Il Fornaio - Corte Madera

Review summary

1. K

   Karl VIP

   San Francisco114 reviews

   2.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   After years (yes, YEARS) in the doldrums, Il Fornaio Corte Madera (lFCM) has been making a comeback. A relatively new chef, a dynamic maitre d' (now, regrettably, on leave), and improvements in the kitchen staff = much better food preparations than in the recent past. But the front of the house was a disaster today. Party of five for lunch. House maybe 2/3 filled. A hopelessly inept, inhospitable, monosyllabic hostess would not change our table to another that we preferred; we had to make an end run around her to the maitre d'. 25 minutes after being reseated and given water and menus, we had to again seek help from the maitre d' to find a waiter for us. That finally worked out satisfactorily. In short, the personnel at the front of the house were notably weak, and it soured what should have been a relaxed dining occasion for us. In short, IFCM seems again to be faltering, predominantly because of poor staff work at the front of the house. Our hostess today seemed not to have had either adequate training or experience. But that person is a guest's first impression of the restaurant, and should be well trained about how to welcome, treat, and interact professionally with guests. The older, reliable, professional waiters of IFCM are almost all gone -- at least for lunch service -- and the IFCM experience and value are poorer because of that. We are locals who in the past, since the early 2000s, had frequented IFCM often. Regrettably, after today,s experience, we will probably not return for a while, and when we do, it may be with some trepidation. We hope that in the intervening time until our next visit, IFCM can address the staffing issues that made today's visit a disappointing one for us.
   

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2. L

   Lori VIP

   San Francisco8 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 1 March 2025

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

   We had a nice dinner at Il Fornaio. Food was excellent, prices were reasonable. Service was adequate but could have been a bit more attentive.
   

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 27 February 2025

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

   Service was very good food was good. Overall very good
   

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4. J

   Julie

   San Francisco15 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 26 February 2025

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

   Steven, our server was attentive and had a charming personality. He made our lunch all the more enjoyable.
   

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5. L

   Linda VIP

   San Francisco8 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on 21 February 2025

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

   An old favorite, we go there for nostalgia occasionally. Would not describe it as super innovative, but it's a classic, always reliably good. Service and ambiance also always good, especially Javier, who is extraordinary, and has become a friend!
   

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6. W

   Wo VIP

   San Francisco11 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 20 February 2025

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

   As always…wonderful dinner - food is good, service is good and ambience is perfect! Thank you🌷🌷🌷
   

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7. C

   Cathy VIP

   San Francisco123 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on 18 February 2025

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

   Their minestrone soup was weak and tasted like it could easily have come from a can. Waiter did not offer Parmesan cheese for it until asked, which did help give it some flavor. Pear salad was so-so. Was expecting thinly sliced fresh pears in it but pears had been cooked…and did not have much flavor. My friends got a salad that was a special of the day. She seemed pretty pleased with it. It was a birthday celebration. The waiter was not attentive and very slow. We had wanted to order a dessert to celebrate, but the service and then getting a dessert menu took so long that we just wanted to get out of there. It took almost an hour and a half to get the soup and 2 salads. Hadn’t been to Il Fornaio for a long time…and it will be another very long time before we go back. Very disappointing!
   

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8. J

   James

   San Francisco6 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on 18 February 2025

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

   Food was fair. Prices are high. Service was nothing special.
   

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9. M

   Mikol

   San Francisco5 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on 16 February 2025

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

   I went to the restaurant days before my reservation to confirm we could get a specific small quiet room for a dinner birthday party of 8 people. When we arrived, the manager ignored my request and gave us a noisy table in the middle of the restaurant. The wait staff was not very attentive. I brought in a $300 gift certificate they would not honor. Not what i expected for $500.
   

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10. P

    Phil VIP

    Los Angeles5 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

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

    Service was hurried and inattentive…the server was never there and when he showed up, he wanted to leave. I’ve eaten there many times but lately everyone is going through the motions….
    

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