Ristorante Villa Francesca

Ristorante Villa Francesca is a long-running Italian restaurant in Boston’s North End known for Northern Italian cooking, fresh seafood and fine Italian wines served in an Old World, candlelit setting. It pitches itself for romantic dinners and business meals, and the kitchen also handles lunches and office events through a special events menu. A full bar and late-night dining suit guests who eat after the usual dinner hour, and prix fixe three-course menus are offered nightly.

Guglielmo Ranauro opened Villa Francesca in 1976, naming it after his mother, whose cooking he grew up with just across the street from the restaurant. After about 50 years at the helm, Ranauro stepped down and handed the restaurant to his longtime manager and protégé, Tomas Salmeron, who has pledged to keep the same standards of food and service that made it a North End landmark.

What to Know

• Villa Francesca won Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
• It received Wine Enthusiast’s Award of Distinction in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
• Valet parking is available, and reservations are recommended.
• The restaurant is also listed as a special event venue.