Il Fornaio

Had lunch here today for the first time, and for a business meeting. Risky combination.
The food was good but the portions were pretty small. I wouldn’t say I left hungry but I wasn’t full. That’s not right for an Italian joint.
Because it was our first time the server gave us an appetizer on the house, it was very good and that’s an awesome way to start someone’s experience.
Service was a little slow though. Took us over an hour, closer to an hour and a half from sitting down to paying our bill.
Speaking of the bill, boy was expensive for the amount of food you get. The food is very good, and the house made pasta is great, but for the cost, I would have liked a little more food.
If it’s not on the company card I likely won’t be back. It’s just too much money for what you get. If you don’t mind the cost though, go! The food is great.

We came here for New Years Eve dinner with some friends, and it was lovely! We had a great waiter, the food was delicious and we left very happy. I think for our budget this is definitely a special occasion type place rather than a «hey, let’s go there again all the time» restaurant. Definitely impressed, especially for a higher-​end chain. I’d go back again.

I have been to this restaurant about 12 times now. Never once had a bad meal.
The lunch specials and the pizza being my favorite. The caesar salad is excellent, comes with anchovies as it should!
It has a great central location for shopping and movies. this is my family go to place because we can get something everyone likes!

Fancy and pricy place, tasty food, attentive service. We had company party at a private lounge and I enjoyed the experience and food very much. Watch out their approach for offering desert. They do not provide you with desert menu but rather use method of seduction! The server brings in ready deserts and describes them in detail! Of course you cannot resist! I tried tiramisu cake. It was melting in my mouth and was not fatty and greasy. It was something. This is a must go place. Enjoy!

Looked for a place within walking distance (as no car is really needed in Seattle) from the luxurious Olive 8. Weather was chilly yet pleasant at thirty-​five degrees Fahrenheit and walk was to Pacific Place (Indoor Mall) was 5 minutes away. Seating was immediate and I was looking for a healthy appetizer that could double as an entrée.
First look at the menu had me craving the Calamari for a second, then after reconsidering I choose the caprese calda. First item brought to the table was a basket of warm bread and vinegar and olive oil reduction on shallow plate (prepared at table) for dipping. Delicious!
Freddy (Chef) made an excellent version of the caprese calda (see photos) with the perfect balsamic reduction ratio of vinegar to olive oil. The basil leaf was fresh (not wilted or sporting black areas on the leaf) which is a rare in the industry. Topped with a mozzarella ciliegene of a firm texture topped with Italian spices. The caprese calda was served on a fresh ¼″ tomato slice that was lightly grilled to bring out the flavor of this appetizer which served as an entrée for me.
After shooting photos of the Chef (thanks to the manager for this great suggestion) and his culinary team, I climbed up to sit on the barstool (to get a good view of the kitchen) from an elevated position. How disappointing it was to find no trace of naked handed dwarfs who where cooking while drinking port and dancing to «the macarena». Instead I found Freddys’ kitchen to be clean, organized and not one utensil out of place. Nice presentation in an open design allowing for easy viewing. Thanks to the manager for the great service and being so accommodating to an out of town guest. Italian food done well, and I would dine here again.

We had a delightful NYE dinner here. I particularly enjoyed the extensive wine by the glass list, the tagliatelle, and the chocolate almond cake. The kids loved their entrees, pasta bolognaise with either angel hair pasta or shells. The ravioli with sausage was the right level of spice for my husband. The variety of house made gelato was also exciting. The service was good, but my wine glass was empty for the majority of the dinner course which was disappointing. Also, the polenta appetizer was not good in any way. Besides those missteps, this was a fantastic, memorable way to end 2015. Go and see for yourself!

We were in the mood for some vegetarian Italian food tonight. Decided to come here and ordered the rustichella flatbread and capellini al pomodoro (angel hair pasta). Both were excellent and perfectly portioned for two people. We ended the meal with the delicious tiramisu, which is a must have here.
On a previous visit I’ve also tried the Pannette Arrabiata (red sauce penne pasta) which was really good too. The crème brûlée alle fragole dessert was remarkable while Cannoli Siciliana was ok. Will be back again for sure!

We made a reservation and sat waiting for 30 minutes past our reservation with other people who had waited 45 — 60 minutes. went to the desk to ask about it and a woman who had been waiting longer was upset. A waiter turned to her and said «if you don’t like it, there’s the door.» then he repeated it and walked off. the manager came out and made lame excuses for why they had screwed up. Instead of offering a glass of wine, or a certificate or anything to be solicitous of customers, they did nothing. We left and will not return. I’ve eaten at this restaurant many times over the years and now they’ve lost us and I hope they lose you.

Lovely space. Great at the holidays. Tonight, however, is my last visit here. It took an hour to get an order. The 30.00 seafood plate was gross. 3 oz of terribly bland salmon. Three shrimp that were good. Three over cooked scallops. And calamari from… Well, from hell. They tasted like gnocchi. Tough potato garbage. My pasta with vodka sauce tasted like it came from Safeway. The wait was not excusable. The food was not on par with the expense. Merry Christmas and buhbye!

this was a fun outing. girls lunch. I had a fabulous bottle of wine brought to the table, and then some risotto. twas fabulous. this place is deceiving tho… its huge. you could have a huge party up in here…
our waitress whose name escapes me was truly lovely. reminded me of the crying game. hugs darlin.

