Restaurants near Santa Clara Marriott

We went for a belated Valentine’s Day celebration and they still had their Valentine’s Day pre-fix menu, so we ordered that plus a few extra appetizers and drinks. The overall experience was fantastic — from the ambience of the dining room to the food and drinks, and the wonderful service! Appetizers: - Seared scallops with beetroot risotto - the scallops were delicious but a tiny bit tough to the bite. The red risotto was on point, especially the color for Valentine’s Day. - Maitake mushrooms - deep fried to perfection. If I didn’t know they were mushrooms, I would have thought this dish tasted like fried oysters from the famous Clam Box in Ipswich, MA. - jumbo cocktail shrimp - the shrimp was indeed jumbo; there were five whole pieces of shrimp Mains: - surf and turf - large lobster (delicious!) and prime bone-in ribeye (upgrade, totally worth it, so tender and well-cooked!) - side of asparagus - large pieces, boiled. - side of truffle mashed potatoes (upgrade) - portion isn’t large for the price, but it was delicious! Dessert was the pre-fix menu dessert - chocolate tarte with alcohol-infused blueberry. The blueberry was very interesting and unique. Drinks - the suggested drink pairing (berry bliss?) was fantastic!

The food is excellent. Everything was well prepared. Service was excellent. One thing to note, the side dishes are enormous. You should either order a half or be prepared to split it with one or two other people. Another thing, if you order a glass of wine instead of a bottle have them bring it immediately. It is quite cold and it takes a while for a red to warm up to the point where it can be fully appreciated. The rack of lamb has 7 ribs. Be prepared to split it or take some home. Doggie bags were quite common. Another neat trick, their prepared drinks come with dry ice on the glass. It keeps the liquid cool but it does not dilute the flavor as it melts. One last thing. Be prepared for an expensive experience. Two of us with drinks, 2 glasses of wine, 2 half appetizers, 3 half sides and 2 main courses ended up with a bill over $550 including tip. Worth it for special occasions but a lot for any kind of regular thing.

The food and drinks were good and the environment was great the only problem I had was that my waiter didn’t inform me he will be leaving for the day and had to wait for the other server for about 20 minutes to get our next drink. Other than that everything was great.

**A Wonderful Dining Experience at Il Fornaio - Santa Clara!** Our dinner at Il Fornaio - Santa Clara was made extra special by our fantastic server, John Orrock. From the moment we sat down, John greeted us with a warm smile and genuine friendliness. He was incredibly attentive, ensuring that everything was perfect throughout our meal. What truly impressed us was that he even remembered my husband from a visit a year ago—such a personal touch! The food was absolutely delicious! My seafood linguine was a standout—the prawns and scallops were huge, perfectly cooked, and bursting with flavor. Every bite was a treat! Great food, amazing service, and a welcoming atmosphere—thank you, John, for making our evening so memorable. We’ll definitely be back!

First time here. Our dining experience was delightful and included Smoked Prime Rib, Creamed Spinach, Mashed Potatoes, Side salads (Caesar and House) and Creamed Horsradish. Cocktails were very well done and the service was very, very good. We celebrated a birthday and were served a small cheesecake for the occasion - delicious. We typically will drive up to SF for prime rib dinners at House of Prime Rib. Their food and service are wonderful. The difference, and standout at Birk's is being able to order "smoked" prime rib. We are fans and plan to return to Birk's in the future.