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    Willow

    3.9 (290 reviews)
    Open 6:30 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Willow Photos

    Business Info

    WILLOW ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - Willow

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    Reviews With Photos

    Lemon Ricotta Pancake
    Z R.

    Amazing service and great food. Highly recommend the lemon ricotta pancake. We dined here while staying at the adjacent property and were extremely happy with the quality of food and drinks. Would highly recommend.

    Great location and environment but not the best food for the price
    James D.

    The location is near the middle of downtown and attached to a Hilton hotel. The inside is very hip and modern; however, the food here is mediocre. If you have the Hilton Surpass, you get enough credit to have one lunch meal here. This is an FYI for all the credit card churners who need to use their resort credit: Hilton Surpass will work, but not Hilton Aspire. Now for the food: the hamburger was ordered medium. The edges were well done but the middle was medium-rare and somehow cold. The wedges were hot on the outside, but the inside was undercooked and firm. The only great thing to write about is the sauces they had for the hamburger and wedges. The sauces were good, but not enough to compensate.

    Molly L.

    Came here since it is located right in our hotel and conveniently in close proximity to an event we were going to and we were not disappointed! This was one of the best meals we had in a while. My husband had the burger and I had the beer salad. The beet salad came with an amazing whipped ricotta that was so unique, and to this day I still think about it. I would love to come back here just for the salad alone, but I must try the whole menu. :) Definitely recommend if you're staying at the hotel or nearby. It's amazing and great quality food with a wonderful ambiance.

    Panzanella Salad

    Ate dinner and breakfast here while staying in the hotel and both were absolutely delightful! (I was shocked by the seemingly low rating) I had the Panzanella Salad for breakfast and it is delicious, beautiful and so refreshing! I can't stop thinking about it! My husband enjoyed the Willow breakfast plate. My mocha with oat milk was lovely, and Johnny our server was wonderful!

    Shannon Z.

    Food: 4/5 I really enjoyed the appetizers here and would highly recommend sampling different appetizers especially if you're coming with a big group! The grilled octopus was yummy and loved that they added mandarin oranges to that dish. I also thought the beet salad with ricotta cheese was so tasty and creamy! The focaccia bread is a MUST - it was soo soft and buttery. For the main course, I ordered the salmon which was yummy and tender. Ambiance: 3/5 For a hotel restauraunt, this place isn't too bad. The lighting was a little too fluorescent though I wish it was a little more warm/inviting feel. We were able to book a private room for a birthday event which closed with curtains so that was really cool! I wish they played music to set the mood. Service: 4/5 Our server was really nice, they cut the birthday cake for us and refilled our waters. It was a little on the slower side and also no one told us our table was ready for a long time. But overall enjoyed our time here!

    October 2025
    Mary P.

    Visited October 8th.. always see my receipt as proof. This place is classy but casual in a great location in Sacramento ( inside the Exchange Hotel). I wanted to visit this place after seeing it on Good Day Sacramento! I met Chef Carr and he was so welcoming! He was focused on the food and showed pride on the quality and presentation ! Kind and considerate! We just ate an hour ago but the fall drinks looked amazing ! We had a glass of wine and beer before having to leave for an appointment. Full bar. Great service from Jon! Walk to Sacramento kings game ! It's a welcoming small restaurant in a great location ( 2 minutes to my Uber!). Btw... there was a nasty review a week ago from what appeared to come from a disgruntled employee...I saw nothing but cleanliness and glad we came in! I will be back for their brunch! Great location and close to DOCO!

    Nine!  (the one after eight...not trying to be cute here)
    David B.

