Francesca Wanaka

Probably one of the best meals we’ve had in New Zealand so far! After arriving in Wanaka, we decided to indulge in some Italian cuisine at Francesca — a local favorite in an area packed with restaurants. The shrimp and kimchi pizza? Absolutely delicious! I almost wanted to take it home and try making it myself. If you’re visiting Wanaka, don’t miss out on this spot!

The atmosphere and service were both a 10/10 – absolutely spot on. We tried a few mains, including some of their signature dishes. The gnocchi, unfortunately, was quite bland and overly soft, and the lemon and prawn pasta lacked flavour. The standout was definitely the lasagne – rich and delicious – and the pizza was also really enjoyable.

Delightful ambience and tastefully decorated restaurant. It's a little hard to find since it's at the side of a building but the food definitely makes up for it. Serving sizes were on the smaller side and we found that the gnocchi was not enough to satisfy us, so we also ordered the bread which came with olive oil and a balsamic glaze which was delicious. We ordered a lamb pizza which was cooked well, in addition to the prawn pasta and pear salad which both had flavours we were unfamiliar with (but were not necessarily bad). The pear salad came with gorgonzola cheese which we tried for the first time, a very rich cheese, and we were surprised by how yellow the prawn pasta was. We found the best value to be from the Milanese, which had a big serving of meat. Friendly service and food came out relatively quickly. Highly recommend!

Can’t recommend Francesca’s enough! The atmosphere is lovely and relaxed, dim lighting, music isn’t too loud. The staff are helpful and appear very content. The food is incredible and reasonably priced for the quality. We always come back here when visiting Wānaka

We dined in on a reasonably busy Saturday evening. Service was friendly and efficient with our orders taken soon after arriving & the food came out not long after that. My husband had a salami wood fired pizza and said it was nice but some of the base was a bit soggy with sauce. I had the squid ink pasta with mussels and whilst it tasted pretty good, I would definitely say it was not value for money. I’ve had other seafood pasta dishes recently where there was an abundance of seafood and this definitely was not the case at Francesca’s. The tiramisu and chocolate brownie desserts were great though.

Had a delicious meal here for dinner. Was out last night in the area and this restaurant treated us well. All the food was tasty and prepared well. The restaurant was very busy an hour after opening but service was still good.

I don’t understand why, after a long wait, the pizza and pasta were served together, while the starter came out later. The pasta tasted like instant noodles. Although the pizza was wood-fired, it didn’t taste good — the base lacked that satisfying, chewy texture and aroma. The service was pleasant, but the food was disappointing.

Really lovely, kind of funky Italian restaurant with great food and super friendly service. The flavors are surprising, in a good way. We had the zucchini appetizer as well as the zucchini main dish. Both were very good. We had to top it off with a dessert, obviously. Nice art work on the walls as a bonus

Unpleasant Dining Experience! My friends and I chose Francesca's Italian Kitchen in Wanaka for some Italian cuisine during our trip. Unfortunately, our experience was marred by the unfriendly attitude of a male server. After serving our initial meal, he abruptly took it away without explanation and replaced it with spaghetti, despite our order being for Casarecce. Upon inquiry, a friendly female server explained that Casarecce was unavailable, but such changes should be communicated in advance. The lack of transparency significantly impacted our dining experience. I cannot recommend this restaurant based on our disappointing visit.

Francesca's was a perfect choice for one of our nights in Wanaka. Service was friendly and food was delicious. One of us ordered the ricotta gnocchi which was perfectly prepared; the other ordered the wood fired pizza which was tasty as well. Shared a chocolaty dessert (forget what it was called) that was delicious. Food was reasonably priced.

Go for the pizza! Great wood fired pizza. Best I've had in NZ so far. Also do their own noodles for some dishes.

