They validate here and gave plenty of parking. The food and service was good! Our server felt bad for our wait an gave us like 3 rounds of bread lol. The prices were pretty good too considering the atmosphere. I would go back here. The pasta tasted homemade! read more

Il Fornaio - Pappardelle alla Norcina con Pollo - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

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Food here is solid. Came for happy hour and an entree. The Tagliatelle Bolognese, a traditional meat ragu, was nice and lightly creamy. A delicious texture almost like it was homemade. The Arancini Al Sugo in bolognese sauce was delicious as well. Crispy on the outside and flavorful. And for dessert the Volcano, a warm chocolate cake with creamy center and caramel sea salt gelato was a perfect ending. Service was warm and attentive. read more

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I've been to Il Fornaio in Irvine two different times, and honestly the food has been really good both times. That's why it's disappointing that both visits had issues with charges being added without any explanation from the staff. The first time we went, we were offered bread and only later realized we were charged $4 for it. The second time was even more frustrating. Our waiter, Tony, asked if we wanted water, and when we said yes, he brought out a bottle of water that ended up costing $9. We thought we were just getting regular tap water like most restaurants automatically give. While sitting there, we noticed that tables around us with other waiters all had free glasses of tap water, while every table Tony was serving had the bottled water instead. When we got the check, we saw the $9 water charge and were also charged another $4 for bread that we didn't even receive this time. It honestly made us feel like Tony purposely avoids explaining prices so people end up paying extra without realizing it. On top of that, the service was really slow. We waited around 45 minutes for just one pasta dish and one pizza. The food itself was good, but the experience this time left a bad impression and made the whole dinner feel unpleasant. read more

Il Fornaio - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

Incredible service followed by amazing food. Special thanks to Rose for being so welcoming to our group and to Brian for making sure we got everything we need. The Hawaiian pizza and meat balls are a must have to get started. Followed by gin and tonic and a few martinis. Super grateful they're back in full swing better than ever. read more

Il Fornaio - It's lit! - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

This is a solid spot for Italian food in Irvine. Their Rigatoni alla Vodka is a must order. Also tried their Lasagne Ferrarese this time and it was solid. Love how they always have an additional specials menu. Dog friendly patio available too! read more

Il Fornaio - Lasagna Ferrarese Rigatoni alla Vodka - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

Il Fornaio is my new favorite italian place in Irvine. This place has great ambiance. It's a very large building and has multiple outdoor sections. The waitstaff upgraded our table last minute which was super nice. The service was also great and our waiter was extremely friendly, and gave us great wine recommendations. Also should mention there is valet and they validate your parking for you. Overall the ambiance outside was very nice and definitely the best part. Food was delicious, wine was great. Overall I would definitely recommend this place. Super nice spot for a family dinner or date night read more

Il Fornaio - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

We sat on the Patio this Thursday night for Happy Hour We were the only ones out there. It was a nice view. Service was ok. A few lulls but the food was great. My daughter had the margarita with lemoncello & loved it. $9 . We had the meatballs. Delish. 3 large with bread. So yummy. Then we had a minestrone soup which hit the spot. We finished off on one of their pizzas. Happy Hour was a success. read more

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Went here for a date and it was a good experience. Parking is in the parking garage and has to be validated in order not to pay for it. The restaurant itself is very nice and service is okay, maybe on the slower side if anything. The food was very good, we both got pasta dishes and they came out tasting fresh. read more

IL Fornaio on a good night is Delizioso! The special Spaghetti is a must. Please support this restaurant. It deserves to be an icon for the OC. Bravo! read more

Il Fornaio - Perfect....cut, eat and happy! - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

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I don't know how to feel. Not in a bad way, but I'm kind of shaken up by how my experience went. Again, not in a bad way. So, let's time travel back to when I went here for the first time. Shall we? Enter POV: I walk into the restaurant and immediately am attracted to the stunning ambiance. So pretty! So vibrant! My eyes are practically darting at 1,000,000 miles per second at just how much there is to take in. But that's just where the story begins. I am then greeted by a charming man who holds the door open for me(his name is Tony by the way). 'Nice,' I thought. 'This guy has basic manners.' I check in and sit down. That same man comes over to my table and introduces himself as my waiter. I grab my water and drink it really quickly and-woah, look at that, it's already gone. Not even 1 minute later, he's already come and filled it back up. He's on roller skates for sure. As for the food? It was nothing short of mouth-punching. Literally. I ordered the rigatoni vodka and asked them to make it spicy. Let's just say they did just that. Instead of most spicy vodka pastas I've had that have a gradual spice where it sneaks up on you, this spice just punches you in the face and leaves it at that. And honestly, I might prefer that over the gradual type. But even without the spice, the pasta was still amazing! So much flavor, it was like a dance party in your mouth. The sauce was especially excellent. Finally, I finish my meal and slump on my chair (carb coma), pay for my meal, and as I walk out the waiter holds the door for me. What a perfect night. 5/5 stars will be coming back. read more

