Franco's in Carlisle

Après trois refus dans trois autres italiens de la ville nous avons été bien accueillis avec notre chien dans cet excellent restaurant Les pâtes étaient très bonnes et le service particulièrement attentionné Mérite le détour

What a lovely Italian Restaurant, staff very freindly, curtious, helpful and happy. Lunch was lovely very tasty and fresh, dessert fantastic. Thank you all for making our visit to Carlisle and husbands birthday lunch enjoyable

Very good lunch ,good for children with a good menu ,food was very fresh and tasty ,would recommend ,the decor is very charming

Als wir ins Restaurant gekommen sind hat es sehr unangenehm nach Toiletten Duftspray gerochen. Die Pizza war ok, aber eher klein. Zum Glück hat es nicht sehr viel gekostet.

Enjoyed this cosy Restaurant after walking the wall with tired feet was ready for a good meal and that’s what we got , great pizza and meatballs and great atmosphere here , would recommend

We love this restaurant and visit for lunch everytime we call into Carlisle. I read some of the reviews and was totally surprised at some of the negativity re food or service. We have been visiting this restaurant for many years and enjoy the authenticity and atmosphere within. We will again be visiting with family on Saturday 22nd June. Pollo Amitriciana is one of my usual choices for lunch. Served with a side of vegetables and small roasted potatoes and washed down with a glass of wine. We always order a garlic bread pizza with extra cheese and red onion. We like the restaurant and have always enjoyed the food. In the years of visiting, only once was an order incorrect. We did not challenge this at it was a relatively small mistake. Red onion missing from the pizza by a new member of staff. Repeat customers and for us, a little gem of a restaurant with a good selection of food to chose from.

Positives: Authentic Italian music Good selection of foods Two young service staff were attentative & polite Negatives: Food was average, even the cheese on the pizza wasn’t fully melted! Blonde curly haired waitress was miserable, making the experince uncomfortable Tables are very close together, almost sitting on top of each other Won’t be in a rush to go back sadly

I have never been here before and after viewing all the bad reviews I was not looking forward to it as was coming to my friends birthday but apart from it being a bit out dated we all enjoy our self’s and there were 16 hungry people they were a bit short staffed but we didn’t mind at all the lovely lady I am not going to put the *** lady as I think that is a bit rude when writing a review and the lovely young lad did there very best to get everything out to us so thank you to them and the chef . If you are going to go in a place like that and expect 5* meal then go to a 5* place just don’t understand why some people are the way they are we all enjoy our food and didn’t feel that staff were rude and food was enjoyable and yes we would probably go back so thank you for a-lovely day 😁

Haven't visited Carlisle for a couple of years, but returned to Franco's as we've always had excellent lunches here previously. Yesterday's was dire! Young waitress simply didn't have a clue, older lady in charge looked disinterested and bored. The food (lasagne) was absolutely tasteless and terrible. Don't know if the place has changed hands but....... go anywhere, but do not go here!!!!!

Having avoided Franco's for several years as on a previous visit the waiter was rude, I was persuaded by friends to give it another try. Taking advantage of their ‘happy hour’ menu we found the food to our liking and the service prompt, attentive and friendly. I enjoy a real ale and was expecting the usual Italian restaurant offering of lager, but a pleasant surprise was in store when the waiter produced a bottle from the Ennerdale Brewery. Of course, real ale should be served cool but not cold; what a shame they served it from the fridge.

Extremely poor. If I hadn't, been told I would never have guessed my dish was carbonara. My friend,s pizza was OK as was the anti pasta mixta. I won.t be back.

I went for a nice anniversary dinner as we are away a weekend away I went for the pizza , I’ve had frozen pizzas nicer from Poundland

I came for my birthday meal with friends. I have been many times before and have loved the meal even though the older waiting staff have been frosty. We arrived today to all the staff waiting outside due to a fire alarm. On entering we er told that anyone entering again who had already ordered would get a free food replacement, so we knew we would have to wait. I ordered the poll Francesca which I have had many times before and is why I had chosen to eat here for my birthday. The chicken was dry and over cooked and the sauce tasted like I had added sugar to cream. When queried with The older waitress she said that that was the masala and that the chefs were were working hard in difficult Circumstances ti cook the food as the electric kept cutting out. This was a very negative experience for me who is a regular visitor. The food was no where near the standard and taste of previous visits and I actually don’t care if the electric keeps cutting out. They should have just not served!!! Ruined my birthday meal and we will not be back!!

