Had a great meal today at Il Fornaio in Corte Madera. I sat at the bar and ordered the pasta with vodka sauce, asking if they could make it a little spicy. Christian, the bartender, told me I could order it extra spicy, and it came out absolutely perfect amazing flavor and just the right amount of heat. Christian also made a really good Old Fashioned and provided excellent service from start to finish. He was friendly, helpful, and really made the experience even better. To finish, I had the Panna Cotta al Limone, and it was amazing. Great meal, great drinks, and outstanding service. I'll definitely be back. read more

Il Fornaio - Pasta with vodka sauce spicy - Italian Near Me - Corte Madera, California

Just pass on to your next option. I did the mistake of not looking at Yelp before going into El Fornaio, and I regret it. 45 minutes to get the order when it came out, it was first the meat and 5min later the mashed potatoes. The food is good, but service is terrible. I'll never go to this place again read more

My mom invited me to lunch to celebrate my return to work today and this is where we landed. The location, the sounds and the atmosphere is beautiful but the food left alot to be desired. We had the fritto mistook. It had zero salt..was all hard and dry. Some sort of spicy marinara was provided but it had zero flavor. We also ordered a chicken parmigans and a pesto pasta with 2 sodas. The pastas were hard, no flavor.the chicken was loaded with a thick slice of cheese on top..but no love in the sauce or presentation. Total for all.$130 with tip. read more

I heard great things about this restaurant so, I made a special trip here. As soon as you walk in, you're greeted with a beautiful atmosphere. Open kitchen, low lighting, white table cloth, friendly servers in white shirt and tie. Family & I ordered salmon, salad, lasagna and the chicken off the rotisserie is off the wall busting out juicy and tender. Alvaro did a great job taking our orders and serving us as picky as we were with a friendly smile and willingness to help us. I highly recommend coming here for a date, outing, gatherings! read more

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I can't believe the ratings on this place, I thought the menu was nailed down! I split the family style menu with a friend and it was worth every penny. My favorite part of the course was of course the entree - gnocchi and pollo. The staff was very friendly and attentive. I also enjoyed the ambiance. I would love to go back again! read more

Il Fornaio - Italian Near Me - Corte Madera, California

This restaurant is beautiful and feels upscale. We had dinner here and it was good. I enjoyed the Linguine Mare Chiaro (clams | mussels | shrimp | scallops | thin pasta | roasted cherry tomato sauce | white wine | crushed red pepper) with a glass of Vermintino and my husband ordered the Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina (baked potato dumplings | roasted tomato sauce | basil | grana padano | fior di latte mozzarella). Service was great, multiple people including our server assisted us through our dining experience and we felt welcome. read more

Il Fornaio - LINGUINE MARE CHIARO - Italian Near Me - Corte Madera, California

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Did a takeout order from Il Fornaio and the food is amazing. You get what you paid for. When I got my food, the hostess that helped me was nice and friendly, the hostess and the wait staff were dressed nice. The restaurant inside looked really nice when I walked in and picked my order. If you're looking for a good Italian spot in Corte Madera, I'll Fornaio is top notch. There are other locations and I've been to two, and I've had great experience at both( also the one in SF) read more

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Recently we went to Il Fornaio in search of a delicious steak dinner. We ordered the filet mignon plus a Caesar salad. The service was impeccable, as was the steak, which was cooked perfectly and served with a delicious mushroom sauce over whipped potatoes. I've never had their steak before and it was well worth the trip. read more

Il Fornaio - Steak with red wine reduction sauce - Italian Near Me - Corte Madera, California

The chicken parmesan is simply awful - have they tried it themselves? Pasta was too al dente (undercooked). I guess they stopped giving you complimentary bread and water, because we didn't get any. This place needs a total overhaul. Won't cut it for the prices anymore. read more