We were craving some homemade Italian food during our New Zealand road trip, and when we arrived to Wanaka we found Francesca's on Yelp. It was a Friday night and pretty busy everywhere, but we decided to walk up without reservation and try to get a table. When we arrived the hostess was so kind and told us if we came back in twenty minutes she could seat us. We went next door and had a glass a wine at Big Fig. Twenty minutes later, we went back to Francesca's and our table was ready. The food was fantastic! We started with the House Made Focaccia and then shared the Mushroom Risotto and Pappardelle Bolognese. For dessert, we had the Tiramisu. I highly recommend all of it! The servers were absolutely lovely and the interior of the restaurant is so cozy and romantic. If you're looking for a nice dinner when in Wanaka, look no further than Francesca's!

Nice classy Italian meal . Good service great pizza . A little cool though but manageable . Recommended.

Very average it has to be said. Seafood rigatoni was just ok. Wouldn't be rushing back to be honest.

Great wood fire pizza, crispy crust with tasty tomato sauce and prawn pasta. Nice view along the river if you seat outside. Definitely try desert menu.

We had a lovely meal here!! Great atmosphere, super people. Alan is the best! Delicious wood-fired pizzas and scrumptious desserts!!

Stopped by on the advice of my B&B host. When I saw the size of the pizzas I asked my server if they had a smaller size. They did, the children's size which they allowed me to order. They have a wood fired oven for baking the pizzas so I ordered the salami pizza which has slices of potato on it along with fresh rosemary. It was delicious! Thin crust pizza with the crust cooked all the way through with a crunchy rim. Perfectly cooked. The salami was tasteful and more importantly not salty as many Italian salamis tend to be. They also had olive oil infused with hot chilies to sprinkle over the pizza which is typical of what you get in Italy. I ordered the house Chianti and it was very good. Definitely recommend!

Stellar! The beef cheek gnocchi is superb! Highly recommend. Also, the squid appetizer was very good! Definitely recommend this place!

We stopped by here for an early dinner (get a reservation early as the venue can fill up fast!) and were in the mood for italian. This place had lots of options as well as great gluten-free/dairy-free options too. Between the 3 of us we tried the meatball sliders, clams, prawn pasta w/ GF pasta, ragu bolognese, and tiramisu. All were quite good and I think made for one of the best meals we had while visiting Wanaka. The service was excellent and friendly and very helpful when trying to decide which dishes would accommodate those of us that had dietary restrictions. We would 100% head back here on our next visit to Wanaka!

Only -1 star because of their service. They messed up 2 out of the 3 pizzas we ordered for lunch. Was very frustrating because we were on a time crunch and could not enjoy the beautiful lunch setting they have Food was delicious!!! All their pizzas are so good!

On vacation in Wanaka and found this place because of their gluten free pizza. They have gluten free pasta, pizza bases, risotto, and a gluten free affogato. Loved having so many options. Also, the service was wonderful! The GF crust wasn't the best I've had, but was still good. Would come back again!

This place was just ok. The charcuterie was good but the Tartufo pizza I ordered was not. It was very oily and there was not even a hint of truffle oil as listed in the description. We asked for chili oil, and again it was just oil... no flavor. The 4 cheese pizza was also not good. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend eating here.

We had a party of 11 and went based on yelp reviews as the 2nd best restaurant in Wanaka. From the moment we sat down the waiter was tootally inattentive and at times surly. It took an inordinate amount of time to get service. The waiter provided no constructive recommendations. Upon ordering the food dribbled out in small increments, rather than serving the entire party at one time. The food that did arrive was generally ice cold and bland to boot. Being an Italian restaurant, no offer of bread or grated Parmesan cheese was volunteered. As a service establishment, the restaurant rates a zero out of ten and the food rates a three out of ten. To add insult to injury the waiter spilled coke on two of the guests without apology and we were overcharged $97. Save yourself from a disappointing culinary experience and head to Wanaka Gourmet Kitchen.

Finally a delicious Italian meal during my 6 days trip in Queenstown area. Pasta was so delicious I have to order a dessert to complete the meal and the panna cotta was so nice! Recommend to travelers who will visit Wanaka.

