This was such a great Italian option especially in the east end of Ajax. The food was amazing. The starter (bread) with the creamy butter is actually pretty darn good. It was unlimited as well, so we devoured it. The service was decent, we did have to wait for our table for a little bit though, but aside from that, everything else was top notch. The atmosphere is cozy and can be fitting for a family setting or just a group of friends hanging out. Love the experience overall read more

Il Fornello - Exterior of il fornello - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

I sort of feel like this place has a bad rap, and unfairly so. It's roughly the same cost as much lower quality restaurants like Swiss Chalet, and the pizza was really quite good. They do have a real pizza oven and they make a good Cosmopolitan, for me that's going to suffice for a nice family meal. The place was busy when we went but remained cozy and relatively quiet. Our server was great and overall I would definitely go back if I was eating out with young kids or my relatives. read more

It was our family's first visit to celebrate my mother's birthday, and we had a wonderful time. The food was delicious, especially the meat lasagna. We each ordered individual meals and shared two appetizers. Initially, we had some trouble locating our server, but it improved once we knew who to ask for. The restaurant's spacious layout and subdued background music made for a pleasant and comfortable dining experience. read more

See all

Great service and ambiance. Got the fettuccine Alfredo which was alright nothing crazy. Will order something else's in the future read more

Il Fornello - Fettuccine Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

We held a private event at Il Fornello October 17. The service was spectacular and the food even better. Portions were generous and tasted fab. From the moment we contacted Il Fornello, they were accommodating and efficient, responding quickly to enquiries and managing all dietary restrictions. Pricing was very reasonable as well. Definitely will be returning. read more

We had a date night at Il Fornello on a Sunday evening. We were seated right away and our server took our order promptly. I had the plant based lasagna and my companion had a margarita pizza with the caprese appetizer. The lasagna was quite good for being vegan and the pizza (albeit a bit overdone) was tasty too. read more

Food took a long time to come out. When it did, my pasta was piping hot which I love, but the penne was on the more room temperature side. The penne was seasoned well but the pesto pollo pasta was under seasoned and a bit bland. The pizzas were burnt at the bottom and soggy. The waitress was very nice and friendly but the food was a hit and a miss. Drinks were good. I got a white sangria. Tasted very refreshing. read more

See all

Went this evening to Il Fornello in Ajax for my wife's birthday dinner We booked online a reservation which was relatively easy and there were plenty of openings available We haven't been here in years so it was a first in a long time The service was incredibly quick and the staff was super nice My wife had a small Caesar salad and a Margherita pizza Super yummy the pizza that's fired up by their wood oven We had fried bocconcini to start which is lil mini mozzarella balls fried up They serve it with a chutney dip which is a nice accompaniment I had the pappardelle with Italian sausage Really good..... As mentioned, service was super quick Can't complain about that Definitely would go back again for a nice occasion read more

See all

Don't knock this chain till you try it - it's a great date night option for Italian food in the Durham area. You can make reservations online via their website which I recommend for busy nights like Friday. I was lucky to snag one the day of and when we got there, we were barely able to get a parking spot and it was jam packed inside. Service wasn't as fast as I was hoping as I was starved, but it was an extremely busy night. Our waiter was really awesome when he had a spare moment though. We were going through waters pretty quickly so he brought over a jug for us so we could refill ourselves. They have a huge vegetarian menu (last page on their menu) with options that look great. I had a mushroom pasta off the main menu that was fantastic! The best thing that we had there was the chocolate souffle cake. It was very much like a gooey brownie served with whipped cream and ice cream. Yum! read more

Il Fornello - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

Went on a Sunday evening for my wife's bday to celebrate and it wasn't that busy for the night. The ambiance is a casual dining I'd say with fair prices based on what is offered. The server offered the complimentary bread with butter which was okay. Here was what we ordered: 1x Pizza for Prosciutto & Arugula-$18.20 - Cut into 4 slices, the cheese is slight and you get some fattiness from the meat and bitter from the arugula...Not our personal favourite but its okay and passable for next time. 1x Spaghetti Meatballs- $21.45 - Standard pasta and sauce with 5x meatballs. Decent taste and portion. 1x Stefano-$29.95 - Papperdelle pasta with braised short rib. I think this dish was the best out of the bunch but its also one of the higher price tag on the menu. 1x Tiramisu- $7.95 - Creamy, good portion, get that coffee taste, my wife admitted this is one of the better tiramisu she's had. Nice little Italian Eatery to enjoy in our area of Ajax. Food: 3.5/5 Service: 3.5/5 Ambiance: 3.5/5 Would come for future visits! read more