Stopped by for Nee Year Eve dinner. We were lucky to get a table, because the night it's booked. We started out with bread and butter. And a bottle of Chardonnay by II Fornaio. The Chardonnay is flavorful and crisps. We had fried calamari as appetizers, it was very delicious, the calamari is fresh. I had the parmesan chicken with spaghetti. The chicken was well seasoned, pairs well with the spaghetti. The seafood dish is delicious as well, all the ingredients are very fresh. The service is great, they are on top of everything. Our Server is excellent. The place is well decorated with Christmas/ New Year. read more

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Fantastic happy hour between 3-6pm on weekdays offers a wide variety of $9 craft cocktails, including the margarita Italiano, incorporating mango and limoncello. Delicious and refreshing! Beers are $7 and wines are $8. The fried calamari was crisp and tasty and the pizza was huge and a great value. Service was prompt and welcoming and the decor is nice and muted Mediterranean style. We will definitely be back to try more menu items whenever we're in the area. read more

Il Fornaio - Happy Hour - Italian Near Me - Corte Madera, California

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Excellent service from Carlos M. Our food was delicious. My husband had lasagna and I had the sausage ravioli. Both excellent. And the cannoli for dessert topped it all off. Also, one of a very few restaurants in San Rafael area open past 9PM on a Saturday night! read more

GF and I celebrated our birthdays and Valentine's Day together here. The roast chicken and branzino were fabulous. Red and gold beet salad with goat cheese was a winner too. Thank you to the staff for making it a memorable evening! read more

Il Fornaio - Complimentary strawberry sundae for our birthdays. - Italian Near Me - Corte Madera, California

First time here! It was AMAZING!!! One of the best calamari's I've ever had! The seafood was so fresh and so flavorful. The gnocchi was like a cloud in your mouth! The red sauce was so delicious. The inside was so clean and nicely decorated. The waiter was very nice and super outgoing. He shared what he recommended and cracked some jokes that were great! Can't wait to go back. read more

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Have not been here in several years and had a very nice time. Service was great, attentive and quick. Food was delicious, started with hamachi, had the bolognese and Sole fillet for dinner. They came by with some fresh focaccia bread, really good. It was quiet as the New Year festivities were quieting down which made for an enjoyable meal read more

Il Fornaio - Crudo - Italian Near Me - Corte Madera, California

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Terrific late Sunday lunch here with my husband. We like the 3pm hour for the wide choice of seating, the calm between lunch and the dinner. The food is terrific, everything fresh and well prepared: grilled salmon and linguine with seafood. Diego was our wait staff, so pleasant and helpful. We look forward to returning often! read more

Food - consistently reliable fettuccine Bolognese and fresh salads, a well curated wine list with variety by the glass, attentive service (some staff now also from Marin Joes that is temporarily closed) and wheelchair friendly seating make this our current weekend dinner spot with our elderly family member. It does not feel like a restaurant in a mall at all, once you enter, it is very cosy viewing the open kitchen and bar where you can dine as well. read more

Great ambience, food, friendly staff. Nice atmosphere for relaxing and eating great food

I was really looking forward to this meal, but the pasta I received was bland, dry, and clearly thrown together with no care. There was zero flavor, and it looked nothing like the photos of the same dish I've seen online. It felt like they just don't care about takeout customers at all. For the price, I expected a decent meal--not what is pictured below. I would not recommend ordering takeout from here. Save your money and your appetite. TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE read more

Il Fornaio - TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE - Italian Near Me - Corte Madera, California