    Food was excellent. Had to keep myself from "awoo"ing after each bite. http://bit.ly/41iFYGH (Google Willo the Corgi) Not really...but it was delicious. Service seemed on point. We had a guy who had a sommelier badge in his shirt. He complimented our bottle that we'd brought with us and ended up serving the entire meal. I didn't question it. Ambience was loud casual. Still wore slacks and a button down shirt and that felt appropriate. Came out first with some grilled octopus. The tentacle came out on top of some shishito peppers with a lemony hummus and mandarin slices. Strange mix, ate it all. Sampled the rack of lamb. Pretty tasty but only had a bite or two. Iberico pork was the bomb. So many slices of perfectly cooked pork loin topped with cherry, peach and balsamic. Weird eating fruit as dinner on meat. Delicious nonetheless. Even the mustardy sauce worked and the pea puree almost propped up the pieces of pork. Fun visit for an occasion. Didn't seem horribly intimate and that's okay sometimes. May return someday for breakfast? Dinner was a win, though.

    Pork belly Benedict
    Caren F.

    We made reservations here thinking that it would be super busy. But it wasn't. There were 3 parties when. We cam. It was a Sunday at noon. It took a while for the server to come take our order. I had the pork Benedict. I wasn't impressed at all. It wasn't very tasty. It was a nice and clean though. I may give it another try one again. If I do. I will redo my review appropriately

    Elena B.

    Lovely atmosphere. Came for a Saturday birthday celebration. Such a cute space. Our waitress was lovely and took our orders right away. I had the lemon ricotta pancakes. They were a little over done but still good. The latte was delicious as well.

    Dine Downtown
    Christine L.

    Everything we ordered was good. From the Apps to the desserts. The drinks were delicious as well not too sweet. I was satisfied with my three courses. The server was really sweet too. A good stop if you are in downtown.

    Cute bathroom selfie
    Cassandra B.

    Willow was such a great time. The food was delicious and the staff was welcoming ! The atmosphere was amazing. It was nice, quiet and chill. I'm already planning my next visit here. It's also attached to a hotel so I might have to do a staycation! Willow was such a great time. The food was delicious and the staff was welcoming ! The atmosphere was amazing. It was nice, quiet and chill. I'm already planning my next visit here. It's also attached to a hotel so I might have to do a staycation!

    ROASTED BABY BEET SALAD Hand Pulled Ricotta Mousse | Pea Shoot | Blood Orange | Marcona Almonds | Truffle Oil
    Bianca V.

    Last night my best friend and I went out for a dine downtown at Willow. We were excited to try this new place located in/connected to the Exchange Hotel. For parking we parked in the central DOCO garage, but street parking is available, as well as valet. If you do park in the garage, be sure to take a stroll over to one of the shops/restaurants in DOCO to get your ticket validated. I love the decor of Willow and inside was well lit, and not too bright, which I appreciated. We were there to celebrate my grandma's 2nd heavenly birthday, as well as just enjoy a nice dinner and night out. We had never been here before. I definitely loved what I ordered, which was the bruschetta, chicken, and marquis cake. Presentation of everything was beautiful. The bruschetta was delicious and I would love to order that again. As a person who is not a fan of beets outside of the juice, that salad was surprisingly good! For the entrée I had the chicken dish, which was very tasty! The chicken was cooked to perfection and oh my goodness the skin was perfectly seasoned and crispy! My only complaint was that everything but the chicken on my entree plate was room temperature, which was a bummer. My best friend ordered the paccheri and we both agreed that it would have been better if the sauce had been stoked into the noodles for longer because it basically just tasted like the noodles and bolognese were two separate dishes. There were also so many diced carrots in the sauce and that seemed excessive. I actually was mostly looking forward to the marquis cake as soon as I saw it on the dine downtown menu when I was choosing a place to go. And I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations! 15/10 dessert! The cheesecake was good, but kind of just tasted like an everyday cheesecake. I also enjoyed the two drinks I got, which was the berry agua fresca and New Year, New Mule. Both tasted wonderful, but as someone who doesn't drink and for the higher prices, I would have liked to see some zero proof products included in the mocktail items. Our server, Maia, was so nice and funny and checked on us often and even offered us some coupons for next time since the service was a little bit slow, which we didn't mind, but she noted it was not usual. We were happy to take everything in and get to talk. Not that we didn't appreciate the two comped drinks that we got as well! Thank you again! I would definitely like to come back and see what a regular service would be like and maybe try some things on the menu that are more unique. Overall, I was happy with our visit and glad I had the opportunity to check Willow out!

