Both food and service was sad. Waited 4hrs plus for mediocre food and to pay the amount that was charged not worth your time and money. Made reservations for 7:30pm got seated 8:30pm got our last course 12am read more

Really enjoyed the focaccia bread and pan roasted salmon.service was excellent and like the big picture windows where you can look out on the city streets. read more

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Willow did a great job at making my date and I'd night special. the ambience is quite romantic, and the waiting staff is timely and polite. the food was delicious, and the location is exciting as we were in downtown sacramento, right next to the Golden 1 Center. read more

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the food was wonderfully prepared and tasty. Out server, Brandon was wonderful, and knew the menu well. Brandon made us feel very welcomed and we loved the evening. The ambience, music and lighting made it truly relaxing and elegan,well done! read more

The wait staff was impeccable!!! Best service in a very long time. The Kitchen needs to step it up. Cold food, that is bland at best, incredibly small portions and very expensive. Meatballs were tough and cold, chicken dinner was not crispy over cold mashed potatoes and cold vegetables; pasta was incredibly tiny portion, bland and cold. Go here to get a drink and have wonderful service, don't pay for anything more. read more

We were those guests that showed up very close to closing. Apologized profusely for shoring up so late but to be fair we made the reservation based on what was available. We just didn't know it was 30 minutes prior to closing. I hate doing that to the staff. However, we had great service and excellent execution of the proteins. Joseph was awesome and took great care of us. We had the swordfish and the steak dish. Best quality of swordfish I've seen locally, buttery and delicious. Asked for a medium rare steak and received exactly that with delicious charred quadrille. Highly recommend both these dishes, in fact the swordfish entered our conversations the day after it was that good. read more

Wonderful food at Willow and excellent service. Third dinner here, this time a whiskey tasting event with a special menu. Two top standouts: duck two ways and an amazing cornbread. read more

Willow - Duck two ways: confit and fried. - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I went on a Friday around 10am for breakfast. It was almost empty so no wait! My server was very friendly. Coffee: strong, dark, and hot 4/5 Lemon pancake: delicious!! 10/5 Bacon: mediocre 2/5 read more

Loving this spot ! The service was friendly & on point. Drinks are clean and sophisticated: really enjoyed the zuppo arrosto. & the mussels- the tomato bisque was delicious. I enjoyed the papardelle & rabbit confit as well ! I'll be back! read more

Willow - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I was excited to try Willow since it's a new restaurant in downtown and I was interested to see how both an Italian and Mediterranean duo was executed. The restaurant's interior is reminiscent of an upscale hotel restaurant with bold patterns and lots of muted tones - which makes since being it's beneath the Exchange hotel. The menus were brief and had classic items like martinis, Negronis, and a Manhattan, as well as focaccia, broccoli rabe, and pastas like cacio e pepe. I definitely got the Italian vibe more than Mediterranean. My friend and I went for dinner and for drinks had the Willow Martini which was heavy on the gin with a bit of lemon and the Negroni Sour which was absolutely delicious, pretty sweet and no alcohol flavor at all. We shared the broccoli rabe as our antipasti (appetizer) which was well rounded, spicy, citrus-y, salty, and slightly bitter. For our main course we had the Cavolo Campanelle which was a vegetarian pesto pasta that tasted incredible, perfect with parmigiano reggiano on top, and the Paccheri which was a duck pasta made over a 4-day process with parmigiano reggiano on top as well. We ate every last bit and were pleasantly full at the end. We did receive the dessert menu which again was full of Italian classics like cannoli and Italian donuts (zeppoles). We regrettably turned dessert down out of fullness and I was adding up the bill in my head and decided not to rack it up any higher. This restaurant is delicious for sure, but since it's on the pricier side and offers upscale items like a steak that's almost $130, it's probably best saved for special occasions or splurges. read more

Went for a wedding Anniversary dinner! The service was really good and the food was excellent. Everything very tasty. We had the potatoes, mussels, duck confit and pasta and the porterhouse steak! We noticed that they don't have a lot of staff but everyone helps out and communicates well. We are coming back again and again!!! read more