Valet or 3 hours validated self parking in structure. Located in same plaza as Lifetime gym. Service is professional and attentive. Nice clean decor. Food is amazing. Freshly baked warm bread with olive oil and vinegar is so nice and comforting. Arugula salad with beets was so good, loved the goat cheese. Rigatoni alla norcina was chef's kiss, perfectly al dente, light and flavorful. Beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and veggies was delicious. Asked for rare and it came out perfect. Super tender and perfectly seasoned. Tiramisu to top it all off. Wonderful dinner. Impressed. read more

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Been going for 12 years! They have really made an effort to uplift the restaurant. I noticed new chairs, and new serving plates. Lot of new faces from servers but they are all usually pretty attentive. Marcello, I believe it the manager, he keeps the place running so smooth. Food is always good :) they have specials so check those out as well! The space is always packed and I love the private dining areas for holidays as well. Great for holiday parties or even family get together! read more

A group of us had dinner here. I used to come here a lot but hadn't been back in a few years. The restaurant itself looks the same and has held up over the years. The food was very mediocre. We ordered multiple appetizers and all of us had entrees, so I got a chance to try many of the dishes. Everything was bland and underwhelming. Service was OK except that our server got pulled into cover the bar, so we were ignored for a little while. He came back to take our dessert order but forgot to place the order for one person. We eventually got that dessert (they were gracious enough to comp it) but it costs us an extra half hour. Il Fornaio has always been a viable dinner option but with so many new restaurants in the area, there are probably better options. read more

I came here for a last minute dinner with some girlfriends on a Friday night and we were able to walk right in with no reservation. The service was spectacular! Our waiter was so kind and gave great recommendations. We got the burrata to share and it came with 4 servings. I got the margarita pizza which had a perfect crispy crust. read more

Il Fornaio - Margherita pizza - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

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I came here with a group of coworkers for lunch. The restaurant is nice and cozy. I love the complimentary fresh baked bread with olive oil and vinegar dip. It was so good. For appetizer, we had the fried calamari. It was nice and crispy and not oily. I ordered the seafood pasta. It was delicious and they even brought out more which went great with the pasta. For dessert, we ordered tiramisu which was a perfect end to our lunch. The service was great and our waiter came by several times to check on us. The reason I only rate this place as 4 stars because of the automatic 3% surcharge. read more

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Our entire family loves this restaurant! It's a staple in OC- food is always delicious, pasta cooked to perfection. Our server tonight, Tony, was delightful. Can't wait for our next visit! read more

Great service. Our waiter was so attentive and such a kind person. Oh Em Gee all the dishes were utterly amazing! Even the salmon with the Yukon gold potatoes. Every dish is worth mentioning, but I'll keep it short. The layout is nice and fancy, and I'll love to come back read more

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This Irvine Italian restaurant has earned a special place in my heart, having celebrated numerous milestones like birthdays and anniversaries within its walls. With over 40 visits under my belt, I can confidently attest to the exceptional service and commitment to using only the freshest ingredients. Their handmade pasta and margherita pizza are particular highlights, and I wholeheartedly endorse this establishment to anyone craving genuine Italian cuisine. read more

The food is quite nice for preparing a volume of customer on the weekend. The service was great. Thumb up on the ciopino. The sauce was thick and tasty. The seafood was tender and not overcooked. read more

4.5 stars! We had a reservation at Il Fornaio Irvine for a Thursday dinner, and they seated us right away. The restaurant wasn't too busy which was nice, too! Our server was super friendly and helpful, though the food took a little longer to come out I ordered the Casarecce al Pesto e Pollo, and it was really good! The pasta had a nice texture, and the pesto cream sauce was super flavorful. The sundried tomatoes added a slight sweetness that balanced everything out, and the chicken was tender. Definitely ideal for larger groups - we had 8 people! There were a lot of celebrations happening in and around the restaurant as well. read more

Il Fornaio - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

Butternut squash ravioli was outstanding. As was the chicken Marsala and Braised beef ravioli. Calamari and marinara was delicious. Bread and olive oil was ok. Strawberry sorbet was ok as was the bread pudding Nutella dessert. I would not order the deserts again. Service by the server was top notch. Everyone had an Italian accent and many birthdays were celebrated tonight. They sing in Italian. Nice atmosphere not too loud. read more

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It's the best Italian restaurant in town. Good foods good music. Service is great! Will call me back when i back to the town.

