Il Fornaio
(408) 271-3366
302 S Market St
San Jose,
CA
95113
37.3307
-121.8877
Neighborhood: Central
What People Are Saying About Il Fornaio
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Il Fornaio wisely chose its locations on the Peninsula, its restaurants ensconced in the vintage Sainte Claire Hotel in downtown San Jose and in the tony Garden Court at the center of Palo Alto. And despite the double stigma of being both a hotel restaurant and a chain, Silicon Valley movers and shakers still stop in to conduct business over a little omelette ai formaggi at breakfast, wood-fired pizzas at lunch, or golden-skinned roast chicken at dinner.
The Food
Bruschettas, designer pizzas, tricked-out pastas and virtually anything emanating from the wood-fired oven are reliable bets. The bread basket always holds a lot of Italian temptations, and the wine list has lots of appropriate Italian varietals from Italy and California to get a meal rolling. Il Fornaio's bakery roots show at dessert--biscotti and other Italian cookies are peerless.
User Reviews
pcalhoun
November 10, 2008
Was there last Saturday, and I have to say that I was very disappointed in both the service and the food. The menu was very comprehensive, but all four of us thought the food was below average. I had the lasagna, which was probably one of the worst ones I've had in a restaurant. My wife ordered the pappardelle with "wild boar", which must have been not only wild, but also difficult to hunt because it couldn't be found in the dish. All of us had either soup or salad. My mushroom soup should have been named "celery broth". Honestly, if you want good italian food - stay away. Oh, and service sucked. Waiters that simply didn't seem to care, other than the guy responsible for bringing us water and bread. The waiter spilled wine on my shirt, which was annoying, but what was really irritating was her taking her time to get something to clean it with.
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lajolla
November 11, 2007
Me, my wife and two teenage doughters visitied the San Jose location for a lunch on Sunday. The dining area itself was rather impressive, roomy, nice decoration, and very Italian athmosphere. Very nice! However, the great expectations started to fade away due to lazy service. Everything was done slowly. All together we ended up waiting 40 minutes before the food was served eventually.. The food was OK but did not meet expectations either. Ravioli was heated to right temperature but kind of "tasteless". Veal was a bit of seasoned, been waiting (not served fresh) and kind of "messy" combination with mushrooms, sauce, etc. Also a bit "tasteless", have to say. But pizza was one of the best ever had, very tasty. kid's loved it too. Overall, very nice athmosphere, nice decoration, but food unfortunately didn't meet the expectations...
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mbar5sam
December 21, 2006
Il Fornaio is an excellent restaurant with fabulous flavors, great service and a very inviting ambiance. The food is authentic Italian- D E L I C I O U S. They also offer reasonable size portions, not supersized heart attack specials with a 12 gallon drum of soda allowing you to feed your entire family and bring home "a doggie bag" to feed a small country for under 20 bucks. The food is meant to be savored to allow you to enjoy several courses. While the food is not cheap, it is priced to keep an adult type clientele. The servers are very knowledgeable of their wines and make excellent recommendations. This is one of our favorite spots downtown and will continue enjoying for the years to come.
read full reviewThe Details on Il Fornaio
Hoi Polloi Warning:
Waiters often focus on the business-lunch or -dinner tables and the rest of us get what's leftover of their attention.
More Italian:
If you like Il Fornaio, also try the great Il Postale in Sunnyvale.
Save Money:
Go for happy hour on Monday through Friday from 4:30pm to 6:30pm for $5 glasses of wine, $1 off pints and complimentary appetizers.
Hoi Polloi Warning:
Waiters often focus on the business-lunch or -dinner tables and the rest of us get what's leftover of their attention.
More Italian:
If you like Il Fornaio, also try the great Il Postale in Sunnyvale.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Breakfast, Hotel Restaurants, Romantic Dining, Brunch, People Watching, Business Dining, Date Spot, Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Notable Wine List, Bar Scene
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
