Il Fornaio

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1551 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401

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(310) 451-7800
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Il Fornaio - Santa Monica, CA
Il Fornaio - Santa Monica, CA
Reviews
( 6 )
( 8 )
( 4 )
( 2 )
( 3 )

Best

great place to have italian food with a flare and a nice glass of wine in a quiet, cozy restaurant where there never seems to be a wait but is always full of ocean park regulars.

Worst

this place needs a facelift... the staff does too. no energy...the pasta was soggy and the bread stale. the place was not very clean

bad pasta...dirty restaurant 4/13/2008

this place needs a facelift... the staff does too. no energy...the pasta was soggy and the bread stale. the place was not very clean more

bad pasta...dirty restaurant 4/12/2008

liveloe Provided by Partner
this place needs a facelift... the staff does too. no energy...the pasta was soggy and the bread stale. the place was not very clean more

just basic 3/15/2008

this was a basically good meal with basically good service with basically good dessert. basic is all that it offers. the waiters seemed a bit tired of working there and the bartender was wierd more

just basic 3/14/2008

betzthebest Provided by Partner
this was a basically good meal with basically good service with basically good dessert. basic is all that it offers. the waiters seemed a bit tired of working there and the bartender was wierd more

mediocre and boring 3/14/2008

they have been around a long time they need to do better. they have alot of money to work with and this place is sooo tired! clean it up and get motivated more

mediocre and boring 3/13/2008

alligee Provided by Partner
they have been around a long time they need to do better. they have alot of money to work with and this place is sooo tired! clean it up and get motivated more

great neighborhood spot 11/9/2006

great place to have italian food with a flare and a nice glass of wine in a quiet, cozy restaurant where there never seems to be a wait but is always full of ocean park regulars. more

great neighborhood spot 11/8/2006

samsclams Provided by Partner
great place to have italian food with a flare and a nice glass of wine in a quiet, cozy restaurant where there never seems to be a wait but is always full of ocean park regulars. more

Wonderful Mushroom Ravioli! 6/14/2006

The food is good, everything on the menu is excellent. This isn't a fancy joint by any stretch but they have great food, great wine and excellent service. Cool ambiance at night, outdoor seating available. If you're looking for a casual and reasonably priced italian restaurant with awesome food, this is the spot. Pros: Food, Wine, Dessert Cons: Not exactly romantic or fancy more

Wonderful Mushroom Ravioli! 6/14/2006

marinagirl78 Provided by Partner
The food is good, everything on the menu is excellent. This isn't a fancy joint by any stretch but they have great food, great wine and excellent service. Cool ambiance at night, outdoor seating available. If you're looking for a casual and reasonably priced italian restaurant with awesome food, this is the spot. Pros: Food, Wine, Dessert Cons: Not exactly romantic or fancy more

Recommend: at Pasadena or El segundo 2/12/2006

i strongly recommend the Il Fornaio at Pasadena or El segundo. this particular one at santa monica wasn't that great. maybe b/c it was the time i went..we went during a weekday at the santa monica location, it wasn't good. the food was cold, service wasnt great. Pasadena -- moden design, good service, food and desert. El segundo -- i usually go during the lunch hour (close to where i work) great lunch! TRY this DESERT! and u will L-O-V-E it! Zabaione alla Gritti 6.95 Chilled zabaione with fresh berries, Bellini sorbet, fresh whipped cream and amarena cherry enjoy! more

Recommend: at Pasadena or El segundo 2/11/2006

pink3qannie Provided by Partner
i strongly recommend the Il Fornaio at Pasadena or El segundo. this particular one at santa monica wasn't that great. maybe b/c it was the time i went..we went during a weekday at the santa monica location, it wasn't good. the food was cold, service wasnt great. Pasadena -- moden design, good service, food and desert. El segundo -- i usually go during the lunch hour (close to where i work) great lunch! TRY this DESERT! and u will L-O-V-E it! Zabaione alla Gritti 6.95 Chilled zabaione with fresh berries, Bellini sorbet, fresh whipped cream and amarena cherry enjoy! more

