Delicious, simply delicious food. My friend and I decided to try this place so I made a reservation thru Open Table. That was a good call and I highly suggest to make reservations whether online or call them. The place was packed for the Friday dinner crowd plus, it is a fairly small restaurant. It was busy and it smelled good in the whole place. We were seated as soon as we got there and our server approached us immediately to take our drink orders. Water glasses filled- check, warm and soft bread with butter served-check. Now here is a breakdown of the dishes we've tried: Spaghetti al Funghetto- delicious meat broth flavor with wild mushrooms, oregano, and cheese. Pollo alla Diavola- Chicken cooked in meat sauce with capers, black olives and chillies. It was super good that I wanted to lick my plate after I ate everything on it:) Side of Meatballs- perfect! 3 good sized meatballs swimming in a creamy and delicious sauce. Overall, it was a great dining experience for us. We loved the selections on the menu because they're not ordinary Italian dishes. So if you're expecting mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna or fettucini alfredo dishes, you won't find those at Francesca's. Their dishes are more unique and very well executed. Definitely a must try restaurant and I cannot wait to go back and try their other special dishes. read more

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Fantastic! Nettie ( hope that is correct ) was awesome. Great food, great vibe!! Loved the meatball and carpaccio!! And drinks were stellar

Very nice Italian restaurant. The wait staff was extremely friendly and fast. The food was delicious too. We got the risotto and fried calamari as an appetizer. Both great! I got the ravioli and my boyfriend got the farfalle. Both excellent. We were so full we didn't get to try dessert, although they had some tempting choices. I gave it 4/5 because it seems like they change the menu a lot. The Instagram and other Yelp reviews didn't correspond with the menu we had. read more

Francesca's Intimo - Farfalle with burrata... YUM (white wine lemon sauce, squash, peppers) - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Love the food! So good! The meat balls are the best! Service was nice and fast! Would definitely go again. read more

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

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We're big fans of all the Francesca restaurants, but our experience on March 18, 2024 at Francesca's Intimo in Lake Forest was not among their best efforts for service and food quality. Our waiter did the best he could under the circumstances, none of this was his fault. We were a party of 4. 1 of us ordered the fish with green beans. There was ONE green bean on the plate. We asked for a complete order of green beans, it never arrived. We ordered a side of pasta. We received 2 side orders of pasta, although 1 was discussed with the waiter but never ordered. Both side pastas were cold with congealed sauce on them. One of us ordered the chocolate ice cream (1 order is 2 balls of ice cream). Chocolate flavor was unavailable, so the suggested substitute was vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup. 2 balls of ice cream were delivered in 2 seperate bowls (although this was one person's order) with ever so slight of a chocolate syrup drizzle. They must have had these rpepared in the freezer for a banquet. Throughout the 3 hour meal (very slow service) servers repeatedly came to our table with other tables' orders, we kept telling them it wasn't our order. The service was so slow that at about an hour into the meal our waiter asked us for our dessert order, but we had to remind him that we hadn't been served our appetizers yet. Then when the check arrived, we were charged for a bottle of wine. We did order wine, but not that bottle. The wine that we selected wasn't available, so the waiter suggested an alternate in the same price range. The waiter agreed to revise the charge for the expensive bottle. Then the manager came over to haggle with us. This was the last straw after so many missteps that evening. The manager should've been overseeing the service that evening, but not once did he appear throughout the 3 hour meal to ask how the meal was. But he did show up to haggle. We probably won't be back. Too bad because we loved all of the Francescas. What happened? read more

Very good. I had complaints in the past (bar). I change my review. They have stepped up the bar. Getting close to a good pour. read more

Great food, great people , great service !!! I came to Great Lakes for my wife's Navy Boot Camp Graduation ceremony and we had dinner in here. From beginning to end everything was amazing. Food was really delicious, we were amazed by how delicious was our food. Our server were so friendly and attentive to our requests. And it is very close like 10 min away to the Naval Base. Definitely go and try their food. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I will definitely visit again when I get a chance. read more

Such a special place to dine. The setting is intimate, the food is so fresh, and I know I will get excellent service each time.

