Francolis has become one of our favorite restaurants. The pesto with shrimp and scallops is so good that once I had it, it's all I can order now for dinner. The carpaccio appetizer is beautiful. My husband is all for the lasagna. Service is top notch and it's the only restaurant I can get my favorite wine, 2012 octavius amarone Best wine on earth read more

Second time I dined here and always loved their bolognese! I was almost gonna ask for extra meat sauce but didn't have to because this place is legit. Expect the service to be slow - both times it was but sometimes you just have to accept that good things take time. They make their food with love and I'm cool with that Servers are good. Vibe are immaculate, love the music here and it just feels like you're in someone's house Can't wait to be back! read more

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First time here for lunch on a Saturday. Kevin was our server, he was super welcoming and made our visit a pleasure. Nice location, restaurant clean and charming inside and out, great tasting food and excellent customer service. Can't ask for much more. Highly recommended. read more

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Had a wonderful dinner last night. Super happy I went there. I had the Osso Buco, which was a daily special. In addition I got to taste the wonderful lasagna. We had the olive appetizer. Small restaurant, but table are not right on top of each other, spaced out really well. Nice views of the circle and decent sized patios shaded from afternoon sun . Good friendly service without being intrusive. Several other dished I want to try and will be back. read more

Absolutely are not accommodating for reservations. We are a family who live In the Orange County area and have frequented francoli but I will say the last few times we've tried to call to make reservations for special occasions they always have a reason why they cannot take parties larger than 6-7 on a weekend. I do not understand why they would be pushing away large parties who are trying to go spend and good amount of money on bottles of wine and full course meals just so they can be sure to fit smaller parties (IF they even have smaller parties at the earlier times we'd like to dine.) pushing away parties that want to spend $600+ on a meal seems very ridiculous and a poor business decision. We are done with Francoli. read more

I love this Italian restaurant I come here all the time and it never disappoints. The atmosphere is always warm and inviting, and the hostesses greet me with such kindness every single visit. The staff is friendly, attentive, and they truly make you feel at home. The food is consistently amazing: fresh, flavorful, and always prepared with care. Everything just flows smoothly, from the service to the overall vibe. It's truly one of my favorite places. Highly recommend! read more

Francois Gourmet is such a cute spot in downtown Orange. The food was delicious and the ambiance was great. They also had an extensive wine selection. I loved how the pastas were so saucy. Favorite dishes: calamari (the sauce was so yummy), pere e noci salad, and the tortelloni al limoncello, copped al pistacchio Least favorite dishes: tiramisu and filetto al pepe verde (filet mignon medallions)- the sauce was really good but the pastas were better We'll definitely be back :) read more

Francoli Gourmet - Filetto al pepe verde & tortelloni al limoncello - Italian Near Me - Orange, California

Amazing quality Italian food and stellar presentation! My first time going, I got the beef carpaccio, the caprese and the burrata to start out with, all were extremely flavorful and unique in their own way in taste and dish style. The service was quick and they got food and drinks out in a timely manner. Our waiter was humorous and added for a good time. I got the linguine with pesto, shrimp and scallops and it was light, not too dense and had a very rich flavor to it. The bottles all around the wall adds for a nice vintage vibe that you don't really see at restaurants anymore. I would definitely recommend, and add a dessert on top of it at the end, they have a great selection!! read more

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I want to preface that I'm only leaving this review to warn others of the experience. Came with a party of 4 (walk-in cap is 6). It was a Friday night however only a few people on the waitlist. We waited 45 min. which is Friday normal. At that point we were the only ones on the waitlist. The host kept trying to seat us at the bar however we are 4 people that want to talk. After an hour we were told 15 min. Fine what's 15 min more . A large party walks up with no reservation and they were able to go in. And then we were told 20 more minutes! Horrible system and service when there were obviously no waitlist or reservations coming in. I wish we could try the food but beware if you're not tipping extra to be seated. Went across to O Sea to wait with a drink and still was never called or texted that a table was ready the rest of the night. We wanted Italian however was impressed with O Sea's hospitality and food. read more