They charged $10 for 3 shrimp as an add-on. That's a bit gross, but I can look past that. But the food was so inedibly salty it was something that I hadn't even experienced before. I had to throw the $40 meal I ordered. I've ordered ~70 times from this restaurant, but the quality has declined, unfortunately. They used to be really amazing! I'm not leaving them as a 1 star; hoping they improve soon. Because it was through Uber and Uber didn't issue the refund, they told me they couldn't do anything. It's too bad! read more

My dear friend and I met up in Ajax on Saturday. For dinner, she wanted to check out Il Fornello. It has recently introduced a new vegan menu. We were both excited to try it out. She is vegan. I practically eat anything. We both left the Real Canadian Superstore and headed over to this restaurant. I got there and found a parking spot steps away from the restaurant, which is across from Smoke's Poutinerie. I waited a good seven minutes for her to arrive. She had apparently taken a wrong turn and got stuck in construction on Kingston Road. Oops! When you first walk into the restaurant, it's spacious. We were greeted by a huge GRAZIE set of letters at the front counter. It wasn't all that busy for a Saturday night at 6 pm. We got a table and sat down. I had to use the women's washroom. It was clean and has four stalls. The soap and sink are sensor-activated. There were only paper towels to dry off your hands. Perhaps they are working on sensor-activated hand dryers. We got both vegan and regular menus. My friend went with the vegan lasagna and a starter Caesar salad. I went with the vegan rigatoni bolognese. Our server was wonderful, but thought that both of us wanted a starter Caesar salad each. That's okay. We both shared it. I liked that it didn't have any croutons. There were whole cashews that took their. It was fresh and yummy. I particularly loved the sliced avocado on top. Our meals came next. The vegan lasagna looked yummy. My friend loved it. She said that there was kale in it and that it worked nicely. I got the vegan rigatoni bolognese and it was so filling. The rigatoni was firmer than typical egg noodles, but it was yummy. The bolognese had lentils for ground meat. I used to hate lentils, but they were delicious in the fresh tomato-based sauce. I ate it all up. We both got vegan parmesan on top of our food. Yum! For dessert, we both got vegan tiramisu cups. I am a huge tiramisu fan. It was made with coconut cream, I reckon. It was fabulous and just the right size after such a huge meal. I was so thirsty from being out and about that I had a glass of water and three tall glasses of Diet Coke with a lime wedge each time. My friend marvelled at how quickly I downed my drinks. She was still working on her first and only Diet Coke. Our server was extremely attentive. When I was nearly done with my first Diet Coke, he came over with a refill. We had excellent food and an equally excellent dining experience at this restaurant. Years ago, I went to the Il Fornello at Bayview Village. It was nice visiting this one. We'll be back for more good vegan eats again. (178) read more

See all

Five stars earned easily here. My first time going here even though it's been around for years. I went with three girl friends on a Thursday night. We made a reservation for 7:30, but there were plenty of tables available. The waitress came with water and bread for the table, took our orders and the food and drinks were out in a flash. The restaurant checked vaccines and IDs, and then we were brought straight to our table. All staff were properly masked. I went with one of my friends who is vegan, and she was amazed at the selection this restaurant had for her - (normally, she is limited to about one option and it's usually modified to be vegan haha) I ordered the white wine sangria which I liked, as well as the Diavola pizza (but without olives and added green peppers). Great choice of pizza, not spicy really (for me anyways). I liked it and would order it again. Crust, sauce, toppings all great. They have a proper wood fire oven in the restaurant too! I didn't get a picture, but I tried the Gnocchi Asiago my friend ordered and it was fantastic! The first gnocchi I've ever actually really liked. Bills were split for each individual and the payment was quick and painless. Would recommend and would definitely go back :) read more