Poor quality produce and what appears like a lack of effort. Ragú was watery and bland, no hint of red wine, seasoning, herbs or love put into the recipe. Like tinned tomatoes with mince. Starter of antipasto misto was assembled from what felt like asda snack section. Front of house staff were very attentive and cannot be faulted but let down by their kitchen colleagues clearly using poor quality produce and not authentic Italian cooking or passion.

Came in for Mother's day. Although extremely busy on both floors & a queue going out the door, we were seen to by a smart & friendly member of staff. The food came in a timely manner for how packed out they were & what tasty authentic Italian. The portion sizes for the money is brilliant (you will need a doggy bag if you're not ravenous!) All in all a wonderful experience for the whole family. Read through a few of these reviews & I have to say what utter nonsense towards this beautiful little restaurant that has stood the test of time better than any other I can remember!

I came in a few weeks ago and enjoyed it very much, so I came in with a group of friends. It was wonderful evening, with a lovely selection of Italian food. Our party thoroughly enjoyed and staff were very friendly and accommodating, helping with our pram that we brought in. I had a meatball pizza which was very flavourful and reasonably priced. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Great food in a wonderful building! Excellent service despite it being very busy. Had a delicious penne Matriciana, recommended.

I normally wouldn't write a review, however I was in the other night that was mentioned by a previous negative reviewer. For some odd reason my earlier reviews aren't uploading, however we are regular customers and were outraged by this customers behaviour. We witnessed nothing but the staff being very polite and obliging despite this customers angry behaviour and complaints about inaccessibility. We have eaten here at least monthly, for many years, and have never seen the staff been rude. Disabled customers, also regulars, are always treated with respect!

Had a lovely meal on Mother’s Day evening.the atmosphere was lovely and the staff very attentive as usual.keep up the good work.

Absolutely appalling. Total disgrace. Went here for Mother's Day with my 86yo Mum in a wheelchair After a hip op. Came through doors with wheelchair struggling whilst a woman watched and didn't help ... before I asked her to. I thought she was a customer.... Turns out it was the managers wife! No place for anyone disabled this "shack"! Apart from being incredibly rude to us the Rottweiler of a woman then said to us .. "Oh you're playing the disabled card are you" ... to my 86yo Mum in a wheelchair. No wonder the place was empty on Mother's day! STAY AWAY!

Absolutely Fabulous Italian Food, We Have gone here for Years,Great Location, Fabulous Food, Brilliant Ambience,Lovely Staff,Carol and her lovely team,always makes you feel welcome, and Her Husband the Chef Makes the best Minestrone Soup I've ever Tasted.this is a Carlisle Gem, Does what it says on the Tin, Thanks all Staff. Best Italian in Carlisle.

Took some friends from the South on a little tour of Hadrians Wall and decided to have a meal out at Franco's together on a Saturday night before they headed home. Despite the restaurant being completely full of guests the staff went out of their way to provide us with excellent service, much appreciated. Tried a few of the delicious options from the specials menu and split a wonderful lemon meringue ice cream for dessert. Would definitely recommend!

Popped in for some lunch during a day trip to Carlisle. We were seated within a few minutes by a very friendly young waiter. Menu looked promising and the restaurant was busy. The service was excellent - attentive without being invasive in a small place. Daughter had potato skins to start - 6 skins swimming in grease! Pizzas came soon after and they looked lovely but had no taste really.

Just superb again. one of my fav Italian restaurants. You can do a lot worse than coming here. a shame the loos are upstairs

We had a great night out here. We had the Caneloni special and the salmon spe il, as well as 2 pizzas. We all had starters and even managed desert. ( my Francos special ice cream with pineapple and coconut was superb( Carol and team looked after us very well Thank you. It was a good place to bring two of our grandchildren, the atmosphere and food suited us all.

