Party of 12 had great service, great food and drinks and great smiles. Our favorite restaurant.read more

Incredible. Highly recommended. Everything we ordered came out quickly and presented well…read more Everything is made of quality ingredients.

We made a reservation for a party of six at 6:30 PM on a Thursday night, arrived on time and were…read morewarmly greeted and seated immediately. We were promptly greeted by our server, Jess, who was "wonderful and lovely" as described by one member of our party. She gave us a quick review of off-menu specials and recommended we order before a party of 20 fully arrived. We didn't feel rushed and appreciated her looking out for us. The pace of our dinner moved along exactly as expected. Service (Jess, et al) is friendly, professional and timely. Members of the service staff moved in and out efficiently to refill water, remove plates and keep our table uncluttered. The dining room is busy and loud (or maybe we're old), so there was quite a bit of "what did you say" in our conversations, but it did not diminish the experience. The wine list provides a great selection to complement the menu without breaking the bank. Menu prices are in line with what we see these days - and the large portions make dining here a great value. Our table ordered Pollo Scallopini, Vitello (veal) Scallopini, Melanzane (eggplant) Parmigiana, and the off-menu special Salmon Piccata. Everything was excellent. The veal was a big hit with the table. Strongly recommend making a reservation. Looks like they do a good job with larger parties without impacting smaller tables and couples. This place is a mainstay in Walnut Creek for a reason.

I called to ensure they would be open on Easter Sunday, spoke to the owner, he was so nice. Upon…read moreentering we were warmly greeted and shown to a great table in the corner. The place is fairly small, but tables aren't too close together so you can have a conversation without hearing other people. Our server, Alex (female) was amazing! She was so warm and authentic, the service was exemplary. The wine list is extensive, with a comprehensive list of old world wines and some new world faves. They feature Pride Mtn. Merlot, one of the best local reds. The food was on point, my Dad had the shrimp scampi, he said it was excellent. I had the pork chop, so good. The chop was pounded thin and had a crispy texture to it (yum). It was covered in demi-glace and mushrooms, just delicious. Overall, great experience. Highly recommend.

We have been going to this restaurant for many years in the original location in San Francisco and…read moreat least 5 or 6 times in walnut creek, we went to a play at the Lesher theater and they partner with Montesacro for dining before the theater and provided 10% discount we enjoyed a wonderful burarrata with sliced peaches with balsamic glaze and gnocchi in a wonderful ragu meat sauce and brazzino fish, the restaurant was very busy and server was a bit swamped and wait times for ordering and getting our drink order ( only had one bartender) was slow regardless of the wait the food was fantastic...

The food was excellent- they offer authentic Roman italian food, with simple yet fresh, good…read morequality ingredients, and they also offer gluten free options for pasta and pizzas- which is a plus. I really enjoyed their pizza dishes- the crust is fresh, fluffy, yet perfectly crispy. the toppings weren't too complicated- it was just delicious, simple food. I would also say that the price points weren't too bad at all- the food and the prices were pretty aligned. I enjoyed the atmosphere, and decor, however I wasn't a fan of how they played nightclub/dancing music- which made it all that much louder and difficult to talk. I will also say that the service was very good- considering that it was very crowded at the time, however I had an odd experience with a hostess. I made a reservation in advance to celebrate my mom's birthday- when my family arrived, we were quite literally ignored by the hostess for about 10 minutes. She looked at us, and said "I will be right with you", only to come back 7 more times and ignore us again. She then made us wait 20 minutes into our reservation because another table wasn't finished with their meal. I initially didn't think anything of it (after all, it was a busy night)- until another group of white women who had made a reservation were immediately attended to by this hostess, and were given a table at a significantly better lit area. My indian family was made to sit at the corner of the restaurant, by the bathrooms. However I want to keep in mind that maybe it was a bad day, and the rest of the staff were very polite to us.

Sunday dinner, service was good…read more The good: Grilled octopus was phenomenal, tender on the inside and yet had a slight crisp to the outside from the grill. Linguini Massimo was also very flavourful with fresh seafood. The bad: Prime Rib special was bland and tough and the Paella Mixta had undercooked rice that was too hard for our liking (had to send it back to be cooked more). Overall a decent experience, but some entrées are definitely a hit or a miss.

