Solid food, okay service, nothing terribly special. They have a pretty large menu that covers everything from pastas to pizzas to steak. The Roman pastas are what we tried to an okay experience. They're nothing notable in flavor, but they're also not bad at all - they're average. That also helps you appreciate the better food you'll have in Rome. Service is good when it happens but a bit slow. The restaurant gets busy fast so staff is always moving making it hard to get their attention. They speak English well and do accept credit cards. read more

See all

Americans NOT welcome. We walked in at 8:40. We were told they were full and to return at 9:30. The couple right behind us who also walked in off the street were told they would have a seat in 5 min. I over heard this. When I questioned the hosted she said "they called earlier ". As we were seated outside with this couple, I asked if they had reservations or called ahead, they said no. They just walked up. Eater BEWARE! Wine was watered down! And rude to non locals. If you can get of their good side (when they need to fill seats to get $$) it might be good. read more

La Francescana - As Americans we were not offered wine glasses...had to drink wine out of water glasses . Every other table was offered wine glasses. - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

Our first meal in Rome and this was a great choice for some authentic pizza! The crust was extra thin and crispy and the toppings were super fresh. The waiter spoke English and made our dining experience easy and enjoyable. read more

See all

Omg we had the best authentic Roman dinner - no frills BUT amazing food great down to earth service - married to a Roman - they're hard to impress but he and his brother were super impressed!! read more

Great food at reasonable prices. The tortellini in cream were amongst the best I've eaten as was the penne putenesca. Don't understand complaints about service. It is 5 star read more

See all

It may be a hole in the wall feel but the food is top notch, nothing hoity-tooth, just good home cooked food. The bonus? It is so reasonably priced it's almost too good to be true. The Bolognese with a recommended fettuccine instead of the spaghetti, the calamari/shrimp misto and the steak do not disappoint. We ate 3 times in the 2 weeks we were in Rome and I will return when we visit again. The house litre of wine is the topper, not costing us more than 4€ for a half liter. We loved the service--so friendly and accommodating. Antonio was very entertaining and one of the reasons we kept returning. read more

La Francescana - Bolognese - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

I love La Francescana!! I studied in Rome, and this was the place that my friends and I frequented at, sometimes 4+ times a week, as they have great options for lunch and dinner. You can also make reservations online, to secure a table for you and your group. The waiters speak pretty good English, and are willing to help with Italian words and phrases, if you are willing to learn! I have never had a bad meal here, true Italian style. All of the dishes are great, my favorite was the ravioli! I typically got it in a cream sauce, which I liked because many of the tourist trap restaurants only offer red sauce. My second favorite was definitely the salmon penne pasta Many of the reviews from people saying that they didn't like this restaurant were tourists, who do not understand that customer service is different in Italy. Many people complain about wait times and servers not coming back but it is custom in Italy to have long meals, sometimes up to 3 hours, and for the server to leave you alone, so that you can converse with your family! read more

La Francescana - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

We ate there twice in a one week while in Rome. The first time was a lunch that was surprisingly delicious. We ordered a cheese pizza, salads, an antipasti plate, a hot sandwich, beer and wine. Everything arrived quickly and the portions were large and hearty. We sat outside and enjoyed our meal undisturbed by passers by and we're continually addressed by the waiter. Six days later we stopped in for a late dinner. This time we ate inside and were pleasantly served warm and delicious bread with our wine. We ordered the fettuccine with cream sauce and peas, linguine and clams, veal scallopini, eggplant parmigiana and two mixed salads. Everything was outstanding. We ended the meal with espresso and the house special cheesecake. We were satiated and very pleased with our meal. The prices are fair. The service was attentive. The atmosphere was cozy. And the food was delicious and comforting. We're of Italian heritage and we felt comfortable and relaxed in this restaurant. We all plan on returning for another visit when we go back to Rome. read more

La Francescana - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

See all

Francescana Tratorria Pizzeria is very nice restaurant close to the Hotel dei Mellini. This place provided me with my first Italian pasta, red wine and pizza experience in Roma. At the time I was in heaven and thought it was the best. The pasta is amazing from the tortellini to regular spaghetti served with alfredo or the house marinara. My favorite thing to order is the prosciutto pizza, molto buona. The table bread with olive oil and vinegar was good enough to be my main course. Like all the authentic Italiano ristorante, trattorria, osterias I eat at in Roma I always enter hungry and leave satisfied after eating food made with passion and fresh ingredients. read more

See all

Went here on a recommendation from the hotel we were staying at, which was Domus Dea. The food is mediocre, not flavorful and pasta isn't fresh. Much better options with better prices in the area. The service is also mediocre, but this has been consistent throughout all restaurants in Rome. read more

