il Fornetto Ristorante & Catering

Came her with my husband, my mom, and dad and everyone left full and happy! Food was very tasty, people were really nice, the seafood salad was delicious… Also, the view of the water is gorgeous, really gives off a great vibe.

We just finished another delicious meal at our favorite Italian restaurant in Sheepshead Bay, Il Fornetto, and while the service is always pleasant and attentive we were particularly well taken care of tonight. Our server, Jose, was so great. He was very helpful describing the specials and patient when we took a while to decide. And he was attentive without hovering or pressuring us. Very good service and a very good dinner overall.

Beautiful restaurant in Brooklyn. View is awesome, restaurant is clean. Food is great and waiters are kind. Bruschetta is a must have, so delicious. Got a seat right next to the water, got to see swans swimming by while enjoying a wonderful meal. I’ll definitely be back here !

Great authentic Italian food with a great view especially in the summer time. Only downside is their limited menu options. The service is great and their Fornetto Pasta is delicious. Great for a date or for a family dinner.

I went today for a private lunch with my husband, I found the food delicious and satisfying. Everyone at the restaurant was extremely nice and it has a beautiful view of the bay.

We had Thanksgiving dinner here. The place was packed with couples and large parties celebrating the holiday. The view was gorgeous, of course, and the free valet parking was a nice touch. We could tell, from observing other tables, that there were a lot of regulars who knew the servers very well.
We ordered off the prix fixe Thanksgiving menu and, if we could do it again, would probably have ordered differently from one another to sample something else. The traditional turkey, sweet potato, cranberry sauce, and stuffing entrée was great. Drinks were top notch. Dinner service was fast and efficient, but we ended up waiting quite a while for the check at the end. When we come back, it will be for a normal dinner service.

This is an elegant restaurant. Tables view the bay. Service is excellent and the prices are very reasonable. Food is great.

I asked A to take me here for dinner after Star Wars (so good!) and we were super surprised to walk in to this dimly-​lit restaurant with live music. We took our seats and ordered and soon after, many people hit the dance floor but everyone was of a much older demographic, which I really didn’t expect. I enjoyed my margherita pizza a lot but A’s pasta was ok only so we left once we were done without lingering since we didn’t feel too comfortable there. I’m thinking there’s a younger crowd for brunch but the elderly regularly come here on a Saturday night for dinner since everyone seemed to know each other.

Went here for a family dinner. We were seated right by the water which had a fabulous view. All of the food was quickly delivered and was tasty with very nice portion sizes. José was our waiter and was very attentive to all of our orders and requests.

Stopped in whist going to JFK on New Years Eve of all things.
Disclaimer — I only give «5“s once only each category of cuisine, so a «4» (really a 4.5) is just as good as a 5.
The views of the Sheepshead Bay are available from all the seats in the south dining area and if you enjoy having a view — can’t do any better.
Since I’m a little more interested in the food, the view was good, but the food was better.
The lobstah bisque was excellent. Not the gloppy, thicker is better, mess you’ve come to expect. Lotsa small chunks of lobster — the size of small gnocci my wife said and a decorative drizzle of olive oil on top.
The pear salad also was tops. The vinaigrette dressing was perfect with the candied walnuts, pear, gorgonzola cheese and baby spinach leaves.
The penne al forno was also very well made, but I didn’t taste it since the party eating it scarfed it down before I could get a taste.
The Branzino ala Livornese was great. The fish was cooked perfectly and the olive & capers on top gave it the right piquancy to liven up the mild tasting fillet. The roasted potatoes on the plate (only 4, boo) were spectacular. Red bliss potatoes with rosemary just about melted when cutting it and definitely melted in your mouth with a wonderful taste and texture.
My wife’s unsweetened iced tea drew raves as she is a tea snob ($ 100/​lb tea from Chinatown snob). I stuck with the Pellegrino.
The wait staff was very, very attentive. And I witnessed the manager giving pointers to the staff (we stopped in early in the evening, before it got crowded) which shows that there is care being given. Very impressive to watch the daily briefing from afar & see how the staff reacts as the proper team they are.

I’ve eaten here several times and loved it. It’s even better than before the hurricane (Sandy). I also had my 60^th birthday party here recently, and Il Fornetto executed it to perfection. People are still talking about what a great time they had at a great place, and it’s been almost two months.
Writing this review because I’m about to take off for Il Fornetto again. Hope it’s around many many more years.