A big letdown! We went for Mother's Day and had a waiter who rushed us to order, had such a heavy accent I could hardly understand him, he brought me the wrong varietal and then said that I didn't order what I said I did. We had Crostini with a roasted tomato spread, and some olives, it was very underwhelming. The olives had pits in them; they were not a spread. The roasted tomatoes in olive oil were flavorless. I thought the olives would be like a tapenade to spread on the bread. We both had pear salads, which sounded wonderful, but I thought the pears would be thinly sliced perhaps crisp Asian pears, but, they were cooked with a sweet sauce and soft, and then serve served with very sweet red grapes and a sweet pomegranate dressing and sweet candied pecans, even though it was on a bed of Frisse, the salad was too sweet. It was served with a couple little tiny pieces of Gorgonzola cheese that was so soft that I couldn't divide it up to eat it with the rest of the salad, that would've been a better spread for the bread! I had grilled mixed seafood misto that had been fried very lightly.. The swordfish was overcooked and dry and flavorless.. The shrimp and scallops were cooked fine. The salmon was a tiny little piece with a lot of fat streaks in it. The wedges of Yukon gold potatoes were roasted, but were drenched with olive oil. I could only eat the scallops and shrimp. The carrots were so al dente when my husband went to cut them they slid off his plate, I had to nibble on them by hand by the green tips. For dessert, my husband ordered spumoni which was sliced ice cream and very thin slices. Kind of like a bombe. The flavor was really great, but there really wasn't enough to share. I was very disappointed with the food quality and for the price of the wine-- it was marginal. It may have been better it I was served the wine that I ordered. All of this for $200 before tip. Not worth the price. The music was loud, it was set for the staff, I think, not older patrons and families--the ambience just wasn't nice or calm or celebratory for mothers. No special flower was handed out, not a dessert, not a glass of wine, not anything special for Mom. Oh yes, my husband's "special" fillet of sole was dry and was served on the skin. Not good. I was just so disappointed, it was supposed to have been the highlight of my day since my son lives far away, it wasn't. read more

I am admittedly someone who doesn't into "chain" restaurants so much, but there are two or three that I will return to and enjoy from time to time, and Il Fornaio is one of them. This restaurant in Corte Madera is well kept, and beautiful from the entryway throughout. The layout of the restaurant is inviting, giving you a glimpse of the kitchen area to the right as well as a lovely bar area to the left. There is a covered patio area that is suitable for a larger group event. It's climate controlled - really converted to an indoor area at this point. The decor is dark wooden and warm. First, this Italian mainstay possesses something that is always a game changer for me: a wood fired oven. This makes the pizzas (and other menu items) taste just that much better. So, I am often ready for a pizza here. And it's not a pizza restaurant per se - not alone. I've enjoyed pasta, chicken and seafood dishes here as well over the years. One favorite is the Ravioli di Brasato -- beef short rib ravioli often served with root vegetables. A very autumn dish! This day I enjoyed a margarita pizza, with pepperoni added. The cheese might be abundant for a margherita pizza, but I'm not complaining! Crust baked to perfection. This restaurant also has a monthly special menu typically honoring a region of Italy. This time, I ordered the special champagne off that menu -- offered in a standard pour or extra 250ml pour. Don't miss the bread for the table. This bread is perfect for the olive oil and balsamic that is served and poured in front of you by the wait staff. Whether I am sitting in the bar solo, or out to dinner with friends or family, or even for a work meal, the staff is always quite attentive and accommodating. I have never been treated in anyway other than kind and friendly, very welcoming. Don't miss out on the rewards program, which gives you credits towards menu items and even a complimentary Tiramisu on your birthday! (It's excellent by the way!) Download their app. All in all, I'm never disappointed here. This chain restaurant does it well. The people and the food and the comfortable setting keep me coming back. read more

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Beautiful establishment. The food was so amazing. I started with a glass of red wine along their fresh Italian bread and oil dip which is plenty enough for a family. For the main course I had the TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE. It was my first time having and now it's probably my favorite. I closed the deal with a desert called The Special. It's a creamy semisweet type of custard with pistachio and other yummy goodness. My favorite part was my server "Isabella" . So helpful from start to finish always checking on me and helping make those tough life decisions with my order lol. She was awesome, sweet,helpful, and polite. So glad I chose this place to eat at on my visit. read more

Il Fornaio - TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE , Red wine, fresh bread and dip. - Italian Near Me - Corte Madera, California

Wasn't sure where to go after attending a morning art fair in San Fran but wanted to get across the bridge early. This was a good choice. It had many options and wasn't very crowded at 1 pm. We had the beef lasagna and chicken parmigiana and a couple of drinks. Service was good and eating on white linen tablecloths always make me feel extra special. Management was visible in the dining room and checked on us to be sure we were good. I even got to take home some of my meal since there was a lot of spaghetti and the size of the parm was pretty big (pounded thin, but not too thin). Recommend stopping in. read more

