Bestia Mare

We dined here for the first time and loved the ambiance. The seating is a little tight but we couldn't hear our neighbors' conversations. We started with the ceviche and 3 different types of oysters. All delicious. Both very fresh and flavorful. I'm not normally a bread and butter person, but their bread is amazing and the same kind also served at their sister restaurant Culaccino across the street.

They let us know that the pasta servings were small so we ordered two to share along with scallops and a side of polenta. The linguine and clams had a wonderful sauce and ravioli with crab was also very good. The scallops (3 large) were perfectly cooked and served over black rice and a celery root purée. The flavors were very complementary. Our server was very friendly, helpful and attentive, but did rush us. We were there for dinner for about 2 hours. We had the carrot cake for dinner and it was a large portion, so we took half home. It was very good as well. Would recommend. Pricey, but worth it for a nice night out in picturesque downtown Franklin.

What a wonderful restaurant! So the dining room has amazing ambience inside with large glass windows offering a view of downtown Franklin. But truly the beautiful interior is even superseded by the food. On that...

We dined for lunch, and there seems to be a compromise (workable in my opinion) between full-on foodie and approachable classic menu choices, at least at lunch.
This works for me because it makes for a nice blend of adventure and comfort. On the foodie side, oh my, the cauliflower soup is a work of art. So much flavor and perfect texture! The color palette of this item is beautiful, especially since you can be forgiven for expecting it to come out white. Try the mussels, too. They add chili peppers to the broth for some well-balanced heat.
On the comfort side, the tuna salad is quite good, but would benefit from a sweet ingredient, like craisins or pecans perhaps. The fries are perfect every time.
One more telling compliment from us: The kids menu is awesome. Any restaurant that goes to lengths to ensure my kids eat as good as me deserves major kudos. The kids fish is a good as any adult fish & chips in town, and the Mac & cheese is just perfect al dente. I stole many bites from my daughter.
Well done, Sea Beast! Can't wait to come back very hungry for dinner.

Great service and good cocktails but the food is abysmal. Sadly to say when it comes to Italian it's all about simplicity
My vongole had Parmesan cheese, the ravioli with crab was inedible and manager had to take off menu
The red flag ...... I was thinking of getting risotto but I know it takes 20 minutes plus ... she tells me oh now we have that out in a few minutes. It was bland, gummy and just poorly done. The cioppino was dry and also not good. We were offered desserts, took food off the bill but until they simplify we cannot recommend. Could not say one dish was edible
The artichoke appetizer could have been one of the worst artichoke dishes I have ever had. Artichokes are easy and they just over complicated the enter dish. Literally tasted like a steamed Irish dish in a plate.. potatoes, with liquid.. just awful
Once again good service but food was just awful

Stopped by for drinks at this brand new restaurant. Unbelievable drinks exquisitely prepared by the bartender.
Food menu looks good too. Will have to come back for food and more drinks.

I didn't find any Italian food in Franklin until this restaurant. It's not like NY italian that I grew up on but what they do, they do well
Got the mussels to start. Rather have red sauce but still it had flavor and they weren't sandy. Very clean. Next was their version of linguine with white clam sauce. It's got a spicy kick but all good. Then the scallops which is mainly a seafood dish not exactly italian but it was great. Could use a 4th scallop.

Lovely meal at Bestia - fresh, innovative and seasoned perfectly! Can't wait to visit the rooftop when it warms up - great ambiance and perfect for a weeknight dinner or happy hour.

Just don't go. Not if you don't want the food you're eating taken from you as you're eating it. They cared more about turning the table than they did about us ordering apps, dinner and dessert. Also there was a hair in my husbands food. We spent nearly 500 to be rushed through a celebration dinner and treated like we were taking a table from them.

Sad part - the food is good. But hope you can eat fast.

Came back for a second visit tonight and it was wonderful yet again. We tried a few appetizers that we didn't have the first time around. The cauliflower soup was delicious. We also got the ceviche which was cooked, not sure if we'd get that again. Agnolotti was amazing just like last time. The linguine was also a hit with the table. The oysters were outstanding as well. For main meals we had the salmon and scallops as we had on our first visit. They were amazing yet again. We were very excited about the crème brûlée because we loved it so much on the first visit. I think they must have changed it because it didn't taste the same. It was okay but we liked it better the first time. Great service, great food, and a cool vibe. Definitely worth checking this place out.

If you are looking for a great Italian Seafood restaurant in Franklin this is the place. The design is great, one side has the bar and table seating and the other side had some bar stools that look into the kitchen sooo cool! Our server was great, Emily knew the details in the menu! Great lively vibe, people came here dressed to have a great experience! One thing they could do better is the speed of the bar service to the tables, it was sloooow. Over all it was a great experience. Cheers!

We'll definitely be back! The food and service is next level. We tried the steamed muscles, linguini and the Faroe Islands Salmon. Everything was absolutely delicious. We sat at the bar top and enjoyed watching everyone in the kitchen and the attention to detail they put into every plate. For drinks we tried the fancy free and Rose, both were fantastic. We can't wait to come back and explore more of the menu!