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  • Villa Francesca

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Villa Francesca
Villa Francesca

Villa Francesca Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.ristorantevillafrancesca.com
  • Email: villa-francesca@comcast.net
  • Phone: (617) 367-2948
  • Hours of Operation: Monday - Sunday: 12:00pm - 10:30pm
    Friday- Saturday: 12:00pm - 11:30pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, JCB, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Italian, Seafood, Contemporary European
  • Executive Chef: Guglielmo Ranauro
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
  • Catering: We provide a catering menu, please visit our website or call us for more information.
  • Special Events & Promotions: We provide a special event menu, please visit our website or call us for more information.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Hanover Street
  • Public Transit: Haymarket and Government Center--A quick walk up Hanover Street brings you to our step.
  • Parking: Valet
  • Parking Details: Valet parking is available in the front of restaurant after 5:00 pm daily.
A word from Villa Francesca
Ristorante Villa Francesca, in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, is the brain child of Guglielmo Ranauro. Through his desire for perfection and pure love of the Italian cuisine, Guglielmo created Villa Francesca over thirty years ago. He bestowed the name Francesca after his mother, never… forgetting the love and wonderful food she always provided while growing up just across the street from the restaurant. Villa Francesca boasts over 160 wine selections, and has received the prestigious Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator awards since 2007. You've got to try the raw bar!Continued
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Diner Reviews
  • "Perfectly fine evening at the Villa. Reservations for six on a Saturday for 7:30 and were seated immediately. Typical busy evening in the North End. Waitress was distracted by volume of tables early in the meal but as people cleared out the service improved. All individuals (from ages 23-52) enjoyed their meal. The veal dishes are recommended. The caprese was pedestrian. Enjoyed the mussel app."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "Tables are a little tight for me at 230lbs. But the seafood special was outstanding"
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "The prices are a little high, but that's what you get for being in the heart of the North End of Boston. The food outweighed the prices. The veal stuff with prosciutto was perfect. The steak was also cooked to perfection. They really know what they are doing there. The bartenders were a little off though. People were constantly sending drinks back because they were not correct. They even delivered me a drink twice. But overall, it was a great experience."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "We had visited this restaurant previously on two occasions. We had a groupon for this visit and read all the specifications which included letting the restaurant know you were planning on using a groupon. It did say the restaurant wasn't valid for restaurant week (NOT restaurant month!). We made a reservation 3 days before and listed the groupon, we don't live in Boston and had no idea it was part of Restaurant Week (which they seen to celebrate for longer than a week as we were informed by other restaurants!). Half an hour before our reservation, when we were already in Boston the management called and cancelled our reservation with absolutely NO apology. We find it hard to believe they needed to be so rude. We will never go there again."
    Dined on 3/30/2014
  • "We had a lovely time at Villa Francesca. The decor is beautiful and I couldn't stop admiring the textured ceilings, even the menus are lovely and one of a kind. Ours meals were all delicious, and the Fettuccine Calamari that I ordered as my entree was one of the most incredible plates I've had in a while. The service, however, was just okay. The waitresses who came to our table were friendly at first, but when they found out we were there for Dine Out Boston their enthusiasm noticeably dropped. We had to ask for a bread basket even though every table around us had one, and while we had a lovely time, it definitely would have been improved with a better staff."
    Dined on 3/28/2014
  • "Excellent food and service! Place itself is very nice and beautiful, and there were no problems at all."
    Dined on 3/26/2014
  • "Bought a Groupon and then they refused to honor it as it was Dine Out Boston. Groupon expires April 1. Food not worth paying full price."
    Dined on 3/23/2014
  • "It was meh! Food wasn't bad but it was a regular italian meal. We went for he Dine Out Boston menu ($28) and the options were numerous but the taste of the food was nothing outstanding. The place is cute though and service was very good."
    Dined on 3/21/2014
  • "Smaller restaurant with a nice ambiance. Definitely what I would expect at the North End. Great for special occasions and groups. Had mussels and they were absolutely delicious."
    Dined on 3/22/2014
  • "This was one of my favorite restaurants when I lived in Boston 25 years ago. After first trying to seat me at the bar (I had reserved a table), the hostess seated me in the front room , completely by myself . There was a restaurant full of people in the next room, and not a single other person in the room with me. When I objected, they moved me in to the main dining room but not happily. The food was also not as I remembered it. A mussel appetizer was tasty, but there were very few mussels and each was quite small. I ordered veal Parmesan on the waiter's advice. What arrived was chicken Parmesan! I attempted to get the waiter, but he never looked over at me. I finally gave up and ate it. Very average. At least the cannoli was good!"