Great Italian food and ambiance Al fresco dining Excellent service and wine list! We love their food!! read more

Will never be back... HORRIBLE service and the food was mediocre. We went and they closed a hour early.. so we went back the next day because I was so excited to go and boy I should have just stayed home... the food on yelp was not all the same on the menu. The one star is for the water people they were nice but we also had to poor our own water at times because the waitress was nowhere to be seen. I completely understand if the waitress was over worked and if there was limited staff BUT communication would be nice. I don't think the waitress was overworked or anything I think she just judged a couple in their 20s coming to dinner and didn't want to give us the service we deserve... will never be back read more

A nice intimate Italian restaurant. They have a good selection of pasta and other various specials to choose from! Staff was very friendly and helpful with our selections. They actually mistakenly brought us an entree we didn't order and allowed us to keep it when they corrected their error. We didn't even have to notify them of the mistake, which seems to imply that they are normally well organized! We also ordered some wonderful coconut cake dessert, a sweet way to finish off our meal. I know that there are a few other chains with similar names, and from this experience, it's easy to why they are successful! read more

What a cute little Italian spot. Our server, Peggy, was wonderful. Food was delicious. I suggest the gnocchi - pillowy and flavorful. Only reason I am marking it as 4 stars is because I do the prices are a bit high and it should be listed as $$$. read more

My boyfriend recommended this Francesca's as he's enjoyed their dishes in the past. Our food was good; I just had an issue with how long it took the restaurant to give us our food curbside and when we called the first time, the gentleman hung up on us; that already turned us off. When we finally got home to eat our dishes, my dish was good, but could've used more flavor as side from them being lukewarm from waiting. Not to mention the salad portions could be bigger for the price. I had the Linguine Alla Genovese and my boyfriend had the spaghetti and meatballs with the wild mushroom salad. Still, delicious options and I'm willing to give them another try. read more

Francesca's Intimo - 2 pasta dishes, salad, and bread with parm and evoo: Insalata Di Funghi, Linguine All ' Abruzzese - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Very nice patio, accommodating staff, food was very good; chicken a bit dry. Would definitely recommend.

Walked in tonight and asked if I could sit at the bar and have dinner, Hostess said sure. So I sat down and the hostess gave me a menu. The bartender who was 5 feet from me didn't ask if wanted something to drink for like 5 minutes. So I'm looking at the menu close to 10 minutes or so. Finally she asked me if I wanted to order something and if it was to go. I said I wanted to eat at the bar like asked when I came in. So finally my order was taken. On the upside the food was very good. Then the bartender puts the check in front of me doesn't ask if I want desert or coffee afterwards . I'm not sure I will ever go there again as I said dinner was good service was terrible. I would rate the food as very good but the service dragged down my rating read more

Food, service & ambiance was great along with the prices. We were visiting Great Lakes for my son's graduation from Naval Boot Camp. We wanted something nice & intimate for lunch after his ceremony. This place was perfect & not to far from the base. Only complaint would be parking especially if you are not familiar with the area. If we are ever back in town we will definitely go back. We were so in the moment that we forgot to take any pics. read more

During the pandemic I find myself needing fewer excuses to order Carry-out from our favorite restaurants. National Meatball Day? That's probably a thing. Seems like a good reason to order from Francesca's. My spaghetti and meatballs (preceded by a crisp and tasty Caesar salad) was very good. A nice sized portion of pasta and three nice sized meatballs (think two meals). The meatballs were tender and flavorful--not too dense. Francesca's includes some of its crunchy bread with parm and olive oil on the side. My wife had a nice chicken dish (cooked perfectly she said) and our daughter had the meatball appetizer with a salad as her dinner. Nice contactless curbside delivery. I wonder when National Fried Calamari Day is coming? read more

