Francesca Restaurant sits at 93 Ardmore Street in Wānaka, serving Italian food with a distinct local twist. The menu changes seasonally, drawing on Italy's culinary heritage while leaning on local Kiwi ingredients, with wood-fired pizza and house-made pasta at the centre of the offering.
Francesca was the first restaurant taken on by Bruto Hospitality Group in 2023, when the team took over the keys and set out to keep its Italian soul while dragging it a little closer to the Wānaka dirt — honest comfort without the fuss. The kitchen has been shaped by Executive Chef Lucas, whose Argentine and Italian background comes from five years running the Francesca kitchen, while Restaurant Manager Zoe brings a deep knowledge of Italian wine to the floor.
Beyond the main dining room, Francesca has two event spaces available for private dining and functions — a covered and heated patio and a partial dining room — with the option to book the full restaurant and patio for larger groups. Guests can dine in, order takeaway, or use delivery partners for the same wood-fired and house-made dishes at home.
On Ardmore Street in Wānaka, Francesca Restaurant serves what it calls new-world Wānaka Italian — old-school Italian cooking reimagined with local ingredients, culture and technique. The seasonal menu nods to Italy's culinary heritage while making room for a bounty of Kiwi produce, with wood-fired pizza and house-made pasta anchoring the food.
Francesca was the first venue taken on by Bruto Hospitality Group, back in 2023, when the team took over the keys with a clear intention: keep the restaurant's Italian soul intact, but drag it a little closer to the Wānaka dirt. The result is described as honest comfort without the fuss — full tables, generous pours, long lunches, and cocktails that carry a local edge alongside Italian tradition.
Executive Chef Lucas oversees the kitchen with an Argentine and Italian background, having spent five years running the Francesca kitchen before stepping up to guide all of Bruto's venues. On the floor, Restaurant Manager Zoe brings a deep knowledge of Italian wine and an easy warmth to the dining room, described as the young gun of the Bruto collective with a genuine affinity for Italian food and drink.
The kitchen prepares fresh pasta rolled by hand and wood-fired pizza served hot from the stone, alongside recipes drawing on old Italian heritage reworked with a Wānaka twist. The drinks list matches the food, pairing wine curated from Italy with local drops from Central Otago, plus cocktails built with a local twist. For dessert, the restaurant points guests toward what it calls its hedonistic Tiramisu.
Beyond the main dining room, Francesca offers two dedicated event spaces tucked along the creek in a cosy corner of Wānaka — a covered and heated patio, and a partial dining room. For larger groups, the full restaurant and patio can be booked for exclusive use, seating 60 guests (plus 20 on the patio) or up to 90 standing. The dining room alone seats 18, while the patio on its own seats 24 or holds 30 standing — giving a range of options depending on the size of the occasion.
For those who'd rather stay home, Francesca's wood-fired and house-made dishes are available to order online for pickup or through delivery partners, alongside the full à la carte experience in the restaurant. Open seven days a week for lunch from 12pm to 3pm and dinner from 5pm, Francesca continues to serve as one of Wānaka's go-to Italian spots — a place built, as the team puts it, on local heart and Italian soul.