    Bar
    Mercedes S.

    Stopped in for breakfast while in town. Arrived at 8 am and it was pretty slow for a Christmas Eve which I appreciated. Decided on their overnight oats and the Willow breakfast which included eggs, bacon and toast. Restaurant overall was aesthetically warm and pleasant, and my server was amazingly attentive. If I'm in town again, this is a spot that I would absolutely visit.

    Roasted chicken and Campanelle

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    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - Willow

    Available parking or valet?

    There is valet parking. Not sure on the amount for valet. We've gone twice to the restaurant and parked in the high rise structure next to Macys. It's about a 1 block walk. Willow does not validate public parking tickets. Hope this helps?

    Do they accept reservations for a group?

    Yes they do. They have a private sections for larger parties as well. Reservations can be made through their website, by calling the restaurant, or through Open Table.

    What's the corkage policy?

    $25 per 750ml bottle, up to 2 bottles.

    View All 4 Questions

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    Ippolito's Trattoria - Happy Hour 2PM - 6PM 
 Tuesday - Saturday

    Ippolito's Trattoria

    4.5(532 reviews)
    8.7 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Family-owned & operated

    We loved this small family style restaurant. The decor is simple and service warm and welcoming. So…read moremuch to choose from on the menu it can be overwhelming so just plan to come again. I was craving the eggplant parmigiana and was told the eggplants had been delivered to the owners home and therefore, was not available. Funny! So we settled on the shrimp and chicken dish - apparently a fan favorite- and chopped salad. Both delicious with ample portions for two to split. Interesting note - they offer cauliflower crust pizza- a must try next time. Enjoy!

    I've been to Italy--including Sicily--more times than most people have left California, and my…read morepartner even holds an Italian birth certificate. With that context, we don't take Italian food lightly. That's exactly why Ippolito's Trattoria stands out. Nick, the owner, is there seven days a week. Whether he's running the kitchen like a true master or walking the dining room checking in with guests, his presence is constant. His wife is often by his side, and together they've built something that feels less like a restaurant and more like a family. The staff reflects that--welcoming, attentive, and genuinely warm. Now, the food. The chicken parmigiana is massive--easily two meals--and executed perfectly. The chicken is tender, well-seasoned, and balanced. We usually start with calamari or a shared salad, both consistently excellent. I'm especially particular about carbonara, and this is the only place in Sacramento that truly gets it right. No shortcuts. No cream. No smoked bacon. They respect the tradition--using proper ingredients like guanciale or pancetta and incorporating the egg the way it's meant to be. It's easily the best carbonara I've had in years. The arancini are another highlight. If you've ever made them at home, you know the effort involved--this is the real deal. Crispy outside, rich and flavorful inside, and absolutely authentic. The bread is baked fresh daily by Nick, and it shows. The pasta is artisan-quality, also made fresh, and sourced from a trusted local partner. Every detail reflects care and intention. Dessert is not an afterthought here. The tiramisu--made in-house--is flawless. And the cannoli? Outstanding. The shells have the perfect crunch, and the fillings are rich without being overpowering. Even the pizzelle cookies are done right. It's no surprise they've earned recognition, including: Best Italian Restaurant in Sacramento Best Restaurant Overall in Sacramento Beyond the food, Nick is active in the community and gives back, which only adds to the experience. We've enjoyed this place so much that we've chosen them to cater my 60th birthday for 20 very discerning Italian family members--many of whom we've already brought here, all with the same glowing reactions. If there's any criticism to address, it's usually from people saying the food isn't salty or herb-heavy enough. That misses the point. This is balanced, authentic cooking--where ingredients shine without being masked. I've been to Papa Gianni's in Cameron Park dozens of times over the years, and it's a great spot. But when it comes to the Sacramento region, Ippolito's Trattoria is my go-to, without question.

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    Ippolito's Trattoria - Casarecce Gamberetti

    Casarecce Gamberetti

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    Lunch Meeting

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    Paesanos - This pasta dish is super delicious!!

