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    Francesca's Cucina

    3.7 (521 reviews)
    PriceyItalian
    Open 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Order Francesca's Cucina Takeout or Delivery

    Francesca's Cucina Photos

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    FRANCESCA'S CUCINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Francesca's Cucina

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    Shrimp scampi with cavatelli.
    Joyce P.

    Always the best atmosphere. So meet on the patio is the best. Fun bar if you want to stay there. Wait staff exceptional and consistent.

    Carrie L.

    We were celebrating my daughters Birthday and she chose Francesca's patio for the second year consecutively. Arrived at 630 for reservation, about a twenty minute wait time. That gave us time to order cocktails at the bar, we loved the Raspberry Limoncello Spritzers. Light, refreshing, and summery! We sat by the fire pit and sipped on our cocktails soaking in the Al Fresco dining experience. Once seated not far from the fire pit, bread with olive oil sauce for dipping and waters were delivered. We ordered Arancini for appetizer, everything thus far hot, fresh, and delish! My daughter ordered the Filet medium rare that looked more on the rare side but she did not mind. I ordered Lobster Carbonara that was presented from a jar. Interesting concept. Unfortunately it was a very thick, chewy, bland pasta. It needed more seasoning peppercorn, pepper flakes, grated cheese or cheeses might have helped the hopeless blandness of this dish. The lobster in the dish was sweet and succulent. The egg based sauce lacked the seasoning. Service was pleasant and steady throughout our meal. I opted for the Velvet Martini as my second coctail. Fresh , Citrus taste. We preferred the Spritzers. The waitress did offer to switch out my meal but there was no need for that. I gave the carbonara a whirl and it is just not to my liking. Fabulous desserts the Reece's Peanut butter tarte cake was to die for and mint cannoli. They comped my cannoli in Lieu of the carbonara. Plenty of leftovers to go. Another fabulous evening on the patio that gives the vibe of being anywhere but on the North Side of Syracuse! Transports you to mini paradise for a couple of hours!

    Cyndi H.

    On a Monday evening we were able to park in the side lot and were seated right away at a quiet table by the window in the northern room. On to the ambiance it is warmly lit and welcoming. We had the warm fresh focaccia bread and sauce which comes to whet the appetite and it is a fluffy saucy teaser of what is to come. We had salad We both had the chicken parm which is nothing like any chicken parm we have had before. I chose the version with the pesto drizzle relishing the flavor combo and al dente homemade rigatoni. Service was attentive without being annoying very friendly and helpful. Desserts looked good but we were already taking half of our food home. Next time!

    Cheese Ravioli Pink Vodka with meatballs
    Alexis M.

    Francesca's Cucina never disappoints! We have some staples we love from there and new specials! The service is always friendly and efficient. The bread is impeccable and we love to see the rotating dessert options! Not pictured is chocolate mousse cake and a brownie batter cannoli. My only complaint is the tight spacing in the restaurant especially if you're sat in the middle it gets a bit claustrophobic

    Calamari
    Saret B.

    My friends picked this for our girls night dinner. My first time here but I've had their food through catering at my old job before. I wouldn't rush back any time soon, I know I know. The inside was a bit cramped and the dining room we sat at was cramped and loud(due to the amount of people in there lol). The highlights were the cocktails, fried goat cheese fritter, side salad and my friend got the chocolate mousse cake that was good. The service was good. The calamari was rubbery and I didn't care for that(I had calamari a week prior at different restaurant it was delicious). My entree was the lobster ravioli, it was ok nothing special. I wouldn't order it again though. Maybe I'll give it another shot but not anytime soon, unless it was planned for a group outing.

    Shrimp riggies with loooots of onions
    Erin o.