Great food, great service excellent all round, the only irritation was a table of loud people but I can't blame Francos for that!

Lovely food & service in the centre of Carlisle! Will definitely be back. We got a starter to share, one pasta dish and one meat dish and all was perfect. Thanks again.

Definitely a place to visit. The staff are friendly warm and welcoming. The food is delicious and quite large portions . The building is steeped in history and character. Carol the owner is an amazing host and always goes the extra mile for customers.

We came for lunch on Christmas Eve thinking this would be more authentic than Pizza Express down the road...starter of minestrone was nice enough, but my partner's garlic bread starter was pretty tough and had a strange taste and texture to it. Both had spaghetti Bolognese for main. This surely is a staple dish in any restaurant calling itself Italian, but we've never had one like this! As another reviewer has mentioned, the meat sauce had a strange taste and the spaghetti tasted like it had been cooked in washing up water to be honest. Service was ok to be fair, but I don't know who was in the kitchen that day...not sure we'd make a return visit next time we visit Carlisle. Not normally given to writing reviews, but money is tight - this wasn't as good as it should have been.

What can I say, this is by far the nicest restaurant in Carlisle. The food is exceptional, matched by the amazing staff who are so friendly and can’t do enough for you. Carol and the team make you feel so welcome and the place itself is so beautiful. I would thoroughly recommend this brilliant restaurant to anyone visiting Carlisle, competitively priced and massive portions. One last thing before I end this review, some person has alleged staff don’t receive their tips, this is absolute nonsense and the reviewer should be ashamed leaving such a comment . The owner Carol is the most generous and lovely person you could meet. You can also tell this is a sentiment shared by her brilliant team.

Atmosphere was great! Loved the feta cheese florentina, well worth the price. Would go again for sure.

Enjoyable Christmas party a group of us had a selection of pizza &pasta ' my pizza was excellent meatball will definitely go back we all enjoyed it

The last time I ate here was terrible, but everyone has an off day so as my cousin booked it I decided to give it another go. We were a group and all had something different or we thought it was. The cannelloni and lasagna were identical and when it was put in front of the even the staff member said they were not sure if it was cannelloni or lasagna 🤔 what kind of meat they use is a mystery. The Penne Matriciana was extremely over cooked and not al dente. Reheated? Probably. Gamberoni all’aglio forget it. The pizza was edible if you are desperate. But everyone on our table left almost all their food. What is impossible to understand is the number of items on the menu. It is impossible to have all fresh ingredients for the number of items shown as any great chef will tell you. If you want real great Italian food go to Amato’s or Sanna’s but please don’t go to Franco’s and waste your money. No doubt the owner will disagree

Its been a while since we visited Franco's and it will be a while before we go back as our experience wasn't great. The food wasn't great in comparison to other Italian restaurants in Carlisle, we thought that the food was overpriced for what we received and the place itself looked tired and worn. The lady that served us didn't look too happy at being there, I don't think we will be going back in the future.

Extremely poor. If I hadn't, been told I would never have guessed my dish was carbonara. My friend,s pizza was OK as was the anti pasta mixta. I won.t be back.

Called in for a quick lunch while shopping. Bit of a mistake I now realise. Strangest garlic bread ever, no taste of garlic, soggy dough, load of runny butter and a huge dollop of sloppy tomato sauce… dreadful. Pizza not a lot better to be fair. Shame as it’s in a very good location.

Absolutely terrible. Pre ordered what we wanted as there was 15 of us. 2 of us ordered gnocci - to which it had 5 small pieces if gnocci and it was mixed in with fussili. So they clearly ran out and just thoughg f it. Everything was completely tasteless also. Service staff were scruffy and not on the ball. Upstairs to the toiletd everything had a layer of dust and covwebs on.... and i know its nearly Halloween but i dont think it was intentional. Just grim but had to deal with it.

Good that they have a vegan menu. Minestrone soup ok and a v good helping. However I think the potato skins starter was v expensive considering there were only four pieces of potato, however the tomato etc sauce was nice.