Definitely sit outside if you can here! The service was great and the pasta was delicious, in line with Italian restaurant pricing. Good for a weekend dinner out or special occasion! read more

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

The ambiance was excellent. Great outdoor setting. Could not say the same for the food. The pasta sauce looked and tasted like Ketchup and water. The chicken was dry with no flavor. One of the dinners went back because it tasted like leftovers. Ate here five years ago and the food was excellent. Not tonight. What a shame. This morning Danny from Francesca's Regional called me to express his concerns about my dinner last evening. He was quite gracious in listening to my concerns and made me feel comfortable in returning to the restaurant for a another visit. Kudos to their excellent ambiance and wait staff. I am confident that my next meal will be as great as I remember from years ago. read more

Always pleasant. Great staff. Food always dependable!! Indoors and outdoors are always enjoyable.

This is definitely not a place I would recommend. The house was very disrespectful and did not allow me to sit at a place that was more comfortable for me and basically when I expressed to him that I was uncomfortable with the table he gave me he just said nothing and walked away. Not Sure what that was all about but speaking as a person of color I was a bit suspicious. Therefore I ended up just unfortunately leaving. The one of the most uncomfortable experiences I've ever had at a so-called high-end Italian restaurant. Therefore I am going to suggest that perhaps if you are looking for an experience that values your time and money and is not controlling as to how your dining experience should be that I do not recommend Francesca's Italian. Even if we weren't in a pandemic, where establishments should be happy to even have our business, I would still consider the service I received as unacceptable. read more

What a wonderful gem Francesca's turned out to be. We were searching for some authentic Italian and you delivered. We came for pasta but completely forgot to order it with all the delicious item offerings. We had the sea bass and lamb shank (both side-by-side at the bottom of the menu). We completely forgot to take pictures until after we half devoured everything. Presentation was lovely though so I didn't think it justified to snap a shot of our half mutilated plates. Their creme brûlée was perfect. It would have been nice if the torched sugar was still warm but none the less, perfect. Our server and service was good. We were sat in the corner booth next to the bar. He wasn't as attentive as he could have been with our drinks though. We were only having sprite and club soda so no need to wait for mixology to happen and at one point, the bus person asked us if we needed refills. Our glasses were not being filled completely and he missed several opportunities to refill us. I was thirsty so my husband shared two of his drinks with me. Partly on me for drinking so quickly but with me putting the glasses at the edge of the table, there should have been no need to wait 10 minutes in between each of the several refills. That being said, our server was none the less wonderful and we would happily sit with him again tomorrow. The food was delicious and the setting relatively quiet and intimate. We finished driving away by saying to each other we look forward to coming back. A winner in my book. read more

After being a regular customer since founding we have to say quality of food has deteriorated to the point of in eatable. Picked up a chicken dish and salad, chicken was described with Italian flair and unrecognizable ingredients but dish was just junk chicken parts with a few tomatoes, olives, and mediocre sauce. Even house salad was just a pile of lettuce with a couple of carrot and cucumber slices. read more

Came in for a casual lunch and chose this place based on the location. The spinach salad with calamari caught my eye and I had a question about the spicy dressing. Our waiter Peter described it and then actually brought me a sample of it. Nice touch. Everything was tasty and the atmosphere was comfortable. The one unique feature of this restaurant was the super artsy ceiling. It swoops in and out in big waves, creating a neat effect. The one reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that even though everything was good, there are just so many other and better restaurants in the area. I actually liked Francesca's North a bit better. read more