    Dined on 3/21/2014
  • "had a very nice lunch at Villa Francesca on Thursday with my colleagues from work nice decor, good ambiance, great service, wonderful food (chicken cacciatore especially) I know what good food is and I will be back"
    Dined on 3/20/2014
  • "We've been to a few places now for Restaurant Week and this is our favorite. The 3-course Menu has so much variety that everyone can find something. The food was just delicious and piping hot (which is incredibly important; cold Italian food is only good for breakfast). I had the Melanzane Rollotini, Pollo Michelangelo, and Caramel Custard. My date had the Insalata Francesca, Vitella Monte, and Cannoli. We both loved ours; much more food than we thought we were getting. They were a bit too similar and Restaurant Week is about variety, at least for me. I would order any of those dishes again. Yummmm. [Four star rating because it was SO LOUD; not their fault - I think it is supposed to be like that. We did not speak much during dinner.]"
    Dined on 3/19/2014
  • "Went to Villa Francesca as part of restaurant week and loved all of the dishes we had. I ordered the steamed mussels, which had to be some of the best mussels I have ever had, with a lemon and garlic flavoring. I also ordered the fetticini calamari, which also was nice and light. The calamari was cooked right so that it did not become rubbery and was not breaded, which made the dish much lighter than it could have been. My friend had the bruschetta which was also delicious as well chicken cutlet (can't remember the name), which had a very generous portion. We both had caramel custard for dessert as part of the dine out menu. Overall, would highly recommend it for people looking for lighter fare in the North End."
    Dined on 3/16/2014
  • "Went out on a limb and made a reservation via open table and was delightfully surprised. The food, service and setting was fantastic."
    Dined on 3/15/2014
  • "I recently returned to Boston after 20 years. Villa Francesca was and still is my favorite restaurant in the North End. Parents and three kids had lunch and dinner here. Everyone loved their meal. YUM!!!!! And leftovers if you have a place to store them."
    Dined on 3/9/2014
  • "the food is always consistent. the kitchen will create or change a dish to the customer whenever possible. The portions are generous. A delightful place to dine"
    Dined on 3/7/2014
  • "So I was getting together with a group of eight. I made a reservation requesting a round dining table. With a large group, round tables seem smart. This restaurant did not have a round table, at least not that I saw. I wish I had known, I might have done something different. That being said, the place is really nice. This was my second or third time and the food quality is very good, the wine list is nice. I really had no complaints and I do like the place, it was just the table situation that was disappointing. With a smaller group, I wouldn't hesitate to go back."
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "My companion & I split and appetizer - grilled sausages. The portion was large, but the sausages were dry. For her entre, my companion ordered a cioppino which was part of the daily three course $39.99 prix fix. The restaurant accommodated us by offering the dish a la carte, but at a cost of $33.99 (app & desert worth only $6?). My companion said it was delicious. I ordered the Veal Valdastana. Like the sausage appetizer, it was overcooked and dry. Our meal was accompanied by a Chianti that was recommended by our server. We finished with a cappuccino and expresso. Both were excellent. With gratuity, out tab was $215. We frequently dine in the North End. Unfortunately, we generally enjoy better food and better values."
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "I purchased a Groupon to try Villa Francesca. The groupon was for two appetizers, two salads, two entrees and two desserts. This is a lot of food. I went with my kids and we wanted to share. The restaurant would not allow it. They insisted we all had to order entrees. The manager was rude. IN addition, the groupon suggested teh Value was in excess of $ 120.00 dollars. The restaurant offers a four course price fix meal for $ 39.95. so the savings was only $ 11.00. In addition, you are NOT allowed to order from the regular menu and the portions are smaller. This is why this restaurant was EMPTY."
    Dined on 2/24/2014
  • "Our waitress had a very casual attitude for such an expensive restaurant. Our table was only about 6 inches from the table next to us and a little more room would have made the evening more comfortable, but that is pretty common in the tiny north end restaurants. The food was delicious and there was a large wine selection."
