Il Fornaio is a beautiful restaurant to dine at that has a nice high end feel. Pricing-wise, I'd say the food is mid-high in tier, but doesn't reach the cost of other such places - which is a great thing as Il Fornaio is a wonderful place to hold a special event or celebration. You'll definitely enjoy the elegant decor and picturesque dining room. As the name suggests, Il Fornaio is an Italian restaurant that serves pasta dishes, salads, soups, and other Italian fare. The food is well presented and and the quality is certainly there. It didn't disappoint, but I personally wasn't blown away by it either. It's just very solid you get what you pay for food. Usually that means you buy cheap food and you get cheap tasting stuff, but here you pay a good amount and you get pretty good food. We came on a pretty busy evening and service took a little longer than I expect that it typically would. But overall it wasn't bad... just very busy. I do think that Il Fornaio does get pretty busy regularly because it is a popular restaurant in Sacramento. Just keep that in mind on busy nights like weekends and special dates. read more

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I wasn't expecting good Italian food in Sacramento, so when a colleague suggested this place for dinner, I agreed. Im also not much an Italian food fan really. Crazy I say this as I was in a serious relationship once with an Italian lol. I know I sound like a miserable wretched human being, but its quite ubiquitous and a lot of it is not too hard to make. But I do like a good pizza and there are Italian dishes I like (ones I cannot make like Sardinian wild boar or squid ink pasta). First, this dining room is gorgeous, the bar space is really nice. Saw a handsome gent in a nice suit sitting at the bar, which was a nice accessory to an already elegant and dare I say sexy bar? I had a drink here and then our party moved to a table when everyone arrived. My colleague did us the favor and ordered some antipasti dishes for us and made good choices. The carpaccio was great (and I loved the grana padano cheese - one that I can have) and also enjoyed the tartara di tonno - which is seared ahi tuna. Both with copious amounts of arugula (my favorite). Great choices as I love raw anything that's well made. Since it was Tuesday, one of my colleagues ordered the pasta trio which is a special for Tuesdays. No idea if it was any good, but colleague cleaned the plate. My other colleague ordered the risotto (which looked great and I love risotto and can make it myself), large portion size and she had a good portion leftover for another meal. I had the branzino in crosta. The portion size for my dish was ridiculous. Fish was decent, but I have had better (in Italy fresh caught). Rooted veggies were probably my favorite (I'm a rabbit and love veggies) and the grilled polenta was so-so. My colleagues ordered panna cotta al limone and it was excellent. I am used to a denser consistency panna cotta and this one was lighter one but well made. I love limoncello or anything with lemons, so this was just lovely. There is only one kind of tiramisu (more pudding style) I like which is made by North Italia and the one here likely was the traditional tiramisu so I declined to get dessert. Overall, a very good choice for a business dinner. Food was good. I deducted one star because I am not much into chain restaurants and prefer to support mom and pop type places. I deducted another star because the service was so SLOW and while we ordered some sparkling for the table, some of us did not get still water and I recall not having much water to drink and its summer. Also, I think the New Yorker in me just doesnt have much patience, but it does seem the cadence here was a different speed I am used to. I'd definitely return to have a few cocktails at the bar, and come back for their HH specials too. This location is in a beautiful setting and I'd come back just to sit at the bar and quietly ogle which cutie might show up... read more

We had the most delicious food here for my husbands birthday. We were set on the outer area and it was beautiful. Our server was awesome as well! read more

