Craig F.

We were visiting Helen, GA, looking for a light early dinner and drinks. We saw that Francesco's had a charcuterie board that looked tasty, so we ordered it and drinks (I had the Negroni, my wife had a Cosmo). Both drinks were perfectly crafted and the charcuterie was delicious. The decor inside is tastefully done, but it was warm enough to sit out on their covered patio, so we ate outside. They have a well stocked bar with seating area.

Jean Hering B.

Francesco's Restobar has brought a fresh, modern dining experience to Helen, GA, and it's clear they've put a lot of effort into remodeling the old Hayloft building. The atmosphere is clean, sleek, and upscale while still feeling comfortable and welcoming. There's a stylish bar downstairs and elegant seating upstairs, which offers a great view of the space. We stopped in just for a drink and an appetizer, and it was well worth the visit! I ordered the Creamsicle Margarita, which I spotted on their online menu (though it wasn't included in the printed one). I'm so glad I asked about it--the drink had a distinct combination of creamy orange creamsicle and traditional lime margarita flavors that blended beautifully. It was unique, refreshing, and something I'd definitely order again. For our appetizer, we had the Calamari Fritto Misto. It was lightly battered, golden, and perfectly crispy, served with house-made marinara and aioli. The portion was generous, the presentation was attractive, and the flavors were spot-on. Pricing was very reasonable for both the quality and the portion size. While it wasn't busy during our visit, service was kind and attentive. The downstairs area was closed at the time, so guests were directed upstairs. I appreciated that they had a number posted to call for service if you are unable to use stairs, which shows consideration for accessibility. We enjoyed our experience and are already planning to return to try more from their menu.

Kristi H.

I'm a local and it was my first time here. Super impressed. The calamari app is a must have and not because of the calamari but because of the fried lemon slices, zucchini and onions in it. Super creamy Alfredo was delicious!

Wanda B.

What on earth has happened???? The first time we went with our friends it was fantastic!!! We went with our friends again last night and none of us could finish our meals. The side salad was floating in vinegar even after paying an extra $5.00 for it. My husband and his friend got the steak. Since when do you put an overloaded salted gravy on a steak???? It was the same gravy that was on my friends short ribs. We said something to the waitress and she couldn't offer one explanation or bother to offer us something else. I got the chicken marsala. They took one chicken breast, sliced it in half making it 2 chicken breasts which it was not. It was so over cooked you couldn't cut through it. I has so tuff I had to literally tear it apart with knife and fork. It was hard as a rock. Couldnt even chew it. I got angel hair pasta as a side. I PICKED UP THE GLOB OF PASTA WITH MY FORK! THE ENTIRE GLOB!!! There was no garlic butter, parmesean cheese, nothing on this pasta. It was a dry glob that was all stuck together in a hunk. They don't offer side salads with your entree but they should, most places do. So I paid $5.00 extra for a side salad that had so much balsamic vinegar on it I couldn't eat it. It literally burned my mouth with so much vinegar. They sliced pears up on the side that was not even ripe. Hard as rocks and no flavor. As an appetizer my friends ordered calamari but asked if it had onions in it as most don't. The waitress said she thinks it does but she'll write on it no onions. My friend is highly allergic to onions which we emphatically explained. The plate came and I grabbed it. It had sliced deep fried lemons in it???? Who deep fries lemons?? Fried zucchini and what do you know...it had fried onions all through it!!!! We sent it back. The waitress just kind of looked at it and then looked at us like whats the problem. I was furious. I mean FURIOUS!!!! Im getting madder as I write this. They could have sent her into anaphylaxis!!!! Then the bill was $99 just for me and my husband and no alcohol except a beer for my husband. Even after I sent the salad back and no one could even eat their food because of the salt sauce and tuff chicken. Never EVER again will we go back. Im not going to a place that didnt care that much about their food preparation than to nearly kill my friend. We are done!!!!! It should have told us something when no other customers were there. We had to sit on the deck because they do not have handicapped seating inside the restaurant because the inside of the restaurant is up a very tall flight of stairs. So we sat outside in the freezing wind. They have heaters put there but said they had no prophane in them. That was bs and I know it. The waitress even said she checked and there is prophane in it but didnt know how to light it. The manager came out and said there wasnt any in any of them. Yeah okay. There is what you might call a handicapped ramp to get in but its so steep and not up to code that it took my husband and his friend to push me up it. And to get down it, they had to hold me back. Its that steep. ADA compliant they are not. We'll you got us for a hundred bucks but you wont again.