We came for tomahawk Thursday and it's a great special. You get two salads two appetizers you share…read morea tomahawk and then you get two desserts. It's a lot of food. They also have parking next door with a meter

We are familiar with the Il Fornaio in Carmel, where the food and service have always been…read moreexceptional, so we were excited to discover there was also a location in Walnut Creek. We chose Il Fornaio Walnut Creek to celebrate both my birthday and my daughter's birthday. We were pleasantly surprised by the spacious, elegant dining room. When making our reservation, we noted that we were celebrating two birthdays. As a party of 10, including a 5-month-old baby and a 3-year-old toddler, we were seated at a large family-style table in a quieter area of the restaurant. It felt like we had our own private celebration space. The kitchen did not disappoint. We ordered two Tomahawk steaks, which were expertly prepared and carved tableside by the chef. Every dish we ordered was delicious, and the affogato was one of the best I have ever had. Unfortunately, our waiter fell short of the restaurant's otherwise high standards. Despite ordering appetizers, salads, and drinks, our water glasses remained empty for extended periods. My husband eventually had to speak with the manager because neither the waiter nor his assistant seemed attentive. Since the restaurant was not busy on a Monday evening, this was disappointing. The manager was excellent and quickly addressed our concerns. When she asked about the birthday celebration, I explained that both my daughter and I were celebrating, yet only one candle was provided despite our mentioning this during the reservation and to our waiter. The manager immediately apologized for the oversight. Another issue arose when we requested the dessert menu. Our grand baby was becoming restless as it approached bedtime, so we wanted to order quickly. However, our waiter repeatedly told us to wait until he had completely cleared the table before bringing the desert menu. It was an unnecessary delay. Obviously, we could have already been reading through the dessert menu while he was clearing the table. Our waiter did not know about time Management. To make matters worse, the complimentary birthday ice cream was served to the wrong person, even though the waiter had been told multiple times who the birthday celebrants were. We also requested an extra candle for my daughter's tiramisu, but that request was ignored. We shared one birthday candle. Despite the service issues, I still consider this restaurant a very good for dining experience because of its outstanding food, attentive manager, talented chefs, and warm atmosphere. We spent over $800 on dinner and typically leave a 25% tip for excellent service. However, due to the lack of attentiveness by the waiter and waiter assistant, we gave only a 20% tip. (Honestly, the chef and the manager deserved the tip More than the waiter himself.) Please don't give this waiter a large party because, the service has a negative impact and leaves a sour taste. I would give this restaurant a 5 star, it only fell short because of this waiter. Il Fornaio Walnut Creek offers food and ambiance that rival much more expensive restaurants. With more attentive service and better attention to detail, the overall experience would be truly exceptional.

The biggest issue with this restaurant was the slowness of the service. We had an anniversary…read morereservation for 6 PM, and planned to catch a movie at 8:40 PM at a movie theater maybe 10 minutes away. Long story short - we were late to the movie. Our waiter left us sitting for very long periods of time between courses, and we actually had to flag down another server to get the check. For my part, I expected better than the food I received. My husband and I split the chopped Italian salad, which we both agreed was rather flavorless and definitely underdressed. I ended up pouring some of the oil and balsamic vinegar from the bread dipping plate into the salad, which made it a little better. I ordered the Tuesday Trio which was a sampling of three supposedly popular pasta dishes. The Tagliatelle with Ragu was OK but a little dry. The corkscrew pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto cream sauce was actually quite good, but my biggest disappointment was their rigatoni à la vodka, which is one of my favorite dishes. This restaurant's version was heavily flavored with smoky bacon, which, in my opinion really drowned out the lightness of a creamy vodka sauce. It was also pretty salty - I couldn't really eat it. However, my husband's Pollo de Toscana was delicious. Overall, I was unimpressed. I know there are better Italian places out there. Probably won't be back.