I was here for a private event and was really excited for the waterside view and upscale dishes. The interior was really nice, loved the open balcony even though it was freezing the night we went. The Christmas décor was cute and created perfect photo spots for our whole party. The open space between our rows of tables was a nice setup for dancing, hosting, or just to get away from your table and talk to others for a bit.
Unfortunately, the set course we had didn’t exactly live up to my expectations. The waiters served us appetizers before our actual meal – the bruschetta was not bad, nicely toasted and crisp. The night started off with a plate of salad – mixed greens tossed with croutons and slices of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. Perhaps it’s because I was never a salad person and the greens weren’t exactly my favorite, but the salad was boring and not really a good start. The croutons were alright tho. Next, we had simple pasta, which was also plain and a bit too watered down for my liking. We had a basket of bread on the table the whole time, which was alright. For the main course, we had a choice of eggplant parmesan, veal with artichoke and potatoes, or chicken with asparagus and potatoes. I had the veal, and it was pretty dry. I also tried my friends’ chicken and eggplant parm, but they were under-​seasoned and rather bland. The visuals of the potatoes on the side was nice, but I didn’t really get the taste of herbs that were used as garnish, and a touch more salt or even a deeper char on them would have been nice. Overall, the scenery was nice, but the food was disappointing. A different set course might have been better.

My family and friends came here for our annual office business dinner. There were 14 of us. We decided to try Il Fornetto’s and we couldn’t be happier with our experience. Our table was ready soon as we walked in. The food came out all at the right time. Jose our waiter took perfect care of us and took extra special care of my father. He made sure the area in front of him was clean since he’s a bit messy in his old age. That was really special. Attention to detail made this experience wonderful along with delicious food and incredible atmosphere. We sat in a beautiful room with a glass wall overlooking the water. Benny the manager also came by to make sure our experience was to our liking. They really made us feel at home.

Whenever I travel back to New York to see my family, I always take them to Il Fornetto at least once for dinner. I have yet to be disappointed. Excellent service & delicious food, every time. Benny, our server, was very attentive and polite. Food tasted great. Yes, it is a touch expensive if you’re new to the area, BUT completely worth it. I wouldn’t take my family here or recommend it if it was disappointing.

After living in Sheepshead Bay almost all my life, I finally got a chance to try this rustic Italian gem in the neighborhood.
What I love about this place is that it is located right by the waterfront making it very romantic and inviting. The restaurant also has free valet parking or parking across the street, big plus.
When you first walk in you will find a dining room behind the front desk for private events or other larger groups, followed by the dining room down the hall which has the beautiful waterfront view too.
We did not need a reservation on a busy Saturday night, they only take them if it is for 7 or more people, there was no wait at all when we arrived.
What I did enjoy about the service here is that even though majority of the staff were not Italian natives, they still knew the menu inside out and were able to explain all the ingredients for most dishes [like radicchio, I had no clue what that was but it was a nice touch to my penne].
There are various menus here from a pre fixe menu to a banquet type menu, along with brunch and their daily dinner menu.
The dinner menu had a great amount of appetizers from fresh mozzarella and tomato salads, antipasto salad, calamari, various soups and salads, shrimp cocktails or raw oysters and little baked clams. Since we got a deal from our Unilocal check in for free bruschetta we redeemed it with our waiter, I don’t think he understood the deal because he still charged it to our bill anyway, but the appetizer was so tasty and fresh that I didn’t bother to correct it. I like how light the bruschetta where it wasn’t filled with too much onions, it went well on the flat toasted bread.
The menu for wine and drinks is very extensive, and the waiter was very knowledgeable about which wines pair well with entrees, and trust me they are not stingy on the glass either, mine was definitely full.
There was a great variety of pizzas, pastas, chicken and seafood dishes to choose from. I was tempted to order the whole menu, but I couldn’t resist a pasta dish that has BACON!
The penne fornetto was phenomenal, with baked penne, radicchio, bacon, fresh mozzarella, tomato cream sauce, it had the perfect amount of cheese [since I am a cheez lover they grated fresh cheese on top of all that goodness]. The sauce was out of this world, it had the perfect amount of cream, it is a bit heavy but you can tell it was made with love, all the ingredients worked so well together.
My boyfriend ordered the linguine vongole, with baby clams (cockles), garlic clove, fresh parsley, evoo, he literally licked the plate clean that’s how good it was. The portions are very large for these dishes and very filling with a nice presentation.
and of course I couldn’t say no to dessert ;]. I saw some really great options from crème brulee [espresso flavored, very interesting, tiramisu, some apple baked pastry, a fresh fruit platter, tartufo, various sorbets [even pistachio flavored!] or warm chocolate cake with ice cream and raspberry drizzle. Since I am obsessed with anything that has chocolate I couldn’t resist the warm chocolate cake, and it was a slam dunk. I have to say I regret sharing this dessert, it was so good I wanted it all to myself. The oozing chocolate went really well with the syrup and the cold ice cream with the hot chocolate is a perfect combo. Even the little espresso that my boyfriend ordered was adorable and not too bitter.
Overall for an appetizer, two entrees and a dessert with two glasses of wine & tea + coffee, 80 bucks is a bargain!
They take cash and credit and truly appreciate your business.
P. S. they have great pre fixe Christmas and NYE dinners ahead, with a pre fixe price and a live dj, great idea for those who want to party and have a good time.

