I absolutely love this restaurant. The food and service is always brilliant. Set in one of the most historic buildings of Carlisle. Every element of the menu is worth a try, the pizza and pasta menu are unreal but, for me, the steak is the best, cooked perfectly. 👌🏼
My first visit meeting with friends before attending an event. The premises themselves are beautiful with lots of history. We were early birds so as the evening progressed and the restaurant filled the warm friendly atmosphere became more apparent. The menu was good and varied with happy hour options clearly marked. The staff were approachable and obviously very busy during our visit. There was a choice of tables both upstairs and downstairs, although all required access via at least one set of stairs.
Toilet facilities were upstairs too, the ladies had one cubicle so plan well. Even the gents had a queue. Queuing was quite awkward too, at the top of the stairs with staff needing to pass with food from the kitchen. In such an old building this cannot be avoided, it's just important to be aware.
We weren't able to find room for a dessert, having had such wonderful filling main meals. We opted for a traditional limoncello instead.
We came here for an impromptu date night and it was lovely! A very homely family-run feel with very rustic Italian inspired decor. The food was rich and delicious and came in large portions. The staff were also brilliant and very polite.
We managed to get a table here having not booked, but it wasn't quite so I think booking ahead to avoid disappointment would be sensible.
The atmosphere was warm with Italian homey vibes with a good volume of music the temp was a little high for me but probably fine for most.
The loos were clean, however there is one lady's and one gents that see up the stairs near the kitchen, the stairs are in regular use from waiting staff so be mindful, also the light was switched off while I was using the lady's (I was thankful for my phone torch at this point) as the light switch for some reason is on the out side wall..just a minor hiccup
The staff were a little rushed but given this they were still attentive and professional
The food was delicious, cooked well and presented nicely. I made a request for a change of pasta type to my favourite and they accommodated gracefully
I would definitely dine here again.
Anthony O'Connell-Gros
+4
Quite a nice surprise. Food was surprisingly good. The place itself needs a little bit of work to make it look better and have a better atmosphere. The prices were okey, however, some dishes were priced higher than they should be in my opinion. If I am ever in the area again I will consider this an option but I would like to try something else as it did not impress fully.
The food was excellent! Staff were great and the atmosphere was as nice too
Great food, good service 👌🏾
A more spacious dining area would be nice.
Franco's is fantastic! I love it there! Been a few times in the past and just recently. I tried muscles for the first time and had my usual favourite penne pollo dish which is a creamy chicken and sweetcorn pasta dish. Absolutely divine. Ate it all and there was plenty of it! Washed down with a lovely house red wine. Friendly and attentive staff!
Very busy and friendly, we booked at very short notice as a family group. Not ideal for disabled as WC is upstairs. We also had prams and were booked in upstairs which made things a little awkward.
However they were happy to help with a birthday cake and provided an ice cream with a candle for the birthday girl. Nice touch.
1st class food, couldn't fault it. The smells from the kitchen were amazing.
However they lacked in the service, kept waiting at the door almost 15 mins before seated & wasn't asked if we'd reserved, put us at a 4 place set table and thought there was another couple joining us. Had to call them over to order. But apart from the relatively poor service, the food is amazing.
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