass was kept full, she checked back with us to see that everything was ok, and our food came out quickly. I should also mention that the food portion of this meal was under $20 on the happy hour menu. There are other choices, too. Great evening!!! read more

Our favorite Italian restaurant in the area. Great menu options with evolving specials- great atmosphere. Busy but not chaotic. High energy and comfortable at the same time. Not too fancy- you can go dressed up or in jeans just the same. read more

All I can say is DELICIOUS! One of the best restaurants I have been to. Service was terrific. The food was very good. Everyone was quite pleased with their selection. Great value for your money. If you don't have reservations you may have to wait a long time to be seated. Very popular restaurant. read more

Francesca's Intimo - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Food was a lot better then I expected. Customer service was outstanding they made sure I had everything I needed and answered all of my questions about items on the menu. They also ended the meal with a free dessert read more

Francesca's Intimo - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Their spinach dish is great and I don't even like veggies! they were very helpful in making us vegetarian dishes. i will definitely check this place out again. It reminded me of a place i went to in switzerland as it is antique and very classy with a warm family ambiance. read more

Francesca's Intimo - Yummy spinach - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

See all

Peter our server on a few occasions is great - gets great friendly and fast service. Made great recommendations our first visit. Always checks in - timely to see if we need anything. One waiter was a bit heavy handed with food presentation - reaching across and in front of dinner guests, "dropping" plates in front of us. Noticed that with other guests too. Also thumbs in the food... ugh! Menu changes some but the outdoor environment is consistently good. read more

Had a planned reservation to wine taste for a special occasion and when we got there we had 3-4 other tables sat before us as we watched the hostess work from their computer and skipped over our name. None of the requests were met that they said they were willing to accommodate 4 days prior to reservation. For example, asking where we wanted to sit exactly in the restaurant-- it was not available as they were going to sit us right in front of the door. When we saw that we left. Really disappointing. We were coming from Michigan visiting the town for the day. This was a Saturday night. Better to not make reservations around the 7-8 pm hour. And better to not make reservations at all since this is not the first time we have heard about them not following through with reservations. read more

Truly great and authentic flavor. Top notch every time and so is the service. Has been in Lake Forest for a very long time and always packed. That in itself tells a lot. Used as catering and private parties on numerous occasions and each time it was great. read more

The service by Michael was amazing. His recommendations were spot on. We started with some of the best calamari I have had In A long time. We had Ragatoni alle Verdure that they deleted the mushrooms from and added chicken. Perfect Pre-Race meal for my daughter. My hubby had a chicken dish that was divine. I had a little of both and a wonderful Cabernet recommended by Michael. He was busting his butt as bartender and server and still managed to give us first class service. Covid restrictions were in place and followed. The finale of the evening was the most incredibly light and full of flavor tiramisu that I have ever tasted. We are from Las Vegas and love to try local fair whenever we travel. If we happen to be back here in the future we will definitely be returning. Sorry. I forgot to take pictures. read more

I took my wife to Francesca's for lunch today, and overall, the food was acceptable (more on that in a moment) but the service was unacceptably slow. It took an hour and a half for the entire lunch. I actually felt bad suggesting it after we had talked about other options. We arrived for a noon reservation to find the restaurant 3/4 empty. One waiter provided service and asked for a drink order - about 10 minutes in. He provided the drinks and then asked if we were ready to order. We ordered salads (I ordered a salad that was a special for Valentine's Day) and a pasta dish. Another staff member provided bread. 15 minutes later I was told that one of the ingredients for the salad was not available (how is that possible?). In all I t took 45 minutes to get the salads. We were then presented with the pasta dishes another 20 minutes later. While the pasta was al dente, at that point I was expecting a transcendent experience with all the time the kitchen had. Instead, it was a dish of rigatoni with tomato sauce and a few chunks of eggplant. Rather mediocre effort given all the time. My wife's looked much better thankfully. I get it that the restaurant was making evening preparations for Valentine's Day dinners, but you must maintain a minimum level of service if you're open. We will likely not be returning. For what we paid for this experience, there are better options. It's really too bad as other experiences we have had we're not like this. read more

The food here is amazing! Love the atmosphere of the place as well, I will definitely be going back. Try any of there pastas they won't disappoint. read more

Very good Italian restaurant in a cozy atmosphere. The service was excellent, entrees, and dessert too. We will be back!