    I hate to write this review but we had our first disappointing meal at Francesca's. We normally go in the summer and sit outside but it is February so we sat inside. It took like 20 minutes after our reservation to be seated. We were seated in the back room by the bathrooms and it was sooooo loud. You could barely hear each other or the waitress. We had specifically chosen Francesca's for their advertised scallop and lobster pasta special. It was both my husband and my bday weekend and we were both planning on getting it. The waitress came to get our drink order and said they were out of it. I was so disappointed but not much we could do. I ordered the seafood riggies instead and I understand it has onions but this was an excessive amount of onions. Like an entire onion for one pasta dish. More onion than pasta. I ate some of it but my husband finished it. Then when she brought the check it had $5 next to both our Caesar salads. When I questioned it she said there is an up charge for Caesar. I said it says comes with soup or salad and when we said Caesar who never said there was an up charge. She apologized and took one of them off which is weird as seems like they should have both come off as she never mentioned an up charge. So all in all $160 for two dinners one desert to go and two drinks each. Unfortunately in the future will only go in the summer and really wished we picked somewhere else for our bdays.

    Butter cake for the birthday girl
    Tracy F.

    Had an amazing birthday dinner at Francesca's! We started with the goat cheese fritters, with crostini and spicy marinara, my favorite in cny. We also tried stuffed hot cherry peppers which had plenty of kick. For dinner, the lobster pasta special with asparagus, lemon, tarragon sauce and plenty of lobster was amazing. The roasted halibut with truffle orzo and broccoli rabe was also fantastic and so flavorful. The chicken Riggies and Wagyu beef ravioli are always excellent choices for homemade pasta. For dessert we shared butter cakes with strawberry sauce and homemade ice cream--crispy edges and tender, buttery inside. So delicious! Our server, Jessica, was attentive and knowledgeable. We have never had a bad experience at Francesca's!

    Cavatelli
    Patti F.

    We went here while visiting family in Syracuse. It's very expensive and mediocre at best. Most of the food we had didn't have a lot of flavor or seasoning and the cavatelli was in a beef broth, not a tomato base broth. Just not overly impressed for the price.

    Menu
    Micah C.

    Francesca's is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the area! My husband and I stopped by here during a short weekend trip to Syracuse. It gets super busy here, especially on weekend nights. Even with a reservation, we waited around 15-20 mins for a table. For our meal, we got to try: - Complimentary bread with tomato sauce: Warm and yummy, a perfect starter - Fried calamari: Huge portion. I liked how it wasn't so bready, and the marinara dipping sauce was good - Wagyu beef ravioli: Sooo good. Very creamy and flavorful. I actually think it tastes better the next day after heating up. - Bolognese: Delicious! They do not skimp out on the meat - Butter cake: AMAZING! I was so full by the end of our dinner, but I had to get dessert. This cake is ooey gooey and just heavenly. Definitely not a light dessert. I love how they bring out the dessert tray. Our server was also friendly and moved fast. If you're looking to bring someone out on a date, bring them here. It's very romantic and cozy inside. I wish they played more jazz or slower music!

    Lemon martini delectable
    Kate C.

    We had an amazing early dinner here utilizing resy online reservations. I had the chicken parm with vodka sauce over rigatoni, fantastic! Our server was excellent. The focaccia bread before the meal was great soft and flavorful. Meals come with a soup or salad I had the Caesar it was great. My daughter had the cheese ravioli and she liked it a lot but it was pricey for what she got. My husband had the eggplant rollatini which he enjoyed as well. I would have loved to try the butter cake (dessert options are presented in a tray right out of 80's restaurant playbook) but we were all too full.

    Veal Bolognese

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    4 months ago

    Thank you Francesca's. Always excellent food. Atmosphere and service! Very accommodating. Would recommend whole heartedly.

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    1 year ago

    Came here on Saturday night but the restaurant is closed. No update on Google or Yelp or their own website

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    Francesca's Cucina Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Francesca's Cucina

    Walk ins or reservations only?

    Both. When i went I walked in, but I recommend you make a reservation.

    Gluten free options?

