Il Fornaio - San Jose

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302 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113
San Jose, CA 95113

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(408) 271-3366
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Reviews
( 10 )
( 10 )
( 4 )
( 2 )
( 1 )

Best

Butternut squash ravioli, a hard thing to make but this place does it the best I have found. It's broken up with tomato sauce that breaks up the flavors enough to make it anything...

Worst

Was there last Saturday, and I have to say that I was very disappointed in both the service and the food. The menu was very comprehensive, but all four of us thought the food was ...

Great Food 6/9/2010

II Fornaio is a great place to take family for a night out on the town. It has great Ambiance and even better food. more
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Best Italian 7/6/2009

Butternut squash ravioli, a hard thing to make but this place does it the best I have found. It's broken up with tomato sauce that breaks up the flavors enough to make it anything but mundane (as this dish can be without a savory break). A friend has had their Vodka pasta dish and loved it as well. \r For the price the attentive service is what you's expect, they clean off the table, are evtremely attentive, serve you with their other hand behind the back, turn the plate just do the main part is in front of you. The desert crepes...yummy to the last bite!\r This place is a splurge on my budget settings but certainly necessary treat to look forward to. Pros: Everything on the Menu more
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I would only go if it's the only place downtown SJC that can accomodate you... 11/10/2008

Was there last Saturday, and I have to say that I was very disappointed in both the service and the food. The menu was very comprehensive, but all four of us thought the food was below average. I had the lasagna, which was probably one of the worst ones I've had in a restaurant. My wife ordered the pappardelle with ""wild boar"", which must have been not only wild, but also difficult to hunt because it couldn't be found in the dish. All of us had either soup or salad. My mushroom soup should have been named ""celery broth"".\r \r Honestly, if you want good italian food - stay away.\r \r Oh, and service sucked. Waiters that simply didn't seem to care, other than the guy responsible for bringing us water and bread. The waiter spilled wine on my shirt, which was annoying, but what was really irritating was her taking her time to get something to clean it with. more
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Great tasty Pizza snd lazy service.. 11/11/2007

Me, my wife and two teenage doughters visitied the San Jose location for a lunch on Sunday.\r \r The dining area itself was rather impressive, roomy, nice decoration, and very Italian athmosphere.\r Very nice! However, the great expectations started to fade away due to lazy service. Everything was done\r slowly. All together we ended up waiting 40 minutes before the food was served eventually..\r \r The food was OK but did not meet expectations either. Ravioli was heated to right temperature but kind of ""tasteless"". Veal was a bit of seasoned, been waiting (not served fresh) and kind of ""messy"" combination with mushrooms, sauce, etc. Also a bit ""tasteless"", have to say. \r \r But pizza was one of the best ever had, very tasty. kid's loved it too. Overall, very nice athmosphere, nice decoration, but food unfortunately didn't meet the expectations... \r \r \r more
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The service is top notch. I am giving 4 stars for service... 8/23/2007

The service is top notch. I am giving 4 stars for service. The food is pretty good. Nothing was... more
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The service is top notch. I am giving 4 stars for service... 8/23/2007

The service is top notch. I am giving 4 stars for service. The food is pretty good. Nothing was... more
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The service is top notch. I am giving 4 stars for service... 8/22/2007

JonathanReyes Provided by Partner
The service is top notch. I am giving 4 stars for service. The food is pretty good. Nothing was spectacular, but service was really good. I had l... more
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Excellent Food, Great Ambiance 12/21/2006

Il Fornaio is an excellent restaurant with fabulous flavors, great service and a very inviting ambiance. The food is authentic Italian- D E L I C I O U S. They also offer reasonable size portions, not supersized heart attack specials with a 12 gallon drum of soda allowing you to feed your entire family and bring home ""a doggie bag"" to feed a small country for under 20 bucks. The food is meant to be savored to allow you to enjoy several courses. While the food is not cheap, it is priced to keep an adult type clientele. The servers are very knowledgeable of their wines and make excellent recommendations. This is one of our favorite spots downtown and will continue enjoying for the years to come. Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance, knowledgeable staff more
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Bolognese Very Good 9/22/2006