See all

We set a reservation online and when we arrived we were quickly seated. The atmosphere is nice and the restaurant wasn't that busy. Though over the course of our visit, since we were seated at the first booth from the front of the restaurant (even though there were plenty better booths available) we would get a chill from the cold air and constant people passing beside our table in a cramped walk-way, which definitely killed the vibe. Our waiter took awhile to come and get our drinks, and took our drink menu before we even mentioned what we wanted to drink. (Is that custom in restaurants?) Our drinks came and they were delicious. I had ordered Brio Aranciata Rossa, and it had a light citrusy taste. Our appetizer arrived, Fried Bocconcini, I had not tried it but the rest of the party said it was delicious, but the sauce on the side was oddly sweet for a fried dish. Our meals arrived at a normal pace, and were very filling. I had ordered the Pappardelle Stefano, which was very tasty, but was hard to separate the meat from the bones, and was very messy. After boxing the extra from our dishes, we ordered dessert, which swiftly arrived. The Chocolate Soufflé Cake is delicious, though with the order I clearly asked for no ice-cream, because of the additional price, but they brought it with ice cream and CHARGED us. Besides the set backs the food was delicious and I would come back again. read more

See all

I got takeout here tonight and it was very nice ! They took my allergy seriously and I'm so thankful for that as I usually avoid places with cashews and pistachios. I had the gnocchi and it was good! It was warm until I got home and a nice Friday treat read more

Il Fornello - Outside entrance - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

Il fornello is always a good choice. Plus they have pizza specials which is great. Love that they also have plant based pizzas. So glad there's one in Ajax :) read more

See all

We really like this place. Never a line or wait times. Service is quick and food is delicious. We had the pizza- which was done very well. We were excited for the vegan menu items- we had the vegan dessert!! We had the tiramisu and we loved it! read more

Food was great, we ordered garlic cheese bread for starters. Fettuccini Alfredo with Riesling and eggplant parmigiana with house red wine. The food was great! But the problem was with cleanliness, tables weren't that clean and few fruit flies around the table. read more

See all

Everyone in our party of 6 was impressed. I ordered the Pappardelle Stefano (very tender ribs in tomato sauce and pappardelle pasta). I highly recommend this comforting pasta + meat dish. Our table also ordered the fried bocconcini balls which were very tasty - deep fried gooey cheese. For dessert, we also shared a creme brûlée which had the right balance of crunch and smoothness. What really elevated my experience was the service. The kitchen completed our meals SO fast, even our server was surprised. Our reservation was for 6:30. By 7:00 we were finishing our main course meals. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing (does the speediness indicate that the meals were pre-made?). However everyone had nothing but compliments regarding their meals so whatever magic they worked in the kitchen was just fine with me. I should also add that they had an entire plant-based menu, so they seem to be welcoming to special dietary needs. I will definitely be back! read more

Il Fornello - Pappardale Stefano. Very tender ribs and pappardale pasta in tomato sauce. - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

See all

Honestly not sure why this place gets bad reviews. Sometimes we go without reservation and it's always clean, great service and food is satisfying! We went to a bunch of Italian places around and always end up back here. Pastas are always cooked just right al dente, beef carpaccio is a bit expensive but great, the fried mozzarella balls are always a treat and the salsa is a bit sweet - very unique. My husband always gets a second serving of the free bread....which comes with the "good butter that isn't so hard." read more

See all

So we decided to go for another round. The wine selection is good but expensive - if it was unique to them that's one thing but I know what I pay for it in the liquor store. The staff is great - friendly funny interactive - but the food is terrible. My meal was taken off because it was unedible. How can you order Italian pasta and the food be terrible - that's on the kitchen. I'm thinking it will be a huge jump as to us going back - even the Caesar had rotten lettuce ... quality control is everything! read more

Upon first arriving everyone seemed really polite, nice ambiance, dim lights, casual dining, young people. A fabulous place to visit with friends or a boyfriend. We ordered the bocconcini balls as appetizers, and the Asiago Gnocchi and butternut squash Ravioli as our main course. Well the bocconcini balls were amazing especially with the bruschetta jam dip. My boyfriend bit into his little ball and a hair as long as the ball appeared cooked into it. The server did not take away the plate but did bring another serving shortly after. The server did not remove the plate from the bill, so I asked if it were possible. Server took off half the price of the plate. Ravioli was good, nothing special, and the gnocchi was equally as impressive. Service was kind, food was ok. In comparison to Scaddabush I prefer their gnocchi. My boyfriend suggests to not waste your time or money at this restaurant. You can find more authentic Italian food in a can of chef Boyardee for a fraction of the price. Would I visit again? Not anytime soon, and definitely not the location that gave me 2 plates of of the same food with a hair and then charged me for it. read more

Il Fornello - Bocconcini Balls - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

Great food. Lots of options (including many vegetarian options). Good Ambience. Friendly staff. Good service.

