Il Fornaio
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 451-7800
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Colorado Avenue
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 11:30am-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-11pm
Editorial Review for Il Fornaio – by Bryan Miller
The Scene
At first glance Il Fornaio looks too frenetic and unwieldy to be a serious restaurant--but it is. The sprawling, stylish dining room attracts a diverse crowd. Adding to the show are the pyrotechnics in the gleaming open kitchen. At peak hours the place can be loud but not distractingly so.
The Food
The kitchen turns out well-honed renditions of regional northern Italian fare, with a dozen or more daily specials. For starters, salads are vibrant and attractive, as is the grilled ciabatta bread swathed with chopped tomatoes, basil and kalamata olives. All the pastas can be recommended--don't miss the ravioli filled with Swiss chard and pinenuts, and the mesquite-grilled chicken flattened with a brick (no joke) to make it extra crispy. Be sure to check out the impressive and fairly priced wine list.
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User Reviews for Il Fornaio
04/13/2008 Posted by liveloe
this place needs a facelift... the staff does too. no energy...the pasta was soggy and the bread stale. the place was not very clean
03/15/2008 Posted by betzthebest
this was a basically good meal with basically good service with basically good dessert. basic is all that it offers. the waiters seemed a bit tired of working there and the bartender was wierd
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