Il Fornaio - Ravioli Lucana - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Il Fornaio is an upscale Italian cuisine chain restaurant with several locations in Northern California. Although I had been many times in Walnut Creek this was my first time in downtown Sacramento. It's a beautiful classically designed space, elegant and spacious with a variety of seating areas and choices. Four of us for lunch were seated in a center booth. These particular booths are overly long and can easily accommodate six to eight diners. The menu is typical Italian fare with multiple courses available, appetizers, first plate, second plate and so forth. I liked the Walnut Creek location as they had monthly menus of particular Italian regional cuisines. Bread w/oil & vinegar was offered for the table and water was brought immediately. I had an iced tea with lemon for an accompanying drink choice. We all had salads for a starter course and I had the beet salad which was quite delicious. It had lots of crisp greens and squares of beets, primariy light colored. It was lightly dressed as not to overpower the main ingredients. For my main or primary course I had the lasagne. It was a huge portion and I ended up taking half home, which was enjoyed later. The lasagne was perfectly made and very robust with solid flavor, and just enough sauce for the noodles, meat and cheese to blend together perfectly. It came out piping hot and I would definitely get it again. Service was very professional and efficient. Everything went like clockwork. Overall a very nice experience in a pleasant atmosphere. Good conversation and not at all rushed, plus good food. read more

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We celebrated Mother's Day here recently and had a great experience. Parking is easy enough. There is a parking garage right next to the restaurant and they validate. The hostesses, our server, and everyone there was great and friendly. They were very attentive and there was not a long wait for anything. I love that they are kids friendly and there are lots of options on the menu. They make everything from scratch so you can taste the quality in the food. The restaurant is beautiful with higher ceilings and an open kitchen. There is some noise so you can talk and not worry about disturbing others. Definitely a good spot to try Calamari - 5/5, one of the best calamari we've had! It had a nice light batter and the calamari was sooo tender. That was the best part. I don't like chewy calamri Linguine mare chiaro - 5/5. So good! Has a good creamy tomato flavor, tons of yummy seafood, and the fresh thin pasta had a good chew to it. The seafood was cooked perfectly. It also has the slightly kick/spice to it. Just FYI. It's very mild and my husband said he couldn't tell. Lasagna - 5/5, also very good. It's a big portion. The layers of lasagna were tender and easy to eat with a fork. I really enjoyed the flavors in the lasagna Kids pizza - 5/5, good traditional thin crust pizza and you can tell it was cooked in the brick oven Kids pasta (tube pasta with bolognese) - 5/5, good traditional flavors, my kids loved it and almost ate it all Vulcano dessert - 4/5, good tender molten lava type cake, the sea salt caramel ice cream that came with it is good on its own, but I would have preferred regular vanilla ice cream to balance out the richness of the cake read more

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Another great night at Il Forniao for a quick bite before the movies. A few specials going on at Il Forniao. Tonight, Monday nights is happy hour all day long, so we ordered the calamari and pizza. It's the best calamari I've had, from anywhere! I also ordered the Sogliola Alla Grecca ( filet of sole) from the specials menu, and it was excellent. The spumoni is the best I've ever had as well. We were able to dine within the two hour parking validation period, without having to pay any additional fees. read more

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Our server, Marcelo, was competent and the setting has a welcome old-time majesty, with soaring ceilings and plaster fleur-de-lis decorations on the walls. The bread, though an added surcharge, was warm, yeasty, and pleasant. The cons were more substantial. The fusilone in basil cream was okay: the sauce was tasty, but the pasta was slightly overcooked. The menu says the pasta is made in-house, though this dish did not have the texture or character I associate with fresh house-made pasta. The beet and arugula salad was straightforward. The dressing leaned acidic. Given personal preference, we did not hold that strongly against them, but it is worth noting for anyone who does not enjoy a sharp, mouth-puckering dressing on greens. The half roast pollo toscano was the biggest failure. It tasted old, dry, and lacked the easy-to-achieve magic that a good roast chicken can have. As a former chef, it had the texture of chicken cooked ahead and reheated for service. That technique can work, but it did not work here, or at least not on the night we ordered it. At $34, I do not expect unusual or stellar flavor combinations, but the protein needs to be cooked correctly. The nutmeg in the mashed potatoes was also a bit heavy-handed. I did not complain at the table because I do not like asking to be comped, especially in an industry as difficult as restaurants. But for the same reason, I would not feel right accepting a reduced check and then softening an honest review. I do not have anything against Il Fornaio, and I hope they improve, but this particular meal was disappointing. read more