    Dined on 2/22/2014
  • "Overall, I would not choose to eat at this restaurant on Valentine's Day again. We were crammed into the basement level seating area and it was virtually impossible to have a conversation with all of the ambient noise. The food was not bad but was significantly overpriced for the place in which we ate it. If you are looking for an Italian experience in the North End, go to Giacomo's."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "My date and I got seated in the corner of the basement. We were cramped. It was packed. We were under the restaurant's bathroom pipes. Service was the worst. We were going to order dessert. But the waiter took 30 minutes to come to our table to take the order. So we didn't order dessert. The valet took 30 minutes to get out car. We missed our movie time at the theater. Granted, this was Valentine's Day, so it was busy. But, I expected better service. It was an awful experience for me and my date. I will never go back to this restaurant. I hope that this was an anomaly. But, who cares. I don't recommend this restaurant to anyone."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "First time going to Villa Francesca, also was Valentine's Day. Was expecting a packed house, but not to be packed like sardines.... our table was not more than a foot away from the next couple, and some tables were worse. Our table was wobbly and almost spilled our drinks every time we took our elbows off of it. Food was ok, not sure if it was worth it. Not sure if this is indicative of how the restaurant always is, or if it was just the craziness of V-Day."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "Not happy about the price... Quality was lacking and service for others around us made it awkward!"
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "We've heard a lot of good things about Villa Francesca, but were disappointed. Service was slow, even though we were not in a hurry. The rizzoto was not hot and was crusty on the outside, as if it was sitting on the plate for a while, Never should have been served that way. Spinach had no flavor. All in all, I'd give it a 5 out of 10."
    Dined on 2/8/2014
  • "We celebrated a birthday party recently. We did add 2 people to the reservation close to the time of the reservation. We were seated in the basement. Not the greatest accomodation, smells like a basement!otherthan that the service was outstanding and the food magnificent! Would not hesitate to go again but would ask to not be in the basement."
    Dined on 2/8/2014
  • "The food and atmosphere was superb. The service was A+ too!"
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "Lots of good places to eat in the North End - and this is one of them!"
    Dined on 1/31/2014
  • "While I did enjoy Villa Francesca, it was a little too pricey. The food was very good, but I felt like their menu was lacking in many different areas. If you are not a seafood lover, this place is probably not for you."
    Dined on 12/31/2013
  • "NYE dinner was great. Very good food and service. It was a little crowded based on the holiday but we were seated on time and where we preferred. There appeared to be a few extra tables on the mix making the room a bit crowded but otherwise ok the bar was nicely laid out and it was newly renovated."
    Dined on 12/31/2013
  • "My 12 year old daughter wanted our family to start a new tradition of going into the North End around Christmas time. We chose this restaurant because my husband and I had been there before with friends at different times. We were so happy we made this as our choice because it was perfect! Thanks for a wonderful evening!"
    Dined on 12/23/2013
  • "This is a Cozy, Warm ,Friendly Establishment . You are given a Happy to see you feeling as soon as you walk through the door ! The staff are fun and attentive. The feel of the place is not stuffy or restricted. Then the food is a mouthwatering delight so much so that you can feel the Love and Passion put into its preparation . I must say this was my first visit with my family and it won't be my last."
    Dined on 12/22/2013
  • "Great food and service. Special orders were welcomed for the kids."
    Dined on 12/21/2013
  • "Food & service excellent. A bit overpriced, but worth it."
    Dined on 12/21/2013
  • "We had a table of 8 for a holiday dinner. This is not our first time at Villa Francesca. The service was impecable, every need met , yet so calm and easy for us. We ordered a variety of appetizers. I have to say the lobster ravioli was one of the best I've tried. Sausage and polenta was fine, the polenta especially nicely grilled. We also ordered a variety of entrees. The red snapper special was savory with the olives. Some people had the seafood risotta which was excellent. So many places ruin risotta, they did not, it was very well prepared. Overall a wonderful experience. We have been many times over the past 20 years. At Christmas it is especially beautiful with the lights and decorations."
    Dined on 12/13/2013
  • "Villa Francesca has always been a good experience. We recommend a reservation on weekends as it is always busy then. The menu has a great variety, but not too much to overwhelm. You can always ask for traditional italian dishes that are not on the menu and they are more than happy to prepare them for you. Meal was timed out perfectly and everything was prepared perfectly. Great Italian food and a great dinner experience."
    Dined on 12/7/2013
  • "Overpriced and greasy food. Was disappointed with this experience"
    Dined on 12/6/2013
  • "We were in town for a group business dinner. The atmosphere was great, the wait staff was pleasant the portions were just right! Enjoyed the evening. Food was great."
    Dined on 11/18/2013
  • "This restaurant has everything you head to Boston's North End looking for. So deliscious, service was excellent's table was ready on time, great wine, great location."
    Dined on 11/15/2013
  • "Lobster ravioli was amazing... large portions, well priced."
    Dined on 11/9/2013
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Private rooms with seating from 25 to 40 guests.
Great for events up to: 60
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