Il Fornaio - Santa Clara

Il Fornaio - Santa Clara reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. K

   Kenjiro

   San Francisco3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

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

   Good ambiance, friendly workers, overall good experience without breaking the bank. Thanks to Sergio for being a friendly server. Parking can get a little tough as you get closer to dinner. I recommend booking a little earlier than regular dinner time. Say 6pm so you can find parking easily. I recommend the Linguine Mare Chiaro. It's a spaghetti with scallops, clams, shrimp, etc. There is a 3% surcharge. The food was a-ok, but the comfortable environment at an affordable price made me give this place a 5-star. Would repeat. Thank you.
   

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2. J

   Jeffrey VIP

   San Francisco6 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on May 1, 2025

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

   We are (former) regulars. The fish was badly overcooked. OK, no problem. We know the waiter who is a class act and graciously offered to have the dish made again. The kitchen crew cat called in our direction and called out "pendejo" in Spanish. Seriously? Maybe they should learn to cook instead of harassing customers. After that, our waiter went on break and we were ignored until I found someone to take our payment. Really sad, but we are done with this Il Fornaio.
   

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3. M

   Mike

   San Francisco12 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 28, 2025

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

   overall a very enjoyable lunch. Service was attentive and the food was tasty and served at a very nice pace without being rushed.
   

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4. W

   Wendy

   San Francisco2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 28, 2025

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

   Food was good and services were excellent! All the employees were helpful and friendly.
   

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5. S

   Siva

   London4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 26, 2025

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

   Great Ambience. Staff is nice and food is great. Good Vegetarian options too.
   

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6. J

   Jon

   San Francisco8 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 20, 2025

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

   Wonderful Easter lunch. The dishes we ordered were fantastic. The ambience at the Santa Clara location is really cool. We sat in the patio and really enjoyed dining outside. Great food and service all around. One of our favorite restaurants.
   

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7. A

   Anna

   Detroit13 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on April 13, 2025

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

   For our anniversary we chose Il Fornaio. Creative pear salad and rombo were very good. A little slow in ordering but kind. Good bread and ice cream to celebrate. We liked it.
   

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8. K

   Kathleen

   Charleston5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 8, 2025

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

   We had a lovely early dinner at Il Fornaio on 4/8/25. Dining in the outdoor area was wonderful - we were early so it was very quiet. The best part of our evening was our server, Manny. He explained the menu and described his favorites which helped us make our decisions. I would high recommend asking for his section when you make reservations! Food was prepared perfectly - everything was delicious.
   

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9. D

   Dagmar VIP

   San Francisco102 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 1, 2025

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

   Another lovely evening with a friend and a super-attentive server.
   

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10. T

    Thefoodlovr VIP

    San Francisco4 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on March 23, 2025

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

    The staff needs better training for flow of service. We were rushed and did not get a chance to enjoy our meals. The food was average. The salads were drenched in dressing and poorly prepared. Our entrees were swimming in olive oil and the spinach was just a mess. We poured our wine the rest of the evening and ate with the same set of utensils from the first course . Portions have to be adequate and balanced for value. You don’t want to be another Olive Garden. Lots of potential but no leadership.
    

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