Celebrated my pasta-loving girl's 19th birthday at Il Fornaio! The food was amazing, the atmosphere was cozy, and we had such a lovely time as a family. I totally forgot to get photos of my daughter's and sons' pasta (too busy enjoying every bite ), but everything was delicious! So thankful for a beautiful night filled with love, laughter, and her favorite food. read more

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Yes, it's a chain. And yes, they've been around long enough to perhaps had brighter glory days in the past. But they are still a good go-to for a white tablecloth Italian dinner. Lots of spots I've found in Marin have gone more casual in their aesthetic and vibe, and there are some times you want (or need, for larger reasons) a more up-scale attempt. The food here is consistent, and in my anecdotal the service has been professional and warm. I feel like it's good value for those times you need a reasonably-priced white tablecloth. And as I work in Marin and sometimes need a professional option for a dinner meeting, it's a good staple in my list of possibles. read more

Always a lovely experience! My childhood bestie and I had the pleasure of taking our parents out to dinner here last night and it was perfect. Mario came by our table and made it a special night with complimentary dessert for the table! Thank you so much for making it a special night! read more

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. read more

If you think this a run of the mill Italian restaurant you're mistaken.nor does Il Fornaio rest on its laurels. 11 of us in for lunch and everyone ate everything on the plate - ok, I couldn't finish the lasagna so I took the rest home. But it was delicious. My husband had a mixture of shellfish over pasta with a light red sauce which he raved over. Someone 4 seats down wouldn't talk as she was happily scarfing up her salmon, which she finally said was delicious. Service: we were again served by Stephen who remarkably agreed to serve us old retirees again. He was our waiter last time and I suppose we didn't scare him off. He handled the orders and the people with aplomb. Wish I had Stephen's patience! The Resto is big enough not to feel crowded and a really attractive place to enjoy a meal. read more

Walked in not to dressed up and got treated like crap. I was still persistent and got seated. The service and food was okay but the host/Mgr had an attitude. I spend over $4,500 a month dining out, so don't judge a book by it's cover. read more

Very disappointing experience and the General Manager was very rude- we've been there many times over the years but will not go back after the General Manager's behavior Our server was good read more

Having come to Il Fornaio for a romantic evening, I was not disappointed. However, I would caution others that on a busy night the restaurant can be quite loud, which can detract from the amorous mood at times. I started with the Polipo Con Patate. This was, without a doubt, the best octopus dish I've ever had: very flavorful, aesthetically pleasing, and generous with the octopus. My main dish was the Scaloppine al Limone. As someone that will always beeline for any veal on the menu, this dish was also a delight. The lemon sauce was light but added a nice note that well complemented the meat. My partner and I shared a bottle of the Il Fornaio chianti, which I think was a fine choice particularly when paired with the veal. read more

We haven't been here in a few years and it was quite good. I had the Filetto Di Costata - grilled 8oz center-cut ribeye filet topped with creamy peppercorn brandy sauce; served with grilled asparagus & mashed potatoes. It was good quality and cooked correctly. She had Fusilloni - large corkscrew pasta with roasted tomato sauce & burrata. It was bright flavors, a little tangy ins good way, and cooked well. The Setteveli - chocolate sponge cake layered with chocolate mousse, hazelnut praline & chocolate glaze dessert was fantastic. The waitress was friendly and polite. I will lobby to go back soon! read more

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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... read more

I hadn't been here in years. A couple friends joined me & we used the opportunity to celebrate one of my companions recent birthdays. Our reservation was at 5. We were seated right away & greeted warmly. We found a tasty red wine & found the other choices impressive. We picked a number of appetizers instead of ordering dinner. All were perfectly prepared. Especially commendable were the Brussels sprouts & the calamari. The birthday girl was presented with ice cream layered with a strawberry coulis. It wasn't noisy, the tables are nicely spaced, our server was always there at the right time. It was a delight! Il Fornaio goes back on the rotation. read more