II Fornaio has become one of my favorite restaurants in Irvine. They offer some of the freshest and most delicious Italian food. They hand make their pasta I enjoy Linguine Alle Vongole. The restaurant was nice kind enough to make the seafood pasta with just clams in a white wine sauce cooked al dente. The calamari is also really good. The staff is very friendly and the decor inside is very nice. read more

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We've been to Il Fornaio several times when we're in the area, and the experience has been consistently the same: great ambience, mediocre food, and disappointing service. During our latest visit for the OC Restaurant Week menu, our server seemed rushed and a bit rude. Drinks took a long time, and although the set menu includes bread, he oddly asked if we wanted it after our appetizer had already arrived. It would have been nice to have the bread while we were waiting. The bigger issue was my main dish--it came out undercooked (basically raw). Our server was nowhere to be found, so I had to ask someone else for help. When he finally heard about it, he quickly said "I'm sorry" and walked away. That was it. Mistakes happen, but how they're handled matters. At many restaurants you get a sincere apology or some effort to make things right. Here, it felt like no one really cared. Overall, a very disappointing meal. read more

It was my friend and I's first time trying Il Fornaio and we were so impressed. The service was amazing, Tony was a top tier server. We were spoken to by the manager as well to welcome us for our first time. Truly an amazing place, the food was absolutely amazing as well. read more

Il Fornaio - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

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Tasty food, excellent wines, good service. For a corporate event, the food service area was a bit loud and the restrooms are a bit far away. read more

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I had such a wonderful experience at Il Fornaio, and I can't recommend it enough. From the moment we walked in, everything felt elevated--but what truly made our visit unforgettable was our waiter, Mauricio. He was absolutely phenomenal--attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about providing great service. You can tell he takes pride in what he does, and it shows in every interaction. The food was just as impressive. The caprese salad was incredibly fresh and flavorful--the quality of the ingredients really stood out, from the perfectly ripe tomatoes to the rich, creamy mozzarella. It was simple, but executed flawlessly. And I have to mention the bread... my daughter could not get enough of it! She kept going back for more, which says everything. Fresh, delicious, and the perfect start to our meal. Top-notch service, amazing food, and an all-around fantastic dining experience. We'll definitely be back! read more

I had been here once before when 2021 when they weren't offering dine-in so I didn't really get the feel of it (though I remember the food being good) a friend and I recently decided to celebrate here and wow, the food was absolutely great! We were very impressed with both of our dishes and the drinks were delicious but very strong, just the way we like them. The service was great, minus the fact that we were offered bread and thought it was complementary but it wasn't - I mean it was only a couple dollars but still. The way the server phrased it, it seemed like it came with the experience. Aside from that there's complementary valet parking for the first few hours which is nice because the parking garage can get confusing. There's indoor and outdoor seating as well. It's a cute spot to take a date or catch up with a friend over delicious Italian food. I'll definitely be back. read more

Il Fornaio - Tuscan lemonade - Italian Near Me - Irvine, California

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Took my girlfriend here for a special occasion and honestly it was good but not worth the price. I planned for reservations for 2 about 2 weeks ahead of time in hopes of getting a good table and we got seated in a corner side area which was underwhelming. The ordered the mafaldene and seafood linguine and while good, the price point didn't feel as justifiable. I felt I could have just as good as a dish at a lower end Italian restaurant. That being said, you would think we would be paying for service but we also didn't get checked in very much, and waited for a long time for our order to come out. Overall I don't know if I would come again on my own free will, especially if there's other Italian restaurants that I think could do better. read more

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Food, service and ambiance was out of this world, great cozy genuine Italian place, real clean and organized, the service was out of this world! read more

The pizza and lobster ravioli were the only two dishes that stood out to me. The rigatoni alla vodka was quite dry and not saucy enough. Service was amazing, my server was always attentive and made sure everything was okay and bought out everything very quickly. It's a cute Italian place, nice for date night or a special occasion. read more

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This place is amazing. Rafael is doing an incredible job at keeping this place really nice. The food is fantastic. Wonderful date spot. 1-10 it's a 100!!!! read more