Il Fornello has a trendy atmosphere that makes you feel like you've arrived underdressed. Made me feel all trendy just being there. We looked over the lunch features and quickly put them aside; the main menu is where it's at. After my mom and I changing our minds 100 times, she went with the Gnocchi Asiago and I selected the Cannelloni Fromaggio. The dishes arrived and they were beautiful; we couldn't wait to dig in. My cannelloni had cheese inside, cheese outside and cheese all over. The sauce could've used something; it was a plain tomato sauce. I know it had a lot of cheese going on, but to have a plain sauce, made it a little unbalanced. The gnocchi, this was clearly the star of the show. After deciding it was awesome, my mom 'allowed' me to try a few bites. Wow. Just plain wow. The asiago sauce was creamy and rich. The gnocchi were light and tasty. It didn't need anything else, but the spinach and crispy shallots were a nice touch. The service was alright. They never refilled our coffee and barely came to check on us. We didn't need anything(except coffee), but if we had, she was nowhere to be found. It was a delicious meal and I'd go back. There are many more items on the menu that caught my eye! I hope the staff is a little more attentive next time! read more

Il Fornello - Cannelloni Fromaggio - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

See all

I love taking my granddaughters there as there a good variety for them to choice from. I have gone there numerous times previously to Covid 19 will go back read more

Back again! Got a vegan tiramisu and a Marg pizza (vegan) it was great super fast service on new years it was great

We were seated in the patio area beside the actual patio area.. it doesn't give you the feel of dinning out and it wasn't very nice looking at the parking lot the whole time. Anyway, ordered 20$ spaghetti which was super average, friend got a $20 pizza also average, no blended drinks available, and the waiter forgot to bring more bread when we asked, also said they'd be right back to take our order then came back 15 minutes later. Overall the food was mediocre, overpriced, ambiance was lacking and the experience was unpleasant. read more

Overall really nice experience. Only one complaint, we had ordered budweiser but it never came ... we got our food right away and were excited to dig in that thr budweiser didn't matter any more but would've been nice to have before thr food came. Other than that everything else was great. read more

Il Fornello - Came for my husband's birthday. Was very nice of them to provide a little dessert to celebrate - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

See all

4 stars. I'll give their vegan menu 4 stars. Could be a bit better but I do like the variety. The cheesecake could have been firmer and their "cheese" in the fried balls (can't remember name) could have been better. Their regular menu items get 3 stars. They are an Italian place yet their pasta tastes bland is not fresh. Would only recommend to adventurous vegan. If you want authentic Italian, thIs is not the place to go. They have their own parking lot so you don't have to worry about parking. Many people look pretty casual when they go here. read more

See all

Love that there is an Il Fornello now located right in the heart of Ajax so I don't have trek all the way downtown Toronto! This location has a great vibe and is very bright looking with it's white brick walls and beautiful dark hardwood floors, high grey industrial looking ceilings, and lots of funky hanging lamps. They even have a large bar side and a lovely patio! We had an awesome waiter, who was really helpful and funny. We took all his suggestions and ended up ordering all his favourite dishes. The boy definitely has great taste because everything we ate tasted phenomenal. This is what we ordered: Pizza Pollo "BBQ" - Tomato sauce, mozzarella, slow roasted chicken, chipotle BBQ sauce, charred red onions +add bacon for $3 more The thin and chewy crust with crisp edges definitely packed that beautiful wood burning flavour. The pizza was packed with ample fresh toppings, real sliced chicken breast, gooey melty mozzerella, and the sweet & spicy bbq sauce plus the crunch from the crispy salty bacon helped hit all the flavour bases. Gnocchi Asiago - House made gnocchi with asiago cream sauce, spinach & crispy shallots Wowww was this ever good! That lush rich creamy asiago cream sauce was soo delicious I wanted to drink up all the remnants left over after I ate all those plump pillowy gnocchis and the addition of the crispy shallots which were like mini onion rings added just the right crunch! Tagliatelle Stefano - w/ slowly braised beef short ribs in tomato sauce Perfectly cooked al dente pasta and those tender flavourful fall off the bone meaty ribs were perfection. Finally onto the dessert which our waiter also recommended, totally knocked it out of the ball park! Double Pistachio Gelato - Double scoop of creamy pistachio gelato evenly blended with real pieces of pistachios. Perfect balance of sweet and salty, loved the intense taste of pistachios with every bite and the crunchy bits of real pistachios evenly blended throughout plus the addition of the gingersnap biscuits on the side was a pleasant surprise. Pistachio is now my favourite flavour! Overall a spectacular meal from start to finish. I can not flaw a single thing, our waiter was very attentive the whole night, refilling our glasses without mention, making superb recommendations, food was fresh, flavourful, and delicious to the last bite. I'm will definitely be returning here! read more