Visit Il Fornaio - It's Rome In Santa Monica! 7/31/2005

'Il Fornaio della Spiaggia' is a must visit. Don't let the fact that it's a 'chain' fool you. This restaurant would stands among the top of it's class. The cuisine is drawn from many parts of Italy (not just the North). The monthly regional menus introduce foods from each of Italy's varied regions thus providing access to flavors not found in ANY restaurant. We are truly spoiled with these restaurants in our midst. Everything about this restaurant, from the architecture, materials (marble), lighting are authentically right off the streets of Rome, Naples or Florence. The wait staff is incredibly well trained, their uniforms are classic 'cameriere' and the assitants are incredible! No detail left unmonitored or unchecked. Watch the native Italian supervising the kitchen. If you are lucky enough to be there when the giant prawns are on the menu - ORDER THEM! Pros: Cuisine, Setting, Staff more

Visit Il Fornaio - It's Rome In Santa Monica! 7/30/2005

rbianco Provided by Partner
'Il Fornaio della Spiaggia' is a must visit. Don't let the fact that it's a 'chain' fool you. This restaurant would stands among the top of it's class. The cuisine is drawn from many parts of Italy (not just the North). The monthly regional menus introduce foods from each of Italy's varied regions thus providing access to flavors not found in ANY restaurant. We are truly spoiled with these restaurants in our midst. Everything about this restaurant, from the architecture, materials (marble), lighting are authentically right off the streets of Rome, Naples or Florence. The wait staff is incredibly well trained, their uniforms are classic 'cameriere' and the assitants are incredible! No detail left unmonitored or unchecked. Watch the native Italian supervising the kitchen. If you are lucky enough to be there when the giant prawns are on the menu - ORDER THEM! Pros: Cuisine, Setting, Staff more

Just good enough to not be bad 2/25/2005

lboverton Provided by Partner
I was happy to find that Il Forniao wasn't as loud as I'd heard on a Friday night; the room was quite pleasant and the booths commodious. The food suffers from trying a little too hard. For instance, the duck special had a strong smoky flavor and an intense balsamic reduction; the result was too intensely flavored in too many directions. The regular dishes fared better - the veal scallopini was excellent, and the stuffed pastas were perfect. I'd say this is a good choice for a business dinner as long as you stick with the basics. more

Just good enough to not be bad 2/25/2005

I was happy to find that Il Forniao wasn't as loud as I'd heard on a Friday night; the room was quite pleasant and the booths commodious. The food suffers from trying a little too hard. For instance, the duck special had a strong smoky flavor and an intense balsamic reduction; the result was too intensely flavored in too many directions. The regular dishes fared better - the veal scallopini was excellent, and the stuffed pastas were perfect. I'd say this is a good choice for a business dinner as long as you stick with the basics. more

User review from Insider Pages 1/9/2005

I've been to several Il Fornaio restaurants, and while the food was fine at this one, the service was terrible. It took 45 minutes to get a ... more

Reliable and good value 7/2/2004

chardk11 Provided by Partner
I live in SM and have always found the Il Fornaio there to be a good spot for taking more or less anyone. Plus you can walk over to the pier after dinner! I strongly disagree with the reviewer who compared Il Fornaio to the Red Lobster if he/she meant that literally. That's like comparing John O'Groats to Coco's. If you really can't tell the difference then stick to McD's! Pros: Reliable, Good atmosphere, Good bar Cons: , Very noisy more

Reliable and good value 7/2/2004

I live in SM and have always found the Il Fornaio there to be a good spot for taking more or less anyone. Plus you can walk over to the pier after dinner! I strongly disagree with the reviewer who compared Il Fornaio to the Red Lobster if he/she meant that literally. That's like comparing John O'Groats to Coco's. If you really can't tell the difference then stick to McD's! Pros: Reliable, Good atmosphere, Good bar Cons: , Very noisy more

decent 10/2/2003

this place is OK. food is OK. service is decent. basically its just a red lobster but dressed up to make you feel better. Pros: cheap food, nice waiters, oceanside Cons: it was OK, but just OK more
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Menu for Il Fornaio


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Editorial
  • The Scene
    At first glance Il Fornaio looks too frenetic and unwieldy to be a serious restaurant--but it is. The sprawling, stylish dining room attracts a diverse crowd. Adding to the show...

  • 12/7/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon - Thur: 11:30am-10:00pm Fri & Sun: 11:30am-10:00pm Sat: 11:30am-11:00pm
  • Payments: American Express, Discover, Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: West LA, Downtown
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