I've been here multiple times, with friends and family. Their food is SO good, and I love the vibe. Service is always great here too. I always get the mari chiaro, and it's delicious. Their espresso martini is also good, and I am picky! read more

I've been here twice now, and both visits have been great. The music is at the perfect volume; lively enough to create a nice atmosphere but quiet enough that we could actually enjoy a conversation. Cory, the manager, checked in with us both times to make sure everything was going well. She was incredibly friendly and even made sure our parking was validated before we left, which was a thoughtful touch. My favorites are the Bruschette Assortite and, of course, the tiramisu. Both are absolutely worth ordering! read more

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I hosted my birthday dinner here with 13 of my closest friends, and it was an amazing experience. We did have to wait a little for our reservation, but they were very accommodating and even allowed us to stay an extra hour since some of my friends arrived late. We booked the Bologna room, and it fit everyone comfortably. I brought a speaker to play music, but we had to keep it low since the walls are thin. They don't provide music unless you pay to use their sound system or projector, which I chose not to do since the dinner itself was already a big expense. The host was very kind, and while they can be a bit strict with customizations, it's understandable given the size of our party. By the end of the night, we were having great conversations with the manager, bartender, and staff, and it honestly felt like we were family. They did a great job staying attentive to a large group, and the food was amazing. I had the steak, which was really good, and also ordered a Shirley Temple that was perfectly balanced not too sweet and not watered down. They were also helpful in guiding guests and assisting with parking, which I believe is covered for up to two hours, with any additional time paid afterward. The restaurant is connected to a hotel, which made everything convenient. Overall, I would definitely host another event here. Next time, I might switch up the menu or consider using their sound system or projector. I wasn't trying to overspend, but still wanted a quality experience, and I think it was reasonably priced for the number of people and amount of food we had. read more

Il Fornaio - Private room table decor - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Amazing service, amazing food and beautiful atmosphere. Been going here for years for special occasions and it hit every single time. Our server was incredible and very attentive. We were always made sure we had fresh bread, balsamic vinegar, water and olive oil. It's absolutely beautiful inside too great atmosphere and there is no bad seat in the house. For parking there is a good amount of street parking in the area and walks are covered by trees. The food was delicious, I had the seafood pasta and it was a lil spicy but so yummy. read more

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Update review: I come here once in a while. Maybe once or twice a year. Through the years, I've been coming here, the service is hit or miss. But they are mostly good experiences and the food is pretty good. This time it was a hit. We had a good server this time. Maybe because, the place was slow. We tried their pizza this time. We usually just order a pasta. The pizza was pretty good. We liked it. The pasta dishes are usually pretty good here. I would come more often for the food, but the service isn't consistent. They are very slow and usually the servers are no where to be found. It is mostly good than bad though. I just don't want to pay for something and the service is horrible. Parking: You can park in the Wells Fargo parking lot or find street parking. read more

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ITS MY BIRTHDAY! We chose this place because we hadn't been here in a long time. Food - we ordered the special of the night - sea bass, which was fantastic! Also, the Mare, which was good, and the rigatoni with vodka sauce which was slightly dry. We ordered drinks - a vodka with olives on the rocks (olives were forgotten. Oops!) A dirty martini, up and a Manhattan tha included a Maraschino cherry....excuse me? We were charged an extra fee for "on the rocks" - yikes lol That was a first, but I guess wherever you can get it? Never again for us though, because wtf. Ambience was amazing. Service was ok. Not sure we'll be back - things have changed here and I'm not sure for the best. For $300+ for three people, I'm thinking Waterboy or Ella... read more

First and foremost, thank you to their hostesses, they were extremely nice and welcoming! We didn't have a reservation but they were willing and able to work with us!!! And thankfully we were able to get a table! The server was very friendly, the bread was delicious and freshly crunchy and soft at the same time! The buss boy was super generous with the cheese, and made sure to double check with us! The pastas were perfectly cooked, one of the pastas (zucchini flower) was a bit on the blander side, but a lil salt, pepper and cheese helped forsure. It was nice and quiet, with a bit of the outside pride celebration being in the background. read more