    There is a lot on the menu so I am sure there would be gluten free items

    Any steps to get in meaning is it fully wheelchair accessible?

    nope

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    Abbiocco by a mano

    Abbiocco by a mano

    4.2
    (125 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    Service and Food were great, we ordered so many things to try. They brought out bread with a "long…read morehot" butter to start. Then, For appetizers, the arancini, the polpette, the crab crostini, and the trapanese pizza. The Arancini were good, very cheesy. I loved the polpette - the meatballs had almost a crispy exterior, mix in the ricotta and they were excellent. The crab crostini special was just okay, not too special. The trapanese pizza was phenomenal - thin, crispy, cheesy. For entrees, with whatever room we had left, we tried the bolognese and the zozzona. Bolognese was good but the zozzona was great. The sauce was good and the sausage was very tasty. Wrapped it all up with an affogato. Would recommend!

    While staying in Downtown Syracuse I looked for some good Italian in the area and this place came…read moreup with excellent reviews. I checked OpenTable for 6:30PM on a Wednesday night and it said there was nothing within 3-1/2 hours. I found this very odd and since I was on my own, I ventured on down anyway to see if I could score a spot at the bar, which I easily did because they were only 1/4 full and the bar only had 3 other people at it when I arrived. I believe the bartender's name was Justin and he was great... very friendly and helpful, as well as engaging. He constantly checked on me and discussed the menu and restaurant, as well as their offerings. I chose their All 'Amatriciana with their slightly breaded chicken breast on top. The chicken was so very good! The All 'Amatriciana itself was so bland. I was disappointed in how bland it was. There was no spice at all to it, so I asked for their crushed red pepper and ended up putting several spoonfuls on it - turns out their crushed red peppers are either old or stale, but they're definitely bland and useless, as they didn't add any spike to the flavor of this dish and if the chef used these to season this dish while making it, that would explain some of what it was so bland. I will say that their table bread was outstanding! It came with their whipped butter, seasoned with honey and parmesan and that combo was so good! Too bad I didn't order something else, like pizza, as this is what I initially saw in reviews that looked amazing. I'm sure they normally are great here, I just came on an off night.

    Photos
    Entrance
    Entrance
    Zozzona I enjoyed the sausage  Would definitely order again
    Zozzona I enjoyed the sausage Would definitely order again
    Abbiocco by a mano

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    Strada Mia

    Strada Mia

    3.4
    (154 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    We visited Strada Mia for a special New Year's Eve dinner, and we had an outstanding experience…read more They had delightful seasonal cocktails - we tried the spiked hot chocolate and the Christmas Margarita. The food was delicious, and so much to choose from! We had the Arancini balls to start, and they were delicious. We both tried the soups, and I adored the micro grilled cheese that topped the tomato bisque - SUCH a cute garnish! We recommend you get your steak "Jimmy style" because WOW, there is soooo much flavor! The shrimp scampi was also excellent. The large portions gave us some good leftovers. We had to finish with cannolis to-go, and we were so happy we did. Our server was very attentive, even as the place was filling up on a holiday evening! We can't wait to go back and try more of their menu.

    When we left, we said, "That was weird."…read more We booked a reservation for a graduation dinner where we were sat upstairs alone for a while. At the beginning, service was prompt. Our apps of meatballs and calamari were good but when we got our red wine, it was freezing. Then we were waiting for at least a half an hour for our food. My sister was starting to worry about getting to her graduation despite us booking 2 hours ahead of her ceremony. When we received our food, all meals came except mine which was about 10 mins after everyone else. The best meals were the Chicken Riggies & Chicken Milanese. The Chicken Piccata was very heavy of Dijon and the Chicken Marsala tasted like Chicken Teriyaki; needless to say, neither dish tasted like its traditional description. Lastly, the Clam Provencal was void of flavor. Half of our party left as soon as I got my food and we paid the check so we weren't late to the ceremony, but then the rest of our party was asked to leave for another group. Sadly, it was different than what we were hoping for.

    Photos
    Christmas Margarita
    Christmas Margarita
    Seasonal cocktail menu
    Seasonal cocktail menu
    Menu

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    Menu

    Francesca's Cucina - italian - Updated July 2026

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