Francesca Wānaka is open again for winter, unveiling a new menu, an expanded kitchen, and a covered, heated outdoor dining area overlooking Bullock Creek.

The Italian restaurant has been given a fresh upgrade and a fresh take on its signature offering: local food, made with heart.

Francesca's head chef Lukas Botta said Italian food is about regionality. "In Italy, the north sources ingredients from the north, the south sources ingredients from the south," he said.

“Serving Italian food in Wānaka does not mean sourcing ingredients from Italy, it means taking the old plates that we love and colliding them with the flavours of our new home."

The winter menu includes wood-fired green-lipped mussel pizza, handmade pasta, the restaurant’s well-known balloon bread, and a Wānaka-favourite: beef cheek gnocchi.

Local suppliers include Frog Song Farms, Alpine Fresh and Ocean Speared.

"We’re so lucky to live in a place where we can work closely and directly with many local farmers, winemakers, brewers and producers of delicious things”, Francesca's manager Ben Towner said.

“Committing to using as many Wānaka and New Zealand suppliers as possible was an easy win."

Francesca changed hands in 2023, with the Smith family – Sean, Kelly and Rob – and Sam Ragel taking over the business.

Director Sean Smith said the restaurant aimed to bring a distinctly Wānaka take to traditional Italian hospitality.

Francesca is open daily for lunch from 12–3pm and dinner from 5pm–late.