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I usually go to the Roseville location, but since I moved to this area, I finally got to check out this one. It's honestly the same experience at either location. I never have any complaints. If there's an issue, they handle it promptly and professionally. I got the Pasta Trio for lunch which they offer on tuesdays. I had some bread and butter while I waited, and drank a delicious Moscato. For dessert, I had a scoop of their caramel sea salt gelato. Everything was good. The service was great, whether it was with the manager, bartender, or server. The atmosphere is calm and the customers were pretty quiet. It's nice and spacious. They have a bright and open layout. The bar is bigger at this location, like 3 times more. They have a TV available. I went around 12:30pm and there weren't that many people. There was a couple people at the bar and only a few tables taken throughout the rest of the restaurant. Your best bet for parking is to use the Wells Fargo Parking Garage. It's super easy to get in and out since you just pay online. The restaurant offers valet, or they can validate your parking. read more

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I was quickly greeted by the hostess with a smile and told I could pick any seat at the bar as its first come first serve seating. I chose a seat right in the middle. It was a Tuesday afternoon and just starting to have people trickling in for their great happy hour. The bartender (did not get his name) greeted me and handed me both the regular and happy hour menus. The happy hour menu had a selection of cocktails for $8, some wine and beers also discounted and some bites. I decided on the house's take on an Aperol Spritz and it hit the spot! It was bright, not to sweet and had that perfect balance of bitter. The presentation was pretty and I enjoyed it so much I got a second. I had seen an advertising on Facebook for a trio of pasta special they have on Tuesdays and could not get it off my mind so that's what I came in for on a mission. The pasta was delivered by a manager named Ryan that was very pleasant and didn't scoff at the workout I gave his wrist grating the copious amounts of Parmesan lol. They give you 3 generous portions of their handmade pasta with 3 different sauces each equally delicious. One is their tagliatelle with bolognese. The sauce was deliciously meaty and the pasta so delicate. The second was a pistachio based pesto with shrimp on a twisted pasta. The pesto was Devine and the shrimp were succulent and generous for the mini portion. The third was a rigatoni style pasta in an incredible vodka sauce. I couldn't pick a favorite and ate as much as I could of all 3. I had the bartender box up the rest for me and he went above and beyond, packaging up all 3 pastas carefully in their own containers and labeling them, bravo! It's hard to find such great service and attention to detail these days. I had a free Tiramisu for my birthday (sign up for their rewards program) and had that boxed up as well. It was also well packaged and looks amazing. read more

Il Fornaio - Pasta Trio (Tuesdays) - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

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We came on a Monday and didn't know ithat Mondays are happy hour all day. Nice surprise. From the happy hour menu we ordered the fried Calamari and the Margarita Pizza, and Cauliflower appetizers. Verdict - Calamari was pretty good, though the pieces were small - Margarita Pizza was a bit disappointing (crust a bit dry) - Cauliflower was tasty and delicious Besides the happy hour items, we also ordered the lobster raviolis, gnocchi, and our favorite, the chicken papperdelle pasta. - gnocchi was in a heavy cream sauce and nicely seared - the lobster was a miss (sauce was not very good) - chicken papperdelle pasta was so good. Nice truffle flavor, generous amount of grilled chicken, and long al dente papperdelle pasta! They were a bit business and server forgot our calamari, but they took it off the bill since it came out so late. We'll be back! read more

