Il Fornaio Corte Madera

My favorite go to in my neighborhood with my daughter. She is in the pasta diet now for 5 years lol I love their Cesar salad! They have good service!

We came to Il Fornaio for Mother's Day lunch with reservations at 12:45pm. It was my first time in this chain, and I liked this location's ambiance, it had a large seating space and a nice enclosed patio. Our server was nice, but there were just little misses throughout the meal. First, we asked for sparkling water for the table and we got iced tap water. Fine by us, and they did not charge us for sparkling waters in the bill. Then they asked if we wanted bread for the table, which of course we said yes to. This was $3 on the bill, and the bread was completely unimpressive. We would not have asked for bread if we knew it was not complimentary. There was too much crust and not enough rise in the bread for a nice chewy inside. Also, they took our bread away before we were done with it so we lost like $1.50 of it! For our food, we ordered the calamari for the table, and my bf and I split the pesto pizza and the insalata regina salad. The calamari came out first, which was actually really good. The crust was nice and crispy with good seasoning, the calamari itself was tender and not too chewy, and the warm marinara sauce it came with was zingy and bright. The pesto pizza came out next, which I had a slice of. It was cooked well, with a nice chewy crust. The pesto was a little too liquidy for my liking, but the flavor was okay. I wish there were more toppings of the tomatoes and mozzarella. At this point, we were halfway through the pizzas and the salads had not come yet. My bf's mom had ordered the pear salad, and she had no food yet at this point. We asked our server about them, and she walked back to the counter before bringing them over. I think they forgot to bring these out with the pizzas. I really liked the insalata regina, the arugula was tender and coated in a nice olive oil and the couscous added a nice texture. The raisins and capers added little pops of bright flavor, and the avocado brought a good creaminess to round it out. We ended the meal with the Mother's Day dessert which was a raspberry and chocolate cake. It felt like we were being rushed out towards the end of the meal, which was confusing since the restaurant was not fully packed. The service was disappointing, but the food was mostly good. Not sure if I'll be back again...

In hindsight, I should have been more discerning before choosing to dine at Il Fornaio, especially considering its modest 3 star rating on Yelp. While their pasta dishes are satisfactory, there's nothing unique about their pasta. Despite the restaurant's appealing decor and comfortable seating, the service leaves much to be desired. Our server, Grace, seldom checked on our table, we had to flag down other staff members for water multiple times. When Grace swiftly dropped off our dessert a slice of Setteveli (chocolate cake) without a word, we noticed that a portion of the cake was conspicuously missing. Upon bringing this to her attention, Grace appeared visibly agitated and defensive. Receiving her attention throughout the meal proved to be a challenge in itself. When I inquired about the missing portion of the cake, her response was accompanied by a piercing glare, asserting that the cake had been damaged during delivery, hence the absence of the tip. The intensity of her reaction was rather unsettling. Given that they charge $15 for a thin slice of cake, it seems reasonable to question its completeness. Consequently, I have no intention of returning to this establishment solely due to the exceedingly poor customer service. With numerous superior dining options in close proximity, Il Fornaio falls short of expectations.

My wife and I had a great experience having lunch here last Sunday. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Huge thanks to Diego for doing a great job with taking our orders and making sure our drinks were refilled. He's kind and can hold a great conversation. My wife loved her Ravioli Lucana; spinach ravioli filled with Italian sausage. I was a big fan of the Casarecce pesto; short pasta twists with creamy pesto sauce, grilled chicken and sun dried tomatoes. This was delicious and I'd definitely order it again. We also recommend trying the Tartara Di Tonno; ahi tuna and avocado with grilled ciabatta. This is a tasty and delicious appetizer! This is a great location and an excellent choice for lunch or dinner when visiting the area. It's romantic and has a nice intimate vibe.

My wife and I often eat at Il Fornaio because it checks all boxes. It is classy, white tablecloths, friendly staff, dependably excellent food, easy parking, near freeway. We keep going back for many years. Larry Fritzlan