Christian E.

Exceptional service from everyone! There is an upstairs & downstairs outdoor patio along with a lot of seating inside. They offered to unlock the downstairs area and let us sit out in the sun if we wanted, but we didn't want to make the server go up and down the stairs, so they found us a place in the sun on the upstairs patio. The drinks were decent. The fried cheese sticks and calamari were both delicious and fresh-tasting. Hope was an excellent server who was there when we needed her, but never rushed us. The bread they bring out is also delicious. Finally a place with good food in Helen after so many previous bad experiences in the area.

Jack K.

What can I say, I was searching reviews on restaurants in Helen for dinner and there was not much to choose from. This little Italian place caught my eye with its reviews and I said let's give it a try. It was Thursday night and very slow. Meg was our server and she was super fantastic. You see the dishes we had and all tasted very good. The bread that they bring out which is complementary and they brought us two sets was perfectly toasted and such a great start to the meal. I would absolutely come here. The speed that it came out was very efficient but again it was a very slow night in early December on a Thursday. The setting was very nice with nice music playing in the background and the chairs were cushiony, which was very nice of my hind parts :-) Give it a try!

Hanna W.

We came in for a birthday dinner while on a little weekend getaway and it was INCREDIBLE! Our server was so sweet and made the best recommendations. We both got a creamsicle margarita and it was delicious. The bread was served warm and we ate that faster than I care to admit. Our meat and cheese tray was good- everything was very fresh. My wife ordered the chicken Alfredo and loved it. It was rich and creamy with well seasoned chicken. I had the eggplant Parmesan with rigatoni alla vodka as a side and both were incredible. I would order just the Rigatoni alone, it was a real show stopper. To finish out the dinner we had the creme brûlée and holy smokes it was just as good as everything else. We were genuinely excited to eat our leftovers the next day. I would absolutely recommend coming here, it has been our favorite meal we've had in a long time.

W N.

The newest addition to classic staples in Helen GA is Francesco's Restobar. The patio bar and deck give dockside/waterfront vibes in the middle of Helen, and the menu delivers comfort classics and fresh twists on hearty entrees, pastas, wings, salads, and paninos (sandwiches and sides with big flavours). The carefully curated cocktail list is refreshing both for the palette and for something a little different amidst the usual that has become Helen. The service was great, everyone was friendly and helpful. Also serving classic Italian fare, full bar cocktails, beers and wines, everything is delivered in a fresh aesthetic with a chill Italian lounge vibe. Updated review now that second level is open now there's plenty of seating for large parties and a couple of private event spaces. We're back here every three or four nights and can see this being a fantastic addition to your local list! Tourists love it too, so there's always someone new to meet at the bar.

Sharon D.

Kind of sad. Had high hopes of having a lovely Italian meal. Got the chicken piccata. It was more a poached chicken breast with only lemon. The capers were raw and placed as an after thought. I understand it's a tourist town but it would have been nice to have that chicken browned and crispy. But it's done ahead of time and placed under a tasteless heated sauce. Sorry guys. No goo

Jessica H.

My husband and I love Helen for a weekend trip. As much as we love the German food, it was so refreshing to have another choice in town. Abigail was our server and she could not have been more helpful or nice! I was sleepy and needed a pick-me-up, so she recommended the expresso martini which was ON POINT! My husband and I got the fried mozzarella appetizer, super cheesy and oh so delicious. I ordered the Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo and my husband ordered the Chicken Fettucine Alfredo and they were both so great. Creamy with tons of flavor, you could tell that the sauce was made from scratch, which is hard to find these days. We had extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip our homemade bread into (we had eaten most of it, that's why there isn't much on the plate in the picture!). I honestly would give this place a 10/10, between the service, ambiance, and food, it is definitely somewhere we will go back to the next time that we visit Helen.