When visiting family in Toronto recently, my sister and I went to Il Fornello at Bayview Village after confirming that there were food options available to meet certain dietary restrictions by calling earlier in the day. We headed there for a Sunday evening dinner with our grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousin. While we were rather happy with our courses for the most part, we still had some dietary challenges while there, but our server was most helpful in ensuring all of us were able to eat something. Two of us took advantage of the Dinner Prix Fix which for $39.95 plus tax and tip included a choice of three appetizers, a choice of of ten entrees, and a choice of three desserts. Several of us either planned to share or wanted an entree not on the Dinner Prix Fix menu, so we ended up having a little of everything. We really enjoyed the Fried Bocconcini, which consisted of lightly breaded and fried baby mozzarella balls with house-made tomato red pepper jam. I split two dishes with my aunt, which included the lasagna (layered with bolognese, mozzarella, bechamel, and tomato sauce) and the rigatoni bolognese itself (traditional bolognese ragù, and grana padano). We also shared the insalata cesare (crispy romaine, creamy caesar dressing, shaved parmigiana, and croutons). I was happy with these dishes though my sister who wasn't eating cheese or bread found herself with difficulty making a meal out of dishes she would eat. What they said on the phone about making a meal out of plain chicken, potatoes, and vegetables wasn't honored when we were there, but she ate what they were able to bring her. For dessert, we settled for some sorbet when we had nut allergies and others not a fan of tiramisu. You can learn more about this restaurant at https://ilfornello.com/bayview. The restaurant has six locations. This location is open Monday to Thursday from 11:30 am to 8:30 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11:30 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 11:30 am to 8 pm. You can make reservations from their website, place an online order, and see a bunch of photos of items. They also have an additional Prix Fix menu for lunch ($26.95 plus tax and tip). All in all, we had a positive experience, and knowing we had a big group with a lot of dietary restrictions, we were overall pleased with our experience and would consider going back again in the future. read more

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30 Bayview Village is absolutely gorgeous! Good service, delicious food everything tasted so fresh and authentic. Delicious arancini, perfect flavour. Margarita pizza had the perfect crust. Delicious tiramisu and latte! Chicken pesto linguine tasted so authentic too! read more

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We unexpectedly found ourselves at Bayview Village around lunch hour, and wandered into the Italian spot for a leisurely meal. We shared one of the lunch set meals and added a pizza between the two of us. The lunch set meal is definitely worth it if you are looking to have an appetizer. The beef soup was absolutely delicious, the type of meal that sticks to your ribs and leaves you warm afterwards. As a counterpart the fig and prosciutto pizza was light and delicate, but still full of flavor. They make solid pizzas here. Good menu choices were made. read more

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This is a nice looking Italian restaurant with decent service. However, the food was unremarkable. I thought no one's dishes were particularly flavorful and I would probably not go again. read more

Food is soooooooo good and not expensive Service was fast and amazing and staff is nice Ambiance is cool futuristic but old fashioned TOTALLY RECOMMEND read more

Il Fornello - Ceiling Lights And more... - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario

We did the set menu which was a great price for what we got. The thing is the food was just ok. The polenta dessert was too dry for me. I was not a fan. The lasagna was good. Salad was a salad. The service was really good though. The place was nice. Happy I tried it. read more

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2.5 stars When we first arrived, just before noon, there was a server deep inside the restaurant doing something with her back to us. There was a cook in the kitchen facing the outside of the restaurant, but he didn't seem to say anything to the server. She eventually turned around, saw us, turned back around to finish whatever she was doing, and then came over. We came for lunch on the weekend and decided to sit on their 'patio'. Basically, it's the part of the restaurant that's open to the corridor inside the mall. There are several small tables there and many more inside. They have a lunch prix fixe menu for $23.95. This includes an appetizer and a main dish. Dessert is an additional $6.50. We decided to share fried calamari and a pizza fichi. We started with a small basket of bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The food seemed to take quite a while to prepare, and at the time, we were the only ones dining in. The calamari was very overcooked. The actual calamari was dry and hard, not soft like it's supposed to be. Chewing it took some effort. Since the server knew we were sharing everything, the pizza was split into two plates. I appreciated this. We would've liked if the bottom of the pizza was a tad bit more cooked, but that's a personal preference. The pizza fichi had mascarpone, prosciutto, figs, shaved Grana Padano, honey, and arugula. It was on the salty side. I realize that prosciutto is cured, but perhaps paired with cheese, the saltiness of the pizza was more than expected. Service during our meal was okay, but the server did forget to provide more hot water when we had requested it, and the side plate had spots all over it and needed to be replaced. We are unlikely to go back. read more