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Our night started off real bumpy with some less than ideal service. Took forever to get our drinks, had to ask the hostess for water, and eventually flagged down the manager to get our bread after a half hour. However! The manager eventually said they were having a big problem in the kitchen, and it looked like everyone around us was experiencing an unusually long wait. As much as I wanted to ding them a star or leave a lower tip, I just couldn't do it at the end of the night. The food was some of the best we've had in Sacramento and we've eaten everywhere. Amazing pasta, sides, and cocktails. Definitely give this place a chance if you haven't already! Oh and the GM was nice enough to comp one of our dishes that came out super later - so they've got a good understanding of how to take care of customers if things don't go right. Huge win for me. read more

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A group of 6 went for dinner at the Willow and we had a great time. Drinks, food, service and the ambience was great. read more

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Should have taken more photos but the new bartender Nick is an amazing experimental cocktail artist. Lot of bars and options in DOCO but definitely worth the stop if Nick is behind the bar. They have a great selection of signature cocktails to choose from but see what's brewing in the back. The bar and restaurant are beautiful, great music too. My wife and I would definitely come back for the drinks alone and the food was great to pair with the experience. Highly recommend a visit, and make sure to sit at the counter! read more

Willow - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

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My husband and I had breakfast here yesterday and this space is so beautiful and yummy! We were so happy with our breakfast and the service and atmosphere! We will definitely be back to try their dinner! read more

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Food was delicious and beautiful! Service was amazing as well. First time here, very happy. read more

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A real dining experience in Downtown Sacramento. We enjoyed the ambiance, noise level super chill, food delicious. I had an affogato, that was the best I've ever had- it was sublime. I give the restaurant a 5 star because I know once they work the newness kinks out of their process and get the timing down it will be a fabulous edition to high end dining for us and the many visitors An average dinner for 2 with 2 drinks with dessert is about 300.00. read more

Great date night spot. Romantic, great space and most important.... THE FOOD was AMAZING! We came in on a Friday at 5:30pm. As this is a new spot it was not busy... yet. By the time we left the place was happening. We will keep this place in mind we have an event at G1. Great area, valet parking was easy and we can walk to and from the arena in a matter of minutes. Service was good, especially for it just opening. We had a lot of questions and only stumped them once. I emailed them about parking and got an email back the same day. I also left credit card and got an email letting know they still got it. Would recommend. Excellent food from a local chef. Can't beat it. read more

Willow is located right next to my work and I had a great experience chatting with the bartender there who is the man who invented the White Linen (yes it was invented in Sacramento!). Great drinks, Italian focused wine list, solid food. Only thing I would love to see is a couple Napa cabs on the list (I'm a wine snob and yes I know it doesn't go with the theme hah). Otherwise, amazing ambiance, drinks and food. read more

Food was good but the service was short staffed. Place was packed because there was a concert but there was only one bartender. 3rd time we've been there and the service has always been slow. Plan to wait awhile. read more

I haven't felt compelled to write a review in a long time, till tonight that is! Thanks Willow!!! My friends and I just had dinner tonight here tonight & we were excited to try a new place. 2 stars are for the ambience and 1-2 decent dishes. Service was decent too, but the food this is where I have a hard time wrapping my head around the prices that are charged compared fo what is being served. Order: Appetizer: Bruschetta - actually pretty good Brussel sprouts - burnt and a bit of char is good but c'mon burnt and first time having sweet sprouts. Never again!! It's a simple dish and if it's on your menu you ought to have had enough practice to get it right. Cauliflower - decent, better flavored than the brussel sprouts. Mains Duck pasta - where was the duck? There were shavings of it like you would shave cheese on pasta. If you're going to serve barely there shavings of duck please say so. Pork loin pasta - super dry and subpar at best. My friend didn't even finish the dish. Pesto pasta - subpar, and look if you're going to take 15-20 mins to bring the dishes out. If you can't get me a hot plate make sure it's at most warm. But no this dish was cool and cool to cold doesn't take long. Dessert: SKIP IT Vanilla sponge layered cake - looks like a deconstructed cake but it's so bad. And topped it off with apple. The Apple seemed like it was straight from a can, Willow apples are in season, im sure you can afford to put fresh apples on it. cappuccino - atrocious!!!!! We had to ask for milk on the side and sugar and even if you put in 5 more packets of sugar it would still be bad. It was at best the most terrible coffee I've ever had. Instant Nescafé is better then this! Would we come back no! For those who can distinguish good food from subpar I'd say go somewhere else. Note - please do not start collecting our plates while there is still food on it, especially as we are taking our time eating while engaging in conversation! read more

