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Il Fornaio - Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA

Il Fornaio - Palo Alto

4.5
4.5
2760 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

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2 people
23:00
Booked 15 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
  • Good for groups
Step inside Il Fornaio and take an award-winning culinary journey through Italy. Specialties include house made pastas, wood-fired pizza, grilled fish, authentic risotto, and rotisserie meats. Using the freshest ingredients and traditional cooking techniques, Il Fornaio offers a wide variety of premium-quality Italian food paired with great cocktails and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence wine list.

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Private dining

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Unspecified
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Wed 17:00–21:00 Thu–Sun 12:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (650) 853-3888
  • Website
    https://www.ilfornaio.com/location/il-fornaio-palo-alto/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Catering
    Off-site catering available. Please contact Event Coordinator for more details.
  • Private party facilities
    Celebrating 30 years in downtown Palo Alto, Il Fornaio offers 2 private dining rooms and a heated, covered, garden Piazza. Banquet menus for large parties features the best of Il Fornaio's authentic Italian cuisine and Chef Maurizio's signature dishes.
  • Private party contact
    Juli Calderon: (650) 853-3720
  • Location
    520 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
  • Area
    Palo Alto
  • Cross Street
    University
  • Parking details
    Valet parking is available for $20. In addition, there is also the hotel parking lot, as well as a public lot available.
  • Public transit
    Cal Train
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,760 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Il Fornaio in Palo Alto offers a charming ambiance with its lovely patio seating and tasteful interior. Guests praise its "excellent service" and "consistently great food." The menu is extensive, featuring reliable favorites like Pasta Bolognese. Although some dishes may not always meet expectations, the atmosphere and attentive staff make it a preferred choice for special occasions and gatherings.

2,760 Reviews

  1. Angela

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food is great and service is excellent . The lady server is knowledgeable and courteous.

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  2. Daniel Lloyd

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The service here is fantastic. The kitchen was a bit slow to get things out. The space is a little small (especially the tables which can get very crowded for space), the menu is a bit limited, and the food, while delicious, isn't anything extraordinary. My friend group and I have done our Holiday dinner here for two years in a row now, and while we agree that it's good option, we will likely want to branch out next year.

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  3. Carol

    VIP

    San Francisco

    291 reviews

    5.0

    291 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Are server Oscar was amazing. He helped my sister with directions to the restaurant which is hard as she as a flip phone but she made it. Are meal was perfect Oscar suggested the soup for my husband as as a swallowing issue. The soup was perfect. My sister had the filet also perfect, I had the pasta with salmon also delicious . The appetizers were delicious we had the Burrata and the charcuterie plate. Thanks for such a amazing dinner. Next time we are down in January we will definitely be back. PS my daughter was upset that she didn’t get to go she loves your raviolis.

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  4. Sandi

    VIP

    San Francisco

    45 reviews

    5.0

    45 reviews

    Dined on 13 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server, Jason was very helpful and personable. The Holiday decorations were amazing. The food was excellent!

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  5. Judie

    VIP

    San Francisco

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had one of the most delicious dinners I have had at IlFornio in some time. It was the salmon entre and it was absolutely perfect. My guests all had pasta and they were more than satisfied. You have improved both your food quality, and your service.

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  6. Kimberly

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 2 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The service and the food was amazing! Get the Calamari and everything you will order otherwise will be amazing.

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  7. Rod

    VIP

    Hawaii

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very nicely done for this busy holiday. Stephanie and her staff worked hard to create an enjoyable and savory dining experience. The courses were in super abundance. Thanks to all at IL FORNAIO!

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  8. Janette

    Las Vegas

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server was great and enjoyed a hearty thanksgiving dinner. We were seated at the patio with ample heat. 💫👏

    Is this helpful?

  9. Mike

    VIP

    Sacramento

    6 reviews

    1.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    IMHO, Il Fornaio, a great CONCEPT for a restaurant, has been struggling for a while. The problem lies in the kitchen. The food is generally overcooked (or undercooked, if you ask for something 'medium'), the dishes are sort of bland, and, worst of all, there is an on-going problem of getting the food quickly to the table when ready. Went for Thanksgiving dinner, with the traditional turkey on the menu, and it was really bad. Turkey was dry, stuffing was a big mushroom bomb bread blob, both green beans and sweet potatoes were undercooked. And, a fountain club soda was 6 bucks, and a martini $20!! Also, Il Fornaio keeps changing its loyalty program (there are at least four iterations I can recall), and each new version offers less for your loyalty. In the current version, your points expire after 45 days. Just give it up. (I remember when they had the Passport, which featured differing regional cuisines, with a little gift, like sea salt, or a plate, from Italy. It was really nice, and just charming.) I really want to like this chain, but right now, I just can't.

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  10. Gregory

    VIP

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 28 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delightful Thanksgiving experience. The only negative was the sweet potatoes dish. They were undercooked. The turkey, beans, and pie were delicious

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Il Fornaio - Palo Alto offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (650) 853-3888.

Il Fornaio - Palo Alto is rated 4.5 stars by 2760 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
23:00
Booked 15 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Il Fornaio - Palo Alto

520 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    University
  • Area
    Palo Alto
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Wed 17:00–21:00 Thu–Sun 12:00–21:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Unspecified
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Valet parking is available for $20. In addition, there is also the hotel parking lot, as well as a public lot available.
  • Public transit
    Cal Train
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    https://www.ilfornaio.com/location/il-fornaio-palo-alto/
  • Phone number
    (650) 853-3888
  • Catering
    Off-site catering available. Please contact Event Coordinator for more details.
  • Private party facilities
    Celebrating 30 years in downtown Palo Alto, Il Fornaio offers 2 private dining rooms and a heated, covered, garden Piazza. Banquet menus for large parties features the best of Il Fornaio's authentic Italian cuisine and Chef Maurizio's signature dishes.
  • Private party contact
    Juli Calderon: (650) 853-3720

Featured in

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