This is a lovely little Italian restaurant in Lake Forest! I love the atmosphere and the wonderful staff! I highly recommend the pistachio profiteroles and anything with their pesto or pink sauce! read more

Wonderful! Very small, definitely tight in the bar area where one must wait, but the wait is never longer than 2 minutes if you have a reservation. The food is stellar, and they are extremely helpful if you can't make up your mind (like me). They will substitute,add or adjust anything you see on the menu; salmon instead of chicken but cooked the same way with the pasta from the veal dish and the vegetables from the pork and whatever sauce caught your eye. No problem! Large wine list, make an honest vodka tonic, and really nice martinis. Great bread so you can have more than one while you decide what to order... The atmosphere is lovely; not too bright, a bit tight but once you sit you never think of it again. A little quiet- if you are the boisterous type, you might get a look, but not from the staff! They bend over backwards to make sure you enjoy. They are open for lunch now, and don't close before dinner so late lunch with a girlfriend turned into dinner and no one batted an eye. read more

OMGosh!!! Where do I begin. It was raining HARD we did not have a reservation. We were tired, hungry and worked all day in the area on a voluntary project for a neighboring church. I Was turned away from 3 other restaurants in the area. The matrede' was so kind and understanding. They were swamped and yet, he got us a table. I very seldom give 5 stars because that means you are perfect and need to change "nothing" and need no improvement. Well if I could give 6 stars I would have, the food deserves the 6 stars. Talk about authentic pasta, this small tasteful restaurant gives you the feeling you are in Pineto. I am a vegetarian and the waiter recommended a pasta and vegetable dish which I ordered and was so in love with I ordered a 2nd to go along with the remaining I could not finish. The back boys were even more amazing with their attentiveness to ensure water glasses were filled excess tableware was taken away. The menu is small and I see why, if you have mastered key dishes why add mediocrity to your clientele. I do not live in the area but will travel again the 1.5 hours just to eat here again. The owner of this restaurant should be impressed by what they have accomplished with this restaurant. Nothing needs to change! Keep it up. Oh, almost forgot the most important peace. The wine selection is comparable to something Robert Parker Jr. would be proud to add his stamp of approval. I am sure of that... read more

Boy, After the first bite of linguine pasta. I went to a different universe lmaoo. Not even lying. The pasta was so good. I'm super satisfied like I probably won't come back anytime soon. Cause I'm super satisfied lmao. My next date will be here though for sure! read more

Francesca's Intimo - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

And, for my 100th review of 2012... Francesca's Intimo! Overall, great food and value for lunch. Consistently good service, too! My sister introduced me to Francesca's for lunch. They offer a special lunch deal for $17.99. You get soup or salad, a piece of bruschetta, an entree (your choice of chicken, fish, pasta or veg from the lunch menu) and tiramisu or sorbet for dessert. They don't cut down the lunch portions, so it's a ton of food! It is more than enough for two to share. We get the lunch deal and an extra cup of soup. The minestrone soup is excellent. I've also tried their soup of the day (pumpkin bisque and cream of broccoli) which were also tasty. Their bread is crusty and perfect for dipping into EVOO or slathering with butter. Their entree options change daily but the always offer a chicken, fish, pasta and veg dish. We always get the chicken dish, Pollo Pagliacci. It hasn't been on the menu yet, but they will make it for you if you ask. The chicken is cooked perfectly every time and it's served with a heavenly brandy sauce. The dish changes a little every time, as they use whatever veggies they have that day. I'm sure the rest of their menu is delicious, too... but I can't bring myself to order anything else! To end a great meal, the tiramisu is the perfect balance of espresso soaked lady fingers and mascarpone. If I wasn't in a restaurant I'd lick the chocolate sauce off the plate! The service is always pleasant and the ambiance is great. You never feel rushed. We always have a nice leisurely lunch and a very full belly! Oh, and did I mention, they serve lunch till 4pm! read more

Insanely expensive and totally not worth it. They are very stingy with the food. We had 7 people in our party and they only brought out one small loaf of bread as an appetizer. Then I made the huge mistake of ordering the Ravioli and my lunch order included a whopping quantity of 4 medium-sized ravioli. 4? Can you believe it? 4! There are more ravioli in a can of Chef Boyardee. They should put a warning label on the menu - $15.95 for 4 ravioli, which is about $4 each. What a rip-off! I will NEVER come back to this place. read more

We love all of the Francesca's restaurants! This one in Lake Forest is a little tight in space. The food is ALWAYS delicious. We usually order our own order of pasta. The bruschetta and caprese salad are delicious! The fresh mozzarella is to die for! We have had a few different desserts. All good. We have had some excellent service and some not so good service here. It just depends on who you get as your server. I have to say the cocktails I have had there aren't the best in my opinion. read more