Can you be completely enamored with a meal? Because I was. We wanted a place that was unique and off the beaten path and found this spot in the sweetest town square. The burrata was the best way to start our meal. Strategically, we picked two dishes that we both wanted to try - PAPPARDELLE RAGU' DI CINGHIALE (homemade wild boar ragu) & PACCHERI ALLA BOSCAIOLA (mushroom, Italian sausage) - how could we not LOVE these?! I don't even know which one I liked more. Service was fantastic. We were seated outdoors with a heater overhead, it was beautiful! read more

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Wife wanted to try this place. So we went on a journey/trek through rush hour to get here. Luckily, it was decent to good. She was craving carbonara and this place highlighted this dish. It was one of the liked dished of the night for us. Gnocchi was ok. Something was a bit off where it didn't have the pillowy texture. Carpaccio was outstanding! That dish flew off the table and into our belly. Burrata went quick too. FYI, we had a 3rd wheel with us. One might think we have bottomless bellies, but I assure you, its quite the opposite. Aside from the slight mix up with the wine, service was great. Atmosphere and vibe reminded me of a little restaurant I once randomly picked in Florence. Would love to come here again and try other dishes. Will definitely need more backup with the next visit since it's going to be a sampling fest. read more

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The pesto was so fragrant! Fresh and light with really good flavor. One of the best pesto sauces I have ever tasted. The scallops and shrimp were great quality as well. The frutti di mare also had good flavor, pretty standard. The bolognese didn't really stand out to me personally and was a little too watery. Service was objectively good but I also felt like there was a lack of warm hospitality. At times I felt like our waiter was rude or unfriendly. Our interactions felt cold and left a bad taste in my mouth. On the other hand, the ambiance is quite nice! We sat outside so we were able to people-watch those who walked by. If you do come here, I highly recommend the pesto. pesto linguine: 10/10 frutti di mare: 8/10 bolognese: 7/10 read more

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Our dinner was fabulous. An amazing calabrese salad with cheese, olives and crisp greens and the most amazing entree . Osso Buco. Thank you Francoli. Nobody does it better. read more

Francoli Gourmet - Oso Buco - Italian Near Me - Orange, California

Francoli's is a truly outstanding Italian restaurant. Their cuisine would compete favorably with any restaurant from Rome to Boston's North End. We are fortunate to be able to enjoy Francoli's right here in Orange. Also outstanding was Jamie, our formidable server! She was hyper friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the menu in great detail. She handled our dietary issues without skipping a beat. Between the superb food and the delightful service, Francoli's is the only place for Italian food on the Orange Circle. Double highly recommend. read more

The food was not very good. We spent a lot of money and both of us really didn't like our food. The server was nice and attentive in the beginning of the meal, but then he just checked out. Didn't come back and check on us for an extremely long time. We were disappointed because we had always wanted to try this restaurant out. read more

Francoli is Italy in Orange County! Food is always fresh, delicious and absolutely beautiful! Service is the best. All in all this our favorite restaurant and celebrate our birthdays, anniversaries and holidays here....,our happy place read more

I go to Francoli quite frequently and I love this place. Very authentic Italian food with a pretty great international wine list also. All the pastas are made fresh and are delicious. Also, I like the Carpacchio and all the meat dishes. Great service as well. read more

Excellent food , friendly service...and a well stock cellar, what more can you ask... read more

The good: Old Forrester Old Fashioned was a great cocktail. The wine selection (Italian) was impressive. The large charcuterie board was a lot of fun for sharing and had generous portions of various meats though the cheese selections were small. Service on a Wednesday night (6:15 reservation - promptly seated) was adequate but always cheerful. "Destiny" was our waitress and she managed okay. The bad: The entrees - Three rigatoni amatricianas and one ravioli dish. All arrived lukewarm. The portions were meager. (Charging roughly $25 for just a pasta dish is not a good value. Actually, it's a terrible value and whatever the word in Italian is for "ripoff," that's the word I would use. It's just pasta. Peasant food. There's no good reason to skimp on the portions). Verdict: Ultimately, overpriced and not worth another visit. read more