Don't go unless you like small portions and over priced food. We had a party of three with reservations. We were on a limited time schedule. The food (pasta) was good but came out luke warm. They didn't offer bread. Although you could purchase it. Everything was ala cart. read more

I thought Willow was decent but didn't stand out. The one highlight was the wine. The Le Pich Cabernet Sauvignon was fantastic. The food on the other hand was nothing special. Willow has a very limited menu. They are labeled as an Italian restaurant but don't even offer Caesar salads or Tiramisu. That seemed odd to me but we gave them a chance. There are only 5 menu choices for PESCE E CARNE entrees. We tried the NY steak and chicken dishes. The NY steak I ordered cooked medium but it came out medium rare. So the chef must have different definitions of medium. For nearly a $70 plate, I was not impressed by the amount of fat in the steak. I only was able to eat about 60% of the steak due to the fat content. I just don't like the taste of fat. The other issue I had is they only give you token sides. A few leaves but no major sides. It is close to a la carte as you can get. And there are no sides offered on the menu as add on. For a $70 plate the least they can do is to add asparagus and potatoes as sides. Overall I thought the steak was average but uninspiring. The chicken plate was cooked well but also suffered from lack of good sides. My wife didn't like the spicing on the chicken and also thought her plate was okay but didn't stand out. The service and atmosphere were good. Staff were professional and friendly. Overall the food was the biggest disappointment for us. For the prices they are asking for, the food should be a lot better than average. We left disappointed due to the food. We felt the food was average. I will say if they improve the menu items in the future I think there is potential for an extra star. read more

What a cute new spot! We arrived while it was pouring rain, so we used valet. The young man who was running and soaking wet was so friendly and personable, he was great. The food was DELICIOUS. Went for brunch on a Saturday morning. The Bloody Mary, potatoes, pizza, salmon toast, and pancakes were all delicious. The manager, Nick was so friendly, what a great face to this new spot. We will be back! Thank you. read more

Willow - Limoncello salmon - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

We came for a birthday celebration, there was 12+ of us and I knew there was an auto gratuity fee. Coming from the hospitality industry, 25% is quite a lot. Our server wasn't great and I'm not happy that I had to give him 25% from our 1k+ check when he really did nothing to deserve it. The bartender on the other hand was very nice and approachable. I wish he was our server instead. Food was just ok. Wouldn't come here again but it's in a nice venue. read more

The hotel that it is a part of, The Exchange, is definitely worth the visit itself with it's old-time look and architecture, but I wanted to mention to food and staff at The Willow in particular. I visited as part of a business trip and stayed there. I arrived very early and couldn't check in right away. I approached Krista, who was manning the restaurant. I explained my situation and she was such a sweetheart. She was kind and made me feel welcome. She made suggestions for food and drink. The food and coffee were really good. I later went back for a dinner, and enjoyed that as well. Thank you Krista for making me feel welcome and I plan on visiting this restaurant again on my next trip out to Sacramento. read more

Good service and good food. The staff was very attentive and offered suggestions for food and drink. Excellent!!

Took my elderly mother before a concert in downtown Sacramento. Loved the food, drinks, atmosphere & service!

Great service, nice people and our food was served quickly. Price was good and setting was nice.

