Il Fornaio
Seattle, WA 98101-3702
Phone: (206) 264-0994
- Price:
- $$
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 6:30am-10pm, Fri 6:30am-11pm, Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 10am-10pm
Editorial Review for Il Fornaio – by Citysearch Editors
In Short
With its oversize bar, the sprawling dining room attracts a diverse crowd of locals and tourists. The restaurant has an open kitchen that turns out renditions of regional northern Italian fare, with a dozen or more daily specials. Starters include salads or grilled ciabatta bread swathed with chopped tomatoes, basil and kalamata olives. Entrees such as ravioli filled with Swiss chard and pine nuts or mesquite-grilled chicken are popular.
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Insider Tips
What to DrinkThe wine list is extensive and moderately priced.
CateringGet big platters of antipasto, sandwiches and pasta delivered to your office door.
User Reviews for Il Fornaio
09/10/2008 Posted by eskercurve
After a last minute change to see a friend with the wife and myself, the friend recommended that we go here for dinner. I agreed and was hoping this place was better than Palomino. The parking is convenient, right beneath the Pacific Place mall. The restaurant is not hard to find either, and there is interesting decor to boot. So, I had high hopes for this restaurant, which was played out partially. I ordered the barrel noodles with vodka sauce and perhaps this is my personal taste talking, but I could have made the mixture of vodka to cheese sauce a little more rich in both to really bring out the flavor of the cheese. The bacon added a nice touch, and perhaps I should have been lead to a different dish because usually adding bacon as a garnish to a dish means that the cook doesn't know how to make the main dish vibrant enough and so has to add a powerful ingredient. My wife had the fettucini with red meat sauce and in her words "I could cook better". However, this place does have AMAZING desserts. I had the fruit gelato with creme sauce and the chef really should open his own line of desserts, it was a never ending tale of creme, fruit, gelato, and soft crispiness of the cookie served with it. My wife's tiramisu was exquisite, if not authentic. Very nice! In all, this is a good place to meet with workmates, partners, or a date because the mood suits both, and is not risky with bold dishes. If you're looking for a new experience in Italian cooking, look elsewhere. You won't be taken away by it (unless you have dessert), but you also won't be disappointed.
Pros: Ambiance, convenience, service
Cons: quality for price
07/07/2008 Posted by Mehri
I am shocked by all the negative reviews. I love this place. I am addicted to the four cheese gnocchi. I cannot get enough!! And the affogato is enough to do you in after dinner. The service has never been bad for me. The prices might be on the high side, not unlike alot of other restaurants in the downtown area. But then I think about the gnocchi and find myself there once again.
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