    Paesanos

    4.1(2.2k reviews)
    1.1 miMidtown
    $$

    Came for midweek work lunch around noon, got sat quickly inside…read more Service was quick and restaurant was clean and not crowded. 5/5 Spaghetti carbonara! This dish is absolutely amazing! Crispy bacon and rich sauce. Generously seasoned with red pepper flakes, Parmesan and some salt. Added a side salad but it was moderately portioned and pretty lackluster. Passable next time. The garlic bread is also not my favorite but it comes with the pasta so that's a nice plus.

    update: it has been 3 years since we dined here last. It…read morewas my son's birthday celebration and he wanted to go to paesanos. So we invited a few friends and came on a friday evening. Ambience: very comfortable, although very loud inside the dining room-background music along with many patrons conversing. But our wait staff was great. Friendly and engaging - but not over bearing. In fact, i gave this place an extra star just for the wait staff. Other than that, i would rate their entrees...as decent, but there is room for improvement to help raise the bar. Hence 3.5 stars overall Appetizers: 1) fried raviolis - not bad, filled with spinach and ricotta and arrived with marinara dipping sauce 2) fried calamari- too much coating which over powered the delicacy of the squid. Plus, it arrived cold. It came with two dipping sauces which helped. Entrees: 1) Two pies: Sicilian and soppresaata & hot honey: both pies were decent, arrived straight from the oven 2) farmers market salad: very fresh greens, tender pieces of chicken but was missing the fresh corn. 3) spaghetti w/meatballs: nice entree with a mild sauce, but meatballs tasted more filler than actual meat. And the garlic bread was cold 4) rigatoni aka vodka: very nice entree and our diner ordered it with gluten free pasta 5) spaghetti parmesano: entree looked great when it arrived- mild sauce w/al dente noodles but the chicken was over cooked and even dry with a layer of mozzarella that didn't help. And again arrived with cold garlic bread. Would i return? in a few years. but the service was good which made our evening. However i wish all the pasta entrees and calamari appetizer were as good as their pies. Again, little details with their appetizers, pasta, and salad dishes would have made our dining experience more enjoyable.

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    Paesanos - Inside

    Inside

    Paesanos - Gorgonzola & Fuji Apple

    Gorgonzola & Fuji Apple

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    Adamo's - Octopus

    Adamo's

    4.3(1k reviews)
    1.4 miMidtown
    $$

    Delicious, classic Italian restaurant in downtown Sacramento. Lovely service. Overview: I would…read moreabsolutely come here again to eat. I recommend you do to. The Standouts: * Oh my goodness get that octopus dish back in my mouth. Wow, I can't describe adequately the unique texture they were able to get on it, with a crispy exterior and tender interior. There was a generous helping of garlic sauce which came with it and the potatoes that were on the side were also fantastic. Easily the best dish of the night. * The Ravioli was also delicious. It comes with a herby, earthy pesto on top and a delightful balance of cheese filling. * Lovely selection of Italian drinks including alcoholic and NA options * Interesting bruschetta flight - 4 pieces of toast each with a different type of topping. The onion Jam and pesto ones stood out to me. The Improvement Points: * The AC was not working very well when we were there. It got pretty toasty in the dining room given that it was a Sacramento summer day. I would love to see the AC back up and running next time. * The Carbonara, while nice, was not a standout in my opinion. They have a carbonara, they do it well enough, but nothing particularly special - light on the guanciale. * Location is certainly loud. Just the way the dining room is designed, no problem with the experience. Just be prepared to listen and speak up a little for dinner.

    The theme of today's meal was unfortunately S A L T…read more The Octopus appetizer was the best part of the meal. The yukon gold potatoes were amazingly crispy with a nice bite to the skin. The inside was pillow-y soft, and when mixed with the salsa verde was full of flavor with a fabulous punch of garlic. The salsa verde could be put over a nice flank steak and it would absolutely kill. That said, the octopus was a bit *too* crispy. I felt I had to really chew to get it down, and I just wanted a nice snappy skin for some textural juxtaposition. For my entree, I got the Bolognese which was definitely full of salt. The pasta was wonderfully thin and bouncy, but I feel the chef may have had an off-day. My friend and I had to down like multiple cups of water with our meal which made it hard to enjoy. Plus, the garlic bread felt like biting into a brick. The inside was quite fluffy and soft, but the crust was simply too crispy. I almost felt like my teeth were going to give way. Honestly, I can't in good faith recommend this place to my friends, so neither would I recommend it to you. (aside from the pasta classes)

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    Adamo's - Interior

    Interior

    Adamo's - Bruschetta Appetizer!