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I had such a wonderful time tonight at Il Fornaio. I've dined here before for work events & other lunches but came here on my own for a quick bite tonight. Even though it's a chain, it's got this perfect balance - great for a date night or a business dinner. I went for the pasta trio deal ($20 for a limited time on Tuesdays, I believe; rigatoni alla vodka, casarecce pistachio e gamberetti which was like a pesto shrimp pasta, and a tagliatelle bolognese) and it did not disappoint. Very flavorful and the portions are what you would expect for a $20 meal! I would not recommend only ordering this if you're super hungry. I had a Caesar salad to start and it was good. But honestly, the highlight was the service. My server, Jose, was attentive and warm, and the manager, Ryan (I think?), who seated me, made me feel really welcome. Jose checked on me frequently and was just very friendly. It was a fantastic experience at a restaurant with a clean, elegant ambiance. Definitely coming back! read more

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Very disappointing from beginning to end. I started with a classic Old Fashioned and it arrived in a margarita glass over crushed ice with two maraschino cherries. It honestly tasted more like an adult Shirley Temple without the carbonation. I had to send it back because it just missed the mark completely for what this drink should be. I then tried the margarita italiano, which also fell flat. It tasted more like something you would expect from a casual chain restaurant like Applebee's or Chili's, not a higher-end dining spot. The mango flavor tasted like a syrup/flavoring instead of fresh mango. For food, we ordered a pizza that was pretty underwhelming and not something I would go back for. My partner had the linguine mare chiaro, which was also just okay. The sauce tasted bland and one-dimensional, and the seafood did not stand out at all. We gave the tiramisu a chance hoping dessert might redeem the meal, and while it was the best part of the dinner, it was still only fine overall. Overall, the entire experience felt underwhelming and not aligned with what I would expect from the price point or reputation. read more

Review is for Thanksgiving dinner 2025. Il Fornaio is an Italian restaurant chain with locations everywhere, and its been so long since we visited that we didn't have any memories of the food here. Well, Thanksgiving dinner was superb and a resounding 5 stars for food, ambiance, and service. We were so impressed that we'll probably frequent the Walnut Creek branch, which is closer to home. The restaurant is located in the Wells Fargo building and is clearly visible from the street. There's a pay parking lot next door that the restaurant will reimburse for 2 hrs. Gorgeous restaurant with high ceilings, and plants everywhere to give it a garden feel. The lobby of the Wells Fargo building has a huge Christmas Tree which is worth checking out. I ordered the Thanksgiving dinner which included an excellent butternut squash soup, fresh endive salad with walnuts, grapes, and feta, and of course the main course. The turkey was among the softest, juiciest I've had in recent memory. Thinly sliced, and flavorful enough to not need much gravy or cranberries. But hey, it's Thanksgiving so slather it on! Wife ordered from the limited core menu and went low-carb with the mixed seafood grill. Perfectly cooked salmon, seabass, shrimp, and scallops. Seafood heaven for sure. Since its on the core menu, we'll likely order this dish again from the other Il Fornaio branches. My 5yo son also gulped down the entire plate of rigatoni with lemon butter sauce. He's usually super picky with shakes, preferring penne. Rigatoni is close enough and maybe he skipped breakfast and lunch to war all that pasta. But there's more - Thanksgiving is not complete without a slice of spiced pumpkin pie and side of vanilla ice cream. Perfect end to a 5-star meal and obviously we split this 3 ways so only 1/3 the calories. read more

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We come by here whenever they have a special on their pizzas. So always be on the look out for a deal. Their pizza is always pretty consistent but a little pricy for us. We got the mushroom and prosciutto on one. The other a spicy meat pie. Both were really good. Can never go wrong with a pizza from here. read more

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Omg the food is AMAZING!! I love the pasta here! You can tell it's freshly made. The truffle potato appetizer is OUTSTANDING The only thing I would change would be the type of bread they have. I wish it was focaccia. read more

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Cute spot that has lovely interior design, ideal for date night. Casarecce Pistachio E Gamberetti: B+ Short pasta twists, with shrimp, pistachio pesto sauce, and stacciatella. It was quite a tasty dish and the pasta is perfectly al dente. Love the pesto but the pistachio flavor doesn't come through as prominently. Service is good. Prices are on the higher side. read more

Il Fornaio - Casarecce Pistachio E Gamberetti - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

