Il Fornaio- Mountain View

Review summary

1. S

   Sylvia

   San Francisco

   151 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   151 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   We had Thanksgiving here for the second year in a row, mostly on the strength of last year’s experience—since the menu was identical. I asked that we be seated in a warm area, and the hostess accommodated us. My main complaint was the service and pacing of the meal. One waiter took our order, but a succession of other waiters brought out our various courses…with almost no time between courses. Also, the parties on both sides of our table experienced some confusion with what they ordered, so that items of ours went to them…and vice versa. To be fair, it was a busy night, but it’s a distinction that affects service quality. The food was very good, with come caveats: the squash soup was only warm, not hot, and the croutons were not very tasty or appealing. Make them smaller, crispier, and more seasoned next time. The salad—which was excellent last year—was a big disappointment: the dressing lacked any tang, and I had only half a grape, a small piece of walnut, and a negligible amount of cheese on mine. The turkey entree was excellent! Generous portions, good variety, and well prepared. Last year, it was served on a platter so we could serve ourselves, and this year it was all individually plated. Last year’s pumpkin pie was truly underwhelming; this year’s was a big improvement, but I think it would be better if the crust didn’t get soggy. I had the wine flight, which was not only delicious—a truly great selection!—but also a great value. So, overall I was pleased, but I think you’ll need to up your game if you want to equal last year’s Thanksgiving experience.
   

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2. J

   Jan

   San Francisco

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Had their Thanksgiving fixed price 4 course meal and it was outstanding. They were flexible and did a substitution for the pumpkin pie last course since I am not a lover of pumpkin pie. The soup course was very good, the salad a very good combination of greens with generous gorgonzola crumbles. Main turkey course was generous and very well prepared. The ability to get 9oz wine was perfect, more than one glass, less than two. Very attentive service even though the restaurant was continually full.
   

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3. B

   Bob

   Central Coast

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Excellent food and service, slightly high noise level.
   

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4. D

   Dan

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on November 20, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   My party and I had a very nice lunch at Il Fornaio in Mountain View. Easy to find and plentiful parking. Nice ambiance and attentive wait staff. The Insalata di Pere was outstanding. I also enjoyed the Pollo ai Funghi, followed by a wonderful Affogato for dessert. I recommend each of these dishes, as well as the restaurant itself. I will definitely return to Il Fornaio in Mountain View!
   

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5. E

   Eunmi C.

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   4.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on November 18, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 5

   Food and atmosphere was good, but the service was pretty bad. Other tables got their food within a reasonable timeline, but ours took 1 hour. Even we saw the table who came later than us getting food earlier than us. We told this to a person, but no apology or anything. Pretty disappointed.
   

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6. M

   Mary

   San Francisco

   46 reviews

   5.0

   46 reviews

   Dined on November 15, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   What a wonderful place to celebrate! Great food and great service... Our waitperson was very attentive, and careful to explain all the choices. Once again the rigatoni alla vodka was terrific. The gnocchi melted in the mouth. And the burrata con proscuitto was not to be missed! My husband loved the Kickin' Old Fashioned and the Como Spritz was very refreshing. Finishing the meal by sharing the tiramisu was perfect! Looking forward to returning.
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on November 10, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   First time and would return again. Thankful I planned ahead and made a reservation, the restaurant was very busy. Greeted by a friendly host who immediately sat us at our table. Within a short time, we were welcomed by the waiter who asked if we had dined there before or if it was our first time. Our waiter was kind, friendly and very attentive. It was a nice and welcomed change from our local restaurants and wait staff experience. The food was delicious and the ambiance lively. Would absolutely return and will recommend to our friends and family!
   

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8. r

   robin

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on November 3, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 1

   Food was less fabulous than last time. Not sure if different chef? They ask if you want bread- but was surprised to see they charge $4.00 for it! There was some problem with a fire alarm system in the building in which they are housed, so fur about 10 minutes an uncomfortably loud alarm was going off. Super unpleasant to sit through and rather frightening-to think about affect on hearing. While they did bond around to tables to apologize I feel they should have offered more. Although when we noted the charge for the bread they took that as well as sparkling water off our tab. I enjoyed the food much more last time I was here in early June. Had pizza margherita both times and while fabulous last time was just meh this time. I won't be back for awhile! But will probably give it a try in another 6 -8 months.
   

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9. S

   SooYeon

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on October 31, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had a birthday lunch/10 of us here today. Excellent service and food. Everyone was so attentive. Delicious birthday free treats as well. I will definitely come back for more
   

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10. L

    Laurie

    San Francisco

    24 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on October 30, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2

    Service was good as was the food. The smoke or some type of alarm went off for no reason for about 15 minutes. Very annoying.
    

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