For the quality and service we received, service and mediocre food was not a good experience. Service was very slow and I had to ask for things (like water) multiple times. Parking was a pain to find and the wait for the food was excruciatingly long. Food: 1. Ravioli with vegetables consist of 4 filled pasta with a cheese sauce, pink from a touch of tomato sauce and parmigiano. It was alright but not the best combination of flavors because the vegetables in the ravioli had a funny taste. 2. Pollo Arosto Alla Romano: consists of roasted half chicken with garlic, shallots, rosemary lemon, and olive oil served with roasted potatoes. The chicken pieces were quite dry, but decently flavored. the cream sauce was well seasoned but the chicken breast meat was just a bit dry. Francesca's did not suit my tastes but maybe it will for others. They were nice enough to accommodate our large group so I would give 2.5 stars if possible. read more

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

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We always have a really lovely meal when we go to Francesca's. Good food, good drinks, and great service. Sit with Farrah when you go; she always takes good care of us. read more

The Francesca group of restaurants has always been a good experience. Several years ago, we had a large family meal at the Clark Street (I think) location in the city. A very fond memory. These restaurants seem to catch the spirit of a high energy merry dining room that many restaurants don't. As the the name Intimo implies, it's cozy. My dining companion the night we went was my daughter with the very refined palate (we spoiled her into being a wonderful friend and knowledgeable foodie). We stayed with the night's specials, splitting our dishes. Each step of the way received an enthusiastic nod of approval (appetizer, entree, dessert, coffee and drinks). The pizza quatro stagioni (prosciutto and egg--(fantastico!) and linguine all Arlecchino (seafood pasta--fantastico!). That fantastico thing is my effort to sound Italian-ish and say it was great! read more

Michael is the best. No he's a great bartender, but he has an easy personal engagement with his customers, many of whom he knows well. Actually we return to Francescas more frequently because of him, and ask to be seated at his table virtually every time we walked in the door. read more

Our meal was delicious and Lindsey was a great server, very personable and always available. Unfortunately our experience was poor because of the manager. I went into the restaurant to inquire about why our seating was taking so long and without apology he was rude and abrupt. He then shortly came out and reprimanded us, saying that if we wouldnt have come in, he would have been out sooner to seat us on the patio. It kind of put a damper on the evening. read more

A very nice eatery, tucked away from downtown Lake Forest, but close enough for a comfortable walk to the downtown area. Upon arriving, we were seated at a booth, where the table was covered with a fresh white table cloth. Our server was prompt and polite. Their menu was varied and skewed more toward chicken, seafood, and pasta. I liked the plate of warm fresh bread and olive oil dip brought promptly to our table. The only reason for four stars is that our food order took a bit longer than expected. The reason for this delay was probably because of the large party across the restaurant being served first, Once our food arrived, I was not disappointed. My pollo chicken panini was fresh and tasty. My seasoned French fries were hot, crisp, and flavorful. This is one place that I would make a repeat visit. read more

Francesca's Intimo - Pollo Panini on tomato focaccia bread, with seasoned fries. - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

I thought I'd write a quick review given the spectacular evening I had with my partner and son the other night. The food is always so fresh, flavorful, and has plenty of leftovers the following day. Too bad I never get a chance to eat the leftovers as my son will take them down later that evening or have them for breakfast the next day. He says their pasta is delicious even when cold. The staff at this location is always so friendly. I've gone to this location a handful of times, but I sat in Farah's section the last two times, and each time we have a few laughs after I repeatedly call her Sara. Now it's just a joke between me and this server which is funny. Anyway, no matter how busy the restaurant is, she will take the time to explain what is in each dish, given I have food allergies. And she takes the time to explain how items are prepared- super helpful. Additionally, on our way out, my son left behind his sweater and backpack. When we realized we left it at the restaurant, we quickly drove back to grab it. My son promptly ran into the restaurant where Farah had placed the items with the hostess. When he got back to the car, he said the hostess informed him that our server wrapped up our dessert that we were going back and forth on taking it home or not. Let's just say we were happy she had packed it away for us. She wrote on the container- this is too good to leave behind. Enjoy! Great customer service, atmosphere, and food. Thank you! read more