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I was blown away by how good their Hawaiian pizza is. In keeping with the Italian theme, it's called 'pizza Hawaiiano'. There are big chunks of ham and pineapple on it. The crust was just the right crispiness. It's a generous size for $16.95 so you will likely have some left over to take home. My friends loved the pasta dishes they ordered. Complimentary bread was served before our meal. The service was efficient and friendly. This location isn't as big as other Il Fornello's but we were able to get a table at lunchtime on a weekend. Large transparent plexiglass hangs between each table to help prevent the spread of covid and keep the noise level down. Located in Bayview Village Shopping Centre there's ample parking and it's close to the Bayview subway station on the Sheppard line. read more

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We were a large party of about 14 people. Nice seating, good service, very attentative. A bit "suburban" feeling since its inside the Bayview Mall, but we are from New York, so Toronto folks might not notice this. The food was good and the service was thoughtful. Kind of standard Italian restaurant fare -- pizzas and pastas and salads and a good not amazing wine list. None of the food was absolutely remarkable, but none of it was inferior either. The service was nice and the prices reasonable. A good family get together spot. read more

Would I recommend? Good to try once or as occasional comfort food if you crave Italian food for a decent price. How's the service? Their service was average, nothing special. How's the food? The food is average, the carbonara we ordered was nice, but the Pomodoro and Penne Capri was less impressive. How's the ambiance? it's got a nice dim lighting and relaxing ambience, it's quite nice. What did we order - Tagliatelle Carbonara - Spaghetti Pomodoro - Penne Capri How to find it Use the South-West gate to enter, and it's going to be on your right hand side as you walk in. Right across GOA and Thai Express. read more

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Friendly service! We ordered 3 pastas: Rigatoni Bolognese, tagliatelle carbonara (Personal favourite), linguini di mare. We also ordered a magherita pizza, calamari , and a bottle of wine! It's definitely a lot of food for 4 people! Price is reasonable, about 40pp. read more

Il Fornello - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario

I have been going to Ilfornello Bayview for as long as I can remember and the service is always excellent. I absolutely love the gluten free pizza crust and the toppings are always fresh and very tasty. On my most recent visit I had the grilled salmons which was perfectly cooked and the salmon skin was crispy - so delicious. Also I can't get enough of the Roma salad! I get it every time I go. read more

My wife still decided to come here despite some of the bad reviews. Thank goodness we didn't listen to those naysayers. The Caesar, by just the right touch of lemon elevated the Caesar to just the right level to make my wife, who normally HATE Caesar salads like this one. My risotto was perfectly made. The rice was perfectly cooked and the mushroom infused into the risotto ... I love it! I like my wife's pasta but it just can't beat my risotto. Okay, I know a lot of the reviewers complain about the Tiramisu being too sweet. I didn't find it so. The sweetness they taste is not from sugar but from the remnant of the liquors. The alcohol are all evaporated, so the only thing left is that sweetness. The taste profile is on point, minus the alcohol. The cake base is not what I expected, but understanding the origin of tiramisu, it is totally allowed and acceptable. Overall, I like it. Another thing, I use a rollator, and they gave us a 4-seat table for the two of us. I just park my rollator where one of the seats is and there was no problem. I will recommend this place and top of my list next time I want to eat while at Bayview Village. read more