My first visit to La Francescana was a desperate one. It was raining and the whole family was hungry. When we got there, I noticed that it was still warm outside despite the rain and decided we should sit outside. The Italian waiter took us for fools, and maybe so, but being the only ones sitting outside (protected by an awning of course), being served some great pizzas and having a great time laughing and telling bad stories, was simply unforgetable. Even the italian waiter warmed up to us when he saw how happy we we're sitting on the sidewalk, looking out on the rain. But I still think he considered us to be a crazy bunch ;) read more

Very friendly staff and the prices are reasonable. The vegetable soup was amazing! We also got pizza and fettuccini which were good but not to die for. Nice little Prati neighborhood joint! read more

This was, by far, our favourite restaurant in Rome! We had dinner here twice in the week we were in Rome and will definitely be back on our next vacation! We did not have reservations for either of our visits here but that was not an issue and we had a wonderful meal on both occasions! I loved their Gricia so much I had it twice and my boyfriend absolutely loved their cheesy ravioli! It was our first day in Rome when we first visited La Francescana and as we had just finished a food tour with Eating Italy, we were eager to find a great trattoria! We just happened to stumble upon this beautiful restaurant and we weren't disappointed in the slightest! We both highly recommend it to anybody visiting Rome! read more

La Francescana - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

Excellent Easter dinner at this Roman restaurant that caters to locals. It's not one of the many tourist restaurants in Rome. Interior decor is old-fashioned (in a good way) and authentic, not the bottles of olive oil and hanging peppers and garlic you see at the usual tourist trap locales. We had been looking for authentic Roman cooking for our last night in Italy after a 10 day vacation and this fit the bill perfectly. House red and white wines were served by the liter and 1/2 liter in a simple pitcher. Not be best wine I've ever had, but good, simple and authentic Italian dining. Food was prepared quickly and presented simply. Penne all' Arrabbiata was perfectly al dente with great spice and garlic. Veal scaloppini was tender and flavorful. Marinated cippolini onions were terrific. Prices were very reasonable and were by far the best value vs quality we found in Rome. Do not hesitate to try this restaurant. read more

This place was delicious and our waitress was very friendly. She spoke English quite well (something we needed) so we were able to order easily. The carbonara was excellent to the point I'd go back and get it again in these few days we have in Rome. Table wine available in 1/4, 1/2, and 1L sizes, so that was fun! The Tiramisu is worth the trip to Rome itself. read more

We had a very enjoyable dinner at La Francescana. From the moment we walked in we were made to feel welcome and they provided English menus for us. Several of the waiters spoke excellent English and were very helpful describing the items. The food was outstanding and reasonably priced. Compared to what you would pay in the US at an Olive Garden, the meal was less money, even considering the exchange rate. Starter, pasta course, and bottle of wine was €32 for two people. I recommend making a reservation on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. They were turning people away the second time we ate there (Valentines Day) but we had reservations. I think we were the only tourists there both nights. I highly recommend them. read more

Serving slow food average for the tables waiting 30min and so on and on. Dont get me started the re things because i can write some really bad shit when i pay to be hungry!!! Having said that the Atmosphere is not that bad but im writing this second part just to have neccesary amount of characters! read more

This restaurant was amazing! We stumbled across it because it was so close to our hotel in Rome. It was delicious! In fact so delicious we ate there 3 times during our stay! The service was absolutely wonderful too! Hopefully someday we will be able to go back a enjoy it! read more

La Francescana - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

See all

We were in Rome for 10 days in November 2018. This was our favorite restaurant. The food is excellent, definitely old family recipes, the prices are actually a little low (don't tell them that!) and the staff are just wonderful, helpful and friendly. You have to go here! read more

Great experience of italian cousine and atmosphere! The food was amazing (especially the ricotta cake) and the waiters were truly caring. Did not feel as tourist trap at all!!! We are coming back for sure:-) read more

Rude rude rude. There was hardly anyone there. One person welcomed us, then another yelled to go outside. We ordered red wine and got white. I ordered carbonara and 45 minutes later got spaghetti. When I said it wasn't what I ordered, I was told it was too late. The worst dining experience ever. My food was not that good, my husband's was actually pretty good, but the service was so bad, it ruined the evening read more

We've just came back from Roma, and it's the worst restaurant we've been, no doubt... the reception is very cold, we were placed at the bottom, away from everyone, we were served meat without accompaniment, without telling us we had to pay to have one.. nothing has been proposed.. The meal was already salted, I've never seen that before... !! Needless to say, we have not asked any dessert.. We waited a long time for the bill, the waiter did not pay attention to us, If we had been in France, I would have called the boss and told him what I thought, it's a shame, really. read more