I have been here twice so far. The first time we hosted a large gathering in the private room, and…read morethe entire experience was outstanding. Chef Hassan created a customized menu for our group, and every dish was beautifully prepared. I ordered the Beef Wellington, well, because there was absolutely no reason not to when that's on the menu! HA! It was incredible. The flaky dough wrapped around that filet mignon, ooh, amazing. It sat on creamy potatoes and veggies of some sort (it's been a minute, I can't recall the exact option). The private room was nicely lit, there were some candles and flowers across the table as well as wall decor. The server and busser took a little to get things rolling, but eventually things were moving along. We also had a few children in our party, and the staff was wonderful accommodating, which made the evening even more enjoyable. We were so impressed that we came back a second time - just my lady, my 6-month-old daughter, and myself - and it was on a busy Saturday night when you typically need reservations. We were lucky enough that Onur (manager) welcomed us with no hesitation and have us a little space to relax with our daughter and enjoy a wonderful dinner. We ordered the Appetizer for Two, which includes: Bruschetta, Caprese, Prosciutto Melone, & Beet Salad - a perfect amount for the two of us. Then we each got the Beef Wellington. Again, never a disappointment. YOU MUST TRY IT! To finish the night I had a latte and we shared a salted caramel gelato. Absolutely delightful. If you haven't tried La Fontaine, I highly recommend giving them a try. The weekends are busy, so if you're able to step out on a week night, do it. Ask for Onur the manager and he'll take care of you. Enjoy

It was our second time at La Fontaine, having enjoyed our first visit and deciding to have a…read morespecial anniversary dinner there. My overall four star rating is based on our two visits. The staff member that checked us in offered no smile or effort to be personable when seating us nor mentioned our anniversary which was noted in our reservation. This continued through her work at our table over the course of the night. Our server at least smiled on his visits to our table, but there is an opportunity for the staff to better connect with guests for a more positive overall experience. They offer good wine by the glass options and a nice pour for the price. We started with the octopus appetizer which we had enjoyed on our prior visit and it was once again fantastic. We had the duck and beef Wellington for entrees. The duck was a nicely prepared and sauced breast. The beef Wellington was fine, with a few medium rare bites in the middle very good. The dish would have been more successful if more of the beef had been medium rare. The lack of personable service on this visit made for a mediocre visit. Our anniversary was noted in our reservation but was never acknowledged, which was disappointing.

This is one of my favorite restaurants ever, the food is amazing, everything tastes like heaven…read more The service is ok, could be better but I know they try their hardest. The vibe is really chill and the ambiance feels very old timey.

If you're craving pasta, pizza, anything Italian under the sun, come here!!…read more The foods hella bussin bussin. We got the carne pizza, garlic bread, and spicy shell pasta with chicken. & don't forget the wine' We got a recommendation from Jake (our server) and it was really really good' 11/10 come again & if you're reading this, give Jake a raise pronto!!

Classic, small-plate (tapas) style and has been in the same, beautiful location for over 20+ years!…read more Enjoyed the empanadas... It's over a 100 degrees and this blueberry house-infused vodka cocktail, was the perfect refreshing elixir! Cheers!

Va de Vi had been on my "Want to Try" list for years. My only regret now is how long it took to get…read morehere now that I know what I was missing! Our group of 3 sat outside in their lovely side alleyway and feasted on 6 delicious shared small plates plus their scrumptious dessert sampler. This was plenty of food for all of us, although I might have been able to force down one more small plate since everything was so delectable. We ordered: -- Cacio e pepe biscuit -- Esquites (Mexican street corn) -- Empanadas -- Tacos al pastor -- Ceviche tostadas -- Alaskan black cod The black cod dish was seriously incredible and a standout amid the other wonderful dishes. The waiter mentioned it had been on their menu for 22 years and that people traveled there to try it. I can believe it! Speaking of service, it was exceptional. Along with our friendly main waiter, there were other staff refilling water glasses and changing table settings quickly as needed. We waited on nothing but also never felt interrupted. Since Va da Vi IS a wine bar, I should mention that wine was also wonderful. I tried their Pinot Noir flight and enjoyed all 3 of the 3 oz samplings, especially the 2023 Status Quo and the 2023 "Klee" by Roots Wine Co. Is it pricey? Well, a little, but not for the quality. I've eaten at places just as expensive and left far less satisfied. I can see the bill adding up quickly for a group who wants a huge meal, but if you're into just sipping and nibbling on amazing food and wine, come!