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Right when I came in, I felt as if this place was very authentic due to the Italian accent of the server. We were seated right away and the restaurant was very tidy and clean. The lights were able to set the tone and hence allowed us to have a very comfortable dining experience. As we started our meal we were served with bread. The bread was average, nothing particular. I then ordered the Penne Chicken, which was served promptly after we all put our orders in. I loved how light the sauce was! Although I was expecting a heavier and creamier sauce, I loved how mellow the flavour was. The pasta dish was also very filling, so don't worry about having too little to eat! However, the downside is that the chicken lacked moisture, and seemed to be slightly overcooked. Also, as it was around 30CAD per person (as we ordered two appetisers) I would say that it is quite expensive. read more

Il Fornello - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario

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Tried the fixed price lunch meal ($23.95 per person) and for this price, looks like the main dish choices are all carbs based, eg.. pretty much pizza or pasta dish... We tried the salad, sausage pasta and pesto pizza. The pizza has a nice thin crust and very hot when arriving the table. I think that's the best dish. The salad and pasta are typical taste u will find at an Italian restaurant. For the asking price, it's ok... the overall experience is ok ... read more

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Feel bad for coming on here to leave a less than stellar review because I used to enjoy this restaurant. From troubles modifying my reservations, to not being greeted by a host or being seated, to the poor communication of the staff over the phone, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Came here on a Tuesday night with a party of 5. I made the reservations online easy enough, but when I needed to modify my reservations to include one more guest, I never heard a response. I also asked to see if they could offer a booster seat for one of my guest under the age of 4, again no response. Perhaps, using a software for guests to book reservations where your staff can see it and respond to requests would be more helpful in this case. I arrived on time to my reservation, and there were no staff to greet me. Only when I saw my friend also arrive, did her husband (who was seated earlier) recognized her and came out so we knew he had a table ready. A staff did not approach us for another 10 minutes. One saving grace is that their food is still delicious. Perhaps, opting to takeout food would make for an overall better experience. Finally, unfortunately, my finance tested positive for COVID the morning after our dining experience. When I called the restaurant, the girl on the phone could not understand what I was trying to tell her. It took me several attempts of me repeating the situation until she understood. She did not sound particularly alarmed and said that she will tell her manager. It makes me nervous about her response as we've been through a global pandemic for a few years now and we all need to reduce our exposure of COVID and prevent the spread. I would be nervous to dine here in the future and would not recommend others to dine in. Takeout may be better. read more

This was my first visit to this location in a very long time. We frequently eat at Il Fornello's but I am not often at this location. I ordered a couple of gluten free pizzas for my wife and son. The pizza was fantastic as was the service. There was no detail skipped on the pizzas. The crust was a perfect golden brown. The crust was thin, but cooked nicely. Perfect amount of sauce, and the mozzarella has that beautiful brownish colour to that means the cheese has the optimal flavour for pizza. I was very impressed. The pizzas were ready in 10 minutes, the staff was very friendly, and the place looked ready to start serving people during phase with proper shields around each individual table. No detail was overlooked and the place looks like a place I will need to spend more time at. 5 stars hands down. I'll be back with reinforcements! ;) read more

Il Fornello - Genius. Barriers around the table. - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario

I had the pleasure of dining here tonight with my husband and 7 month old son. I'm always a little hesitant to take my son to restaurants because he can be quite loud and not every restaurant has a high chair. The manager heather really made us feel super comfortable. We were late otherwise she even had a table picked out for us that would have distracted our son. Kids at this age need constant attention. I really appreciated this attention to detail from her ! She was lovely ! I've been to this restaurant multiple times however my husband hadn't had the opportunity previously. He loved the food. He ordered the Margherita pizza and I ordered the mushroom one. His was good but he ended up eating most of mine as he liked it better. Our waitress Jojo was really good as well. I love when at restaurants the wait staff makes eye contact with the patrons every once a while to make sure no one needs anything. She didn't miss a beat. Our dinner was pretty rushed because of our son but the experience was really worth it. Highly recommend this place. read more

Il Fornello - Margherita pizza and mushroom pizza - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario

Service was great with Emon.. recommendations were delicious... extremely friendly..he's quite an asset to the company.

