Francesca's Dessert Cafe

Recommends

lala146

Joined 7 years ago

BEST ICE CREAM IN DURHAM. THIS IS A LOCAL HANG OUT, YOU SEE ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE HERE. THE AFTER THEATER CROWD

IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES. IT'S A MIX OF COLLEGE KIDS AND LOCAL ALIKE. THE COFFEE AND THE

GELATO GET SO MANY FAVE REVIEWS. NOT TO MENTION THAT THEY RTY TO SUPPORT LOCAL

ARTISTS BY DISPLAYING THEIR ART WORK ON THE WALLS. IT'S THE HANG OUT ICECREAM SHOP

FOR ADULTS.

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jessgottlieb

Joined 7 years ago

Great coffee shop. I'm a big fan of Francesca's. The atmosphere is great, the internet is free, and all of their food and drinks are great. I was especially impressed by the fact that their soup of the day was vegan--it can be tough to find vegetarian/vegan options in the area. Unfortunately it's hard to find an available outlet for plugging in the laptop on the weekends because the place is pretty busy.

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simul

Joined 7 years ago

OK desserts, great ice cream, coffee and cookies. The desserts have been both good and not-so-good. But the ice cream, coffee and all the little cookie things are great.

They have a brand of tea that's actually as good as loose leaf, but is sold in a bag. If you're a tea person, these may sound like heresey, but you have to try it (or at least see it) to understand why.

The best thing about the place is the vibe, which is friendly, smart and casual. Try going on a wednesday night, when the Go-club is in, and ask someone to teach you Go!

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

This grown-up ice cream parlor is a perennial favorite of Ninth Street shoppers.. In Short
Lavender art-covered walls and wrought-iron chairs keep this shop from looking cutesy. An added-on room provides plenty of space for the townies who stream in. Glass cases contain dozens of creamy gelato and sorbet flavors--like strawberry, Key lime pie and spumoni. You'll also find coffees, teas, real hot chocolate, cookies just golden and cakes--such as the popular mocha mousse cake.

Doesn't Recommend

williambraun86

Joined 9 years ago

Over Rated. Poor service, high prices and mediocre to bad food. The ice cream is average at best, everything else is awful. Blue Coffee or the Cafe at the Regulator are much better choices.

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porchose

Joined 10 years ago

Good for what it is. I'm not sure why people are getting so negative about this place. It is very good at what it does: an interesting variety of nice, refreshing ice creams/sorbets in a low-key environment. It is not really a top-caliber bakery or anything (e.g., flavors aren't so subtle), but that's okay.

Doesn't Recommend

Emilymc

Joined 11 years ago

Continues to disappoint. This is my second time to this dessert cafe. The only reason I tried it again was because it changed ownership. And again I was disappointed. The cake tasted very stale and broke apart as I tried it. I took it back. The only reason I gave this cafe a 3 was because the service was nice.

Doesn't Recommend

tjhmcewan

Joined 11 years ago

common ice cream, gelato prices. I went into this place expecting memories of southern Europe and instead I got glorified Breyer's. It cost a lot of money just to be disappointed! Fortunately, a new gelateria just opened on Hillsborough St that IS Authentic (and cheaper... and still homemade on-site) and they'll be getting my money from now on!!!

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DaniDesiree

Joined 11 years ago

So far, so good!. Great ice cream, and LOW FAT!!! Chocolate is really tastefull

Doesn't Recommend

anjali

Joined 11 years ago

Proceed with some caution.... ...as not everything is good here. They have many delicious and creative flavors of ice cream. The sugar cones are often stale and the sauces, including the hot fudge, are dreadful. The coffee is way overpriced and not very good. Their baked goods are mixed, but steer clear of the frosted layer cakes--attractive yet terrible. I often have trouble finding seating, but the ambiance is very pleasant and not too loud. Bottom line? Go there and eat the excellent ice cream and sorbet.