I ordered the vegetarian pizza without cheese to make it vegan, and asked to add kalamata olives. The pizza was delicious! The toppings were all high quality without any subpar bites. Because the topping were well apportioned throughout the slice, I was able to get a piece of everything in each bite!
The pizza was also substantially larger than I expected, having ordered it just for myself. It was 8 large pieces. The crust is relatively thin, and cooked to a nice crisp in a pizza oven. This is high quality pizza.
And for $ 17.50, it doesn’t seem terribly expensive compared to other items on their menu and relative to other pizza in Seattle.

I stopped in here for lunch before heading to my conference. I thought it was mediocre all the way around. My server wasn’t that attentive even though there were only a few other customers in the restaurant. The food was just so –so and it took a while to get my check and for her to process payment. I don’t have any issue with the atmosphere and it has an open kitchen where they prepare your food. Overall — nothing memorable.

One is being generous. The whole experience was lousy. The food was bland and pourly prepared. Service was turse and lack luster. Our table literally had another table only inches away and they were obnoxiously loud.
I had soup and salad, how hard is that? Apparently very cause it was a one note wonder that left me dissatisfied. Strawberries were bitter, the dressing was blah and the arugula was not peppery.
My husbands risotto was salty and underdone. The prawns were tasty but hardly enough to satisfy.
We were clearly not welcome! Our server could not muster any commob courtesies and was at best turse… yes turse.
Dont go here there are better choices in Pacific Place.

Good consistentl dinning experience. Nice atmosphere and excellent service. We visited last night for Seattle Restaurant Week and were happy with with the relaxed ambiance. The roasted chicken was tender & tasty but the salmon was exceptional. We will have to visit again soon.

Dan, the lunch hour barkeep, is one this City’s (Seattle) finest Spirits and Libations providers. You may find he and his coherts at «il Fornaio» in downtown Seattle, happily whistling away his day as his bond with you, silently and deftly creates itself, without you ever realizing it. Thus, with his skills and quiet humility, you find yourself quickly asking either yourself, or those with you, «When are we coming back???», even before you have paid for goods and services provided by One, Dan at the bar. «il Fornaio» can do no wrong.
Respectfully,
Thomas S.

We’ve been going to il Fornaio for many, many years. Always consistent. Always very good. Wonderful staff who are involved with your celebration, but not pushy so.
My wife usually orders a Tuscan style chicken that has a little oven sear on it. Perfect. There are various pizzas (thin crust/​wood fired) and pastas to choose from. A very large (and mostly Italian style) wine menu, many by the glass
Oh, and the desserts !!
il Fornaio has a more casual section down stairs that specializes in risotto (although we’ve never tried it)

Haven’t ate the upstairs level but have ate 2x at the café version downstairs —
Their desserts are fab
But food leaves somethings to be desired .
The gnocchi is a little dry other food is a little bland .
Portion size is small considering the price.
Service is slow even tho it’s empty and don’t like the cold bread they put on the table.

Italian food is one of my favorite cuisines so I was very excited to try this place for the first time. I ordered the Spaghetti Polpettine. The actual entrée size dish was definitely adequate enough for me for two meals! The spaghetti tasted delicious. However, I’ve rated Il Fornaio only 3 stars because of the service. I went here with a group of friends around 8pm on a week night, and there weren’t very many people in the restaurant (less than 20?) so I was expecting service to be quick. That was definitely not the case. It took 15 minutes for us to even place our order (our server kept disappearing and whenever she walked past us she would always be servicing another table and definitely overlooked us every time). When we finally did place our order, it took another 10 minutes for us to receive the bread basket. While the food didn’t disappoint, the service sure did.

The food was not the best Italian, though the decorations, service were quite super.
This restaurant is huge, was not packed when i was there with my friends. Service was quite excellent. Didn’t try coffee and dessert here, because there is at least 2 Starbucks near.

Easily my favorite Italian restaurant in Seattle! The food, the atmosphere and the staff are remarkable and really make this restaurant stand out from the rest in the city!
Whenever I am craving gnocchi — Il Fornaio is my go-​to for those delightful little potato pillows of heaven! I don’t know how they do it– but their gnocchi is so soft, light and tender on the inside and just right amount of texture and chewiness on the outside! Pair it with fresh tomatoes, basil, bolognese sauce, whatever! If the Il Fornaio chefs deem the combination appropriate, you can bet it will be superb!
Upstairs in the restaurant or downstairs in the bistro– it doesn’t matter which also get you prefer, the food is excellent in both dining areas. Though you will find the menus are a little different. For example: I can always find a gnocchi dish on the downstairs bistro menu. It’s a staple item and they pretty much always have it. Upstairs menu; gnocchi isn’t a guarantee. But if they have it, you’ll probably find it on the Festa Regionale menu which rotates monthly focusing on different regional cuisines of Italy.
If you can’t tell, I REALLY like their gnocchi! Just like grandma used to make!
The dining rooms are gorgeous with views of the city surroundings, Renaissance period inspired wall hangings and several beautiful murals! It’s all very tastefully done and sets the savory carpe diem tone for the dining experience. The food is beautifully presented, smells amazing and tastes even better! An artful feast for the senses!