Business-district Italian restaurants are rarely memorable, but the bar at Il Fornaio on Capitol Mall in downtown Sacramento is a surprisingly pleasant place after a long day of meetings. The corporate set would approve. From the outside it is inside one of those perfectly respectable but completely anonymous office towers you find everywhere. Marble lobby, brown tones, corporate neutrality. The kind of building that could just as easily house a regional insurance firm or consulting office in suburban Anywhere, USA. Inside is a pleasant surprise. The dining room is airy with unusually high ceilings, and the bar is framed by a dramatic wall of bottles that climbs nearly to the ceiling. The bar was a perfect place for a solo diner like me. Downtown Sacramento happened to be a little livelier than usual that evening thanks to a Nine Inch Nails concert downtown and some of that energy carried into Il Fornaio. I ordered the Salmon alla Griglia, which normally comes with sautéed spinach and roasted potatoes. I swapped the potatoes for double spinach and asked for the salmon medium rare. The kitchen delivered exactly that. The salmon was simply prepared with lemon and olive oil, and that simplicity works when the fish is prepared correctly. Mine was nicely cooked and the spinach was sautéed well. Sometimes restraint is exactly what a dish like this needs. One small detail that stood out in a positive way: the plate arrived hot and the spinach retained its structure rather than collapsing into oil. That's the kind of execution that usually signals a kitchen that's paying attention. I paired it with a glass of St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc ($18), which was crisp and a good match for the fish. One service moment did stand out, and not in a good way. When I asked for lemon, the bartender grabbed cocktail lemons from the garnish tray behind the bar and dropped them directly onto my plate. That may sound small, but it isn't. No diner wants bar garnish handled and tossed unceremoniously onto their food, especially on a $39 entrée. Proper lemon wedges from the kitchen would have taken seconds and avoided the moment entirely. I finished with an espresso. The bar had a serious-looking machine, but when I asked about a cortado the bartender didn't know how to make one. One other note: the restaurant adds a 3% surcharge "to support employee programs and benefits." This kind of pass-through always feels like corporate accounting theater. Just price the menu accordingly and pay your staff well. Customers don't need to be enlisted in the internal cost structure of the business. Overall, Il Fornaio works well for what it is: a comfortable, attractive, corporate safe, business-district restaurant with solid food and a lively room. Not destination dining, but a perfectly good vspot after a long day of meetings in downtown Sacramento. Verdict: A good corporate Italian restaurant with a beautiful bar and competent kitchen, let down slightly by small but avoidable service details. read more

Its been a while since I've been here however, the two meals that we order were subpar. When you order a seafood pasta dish(linguine mare) you would hope that the seafood is visible, very small amount and in size, not fresh and cooked right. The sauce was greasy and overpowering. It was not at all the level of this establishment, although the manager did give us 50% off our bill, which I appreciated. I just need people to know that seafood dish needs to be adjusted. read more

We went to Il Fornaio last night at the downtown Sacramento location. Upon arrival there was no one at the frond to greet any of the guests. There was a group of 3 waiting to be helped, us and and another couple. After more than 5 minutes someone did come to the front to start talking with all of us. Turns out he the manager who we also saw serving food a bit later. So essentially he was doing 3 jobs that we saw which you can imagine only means how thinly stretched the remaining staff was. Our server was nice but they were way under-staffed for the number of clients. Drinks were stacked up at the bar waiting to be delivered. Our wine was HOT, I asked for ice 3 times before we got some just so I could drink the wine. Given the time it took for the glass in the 1st place no way I was going to send it back. We had to ask multiple times for the same thing. She cleared our app plated with our silverware and we had to ask for new flatware when the main dishes were served. She apologized for how the evening was going and offered us a complimentary dessert to help smooth things over. We weren't going to but decided OK.. and I ordered coffee which I asked if it was made so they wouldn't have to do one more thing. It was slightly above room temperature which I didn't realize before I added cream so I basically ended up with cold coffee to along with my dessert. The food was good, the server tried but if the manager isn't going to staff to help the workers and the guest experience I fear they will have to close that location. read more