There's mostly always a wait here on weeknights and weekends so put in a reservation! The food was delicious (although not the best Italian lasagna I've had) and I loved that their bread portion was small so it doesn't interfere with the dinner. Slightly crowded atmosphere- almost European as it's a cafe and bar vibes. You can also be seated at the bar or outside and people watch the old town crowd. Husband got a lamb pasta dish (ragu) however I personally didn't like the taste of lamb. Staff are great! read more

Francoli Gourmet - Bruschetta Francoli - had a cute little side salad - Italian Near Me - Orange, California

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Food and service was fantastic. We had the lemon chicken, which was a perfect proportion, thinly sliced chicken, really good vegetable vegetables and mashed potatoes. Lentil soup with also very good. read more

We love going to Francoli for authentic, delicious Italian food! Their pasta dishes are so tasty and always fresh, and the service is quick and attentive! We also like that the restaurant is smaller and more cozy, it's always a nice vibe in there. read more

This place is usually busy for a reason. Perfect ambiance and gourmet as can be, my wife and I love the spot as a great date spot - being on the corner of the Orange circle is a highlight. We usually grab the salmon pasta and an appetizer, all of which is as tasty as can be. Not recommended for super large groups, but for smaller parties - especially those that love to pair their dish with any of their generous selection of wines - Francoli is a must. read more

The food is really authentic here. I ordered the Penne Salmon pasta and it was delicious. This restaurant has a very extensive wine list too boot. We sat outdoors and watched the orange street fair happening. Great night with great food. read more

Francoli Gourmet - Italian Near Me - Orange, California

Really cute place with fun atmosphere and great service. I ordered the lasagna and thought it was very good.

What a gem! First time dining here and I will absolutely return. The entire staff are very friendly and attentive, thank you! The ambiance is very relaxed and they have a full bar. My favorite dish of the evening was their carpaccio! Very fresh and just the right amount of everything. End your night with the panna cotta, you won't regret it! It was so light and just the perfect amount of sweet. read more

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Found our new go to Italian restaurant. The food quality is great and service is awesome. read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for over a year. Italian is one of the most adored and renowned cuisines in the entire world. My friend is a regular here and I totally would cum back again. The atmosphere is just such a great vibe. Being at the heart of the Orange circle surrounded by many other shops and restaurants, you have such a great view in the evening of city lights. It's very cozy outside too since they have heat warmers. Food literally slapped my ass. Not too overpriced and flavors were balanced and came from the rich soils of the good earth. Service was incredible as well. Because my friend frequents this establishment quite often, the waiter recognized us and gave us a free dessert. It's such a charming place go and give it your support! read more

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Francoli Goirmet is almost a hidden gem at the Orange Circle. I stumbled upon it during Covid and decided to check it out. This review is long overdue, as I've been about 5/6 times since. Very charming spot, not big and cavernous but intimate. The bar does NOT have any TV's, which is a huge plus in my opinion. The food is excellent, the bartenders friendly. I'm a fan of the lasagna myself, but I tried the house special soup (it was a puréed artichoke soup and it was amazing!) if you get an opportunity to try it, I would recommend it! read more

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Made reservations two weeks ago. Got there and were told there was a short wait. They then tried to seat outside. Told them we wanted inside. Very disappointing, the owner came and tried to seat outside again. read more

Well where do I start. Had a reservation and was seated quickly. Waiter came up and asked if we were ready I chose a wine and my wife was looking and started to ask a question about a wine and the waiter said I will be back once you have decided. He then came back. and we ordered food and wine. We ordered cioppino, the risotto and the Bucatini all amatriciana. The waiter brings out one plate which doesn't look like we ordered. The second plate comes out and not what we ordered. Third dish not what we ordered. We tell him and he says ok and takes it away except for what he says was the cioppino, which it wasn't. It had rigatoni and not the seafood it is supposed to have. Tasted like canned tomato sauce with a little water in it. He then brings out the risotto which was horrible. It was watery slop with nothing but a ton of calamari and hard risotto. One dish was ok which was the amatriciana. I get that mistakes are made but we never even got a sorry or anything. Plus the dish we got that was supposed to be the cioppino was much more expensive and so we end up getting screwed there. We had looked forward to going to this place but it really was a let down and was $150 for three plates of barely eaten food. Waiter fully knew it was bad for us but never once cared. read more