been wanting to try this italian chain for years, im so glad to finally get the chance to. we came by for lunch (4 of us) & had 4 pasta dishes. next time i do want to try their pizzas though! chkn parm (typically served w.spaghetti but my friend opted for penne) 4/5 the chkn was a but dry but flavours alright. i feel the tomatoe sauce could've used more flavours & herbs, but its still a simple sauce thats tasty. penne capri 3/5 is a pasta tossed in olive oil &white wine w.mushrooms, grilled chkn, tomatoes, spinnach. needs a bit of salt and pepper.. wasnt bad but i wouldnt order it again. im a saucey eater, i need more sauce. linguini di mare 4/5 a little bland but a pinch of salt & pepper helps. we asked for lemons to zest up this dish. really good! tagliatelle carbonara 4/5 very tasty, the sauce was a tad thick but its ok. wish there was more pancetta & prosciutto. desserts 2/5 we had cheesecake (3/5) & chocolate sufflé 1/5) cheese cake was good, nothing stood out really. the soufflé was a big let down. very dense, not fluffy & light as youd expect it to be. overall id love to come back and check out the pizza! read more

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Il Fornello Restaurants at Bayview Village is located right across from O&B. Talking about competition! Il Fornello does has this Winter Special Menu for $15 that includes a choice of appetizer and main.. no dessert though. But this offering seems to be on going through out the year. The restaurant was busy even around 1:30 pm but there was no wait. Services was slow at time until the table next to me start complaining then all the food just arrive so fast! Mixed Green, Arugula Salad with Apple and Walnut - portion size is good but just a little too heavy on dressing and get a little soggy Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce Finished with Ricotta di Bufala - Gnocchi has this great chewy texture cooked al dente - the sauce was kind of generic, does remind me of something from the can... I definitely think Il Fornello is under staff, the wait staffs are overwhelmed and that led to decline of services. All pizza for $10 on Tuesday sounded like a good deal... I probably be back to try out their pizza! read more

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I met some friends at Bayview Village for lunch, without plans to dine at anywhere specific. Il Fornello's Prix Fixe lunch menu for $18 seemed to be the most appealing choice. There was a time when they offered an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet for a similar price. I miss that. My dining companions ordered the Butternut Squash soup (of the day), and the Arugula and Beet salad as their starters. They chose the Butternut Squash Ravioli and a pizza with Proscciutto and Arugula for their mains. I ordered the Penne Capri (grilled chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and more) pasta from their regular menu. We all tasted each other's dishes and everything was delicious! The butternut squash soup and ravioli were very well cooked and rich in flavour. The arugula and beet salad with goat cheese had very balanced flavours in a generous serving. The pizza also had a very generous serving of prosciutto and was big enough that we had to take home half of it. The Penne Capri was one of the best pasta dishes I've had in a very long time! I would definitely order it again. If you're ever in Bayview Village and contemplating a meal, try Il Fornello. read more

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Great food and great service! I came for the lunch special and got the Caesar appetizer with the Chicken Parm entree and both were delicious! Service was very attentive and friendly - would definitely go back. read more

Average Italian restaurant, typical Italian food, decent service. A nice-sized wine list with a good selection of wines by the glass - I was happy to see two options for Montepulcianos, and a Valpolicella there! There was also an impressive plant-based menu - I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but I was intrigued by, and almost ordered the plant-based rigatoni, with lentil and mushroom ragu. Instead I ordered the salmon main, which was a nicely cooked piece of salmon over roasted potatoes, broccoli, and mini carrots (the carrots could have used a bit more cooking time, IMO. They were a bit too crunchy for me). read more

No issues to report. Came here multiple times for their regular menu and little did I know, winterlicious menu. If you want to come here for winterlicious no need to make reservations or wait! Ironically, i opted for the stuffed chicken as suppose to the typical Italian food and thought it tasted just right to my liking. I was really 'stuffed' from that. I remembered their cream of broccoli was a bit watery and could've been better. Excellent service as well. read more

Il Fornello - Stuffed chicken - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario

A lovely atmosphere for dining with warm and friendly staff. Their bread and butter as well as Caesar salad are spot on. The Bolognese is great and it's located in Bayview Village which makes it a good place to eat after a long day of shopping. It's quite an expensive restaurant so be aware of that. Other than that I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't been to this gem. read more

Love this place! Went out to this place about 3 times so far. Their food is really good prices are a little high but food is great.