The food was absolutely delicious, fresh, flavorful, and packed with great taste. The quality was excellent, and that's the reason I'm still giving this restaurant a positive review. Unfortunately, the portion size of my to-go order was incredibly disappointing. I spent about $45 and honestly felt like I received a kids' meal. What made it even more frustrating is that I've ordered the exact same dish while dining in at another location of this restaurant, and that serving was at least twice as large. The difference wasn't subtle, it was significant. I'm not sure if this location serves much smaller to-go portions or if this was just an isolated mistake, but the value simply wasn't there. The food itself was outstanding, and I'd definitely order again, but I hope the restaurant makes the portion sizes more consistent, especially when customers are paying full price. read more

My son brought me here as he said this was the second best lasagna he has ever had second only to one he had in Belgium. I must say that it was really good as were the craft cocktails. read more

Il Fornaio - Lasagna Ferrarese - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Went here for prom with a large group of 12. They seated us at two tables and we were separated. Good food, decent prices for quality. A manager came out to compliment us on our attire. Good service. Don't know if we would come again. read more

Il Fornaio - Seafood pasta - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

The ambiance was very nice. Everything is very clean and spacious. The service was excellent the waiters are so friendly. The food was great everything we got had great flavor and the bread they provide you with is soft. Definitely Will be trying this again. read more

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imagine waiting 2 hours for appetizers only for everything to be cold. Now imagine asking nicely for the staff to reheat the cold appetizers only to never see them and then an hour later your entryees come. Now imagine when the entrees come everything is cold. One plate was ice cold. Imagine asking immediately to speak to a manager and instead the staff closes the blinds on your entire family so no other customers can see you. Once the blinds were closed. Not a single staff member spoke to us. We just sat there all night. My family ended up leaving. My brother and I stayed to pay the bill. We waited another 30 minutes and nobody came. So we were like ok is this ihop? do we pay up front? We went to the front and we found the manager that never wanted to speak to us. My brother said "three orders were wrong and honestly the food was really cold we wanted to speak to you right when the food came". The manager replied: Nope! I touched every plate before it came to you and it was hot!!! We were in shock. The lady didn't even want to speak to us for the 4 hours we were there when we requested. When the food first came we asked for the manager to see how cold the food was and she never came. I'm the type of person to rarely give bad reviews but if you are a person of color definitely DO NOT GO HERE its like the jim crow south. read more

I really enjoyed this restaurant, it has such a cute and cozy plant-filled setting that feels welcoming. Our waiter was polite, but since it was our first visit, I had to ask for recommendations instead of him offering suggestions. I ended up trying the ravioli, which was tasty, though it came out more room temperature than hot. I understand they like to bring out all the food together, but a warmer plate would've made it even better. We did have to wait a little while, and our waiter seemed very busy bussing around to other tables, almost like there weren't enough staff to help out. Still, he did his best, and we appreciated his service. We were there to celebrate a birthday, and they surprised us with a free birthday gelato dessert (a $9 value), which was such a nice touch! They also validate parking for up to 2 hours, I only paid \$6.99, which was very reasonable. Overall, the atmosphere was beautiful, the food was good, and despite the wait, I'd love to come back and try more of their pasta dishes. read more

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Food and service was great! Order some pizza and enjoyed the wine! The menu had a lot of choices and had food for everyone.. read more

Il Fornaio is my go to for nice Italian food in Sacramento. My favorite is the lasagna here. Always service hot and fresh and boiling in the pan. The servers always nice and professional. Service has been vast majority of the days. Anytime there have been a mishaps, il Fornaio has always made it right. This is a classy establishment with high ceilings. Priced pretty moderately, but it will worthwhile. read more