It's been a while since I last posted. We found Francesca's on a whim. In a town full of amazing Italian, this is a North Shore gem. Drinks (Old Fashioned via Koval) was quite good; a nice surprise. Burrata was an early season favorite. The yellow garden beets and arugula was fresh and has a perfect bitter bite. Main courses were large and satisfying. Pasta Amatrociana is shareable and perfectly balanced with meat and delicate tomato sauce. The Cappellacci Carciofi is also shareable. I did not. Artichoke and fontina was a perfect pair. (O ly complaint and thus the 3 versus 4 stars) was the overly acadic tomato basil sauce. The coconut cake was light and perfect after a heavy meal. Summary... yes, co tinues to be a North Shore gem, service a bit slow and unstructured. read more

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Just good Italian. Just really good Italian. Red sauce and what appears to be home made pasta. Great service while ordering during covid. Only request is have a little more white sauce and white cream sauce dishes. Dynamite keep it up guys! read more

This was a nice spot for a meal. Don't expect spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna! Went for a romantic date and the gaggle of teen girl servers huddled around the bar made it hard to talk but service was good and good as well read more

Food: 4 Decor: 4 Service: 4 I came here with a coworker for dinner at 7pm Thursday. Tip: free street parking and parking in garage across street (3 hrs) 1. Pollo arrosto alla Romano, 16 Roasted half chicken with garlic, shallots, rosemary, lemon and olive oil. Served with roasted potatoes. ~Very good. Chicken and potatoes were both cooked perfectly. 2. Cream puff Profiteroles with pistachio ice cream, 7 ~Very good, although portions were very large. My coworker got the chicken with lemon and cooked spinach, which looked good, but he said the chicken was overcooked, spinach undercooked, and there wasn't much lemon flavor. His coconut cake was huge and looked pretty good. Service was good. read more

We did a to go order during Covid. Would love to come back and enjoy the atmosphere. We had the Salmon con Cavotetti, caesar, and tiramisu. All delicious . The staff was very nice and helpful. read more

We've dined here several times but tonight's dinner was the worst ever. The place was busy so it seems the kitchen was a bit overwhelmed but that shouldn't be an excuse. Started with fried calamari which was delicious and the bruschetta Romana-- also delicious, and a round of French Martinis which were mixed perfectly! No the downside: 2 of us had the special lobster fettuccine and it was just a flavorless dish with lobster which was a flavorless rubbery mess! The bolognese also was NOT good. The pasta tasted like it was warmed over and with sauce that was reminiscent of my childhood when my non-Italian mom cracked open a bottle of Ragu and poured it over some cheap Prince spaghetti noodles--and that was way better than this expensive mess. The worst part of this dining experience was the fact that although we were the last people to dine, the staff was bustling around us cleaning and mopping floors. There was even a table with workers and one person (seemed like the manager) actually counting out tips and separating the money to give to the staff. OK we get the hint: GET OUT VALUABLE GUESTS! We will definitely take your hint and DNR this place for sure! read more

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Smaller and more intimate than their typical restaurant and much better than the ones near us downtown. Service was good and food deliciously prepared. My pasta with vegetables was nicely prepared and my wife's pasta with salmon was too. The place is pretty popular so make a reservation because even the small bar was filled with people eating. read more

Today we had a chance to revisits the restaurant again late in the afternoon. The service was outstanding as usual and our dinners this time were superior. We will be back. Thanks read more

It has been raining this evening, so I was in the mood for a little pasta comfort food. Found this place on Yelp. Menu looked good. It was pouring down rain, I was lucky enough to find a parking spot right in front. When I stepped inside, it was a warm and welcoming place! It smelled wonderful and the light sounds of conversation wafted through the air. I sat and ordered the Caesar salad and the Pasta Carusa- linguine with shrimp in a tomato and pesto sauce. Both were sublime! Possibly one of the best pasta dishes ever! Service was impeccable! Worth the visit! I will be back! read more

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

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