It's never a delight to share a poor experience at a restaurant, however I feel like the owners put a lot of themselves into this charming Italian restaurant and as a cafe owner, I would want to know as well. It wasn't the service, the staff certainly felt very serious, they did a light walk through of the menu however didn't make any recommendations or offerings of food or wine. Which I think is fine if that's the setting you're looking for. The food though, made both my wife and I sick shortly after our date that lead to a pretty rough day. I hope it was just a one off because we'd love to see this business do well. But the experience for us was unfortunate. read more

Our server was Destiny, and she was absolutely amazing. Best server of all time. I will be naming my first child after her. Destiny Hugo spritz (for the middle name) after the fabulous cocktails she brought us which changed my life, and my soul. She helped us surprise our friend for her birthday with a cake and candles we brought, and overall was an absolute delight. All of the staff were extremely friendly, and the food was DELICIOUS. If I were still of adoptable age I'd be petitioning to become a member of the Francoli Gourmet clan. Also I tried my friend's lasagna and it was orgasmic. 11/10 stars. read more

Great ambience and service. Absolutely killer Italian wine list. The food is always quality but the menu could use an overhaul as it hasn't changed over the years we've been going and feels lacking of a lot of some Italian favorites. read more

Reasonably priced wine bottles. Food was good. Tables for two are very close together. Service by Israel was inattentive.

Their pasta was made fresh & traditionally cooked to perfection. Just call me Gordan Ramsey!! Their Italian Wines are amazing. They have selections that you won't see elsewhere. The ambiance was perfect. The location in the Downtown Orange Circle has a cozy and at-home feel that I will be coming back for. read more

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Ambiance = cute Food = solid 7.5/10 Service = no complaints Cannot bring in outside drinks so if you bought coffee across the way, finish it before you dine here. Service was just enough and not over bearing which I appreciated. Food had more of an American flare and pasta was too soft for my liking (I prefer al dente) but still delicious none the less. I would come back to try their other items. read more

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I told the manager I didn't want to do this but he seemed very unapologetic and didn't focus on the real issue so here I am. I'm a stay at home mom who just gave birth not long ago and I do uber eats for extra cash. I got a request to go to Francoli to pick up an order I walked up and there was a woman speaking loudly on the phone out front. I would've never in my life guess she was an actual employee on the clock because she was handling a personal phone call and all I heard was CHISME! I was dressed in active wear and a hoodie....the older lady at the door sounded like she may have been Cuban or Dominican. I walk past her and she tells the person on the phone "Mira eta gorda!" Which is Spanish for look at this fatass! She then gets in front of me looks me up and down and rudely says can I help you?? I told her I was doing Uber eats and I was there for an order. My car was parked in red so I was in a hurry everything happened too fast for me to react on the spot she went in to get my order and I was on my way. As I drove away, I realize what just happened. This woman called me fat and assumed I didn't speak any Spanish because I am little light skin and a minority in MY NEIGHBORHOOD. Unfortunately for you Francoli I live across you guys! I live in the plaza and my partner along with myself have always wanted to have a date night here we've been here for almost 4 years and always wanted to try you out but after the horrible and unprofessional experience here I will never step foot in this establishment and I hope neither of you do also. That lady not only was racist but she fat shamed me! I told the manager to run the tape because he seemed to be so shocked that this happened at his restaurant quite frankly, I felt like he was calling me a liar because he couldn't believe his staff would do this. He focused more on how surprised he was then apologizing to me and making me feel better. Next time a customer complains at least bother to get their name!! read more

Best service ever! Food lived up to the expectations and the surroundings were just perfect. Jamie was an OUTSTANDING employee! Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Last night was our second visit to this wonderful Italian Restaurant located in the Orange Circle. I thought for sure there would be a wait but we lucked out and we're seated right away. The food was amazing! And our waitress was fantastic. This is a small restaurant with a great atmosphere. If you love wine there is plenty to choose from. If you're looking for a nice place for date night or just craving some delicious Italian food you should give this place a try. read more

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