This was the very first restaurant my family and I went to in Italy. We decided to eat here for lunch. We received a recommendation to go here for pizza. Once we got there, we found out that pizza was only for dinner. That made us sad. It wasn't air-conditioned, but we took it as part of the experience. I wasn't 21 at the time, so when they served me wine, I was pretty excited. Wine tasted ok...like a typical house wine in America. The bread...now that was awesome. It was crunchy and salty. Thoroughly enjoyed. Now, the waiters were kind of pushy. It was very mom-and-pop.."eat your food, or else..". When it came time to order, they made us go to the front of the restuarant and choose from the dishes out there. It was between some vegetable linguine or Meat Ragu. I chose the Ragu. It was actually cold. My parents food was extremely cold. It had been sitting out on the table for i don't know how long. What is also funny was when we asked for plates for the bread, they looked at us like we were from another planet. Plates?! For you? Ha!..that is what it felt like. I am usually not this critical, but being in Rome for the very first time and being all excited to experience a Roman meal..it was very disappointing. We made it fun by taking pictures with the waiter whom we dubbed as "pop". We didn't stay for dessert. I don't even know if they had a selection or not. The water, by the way, was sparkling. You have to pay for bottled water everywhere in Italy. Try to drink from the flowing water coming out of the fountains on the streets of Rome. It's perfectly drinkable and free! We just used the water bottles from previous days to fill them up. You'll see many people do this. It's fine. All in all, it was an ok restaurant. Nothing great. I would not recommend going. It's cute and very traditional in terms of decor, but try going to the side streets and lesser known piazzas. Once you cross Ponte Cavour, there are restaurants everywhere...especially by Via Condotti. read more

This place was recommended by our hotels owner. When we were seated it took the waiter (curly haired lanky guy) 20 minutes just to get our drinks. Then even longer to come back and get our food order, he had gone to take a smoke break and didn't come back for a bit. My mom and I both ordered a pizza. The waiter told us that one pizza was only big enough for one person. That was a lie, unless you can eat a whole 12 inch pizza by yourself. The waiter also was coughing in his hands and didn't bother to wash them. The pizza was okay but nothing to rave about. Would not go back again and do not recommend. One star for nice bathrooms and one for okay pizza. read more

Very friendly staff. Food was overall quite good -- we really liked 4 out of 4 of the pasta dishes we tried. Salads and house wine were more so-so. Place was pretty quiet at 7:15 and then really bustling closer to 8. Most diners seemed to be local not tourists. Food was reasonably priced. I would recommend. read more

This is a pretty good Italian restaurant. It's a very busy place. Must have gone past this place 3x before we realized it was open. Didn't realize many restaurants open after 730p. The food was delicious but we had to remind ourselves this is a European dinner - i.e., everything is at a slower pace. We had the fried squid and mixed seafood, which was pretty good. The carbonara we took out was excellent. On a separate night, we order the margharitta pizza for take out and the kids enjoyed it. Wait staff was pretty friendly and good. read more

Best food I had in Rome. Every meal ordered by the six of us was fantastic. The price is also very reasonable given the restaurant's location, and the staff was certainly very friendly. read more

This was our favorite restaurant in Rome. We stayed around the corner so it was very convenient for us. Our first and last meal in Rome was at La Francescana and we enjoyed their food a couple times in between. The staff was so friendly and welcoming . They spoke with us with very good English and took the time to visit with us even though it seemed like most of their customers are locals. The food is great! We thought it was better than more expensive restaurants we tried. You should definitely check it out if you are in the area but it is worth the effort even if you are not staying close by. read more

Excellent choice to end our first day of sight-seeing in Rome. Special pasta of the day was incredible. Menu pasta items and risotto also very good. Great desserts - one special of the day chocolate cake and another fresh fruit and ice cream. Wine by the bottle was a good choice. English menus. Our waiter spoke English well. Overall excellent experience and we will likely return this trip. read more

Food was pretty decent. Went here twice with two different experiences. The first one started off well, it's was an older gentleman that helped us. It was really busy and I understood the food coming out slowly. Experience was okay but when I was paying for the bill, our server just became rude. When I paid, he then demanded for a tip. I was okay with leaving a tip, but I get offended when someone demands it, especially if they already add a surcharge to the bill. The second time we went, we decided to to take out as we liked the food just not the service, and it was just around the corner from where we're staying. The person that helped us, it was a bearded gentleman, didn't get his name, was AMAZING! Very helpful! We ordered a pizza and the salmon penne. When we picked up the food, as we were leaving he stopped us and reminded us that the pizza wasn't cut and asked if we would like to et it cut. I know it's something small, but it's those things that make a difference. read more