    Bruschetta Appetizer!

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    Pazza Notte

    Pazza Notte

    4.1(614 reviews)
    1.1 miMidtown
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

    Came here for the first time on a Friday night, there was a 30 minute wait for the patio…read more They give you a number to hold while waiting for your table and there's no where really to sit and wait, so we walked around the block with my pup until our number was called, didn't want to go too far just in case they called out our number. It would be nice if they had it where they texted you when your table was about to be ready like some places do. It's a beautiful restaurant, really nice vibe. The service was great as well. Chandler was our server and she was very nice and knowledgeable of the menu. All the supporting staff was very attentive as well, one of them brought treats for my pup! They give complimentary bread to get you started which was really nice since a lot of restaurants don't offer that anymore. I ordered The Thinker (Espresso Martini) and made sure they added an irish cream to make it nice and creamy, it tasted really good. They leave the shaker that it was made in on the table as well so you get every last drop! The food was delicious! We started with the B&B appetizer (Brussels sprouts and bacon), it was very good! Then we ordered the special Milanese Saltimbocca and Spaghetti alla Bolognese (got it with penne instead of spaghetti). The Milanese was really tasty. The bolognese was good, just didn't really taste like a bolognese sauce, tasted more like a basic tomato sauce, wasn't as meaty as I was hoping, but still had good flavor and was even better the next day! We really enjoyed our experience and can't wait to be back to try more food and cocktails!

    Ordered take out from this location, and was super impressed in how everything came out. Super nice…read morestaff. Cute decor. Phone ordered and was told it would be ready in about 10-15 minutes. We arrived and our food was ready, although they had a situation with their computers--causing a delay. The food was flavorful! Our favorites were their pasta. The calamari was a bit overcooked, but that's just being picky! We enjoyed our meal

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    Pazza Notte
    Pazza Notte
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    Piatti

    Piatti

    4.1(907 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $$

    Last night was our first time at Piatti. I am giving them 5 stars because Piatti really made it…read moreright and ensured I was taken care of after getting my dietary restrictions incorrect on my order. I asked for zero butter/oil/dressing on my SeaBass and my steamed veggie entree; unfortunately it came out incorrectly but my server Ashley and her manager made sure to correct this mistake and make it right! This truly showed the level of care Piatti has for their customers. Ashley made us feel well taken care of and made sure we had a wonderful dining experience at Piatti. We will absolutely be back to Piatti for the delicious food, fantastic drinks, and amazing dessert!

    Made a reservation for 8 on a Sunday evening and we were seated promptly. Our waiter was very kind…read moreand knowledgeable of the menu and ingredients. We ordered the bread and carpaccio as appetizers and they were delicious. Our kids ordered fire cooked pizzas and they were so good. I'm not normally a crust eater but the crust paired with the in house made ranch was amazing. Food did take a bit to come out, maybe upwards of 30+ mins but it could be because we were a large party who ordered after an even bigger party. Needless to say all our meals were very well made and you can tell the ingredients are farm to fork. Ambiance was great, it was the perfect spot for date night in the evening. Next time I would like to sit outdoors to enjoy the dim lit lighting.

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    Piatti
    Piatti
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    Il Fornaio

    Il Fornaio

    3.9(1k reviews)
    0.2 miDowntown
    $$

    Il Fornaio is a beautiful restaurant to dine at that has a nice high end feel. Pricing-wise, I'd…read moresay 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.

    I wasn't expecting good Italian food in Sacramento, so when a colleague suggested this place for…read moredinner, 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...

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    Il Fornaio
    Il Fornaio
    Il Fornaio

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    Willow - italian - Updated September 2026

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