I enjoy this restaurant every time I come. It's very cute and I love that they welcome you each time you come in. I love the food here and try to pick something different if not I go with my usual. This last time I got the steak, which was very enjoyable, tender, and I loved the sauce that it came with and went well with the spinach and mash. We always get the fresh bread which is also so good, hot and crispy. Wish I had some now lol We are always treated so well here and everyone is kind and happy! We can't wait to come back read more

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Yesterday my friend and I randomly chose this restaurant -- and it turned out to be the best spontaneous decision So cozy, aesthetic, and truly comfortable. Service was top-level, and the food was absolutely delicious. A big bonus -- free parking, which is rare for places like this. Definitely coming back again! read more

Yes I have been going there for over 25 years in any City that I was in. But after call it some how unfortunately all of the chefs that knew how to make pasta carbonara have retired or suffered from COVID. I have tried three different restaurants up and down the West Coast.... No one knows how to make pasta carbonara which was their signature dish on the menu. It's almost so it's not on the menu anymore. The last time I visited another restaurant of your chain.... They gave me Petty pasta without alfredo sauce on it. No carbonara sauce, no chicken, no peas, no parmesan, and no prosciutto!!!! One restaurant said oh people don't like the prosciutto because it's poor well it. is America we have different things other than bacon we have turkey bacon we have turkey pepperoni...etc. pasta carbonara with capellini with peas chicken crispy bacon or prosciutto with the wonderful sauce used to be exquisite. There is nothing else that caused my name in this restaurant and if it did I believe that they probably have accident from the original recipes also. Yes I can make it myself... On a hot day or a busy week or just exhausted and you want atmosphere and for Nile has the atmosphere at least in Los Angeles and Seattle beautiful restaurants but it's destroyed if the food does not match its standards as it was before for 25 plus years. There is no egg problem anymore, at least not today. Yes anything can happen but do you know how much they charge for a pile of pasta and a 99 cents bottle or jar of alfredo sauce on top. Sorry I don't like Alfredo sauce I think any alfredo sauce is just nothing to me I like carbonara sauce. Pasta Roni parmesan taste better that what was served to me for over $50! Don't worry Il Fornaio... You're not the only restaurant that has forgotten how to make pasta carbonara... You used to be the best! read more

Another great visit These were outstanding _ Linguine Mare Chiaro _Chicken pappardelle pasta Ins Bietole Cestino Del Pane Ling Mare Pappardelle Alla Norcina Salmon Grig read more

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Back again to Il Fornaio! It might have been those delicious Mac and cheese bites, that brought me back. The ricotta and honey cheese fondue is great too. That rhymed, but wasn't on purpose lol I got the pear salad and added salmon. The salad itself was good with the pecans and pear slices. It had good flavor. I'm glad I added salmon though, so it would be more filling. The salmon had really good flavor. I just wish it was a thicker slab of salmon. My fiancé always gets one of the pastas and enjoys those. It usually has meat in the pasta. He says it has good flavor. This place is a win for both of us. We will order from Il Fornaio again. read more

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Great service! Our server was so kind! We did the OC restaurant menu so we tried the 3 course dinner with a Caesar salad, the salmon, and the berry torte. We got the tiki drink as well as the raspberry lemonade. Drinks were delicious. Food was tasty read more

Il Fornaio is hands down one of the best Italian spots I've ever been to. I went with my family and from the moment we walked in, the experience was exceptional. The service was warm, welcoming, and attentive -- they made us feel right at home. The food? Absolutely amazing. Authentic Italian cuisine with rich, delicious flavors in every bite. You can tell everything is made with love and tradition. If you're looking for real Italian taste and top-notch service, Il Fornaio is the place. Five stars all the way! read more

My wife and I decided to stop here for an early dinner while it was still happy hour. Happy Hour is only served in the bar, which is fine as it was a beautiful area. We ordered the arancini off the Happy Hour menu and the tagliatelle bolognese off the regular dishes. Both dishes were solid in preparation and taste but I wouldn't describe them as top notch Italian. Both, also, were generous portions. The arancini was filling but I believe should have been crispier on the surface. The tagliatelle bolognese was on the bland side for flavor. The chili flakes helped. We also had the molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert, which was indulgent and well prepared. The decor of the restaurant is stunning with a very luxe look. The service when we were there was definitely hit and miss. Our first waiter left the menus for us and then disappeared for a long while. When we were served our dishes a pleasant woman served them to us and added the parmesan cheese. And then it was a second waiter who gave us water and the bill. Maybe we came during an off time. read more

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