One June 13^th I married the Love of my life at ilfornetto … I had looked at many locations, I looked at wedding forums, spoke to friends and couldn’t find anything affordable. I found ilfornetto on Google and my fiancé and I decided to go and have dinner. The food was excellent! Before leaving we inquired about renting out a portion for a small wedding dinner party. We reviewed the prices and decided that we could afford a larger crowd of 95 guest. We made our deposit on the spot. In the months approaching the wedding the staff was beyond helpful. They assisted me with the menu, they even allowed me to work out the seating arrangements in person so that I could have a better view of how things would look on my special day. The view from the party room was Amazing !! Several of my wedding pictures capture the boats and the swans in the background. The attention to service on the day of the wedding was top notch. I was worried that the food might not be as good as it was in the restaurant section due to the 90+ crowd, but every plate was arranged nicely and the food was cooked perfectly. All of our guest raved about the food and the service. My fiancé and I had a very small wedding budget and we didn’t think that we could have a dream wedding at that price. Thanks to ilfornetto we were able to do it. The staff that evening was the BEST !!! After the party was done I met with all of the staff to thank them for the attentive service. I recommend ilfornetto to any couple wanting to have a special evening while remaining within a affordable budget. P. S Thanks again to All of the staff that helped make my wedding day a success…
Mrs Polanco Piton

Came here for a private event. The private room is nice and isolated from the rest of the restaurant. Service was terrific.
Food — salad was alright, nothing remarkable but certainly nothing wrong with it either. Appetizer also included some pasta dish (with a vodka sauce maybe?) that was pretty good. Unfortunately, the chicken entrée was super, super dry and flavorless.
If this wasn’t so far away from where I live I might be tempted to come back and try some food off the regular menu.

Haven’t been here in a few years because we were previously disappointed but we were in sheepshead bay and decided to give it another shot. The outside looked well maintained and the flowers and plants outside made il fornetto look very inviting.
We were glad that we made the choice
I have to say everything we had was delicious the shrimp bisque was a bit too heavy for me but very tasty and I did finish it we also had a fish salad and mozzarella carozza to start. The sauce was delicious on the pasta marinara and the chicken dish that I don’t remember the name of was tasty with a side of potatoes and abundant.
Our server Angel was on the job, with a smile We were served quick but not at all rushed
We will definitely be making a return trip

Went to a Baby Shower here today, it was lovely…
Food was great Fresh Salad, Pasta&Salmon

In what has turned into my annual trip home and a food fest which usually leads to me regretting many over indulgent meals, my girlfriend and I ate dinner here one night a few weeks ago to catch up after not seeing each other in over a year.
Sadly because we arrived rather late we didn’t get to enjoy the view but we did get to sit by the water and see what appeared to be swans floating around and a pretty nice view though nothing compares to where I live now, but hey I live in paradise.
We were seated right away and our server was very attentive and polite. We both went with the pre-​fixe dinners and ordered the Mediterrano and I had the house salad and my friend had the bruschetta. For dessert I had the tiramisu and she had the cannoli. We each also ordered a cocktail with our dinner and a cappuccino with our desserts but the prices are beyond reasonable.
The food was very good although the tiramisu was not the best I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back the next time I’m back in Brooklyn and need a place to catch up with old friends.