Went for lunch with my family. Ordered 3 half pints of fizzy drinks with no fizz. Had a garlic bread that was floating in oil on then plate and raw in the middle. Informed the staff that we did not want it.They offered a new...

Lovely independent Italian restaurant. Friendly and helpful allowing us to take our dog in too. Good vegan options. Range of superb pizzas Delicious garlic bread Everything really tasty Thank you 😊

Been here a few times and will continue to eat here when next in this fabulous city. Lovely owners from penrith who cant do enough for you. Been to plenty of Italian restaurants in UK but this is a very good one, will even do...

Dated, greasy and concerning cleanliness. We struggled to eat our meal and left the majority for fear stomach upset. The state of the restaurant and loos gave the impression of what state the kitchen may have been in. Needless to say we left unsatisfied and...

Damp Monday evening and looking for somewhere to eat we decided to try Franco's. Restaurant was fairy quite but got busier. Pleasant staff and very acceptable food.

This Restaraunt is Fabulous,been going here for years, Great food, Great Ambience,Lovely staff. Consistently Great night. Highly recommended.

Franco's is a really great restaurant. Helpful, friendly service, excellent food, and a stylish, relaxed atmosphere. My Spegetii de Mare was one of the best I've had anywhere in the world and better than many I've had in Italy.

Authentic Italian; has upstairs as well as down so don’t be put off if downstairs is full. Staff pleasant and attentive without being intrusive; food excellent - well-prepared, good portion sizes, tasty and hot; very reasonably priced.

Dropped in on a Thursday circa 14:15…sat down outside at their tables and waited. Other around us were eating. In the end walked in and was just scowled and grunted at by a lady behind the coffee machine/counter. When I asked for a menu, I...

Food absolutely fabulous definitely a must try! Great choice on menu and every course was delicious. Will be back next time we visit Carlisle.

In for a meal for 2 never ordered starters quite pleased we didn't as we'd still be sat there now do understand places can be busy but sitting for nearly an hour waiting for food isn't what you expect so right in for main meals...

Booked in for Happy Hour but was unhappy with the outcome! Food wasn't great and I sent my carbonara back as it simply didn't taste as I expected from an Italian restaurant. Second plate wasn't much better. Waitress wasn't sympathetic. Dessert was fine but you...

We ordered Deep fried cheese as a starter along with garlic bread and tomato sauce. The cheese was hot but pretty bland. The garlic bread was just dreadful. It certainly was either frozen or pre made and certainly was not fresh pizza dough. I had...

Miserable staff serving overpriced pasta with pasta and past certainly lack of meat and ingredients. Tables and seating unkempt. Lots of other good places to go. Shocking

We arrived here for a celebration meal we were greeted by menus thrown on table and left to sit for a while after 10 minutes they finally took our drinks 2 cokes and an iron bru for the same price I got a small iron...

With the weather being so good we sat outside the restaurant. The lunchtime menu has a varied range of different dishes as one of our group has a few dietary issues , the staff were extremely helpful with this . I had pizza meatballs which...

Nothing special, and nothing to complain about. Pasta carbara was slightly bland. Pizza base was good, but the toppings average. Good location with outside tables, but a rather musty, gloomy interior.

Treated a disables woman beside us absolutely disgusting the way they spoke to her was awful was disgusted in them so we told them we would pay for our drinks and didn’t want there food as would not sit there after witnessing what we did...

Had an early dinner here when visiting Carlisle, went a little bit earlier than our booking, but it was no problem and was shown to our table. Restaurant had a nice, friendly and cosy feel to it. Food was delicious and staff were nice and...

Excellent food and service - would thoroughly recommend. Also very authentic ambiance and priced very competitively- will definitely return

Ok food, average. Lots on the menu to choose from. We were in a group which I don’t think was appreciated, as the lady had some huffs and tuts, which was a shame. Lemonade was flat.

Fantastic food, fantastic service. They squeezed us in last minute after everywhere else in Carlisle turned us away. The food is great value, we had pizzas and they were to die for, lovely thin crisp base and everyone working there checked to make sure we...