Attitude at the door! Hostess very disengaged. Service at the table lax. No specials or recommendations. Food hot and delicous when it got to the table. Waitresse/waiters don't do it j more
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Bolognese Very Good 9/21/2006

Attitude at the door! Hostess very disengaged. Service at the table lax. No specials or recommendations. Food hot and delicous when it got to the table. Waitresse/waiters don't do it j more
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Decent Italian 6/30/2006

I know it's a chain, but it is quite a step up from your olive garden or macaroni grill. The gnocchi was good and the bread is fresh and delicious. I bought a loaf to take home. There's better food out there, but this a safe bet for an above average meal. more
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Very Disappointed 10/18/2005

After reading glowing recommendations, I decided to give Il Fornaio a try for a friend's birthday. While the ambiance was inviting, I was incredibly disappointed with the food. The caprese salad was flavorful yet extremely small for the price, but the bruschetta was soggy and bland. My friend ordered the ravioli, which arrived stone cold. I ordered the gnocchi, which while warm, were undercooked and flavorless. With such a reputation, I was shocked at the medoicrity of the food. Very disappointed! Pros: Ambiance Cons: Food, Pricey more
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Il Fornaio 8/11/2005

I ate at Il Fornaio twice on a business trip I recently attended. I went the the bakery area and ordered a turkey salad sandwich which was ... more
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Excellent Bread 8/8/2005

They sell amazing European style bread. The store is located alongside their restaurant. There's public parking across the street, which y... more
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italian foods 3/5/2005

found it wonderful......great older building.......great aromas..........wine choices great...waiter knowledge wonderful......great food Pros: wines, food choices, aromas Cons: parking more
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Authentic pizzas, tasty dishes 6/28/2004

We've eaten at Il Fornaio 10-15 times, and we always enjoy the food. We haven't found many such good pizzas in the Bay Area that are authentic. Desserts are also great. On the down side, the service is generally good, but not always. Also: beware of the Palo Alto location: I've been twice, and twice my pasta was not ""al dente"" (but undercooked), also the service wasn't great. Pros: pizzas, Food, Desserts more
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consistent and wonderful 2/19/2004

Always a favorite of mine for work or leisure. The majority of the time I have an outstanding experience. Best waiter is Robert, ask for his table. Pros: great location, nice ambiance, great food Cons: , long wait for food more
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And We Waited ... 1/2/2003

Terrible ... My family and I tried to have breakfast there on New Years Day. We couldn't ... they didn't want to seat us ... due to the limited waiter staff.... the restaurant had maybe 15 customers. How long do you have to wait to be seated an empty restaruant ? We gave them 15 minutes ...then left! more
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Overpriced 11/10/2002

I'd say this restaurant is more trendy than anything. The food is above-average and the portions are small to regular, but when you factor in the cost of the food & valet parking (hard to find parking Fri/Sat nights), its not that great a deal. Its the kind of place that you let the company pay to take you to. Pros: Above-Average Food, Location Cons: Overpriced, Parking more
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Great Restaurant 10/3/2002

This is one Pasta Chain that works. Always serving great food and reasonable prices. They are catering my wedding at the Hyatt. more
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Menu for Il Fornaio - San Jose


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IL Fornaio in San Jose offers expert catering services.

Editorial

  • The Food
    Il Fornaio has been the location for so many Silicon Valley deals, that it's no wonder folks turn to them for catered events as well. The award-winning breads, the accessible...

  • 8/18/2003 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon - Thur: 7:00am-10:00pm Fri: 7:00am-11:00pm Sat: 8:00am-11:00pm Sun: 8:00am-10:00pm
  • Payments: American Express, Diner's Club, Discover, Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Central San Jose, Central
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