Il Fornaio San Jose
| Address: | 302 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113, USA |
| Phone: | +1 408-271-3366 |
| Site: | ilfornaio.com |
| Rating: | 3.9 |
| Working: | 6:30AM–11PM 6:30AM–11PM 6:30AM–11PM 6:30AM–11PM 6:30AM–11PM 8AM–11PM 8AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
A
A Private User
Il Fornaio in San José is one of the worst restaurants I tried in my life. The waiters are unpolite and the food is expensive. I have been at the restaurant a few years ago and things did not change a bit since then. I recently returned with the hope that things might have improved but they really havent. The faces I saw at the place last time are the same and the quality of service is still low. During my last visit, I ordered a Sprite and requested extra bread. The same waiter filled my glass with water without my permission twice. I asked for bread and I never saw it on the table. The name of the courses is generally spelled correctly which is a bonus for the restaurant since most of Italian restaurants do not pay attention to this subtle and important detail. The majority of things is too expensive and/or its not worth the price, especially considering its quality. Some plates are presented as regional courses of Italy and this is another bonus for the restaurant since in Italy food is mainly regional. Unfortunately, as an example, things like agnolotti, a recipe from the region of Piemonte, is not presented in the proper way. The filling for agnolotti is not the right one and the shape of the food is completely wrong. I dont see why a restaurant should pretend to do things right when its completely off track at the very start. The folks at Il Fornaio in San José earn one star out of five because they want to make their restaurant appear fancy and elegant and completely fail to deliver normal service and decent food. I do not recommend this restaurant to anybody. I forced myself to like the restaurant by eating there at least five to ten times but after all the bad experiences I had, I decided to finally give up.
BU
Bubba Screws
The Olive bread was very good. After that everything went downhill. The Caesar salad was not fresh and had some brown pieces in it. The cheese was a very salty batch that they probably got a discount on. The pizza I order was supposed to be a Margarita Pizza and it wasnt even close. That is a pizza that is supposed to have the three colors of the Italian flag with fresh slices of tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil. I got a cheese pizza with two little pieces of basil. It was salty and hands down the worst pizza I have ever had. The average Italian would think we are idiots for eating such low quality dishes at a sky high price. I also tried other dishes from family with me. The salmon was the cheap Costco farm salmon and was dry. The scallops were over cooked. Ravioli was something bad. The lamb shank had far too much salt on it and was the best dish at the table. What a huge disappointment the restaurant was. They need to fire the chef. I give it two stars, because the olive bread was good.
PA
Paul New
I dined there two nights in a row, as my hotel was just across the street. The dining room is nice, not too loud, considering the amount of tables set up. Their wine selection was good, but a tad expensive for selections by the glass. I thought their spinach ravioli was the better of the two meals I had. The sauce on the ravioli was good enough to dip the bread in, after I polished off all the ravioli. The bread was warm and tasty, and came with oil and vinegar. The second night, I had their free range chicken, with a (slightly) spicy sauce. The chicken was cooked very well, and the spinach side was prepared perfectly. The potatoes that came with the dish were the only low point, as they were somewhat hard and dry. Service was attentive, but just a tiny bit on the slow side one evening. Still, the waiter was friendly. I watched him go over almost the entire menu with a table of four next to me, after they just couldnt decide what to order. He was patient, and professional.
ME
Merry Yen
We had dinner at Il Fornaio on Friday evening and it was a disappointing dining experience. The restaurant wasnt very busy when we arrived, but it took the front door a while to seat us. It then took our server a while to take our drink order, and by then we were ready to order our entrees. Bread came warm to the table, which was one of the highlights of the meal. My cannellini bean soup was the other highlight - rich, hearty, and flavorful. 3 out of the 4 entrees were less than expected - the meat in my bolognese sauce was very dry. My friend got the grilled salmon (on the specials menu) and it was overcooked. The spinach that came with it looked like it was previously frozen - it was gray and wilted. My husband got the rigatoni with the vodka cream sauce and it was just meh. The dishes lacked presentation and flavor, and several items were overcooked. Service was cordial but on the slower side. I dont think well return to Il Fornaio any time soon.
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ʞɐi Dirdwolf
I come to Il Fornaio a few times a year. Each time I am blown away by the service and quality of food. Kenneth Johns is an exceptional manager- the establishment is always clean- and our server Ihab did a fantastic job taking care of us. I strongly recommend the Filet Mignon cooked rare or the Cannoli Al Forno which comes on a sizzling plate. Ive also been here for breakfast, and can say without a doubt that is the best breakfast anywhere nearby. Take my word for it, I review many places around the world, Il Fornaio will always hold a place in my heart.
KY
Kyle Doherty
Terrible service. The staff and our waiter specifically could care less about you or the food or your experience there. One star was for the food which was ok but they still got the order wrong. Had to ask the guy several times for water, which finally came half way through our meal. He didnt check up on us until we had virtually finished lunch, and all he said was "thanks" while walking away and dropping off the check to us. Id understand if it was really busy but he had three tables including us. Ive had better service from Del Taco.
SO
Sona Oakley
Il Fornaio is a cut above the rest. They have amazing food, great decor, and always make you feel like royalty. I love coming here every month for their Festa Regionale - where they pick a region of Italy, and their amazing chefs create a menu that reflects the flavors and culture of that region. The tasting menu is $31 and includes 3 courses. I go every month and have yet to be disappointed. I highly recommend this place!! On their regular menu, Id suggest the Pennoni Alla Vodka or any of their Ravioli dishes.
CO
Conrad Paz
Ive been dining at this restuarant (at this location) for nearly 20 years and the food is always good. I wish I could say that about the service. Lately, meaning for the last 1-2 years, service has been slow. Slow to ask for drinks, slow to take food orders, slow to serve the food. I like the food (angel hair, risotto, calamari, desserts, etc..), and its one of my favorite Italian restaurants, but I hope the service improves. Food 5, service 3.
JO
Johann Naylor
House made pastas are solid, excellent desserts, good coffee, Ill be back without question. Butternut ravioli was excellent, veal & artichoke was decent, solid Tiramisu, great vanilla ice cream with espresso. Wines by the glass are worth a look after I tried the Chianti Classico for $8 Id be willing to try others. Come during the week for the 430pm Happy hour prices for $3 beer and $5 wine by the glass.