Finally getting around to writing this! My boyfriend, best friend, sister and I all came here for my sisters birthday dinner a few months ago and we all left quite unimpressed and still hungry. To start on a positive note, the taller busser and who also poured water was a freakin' gem. He was so kind and very on top of things. Our waitress was not friendly at all. Not even in the slightest. She was just very cold and made us feel very unwelcomed. We ordered some bread and ate that for an appetizer, then ordered another when our food came so we could eat it with our pasta - that came when everyone was far from done with their food. Our drinks were refilled once after being ignored for 30+ minutes for another refill. The food was okay and the portions are small. I got the pasta that had the pesto and it was just meh. My friend had the mussels which were good and my sister and boyfriend both ordered the pasta with the duck which was good as well. The winning star was definitely the foccia bread. The guests next to us had a birthday as well and they received a nice little birthday dessert with a candle, my sister did not received anything. Not even a happy birthday! When I made the reservations I told them it was for a birthday, and even mentioned it to the waitress. For spending almost $300, I would not recommend. Being treated as an inconvenience and having mediocre food - HUGE let down. read more

Willow - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Great new restaurant in the DOCO area. Went with friends during Dine Sacramento and it was amazing. Service was flawless and food delicious. It is located in the lobby of the Exchange hotel on J St. They offer valet or you can park at DOCO. I will definitely be back read more

Willow - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California

The service was excellent, but everything was a yikes moment. The ambiance of this place is nice but the food simply wasn't good. The pasta was significantly undercooked and the chicken dish was extremely dry. Unfortunately they missed the mark on the food. read more

I feel violated. However, I'm the one that walked through the door. I tried to order 3 things I wanted. They were out or it takes a half an hour to cook. My wife failed to get what she wanted also. I settled on a hamburger. The worst ever. Over cooked. Dry bun. Absolutely no care from the kitchen. Then I get a $75.00 bill. The poor server carried all the blame. Not his fault. He got tipped. read more

Been to willow twice the first time experience was 4/5 stars. The service is great but my two visits were a year apart. During the second visit the food was very lackluster and lukewarm when it was served. But most importantly it lacked depth in flavor for the price is charged. Had high expectations for it being a fine dining establishment but felt like more focus was on explaining where the ingredients were sourced from than incorporating them in the food for a better dining experience. read more

This place is definitely over priced and I will definitely not be visiting this restaurant again. Ordered a pasta dish. All bad! The serving was lukewarm and definitely not worth $30. Came with no bread or salad. If you did want sides they started at $14 for focaccia and salads were over $20. Service was mediocre and the gentleman employee who greeted us stared at us like we were aliens. You can get better at Olive Garden. read more

The service was good and this place has a wonderful aesthetic. However, the food was very bland.

A completely incompetent and ridiculous experience. Never be back. Waited over an hour for food which was horrible. You wait this long and there's no salad offer or even bread? You sit there and just wonder WTF is going on. Ordered NY steak plate and swordfish plate. Swordfish, when finally arrived, was RAW in middle. I've had better NY steaks at Sizzler. Absolutely horrible. DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL. While they credited back the swordfish, the gross steak and disgusting spinach upset my stomach all night. Regret paying a dime to this terrible establishment. read more

Gerrit makes every experience at Willow memorable and enjoyable. Whether I'm having one of his delicious Espresso Martinis, a quick Kamikaze, or a simple shot, he provides the best service and product. I highly recommend the Polpette if you're visiting for happy hour. read more

What a great vibe! Warm perfect lighting the feel is cool date night! Plates and cutlery were very nice, staff super friendly! We did the dine downtown 3 course prix fixe menu and added a split meatball appetizer - sauce was perfect not to medicinally herby or sugary sweet! The Burrata toast was amazing- large appetizer would be perfect to share imho. Short rib tagliatelle was very good as well for main course- crispy chicory salad was ok for me less salt is my preference but hubbys salad was not as salted. We shared the added spumoni and bundino perfect finish- Its al little off the main hectic grid area at DOCO but a great change of energy esp if theres alot if peeps milling about for an event or game- Tyler was our awesome server friendly and knowledgeable! Go you wont be dissappointed read more

my husband and I enjoyed our evening at the Willow. the bartenders were engaging and mixed great drinks. Dinner was tasty and the service was excellent. The breakfast menu and the food was very good, as well. read more

Willow - Light the BeM at the Willow - Italian Near Me - Sacramento, California