Came in an hour just before they closed. We ordered the pepperoni pizza and beet ravioli. Both dishes were delicious and came out quickly.

We didn't have a reservation and just opted to eat outside. Ordered bruschetta and the gnocchi with beef checks! DELISH!

Visted here a a hard day boarding a TC, venison, chili pizza, cold beer , sun shining, amazing view , that's is as good as it gets

Awful hospitality. Walked in at 8:30pm and they claimed the kitchen was already closed.... a WHOLE hour and a half early...the yelp says open until 10pm. Server or whomever told us to leave was extremely rude and this was our entire first impression of the town of Wanaka. Not a welcoming experience at all.

Amazing food! We stopped in after seeing it in lonely planet. They said they were booked (but had various empty tables which were on reserve for locals) but managed to squeeze us in as long as we were done in 1 hr and 15 min. I have no problem with that as long as we have good food. We ordered a pear cheese and walnut salad as well as focaccia bread to start. Both delicious and easily to share. The main plate I ordered was the gnocchi in beef ragu. I have eaten at amazing places in ny and la and this may have been the best gnocchi I've had. My husband had the spaghetti and was very pleased. If you're looking for great Italian, this is the place. Try and make a reservation though to be on the safe side.

Great service and a pleasant atmosphere! The food is a bit expensive. The pizza was good. We had the seafood squid pasta. We didn't enjoy it as much because the color of the squid ink was black. It was a different taste and something new to try.

A good pasta dish served up in very pleasant weather on their outdoor seating. The restaurant was quite busy but they asked some other customers if they would be willing to share a table so we were able to be seated. Italian food should always be served with bread, just like they do in Italy. I do not think you should have to order a starter in order to get a few pieces of bread with your dinner.

Lovely ambience, excellent service, excellent food. Had the prawn pasta which was al dente and delicious, and husband had venison pepperoni wood fired pizza which was also fantastic. Both paired with wine by the bartender that went wonderfully with our meal. Though not eye popping creative, it was a fantastic meal with perfectly executed food that hit the spot. Highly recommend.

Absolutely deliciously food made with love. Prices are so cheap for such a great and filling meal. Staff were really helpful in giving suggestions as describing the meals. Very nice wine list as well. The one thing is that it is a very loud restaurant but otherwise everything is 5 star.

An Italian gem located in Wanaka :) we had the baked potato skins with truffle oil with porcini salt and pecorino-- which were delightfully crispy and full of flavor! For some veg we opted for the wood roasted carrots with Sicilian spices, currants and spices-- beautifully prepared and with a hint of sweetness from the currants. The gnocchi with braised beef cheek ragu was magnificent-- rich with intense flavors and such pillowy gnocchi. In addition, the asparagus carbonara with spaghetti and pancetta was superb. Would go back to this place in a heartbeat! Definitely make reservations as this place is quite popular during peak season.

Probably the best spot to grab some grub in Wanaka. The restaurant was a little difficult to find; it's kind of tucked away in the corner. We didn't have reservations (generally recommended), but they were able to seat us since we got there at about 9pm. I loved their woodfire pizzas. Thin and crispy crust is just the way I like it. My friend had the Merino lamb shoulder ragu pappardelle and I got the Salsiccia pizza with pork sausage, ricotta, arugula, and mozzarella. Both dishes were just right and definitely hit the spot after a long day of hiking through the Rob Roy Glacier. They also had a wonderful wine list. Definitely recommended if you're looking for some good food in Wanaka.

We had a very bad experience at Francesca's with poorly executed food and horrible, slow and careless service. The great reviews we read on Yelp are suspect as there is no way they could be true based on our disappointing experience. We should have left when traditional items like spaghetti with marinara sauce or lasagna was not offered. The only items which met expectations was the pear salad, meatball sliders (a little dry) and the bottled red wine (can't mess that up). Skip this place - you will not see us back there for sure!