I have nothing but positives in relation to this lovely restaurant. Food consistently excellent and to the highest standards. Staff are amazing and the host Carole is so friendly and welcoming. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to this establishment. Don't be put off by...

Booked a table in this rather quaint restaurant ,not having been here before and we had a very enjoyable evening ,we had a very tasty meal of steak & penne pasta which were delicious ,we had a very nice bottle of Merlot and the staff...

Visited Franco's on Saturday to enjoy a meal with family members. Chose a chicken dish as i usually have pasta. It was delicious and very tasty with potatoes and a mixture of vegetables. My new favourite for the future. Can't wait to return so I...

Worst itailain I have ever been to bland food, hair in in garlic bread meal was ready in seconds microwave special 👎

Genuinely surprised to find authentically Italian-quality pasta in Carlisle. The owner has owned Francis for many years and her food is wonderful. The restaurant has an original 70s feel about it which makes it all the more authentic and quaint... will happily return next time...

After an afternoon of music and alcohol we decided to visit a restaurant local to our hotel at around 7.30pm on a Sunday night (closing at 9pm). The three of us had three different 10” pizzas ( not 12” as with most pizzas??). The pizzas...

We booked a table for 6 and on arrival our table was ready and we were out upstairs. Service appeared slow but then we realised that they appeared very short staffed. We ordered drinks and our main meal and the meal arrived but they were...

We decided to try this restaurant after walking the Hadrians wall and seeing it was recommended in the handbook we thought we would give it a try ,and we had a wonderful experience, it is set in a charming old building with bags of history...

Carole and the Francos team, just want to say a big thank you for the amazing time we had celebrating our anniversary at Francos. You made it special, and brought back fond memories of our wedding day. Food was out of this world as usual...

Quirky little restaurant but have to say the garlic bread was fantastic. Service was friendly, food was good and it was excellent value.

Wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone Food bland, I can make better garlic bread and Lasagna myself One particular member of staff was extremely rude, a lady with blondish bobbed hair

When I’m up in Cumbria I always have to come here , it never disappoints ,you always know you will have a wonderful meal . The restaurant is very charming , with friendly staff .I’ve recommended it to all my friends when they are in...

The food was so bland ..We both had a pasta dish with pepperoni and chilli and could hardly see any meat in our dish!!. it was certainly lacking in taste. The service was not happy to say it was happy hour. There was no welcome...

I have visited Francos several times over the last few years. I just haven't got round to leaving a review. The restaurant has a lovely feel and has alot of character and charm. The food is amazing and I am fussy ( qualified chef) The...

Cant speak highly enough about the best Italian restaurant for many many miles . The food is incredible, the settings is just stunning and the staff are so helpful and professional with lovely Carol at the helm. Don't take my word for it try the...

We came on a whim, but this place was great. We had a tricky order, but the staff were really accommodating and made everything perfectly. The atmosphere was lovely and calm. The food was the best Italian I've ever had. Do be careful if you...

Thought we would try Francos as always seems popular when we pass by in town and has been in Carlisle a long time-sadly a bit of a mixed bag Friendly staff(though one guys shirt dirty) and the restaurant whilst looking a bit "cluttered" is quirky...

We have been visiting this restaurant for a couple of years now. Food is always amazing and the service is great. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Keep up the great work 😀

Spur of the moment decision while passing to have a happy hour pizza and a soft drink. Food was average. Service was ok. There was a smell of mould in the air, like old trainers and the toilet taps were disgusting and didnt produce any...

The staff at the restaurant were really nice and it was clear that they were pretty rushed off their feet. I really appreciate how hard they were working. The food was pretty poor. The brusceta was a piece of white bread with some cold cherry...

Great welcome and quirky (if somewhat dated) surroundings. Menu is fairly extensive but unimaginatively presented with bland taste. Was really cold too!

We have just finished walking Hadrian's Wall and were in Carlisle looking for a meal. Having found this lovely restaurant in the town centre the food lived up to the surroundings. We had the King Prawns which had an amazing fresh Napolitana sauce with the...