First time visit. The service was good and outside patio was nice. My wife got an pasta dish that was good and a large portion. I had a Ceasar Salad, good presentation but lacked taste. Had the half chicken, sauce was nice but chicken was over cooked and dry. I would still go back and try their pasta dishes. read more

This is an absolutely fabulous restaurant! Their food is delicious and the quality is consistent every time we eat here. The service is quick and courteous... they will not rush you though and you can take your time enjoying a delicious Italian meal .... Be sure to make reservations as it can get quite crowded. The calamari and the linguini with White clam sauce are favorites !!! I think the prices are very reasonable too !! read more

The food is delicious and the bread is always warm. The chicken is tasty and juicy, while the pasta choices rotate from week to week. Nice outdoor seating in the summer too. read more

We were in town for Christmas Day to "adopt" our son who's in boot camp and had made a reservation here. After learning our son needed to be back on base sooner than expected, we dropped in much earlier than our reservation time, hoping they could accommodate us. The host was incredibly gracious and sat us immediately. The food and the service were wonderful and the ambiance was charming. We highly recommend this place. read more

Dinner on a Monday night wit ha group of colleagues. Not a busy night Very good food. The roasted chicken is the best I had in a long time. Deserts are good too. Service was good too. Will return for sure! read more

I have been several times and have been pleased everytime. It is a great place for the family to have a great, authentic Italian dinner. The desserts are great and the ice cream was AMAZING. It was very accommodating for allergies- mine was gluten which can be hard at Italian restaurants. I would definitely go back with my family again! read more

Francesca's Intimo is hands down, my favorite restaurant in the LF/LB area. I love how the menu changes often and is always related to the time of year. The prices are also reasonable unlike some other restaurants in the area. read more

It was pretty darn good; better than I expected. I had the veal (which most restaurants screw up) and it was quite good. Nothing to write home about but not a disappointment. Very comparable to Mia Francesca in the city. read more

Fresh crusty bread, nice wine selection and great pastas. I had the spaghetti al funghi and it was delicious. The burrata and lentil appetizers were also good. The dessert was disappointing. We had the choc cake with pistachio gelato. The gelato was a bright green and tasted very artificial- the kind you would get at a cheap ice cream store. The server also forgot to put in our entree order so we got it almost 30 mins later. Hence deducted the 2 stars. read more

Interesting food and wine pairings tonight. Would have preferred something besides lamb for the entree. Service was phenomenal. Worth the trip to Lake Forest. I'm certain we will be back. read more

I came as a group of 10 for a lunch celebration of the co-work's promotion. The service is excellent. The food is also great. The bread is warm and tasty. We tried different appetizers including calamari, pizza and brochette. I like every single items of it. I have tried those at other Italian restaurants, and I have to say they are very good compared to others I have. I ordered burger as my entree. The burger is very juicy and tasty, which is cooked perfectly. It is better than most of the burger restaurants only second to Lovell at Lakeforest. My colleagues had pasta and salmon dish, and they all like it. The only thing I don't like is the salad dressing, which is too sour for me. I can't wait to come back by myself with my wife for a dinner. read more

Just returned back from a lunch with five work colleagues. The service was wonderful and attentive. Around the table we chose quite an array--from tilapia to a chicken sandwich to 2 different pasta dishes. They were all well prepared and very tasty. My only complaint is that the tables and space are very small. Luckily we all kind of like each other, so this wasn't a problem. read more

I really like this place. The service is consistently good and the atmosphere is relaxing after a long day. The pasta and pizza selections are always tasty and they also have a decent beer and wine selection. read more

This place was packed on a saturday night and rightfully so. The dinner my fiancé and I had was excellent. The service was timely and courteous. We were quite pleased and would consider this place again for good Italian food. read more

Absolutely amazing food. Will definitely be back. Been here several times. Very consistent and always fresh with the changing menu.

In the beginning I didn't like this place so much but perhaps due to the lack of any decent italian restaurants in this area I have grown to like it over the summer. Went quite a few times this summer and fall and now really enjoy it. The atmosphere is great and makes up for that the food is still american italian not true italian. Very generous portions. The carpaccio is probably my favorite. read more

This place was AMAZING! Sure dining space was a bit - err... intimate, but the value here is outstanding. Service was friendly and knowledgeable, and prices more than fair. I felt I had to tip significantly more than standard considering my experience here. The wine list is extensive, and the menu well thought out. We got lucky during our visit and had no wait, but I expect there are many times where tables could be backed up for an hour or more. I'm not sure if reservations are possible, but it'd be worth calling in advance to try. read more