This place is always a hit with the whole family from grandparents to kiddos. Consistent, delicious, friendly service, great ambiance. The bread is a fan favorite, I personally love the caprese and ravioli di zucca and penne alla vodka. You absolutely cannot go wrong with tiramisu either! Love this place! read more

We walked in 10:30AM. Doors were open, but the gal kindly told us they open at 11:30 for lunch. We walked around the town center, which is lovely returned at 11:45, and was asked if we had reservations? We did not. We were advised that they prefer reservations, but she would make an exception. I advised her that we were there at 10:30 and the gal did not mention that we needed a reservation. We were seated, not busy, but by 1 o'clock it was definitely bustling. My flatware was dirty which I failed to address with the waitress. Be careful because they do upsell you when they're taking your order, especially on the bread. The bread is free. The olive oil is free, but she asked if we would like this and that and this, and that was an up charge again our fault for not asking. My beet salad was mostly arugula, little bit of beets a little bit of goat cheese definitely not enough dressing. It was $200 for the three of us two espresso martinis each, which were excellent, a pizza and two salads oh and a scrumptious calamari appetizer. Service was excellent. Cozy restaurant. read more

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The food is great, the service is merely ok. I think they try hard to definitely give good service, but it feels like a show at times and when it comes to pay, they DEMAND a tip. When I visited, everything was going great, our server was kind, not so attentive as he was the only one serving so we understood, we also got our food about an hr in of waiting, and we were confused because a group of 4 that arrived after us were given their food first. That still didn't bother us. After we were finished eating our food + dessert, I paid the balance, but my boyfriend went to the bathroom so for the tip I was waiting for him to come back to give me cash. When the server saw I didn't include tip on the payment I made with my credit card he came up to me and asked me why I didn't tip him. I thought that was really off putting and his energy totally switched up. I kindly told him I was going to give him cash and was waiting for my boyfriend to come back. He then became cheery again and although I did end up tipping before I left, I can't help to think it was a very off putting experience. I don't think I'll be back at this location, I always visit the Walnut Creek location and have a better time. I also don't really like how dark their lighting gets for dinner, it's hard to see anything. read more

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I am a frequent visitor to Il Fornaio. I've eaten it several.S their restaurants and have always gotten a good meal with good service. Last night, some friends and I went to dinner at the Corte Madera restaurant. It was busy, but there was no line of people waiting. Almost every table was taken so it was a good crowd there for post shopping dinner. Bottom line, food was good as usual. Atmosphere is nice. Service stunk. It took forever for the waiter to come over. He offered water which we accepted and then it took at least 10 minutes or more to get it. We had to ask three times for the bread. We ordered some wine and that took a long time as well. Then all of a sudden the entrées arrived, but some of us had ordered the soup to start. Somehow that never made it to the table. When they started to bring the food over, our waiter could not remember who ordered what. He had written it down, so that's a strange deal as well. I don't think this was a group of wait-staff that was totally inexperienced. The service got so bad that one of the hosts came over (we did not ask for it) and told us he was aware there was a problem and gave us a free piece of cake for dessert. We left a decent tip for the waiter, but the tip far exceeded the value of the "service" that we got. I know it's been tough all over the place to find decent employees for the service industries. I am in One myself. However, fundamental training is still a requirement in any restaurant. If this is becoming a trend for ill Fornaio, they're going to have to revamp or risk going out of business. read more

Food was very delicious had a bit of a wait time around lunch the restaurant wasn't busy at the time this other table got served before us even though we were sat almost half an hour before them which I didn't like. The server was kind so I overlooked that over all it was an ok experience. Would think about coming again read more

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This is a decent Italian restaurant in a shopping mall. It's the flagship restaurant of the chain. I actually used to work at the San fransico location of this restaurant so I know everything about it and I could say that the food is good and honest with quality ingredients I recommend, sitting at the bar and having a bite and a drink along with all the other Marin people that do the same thing when they're driving home from work read more