Whilst staying in Keswick for our anniversary we visited Carlisle which had a market on in the centre and a great atmosphere. We fancied something Italian to eat and went to Franco’s in a beautiful old building right in the middle of the town. We...

On a lovely trip to Carlisle while we were staying in the Lakes we discovered this lovely Italian restaurant with a wonderful view across the town centre. We had a lovely meal in the restaurant which was tastefully decorated featuring some wonderful paintings of the...

We were in Carlisle over the weekend and fancied some Italian food and we came across this restaurant in a lovely building in the middle of town. There was a great selection of vegan dishes we had the spaghetti caponata which was full of flavour...

Whilst staying at a nearby hotel we walked pasted this restaurant and decided to give it a try. The food was amazing and the staff were really friendly. There was plenty of choice to choose from and were heard the staff offering a gluten free...

I don't normally leave reviews or even take note of them but my wife and I tried here and the food and staff were amazing, fresh ingredients and being an ex manager I could tell the staff were well trained and attentive. We shall be...

Just want to say how wonderful an experience it has been visiting Franco’s in Carlisle. The food is out of this world, and the staff are friendly and make the experience. I would definitely recommend this lovely place, incredible Italian cuisine in a beautiful setting...

Cant believe this place doesnt GET THE HINT from lots of reviews and cheer up. Really grumpy staff. If you hate your job this much do something else.

Went to Franco's last week and it was the most awful experience. The staff were abrupt and rude with a don't care attitude. The food was not only bland but mine was so bad it verged on the disgusting. When told this, they grudgingly offered...

We were in Carlisle for a day and spotted this restaurant in the middle of town and came in for a meal. We really enjoyed the meal great pizzas especially the Mafiosa and the lasagna was full of flavour and amazing garlic bread on the...

We came here for a quick bit to eat and thoroughly enjoyed it, we will be back. The fusilli con pepperoni was lovely and has a nice amount of chilli in it and the carbonara was the best we have had. The service was great...

We enjoyed a well cooked and nicely presented lunch earlier today, served by very pleasant staff. Menu offered a good variety of dishes and was great value. Restaurant could have been a little warmer on what was a chilly day but would recommend a visit.

Me and My boyfriend decided to have lunch out as we were visiting Carlisle, We ordered bruchetta to share to Start which was ok . The main course we ordered spag bol which surely you can't go wrong with ?!? And my boyfriend had the...

Stopped off for Sunday lunch on our way back to Stoke-on-Trent from Edinburgh and so glad we did! The guys running this place (only been in this location for 7 weeks) were all helpful and friendly and the food was gorgeous. I had the seafood...

We went to Francos restaurant for a date night. When we got in we were given menus and then we sat for half an hour before we even ordered a drink, we then couldn’t order food while ordering the drinks we had to wait to...

We came here and had a lovely meal, we thoroughly enjoyed the lasagne and the pollo amatriciana both full of flavour and the garlic bread finished it off perfectly. Great service from the blonde lady and young man. Definitely recommended and look forward to coming...

We came here and had a lovely meal, plenty of choices on the menu. The children loved their pizzas and the caneloni and fusili pepperoni full of flavor. The staff were very friendly.

We come here every week and despite the changing COVID guidance they always follow them such as using paper menus and displaying the track and trace clearly, the restaurant is always spotlessly clean. We always enjoy the pizzas and garlic here bake with fresh dough and always crispy and full of flavour with plenty of choice.

This was our first visit to Carlisle and having walked past this restaurant during the day, reading that it had been trading successfully for around forty years, we decided that we would have dinner there.Having been served garlic bread without any colour to it, that tasted doughy, we complained and they undertook to cook it further. To our disbelief, we then heard them put it in a microwave, which changed it little. As regards our main courses, we both chose chicken crema. The chicken appeared to be dry, although covered in sauce. This, and the absence of any cooking aromas in the restaurant, suggested to us both that our meal had not been cooked fresh but simply heated in the microwave.We elected not to have a dessert, paid and left. We can only assume that if this restaurant had a good reputation, in many years of trading, that it has changed hands. Never again!