Il fornello is one of those neighborhood staple restaurants that are very reliable and have been around for a very long time, and eventually grown to have multiple locations. I remember eating at various Il Fornellos ever since I was old enough to afford a meal out. Over the years, I have stopped eating there, not because it is not good, but rather I was drawn to the many different types of restaurants that have shown up. I was invited here for a tasting event recently, and I was reminded just how solid the food here is. Prices are very reasonable, and most if not all dishes are under $20 - something that is very rare nowadays at sit-down restaurants especially at a somewhat high-end mall like Bayview Village. For my tasting, I have tried their freshly baked pizzas (Margherita, and pizza with procuitto and arugula), mushroom risotto, beet salad, and squash ravioli - all items are very solid and tastes good. I was also informed of their 2-course prix fixe lunch menu ($18) and Monday pizza + beer special ($15), which both sounded like a steal to me. Il Fornello is a solid 4 stars. The price-to-taste ratio here is perfect, and I would definitely come back when I feel like some good standard Italian fare. read more

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If you are looking for a decent italian place - this would be a good option. I ordered a funghi pizza for $17.45. The portions are good and the service was decent. The funghi pizza had cheese, spinach, and various mushrooms. The waiter also added extra cheese on top which is a must. I enjoyed how light tasting the pizza was and it wasn't too salty given the amount of cheese on it. read more

Il Fornello - Funghi pizza $17.45 - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario

One of eight locations around Toronto, Il Fornello at Bayview Village is a safe bet for Italian food as there isn't much of a choice in this area. While it's also a safe bet for vegetarians (the pasta is cooked in vegetable stock), you can't be guaranteed a seat here at lunch on weekdays. It's most quiet here during the weekend brunch hours, between 10:30 am - 3:00pm, where there's all-you-can-eat scrambled eggs, pizza, roasted potatoes, pasta, salads and mussels ($12.99). The a la carte menu here isn't large but has a balanced selection to please everyone. On my first visit, I'd asked the waiter to tweek one of the linguine pesto without the pollo (i.e. chicken). Without much hesitation, he suggested that he could get me the spaghetti primervera with the pesto sauce. It had me licking my lips until the very end and I'm glad to see that they are willing to change the plates to please the customer. Even though I generally choose white cream sauce over tomato-based cream sauces, the agnolotti fornello ($15.79) is quite satisfying, although a bit small! I could easily devour two of these! For dessert, the tiramisu here is quite delish and highly recommended. 3.5/5 STARS read more

Il Fornello - Tiramisu - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario

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I had a long and tiring day today, but I'll try to be as objective as I can be. This place pretends to be high class when they're not. People are dressed up as if they're going to a Zagat reviewed resto ... the napkins are made out of paper for crying out loud. If Il Fornello's had to identify with a high school subculture, they would be known as the 'Posers.' Overly priced for mediocre food is all that I can say. I ordered the lasagna for dinner ($16). The portion was small and I'm sure that I've eaten the same thing at the Old Spaghetti Factory for 1/15 of the price. The tartufo was probably bought in bulk from Costco ... the entire package probably cost the same amount as they were charging for one. The only nice thing was the service. 'Fiona' was very pleasant and super efficient. She would come around to our table often to refill our glasses with water. I can go on and live a happy and prosperous life without going to Il Fornello's ever again. read more

Service and food was excellent. The hostess and server and even the bus boy was quick and ready to go. We were seated right away and given water and bread. Bread was fresh and soft. We ordered the summerlicious. Food came out in good timing. Salad was light and fresh with these great red peppers that added an amazing spice and flavour. The rice balls were perfectly fried but it just wasn't me thing. Then we got our main dishes. The veggie penne was excellent. So many vegetables with a scrumptious sauce. And then the dessert. Light and fresh panna cotta and sorbet. The place was packed on a Friday night. We ate way too much. Our eyes were bigger then out tummies. All for $25!!! read more