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We tried several dishes here. The pizza was fine, nothing particularly memorable. The bolognese with tagliatelle pasta was really good though. The scallops were good as well, and the sauce was really delicious. The polpo appetizer was really well done. We also tried the grilled artichoke special, which was interesting. The sampler bruschetta was enjoyable, and the tiramisu was really good. The service was friendly and accommodating to our group dining experience. The space is beautiful with very high ceilings, creating an impressive atmosphere. This is a fun spot for after-work gatherings with colleagues - the atmosphere and variety of options make it good for groups. Overall, Il Fornaio offers delicious Italian dishes in a beautiful setting. read more

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Stopped by with the team for dinner last night. It was a really good experience. The server was very attentive the restaurant has beautiful decor and the team enjoyed all the food. I highly recommend the Branzino it was a hit with the team. read more

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Had a reservation here Tuesday night and the restaurant was fairly empty. Service was very slow and our servers were not attentive at all. Ambiance was beautiful, just what we were looking for. Food was delicious also! read more

Il Fornaio - Chicken Pollo alla Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

Went in for Mother's Day 2026 and the service was excellent as well as the food. Here are the latest menu items with the prices. Thank you Whitney for being our waitress as you are very good at your job. read more

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Our experience here was just subpar. I am a server and I am very understanding but I cannot find excuses or explain away the service we received here. We came in on a Sunday night at and it was about 7:45 when we were seated. The section of the restaurant we sat in (patio) was relatively empty. There were maybe 3-4 other tables seated in this section. I appreciated the overhead heaters and the beautiful outdoor plants. It created a nice ambiance. The tables were clean and set nicely. Our server, Jasmine wasn't very accommodating and didn't provide good customer service. She had a bit of an attitude from the beginning of the interaction which did not set a good tone. Jasmine lacked fine dining etiquette. We had to ask for bread to be brought to the table maybe 10 minuets after placing our food orders. My Mom and I both ordered salads, which came out and were great. I also ordered a cup of minestrone soup for my daughter from the children's menu and a bowl for myself from the regular menu which we expected to come after our salads. When Jasmine was clearing the bread plates, my mom's fork was resting on her plate, Jasmine grabbed the plate and dropped the fork on the table. My Mom wasn't done with the plate. Jasmine did not offer to bring my Mom a new clean fork either. After our salads, our entrees were brought out by a man who stated Jasmine would be coming right out with the soups, then maybe 3 minuets later our soups came. My daughter was brought a full size bowl of minestrone - she's 4. I specifically ordered her soup and macaroni from the children's menu - so I was confused why she brought the full bowl of soup from the adult menu to a 4 year old. I also was confused as to why our soups were brought after the entree. It was then quite crowded on the table with all the plates at this point. We stacked the salad plates in the corner of the table and it took her quite some time to check back in and remove the plates. On a small table for 4 people we now had 2 large bowls of soup, a child's serving of macaroni, my mom's salmon entree and my pizza. I felt rushed to eat my soup because I didn't want my pizza to cool down... which it did. My daughter didn't want to eat her macaroni because it was completely cold by the time she finished eating her soup. Jasmine did not check in to see how everything was working out for us and at this point my mom and I were really disappointed in the service we were receiving - apart from that, the quality of the food was much lower than what we had previously experienced at this location. My daughter's macaroni was bland with very little flavor, the minestrone was over salted, my moms potatoes that were served with her salmon needed salt. She stated the salmon itself wasn't very good either. I had the Cristina pizza without prosciutto. I didn't really enjoy it too much but perhaps it just wasn't the best choice from their menu. I had previously order a different pizza from the Roseville location that I really enjoyed. The gelato and the salads were great, but the rest of the meal was very disappointing and most disappointing of all was the service we received. I think from now on I'll stick with the Roseville location. I understand everyone has bad days, but I believe Jasmine needs additional training in fine dining etiquette and customer service ... because not even the bare minimum was met during our dining experience. read more

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Flavorful italian and much variety. Thankful for the validated parking at the garage as well. Much appreciation to Rossie for the spectacular service; it made our dinner for our special occasion even more memorable. :) read more