Francesco's Ristorante Pizzeria: Authentic Italian Cuisine in Maitland, FL

Went here on a date and had a great time. The food was spectacular, the vibe was relaxing, and the staff was friendly and kindly recommended dishes and wine pairings for us. We ate at the bar and had front-row seats to the kitchen - specifically the pizza chef. While there weren't many vegan options, I had the octopus, lots of garlic bread, and the branzino. I highly recommend.

decided to have dinner at this restaurant after seeing it had won two awards as the best Italian restaurant in Orlando. The place is beautiful, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, and Gina’s service was genuinely kind and attentive. We tried the grilled octopus, which was excellent—perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The pasta we ordered was also tasty, but I didn’t give five stars for one reason: they cut the spaghetti. It came served in short pieces, two or three inches long, which is something I find unacceptable in an Italian restaurant. As someone with Italian heritage, I grew up knowing that cutting pasta especially spaghetti s simply not done. In Italy and in my family, it’s considered a serious culinary misstep. That said, everything else was great, and I’ll most likely return with my family to try their pizzas. I’m curious to see how they handle those!

Sometimes, you don't know how good you're living life... then you show up to Francesco's. As soon as you walk through the door, it's like you died and went to Heaven. I wish that was an exaggeration. Let's start from the top. Hostess, who was amazing at accommodating us, was able to sit us at the bar where we could watch Chef and his crew perform their artwork. As soon as we sat down, we were greeted by our server who we could tell was running around a lot, but never missed a chance to make sure we were OK. We ordered the calamari to start, this is our second time going here so surely we thought, "Maybe it was just a first time thing where it doesn't taste as good the second time you go"... man oh man were we wrong. The calamari is the best we've ever had, and the second best? Also Francesco's, just the first visit we had. Next, main course. I had the rigatoni callabrese. To whoever reads this, I want you to know one thing: Chef and his crew have been blessed by God himself in the making of this food. I cannot simply comprehend how amazing it tasted. All the flavors blended perfectly, with the hint of wanting another bite right after you finish one. You know when you've had the longest day ever and you get your favorite food, and it makes you breathe a sigh of relief feeling like you're home and all is well? Well, that is how this tastes. Seriously. Lastly, we ended with dessert. We wanted the pistachio cake (my favorite), but they were out of it - probably because it's one of the best cakes I've ever had. We ended up getting the strawberry tiramisu. My goodness. I thought I wouldn't like it because I don't care that much for sweets, but man I was wrong. We devoured it. All of this to say, Francesco's Ristorante is by FAR the BEST place to eat in FLORIDA. Not Orlando, the entire state of Florida. We feel like family being there. We love the amazing art that they make, and We will 1000% always be back.

Nino was an amazing server, the food was phenomenal, the room was the perfect size. The calamari was tender, the veal scalloping was such a generous portion, two lovely cutlets with large ravioli, mushrooms and sausage. The profiteroles were so light and the chocolate sauce was delectable so rich but not heavy. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Fabulous. Food was delicious. I wanted some lemoncello to reminisce about my last visit to Rome. They didn’t have that. But they did have lemoncello cake and wow! It really did the trick! I also ordered rigatoni pesto to go— just as good! What a delightful experience.

Service is great and several of them are very friendly. The seating is cozy with the booths feeling big and private. It's a little noisy with lively conversation but not loud enough to where you can't hear your own conversation. The food is great. The portions are huge. The bowl of pasta is deeper than it looks in my picture. The price is actually very cheap for the amount you get. I added mushrooms, olives and onions on my white pizza. For those in a wheelchair: they open the door for you when you leave without you even asking

Just finished eating here. Everything was excellent. We are from out of town and booked the reservation for the wrong date, but they were still able to get us in right away. Our waitress Hailey was amazing. Probably the best waitress we have ever had at any restaurant! Noddles exquisite. Thank you!

We found this restaurant by chance, and it was a real hidden gem. We felt comfortable and appreciated. The food was delicious—truly an Italian meal that very few restaurants in the USA can provide. The owner is also the chef and is very friendly, and the waiters are very friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is very familiar. We are definitely going back for a delicious pizza.