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This review is for a lunch special on Saturday. I felt like pasta, and Il Fornello had a prix fixe lunch promo. For $17, the prix fixe lunch included an appetizer and an entree. I ordered a Caesar salad and a smoked salmon spaghetti. The Caesar salad was average and rich in flavour. The spaghetti was not al dente. It was too soft. Taste wise, it was very tasty. There was lot of smoked salmon pieces and asparagus pieces. The smoked salmon tasted fresh. The sauce was an olive oil and butter sauce with a hint of lemon. It was light in texture and perfect for summer. Even the spaghetti was over cooked, I enjoyed this entree a lot. Both the salad and the pasta were of lunch size. There is no food court in this mall, so if one does not want sandwiches and salad, Il Fornello is a good option (the other Italian restaurant in the mall serves weekend brunch, so it is not a comparable alternative). Overall, I rate the prix fixe lunch at 3.5 stars. read more

Il Fornello - Caesar salad (prix fixe lunch) - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario

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I am so pleased with their vegan menu! The pizza and pasta is delicious and so satisfying. They always accommodate my modifications as well. Big thank you for that! I wish I could thank the person who makes my pizzas, because they are going the extra mile. When I dined in earlier this year, it was a wonderful experience. read more

The food was salty, and the service is terrible. I had booked a table for lunch becoz it's my kid's 6th birthday, we had 3 female adults with 5 kids from 5-9. We did not get any service until 15 mins later; as soon as the sever came, who doesn't wear the black shirt and pants as the other servers, he asked what we want to drink as start, when I explained we don't want ice into our drinks, he cut me off with "ok, I know". As soon as the food came, he brought extra plates for us, however, he made a big noise when he put down the plate like he's throwing them down at the table. In addition, when we finished the food, he's been around our table for several times, but pretend didn't see any of our empty plates until I have to raise my hand to have someone over to take them away. When he came take the empty dishes away, he took the dishes carelessly which almost spilled the leftover sauce on me and making cups and the pepper bottle fell off from the table....... It is my first time here and it will be my last time here too. The overall experience is so bad, I am too shocked to get such service in a restaurant at the Bayview Village. This server doesn't even deserve a job. read more

Came here for dinner last Friday night around 6:30pm. It wasn't too busy, no problem getting a table. What we ordered: Insalata Barbabietole, Linguini di Mare, Pizza Fichi The highlight was definitely the Linguini di Mare, it was SO delicious! Sadly, the mussels were a bit too fishy for my liking, but everything else was okay. The sauce was really good so that made up for the mussels. The insalata barbabietole was pretty big, we shared it as an appetizer. Tasted really good as well. I thought the Pizza Fichi might be too sweet because of the honey and figs, but it turned out to be a really good combination! Definitely will return and order the Linguini di Mare again!! read more

This location is good because it has plenty of free parking and overall it's a bit more relaxed than some of the other locations. The menu isn't extensive but the gluten-free options make this a viable choice if you're looking for Celiac-friendly Italian dining. I've noticed that this place is never as full as the nearby Oliver & Bonacini restaurant, but Il Fornello has recently started to offer brunch, so that's made them a bit more popular. The brunch buffet has limited choices but it's not a bad deal if you're fond of mussels. My biggest criticism of this place is that they should offer more vegetables with entrées like pizza and pasta and especially the salad. They skimp on these and it just looks cheap. read more

I'm really surprised that this place doesn't have at least a 4 star rating. The food quality at Il Fornello has been very consistent as far as I know. This is also one of the most packed restaurants in Bayview Village on the weekends. I think Il Fornello is quality for value. The menu items are not expensive (when you compare to other Italian places in Toronto) and the portions are quite big. The service was also fantastic and the server kept asking us if everything was okay and was very prompt. For the food, we ordered: one Summer Dinner Prix Fixe which included: Salmon with Risotto and an Avocado Caesar Salad, one Pizza Salmone and one Penne Capri substituted for Spaghetti. All items were delicious and very large portions. None of the dishes were salty. I am very pleased with the food and wil ldefinitely turn when I am feeling Italian and I don't want to go down to Little Italy. read more

Great price for quality food, gorgeous pizza oven, wonderful pastas, and wonderful service.

I admit it ... this is what you get for your money. $17 pre fixed lunch is not for me. It just didn't work. read more

Il Fornello - $17 antipasto platter. - Pizza Near Me - North York, Ontario