The reservations are highly recommended. We booked the night before, and the best we got was 8 pm. We ordered three different pasta dishes, and they were all great, and the dessert were even better. Oh, the bay clams were sooo good!!

We wanted to get out of Wanaka (and back to our campground) as quickly as possible due to it being over run during tourist season. We got pizzas from this place and they were some of the most disappointing I've had in my life. I ate dominos in Dunedin, so that's saying something. The margarita pizza is a joke. They advertise fresh basil, tomato, and mozzarella. I am not a pizza expert and don't claim to be, but I know what this type of pizza should look like. The basil was dried, the "tomatoes" turned out to be tomato sauce, the mozzarella (apparently) was not fresh mozzarella, the crust was very bitter and burnt. Despite all of this, the overall flavor of the pizza was non-existent. I welcomed the charred bits of crust because at least it tasted like something. We also got the pepperoni pizza which is made with venison pepperoni. The dough was raw in the middle, the pepperoni had way too many peppercorns, there was not nearly enough sauce, and again, incredibly bland. The photo is the "Margarita pizza"

We loved this place. Came here on a whirlwind trip from our wedding and honeymoon. Terrific food, friendly staff! They have a brick oven pizza fire pit and you MUST try the beef gnocchi. The gnocchi is hand made and it is delicious. I also would highly recommend the d' abrazo red wine from italy, fantastic and underrated in terms of reds. Best restaurant we went to in Wanaka, enjoy! Prego!

Delicious Italian food! I had the prawn pasta and my husband had the mushroom risotto, both done very well! Staff was very friendly and helpful. Make sure to get a reservation, we booked the day before and there was only one spot available.

Can't really fault it... Fantastic service from the moment you walk in the door, breads were hearty and heavy and the gnocchi was a delight, more suited for a winters eve but hey who cares

Quality food, great service. We had the clam pasta and the clams were enormous, tender, and delicious. Made us feel like we had never had a real clamp before!

We rated this our best dinner in Wanaka over a 8 night stay. We eat out every night and I have to say Francesca's ruled! Loved the authentic Italian menus, the choices were great and had a hard time deciding. I wished we had discovered this place sooner.

I would encourage you to make a reservation. However, there is limited seating by the bar if you choose to walk in. The meatball appetizer is phenomenal, and the pizzas are out of this world! There's a excellent selection of wine and beer with some interesting cocktails as well. The staff is superb and look after whatever you may need during your meal. Our meal came quickly right from the stone, wood fire oven! Be sure to stop here during your time in Wanaka.

I'm all about this place. It is affordable, delicious, unique, and it has a great vibe. I'm getting hungry for some of it just writing this review! Service: The place is fast and friendly. They are also really laid back. The other day I forgot to bring cash, so they let me run to the atm while they started on my pizza. By the time I got back, it was already finished. Food: Great pizza. Lot's of options. The Fran's Special is my favorite for sure. The fire stone oven really give the pizza something unique that most pizza places lack, a nice crispiness. Atmosphere: Friendly and unique. I know they deliver, but there's just something about the place that I like. Worth the walk.

The woman managing our reservation was grouchy and inconsiderate, but that was the only negative. The salads, entrees, and wine were all high quality. The salad with Gorgonzola and apple was 5 star. My pasta was fresh and flavorful, but not too heavy. The Italian Syrah was smooth and worth the price. I would definitely go back.

With only 3 nights in Wanaka, we came here for 2 of the nights since it's that good!!! Highly recommend!

Beautiful meals, attentive service and very reasonably priced. Great gluten free options. And enjoyable ambience (not too noisy!)

Today is my birthday. The pasta is not good that i encountered. But the pizza seems very yummy！Next time may try the pizza instead of pasta. Nice service.

Fantastic food. There were five of us eating and all very pleased. Their woodfired pizzas are thin based and delicious. The gnocchi is fantastic. It is a nice setting but loud - I'd argue this adds to the environment though. All in all you'll enjoy a meal here. One of the best in Wanaka.