Il Fornaio - Del Mar

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

Review summary

1. J

   Jennifer

   San Francisco2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   Overall, a good experience. My server was great and very attentive. The food was pretty good. Didn’t blow me away. When I feel I can make something better at home, then I’m a little disappointed I went out and paid for it. But my daughter loved her dinner. More expensive than it should have been for the food and ambiance. More of a very casual restaurant vibe than is reflected in the price of the food. Felt it could be stepped up in quality and effort. A bit bland. Some things were very good. Others just ok.
   

   Is this helpful?

2. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Seattle5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   Food was very good and the service was on point. The covered outdoor heated patio can be surprisingly noisy so we opted for inside.
   

   1 person found this helpful

3. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   Denver2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   We sat on the patio - beautiful view but loud! Bernardo our waiter was great!
   

   Is this helpful?

4. D

   Debaditya

   San Diego4 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on 9 March 2025

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

   My son ordered RIGATONI ALLA VODKA which was pretty good and so was MARGHERITA Pizza. We has also ordered BRANZINO LIVORNESE which was not great. We had opted for outdoor seating which was good. I would have rather preferred to go during daytime for the ocean view.
   

   Is this helpful?

5. G

   Greg VIP

   San Diego37 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 9 March 2025

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

   Food was very good and the waitress was very kind, patience and attentive to our needs.
   

   Is this helpful?

6. I

   Ismael

   San Diego2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 8 March 2025

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

   I had a wonderful lunch with a beautiful view. The waiter was amazing and made us feel very welcome.
   

   Is this helpful?

7. e

   ellen

   Tampa6 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on 8 March 2025

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

   I had fond memories of their food from previous dining experiences in other locations. This one was very disappointing. The signature cocktail was ordinary. The butternut squash and walnut ravioli was supposed to be a brown butter sage sauce but it was tomato primarily which drowned out the expected subtle flavors. My guys pasta was a bland tasting “Mac and cheese” style tube pasta and not even rich and gooey like a good m&c. A desert to make up for food was some whipped cream in a glass with a little bit of strawberry syrup. It was all very flavorless. I rarely write a bad review figuring an occasional misstep was accidental. These chiefs need to read their menu and taste the food to make sure it matches the description.
   

   Is this helpful?

8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Diego1 review

   3.0

   Dined on 7 March 2025

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

   Unfortunately the food was okay not very flavorful. We both had pasta dishes.
   

   Is this helpful?

9. A

   Al VIP

   San Diego124 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 1 March 2025

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

   Another great dining experience. Our server Bernardo, was fantastic.
   

   Is this helpful?

10. J

    Joseph VIP

    Palm Springs17 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 26 February 2025

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

    service was great....it wasnt busy at all but the food was only just a little above warm...didnt say anything because we were having a nice time with friends.. the waiter was great attentive but not intrusive..gave us plenty of time..
    

    Il Fornaio - Del MarResponded on 2 March 2025

    Grazie mille for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We take our guest's comments very seriously and are so sorry to hear that you were disappointed with mediocre food. We want to assure you that providing poor-quality food is not the standard that we set for our restaurants. It is our utmost priority to provide our guests with carefully prepared, authentic Italian cuisine and the warm hospitality we are known for. We will share this feedback with our chef and management team and sincerely hope that you will give us another chance!
    

    Is this helpful?