See all

Waited an hour to get our order (one pizza and a plate of pasta).During that time the server barely came by to check on us, and you can tell once the food arrived that the plate had been sitting for awhile. We also got Caesar salad and hey charge you extra to add bacon to the salad Bad service, small portions, overpriced, nothing special about the food. Not coming back. read more

Il Fornello - What you get for $17 - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

We had an awesome server. First time here I like the ambience. I like their $10 pizza special but looking forward to trying their salmon pizza. Interior design is rustic Lighting is not too dark Parking is free Big seating area I was served with house bread and chili oil as expected. I couldn't finish my pizza and they wrapped it up for me nicely. Its a good place to have a drink with friends. I thought it was a bit pricey but the $10 pizza is the way to go. The salmon pizza that I wanted to get was not in that category. Check out this photo for the pizza special sign by the pizza read more

Il Fornello - Prosciutto Pizza from the $10 Pizza Special Promo - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

Servings of pasta were not generous.Paid so much for value and taste of food.Not Again

Ordered on line yesterday and we had the Bolognese Lasagna and Mushroom Pizza. The pizza had lots of mushrooms but absolutely no taste and the Lasagna that was supposed to be baked was some strips of pasta swimming in tomato soup like liquid. The staff was very welcoming and friendly, but we will not be repeated customers read more

My favourite Italian restaurant. The kind of place where you can over eat, and server Shawn will offer to carry you out. Shout out to our server Shawn, he was the best! As well as the restaurant manager coming over to chit chat with my boyfriend and I. 10/10 would over eat again! read more

Il Fornello - Amazing!!!!! - Italian Near Me - Ajax, Ontario

See all

The mozzarella balls were good bite size and non greasy. For my main, I've ordered the seafood linguine and substitute the tomato sauce with cream sauce. There's a fee of $1.00 to substitute a different sauce. I must say it's very tasty, even when I felt very full, I wanted to continue eating. The only point to mention was that scallops were on the smaller side, but the rest of the seafood were good in the pasta, such as the calamari, shrimp and mussels. Will come back to try other dishes. read more

I recently visited this location with my family because we live in Durham region and I had a craving for authentic Neapolitan pizza. I read some online reviews that said Il Fornello has a pizza night and they make Neapolitan style pizza. I was hesitant but the craving was too strong. I called ahead and made a reservation and even asked the person who took my reservation to ask the manager or the kitchen if they made AUTHENTIC Neapolitan pizza. After waiting for a few minutes, she came back and assured us that indeed they do make Neapolitan pizza. I was exited and ready to go. To make a long story short, we ordered Margherita pizza and the disappointment was real. This was not even close to being Neapolitan pizza. I've eaten in 5 of Toronto's highly YeLp ranked Neapolitan pizza restaurants and while there is obviously some differential in taste in each restaurant, a Neapolitan pizza lover can tell all of them are authentic Neapolitan pizza joints. Il Fornello on the other hand? Nope. The pizza wasn't bad at all but it's not Neapolitan pizza and I'm hoping if you guys read this, you would stop telling people that it is. read more

House made pastas, sauces and most ingredients! And 90% of the cooks were Indian! No wonder the spicy Penne was 'desi style'! If you are craving for Italian then this is a must visit! We were 2 adults and 2 kids! Ordered 3 main dishes and 1 appetizer and that was surely enough! The drinks were good too - Pomtini was delish! Great decor and service too! read more

See all

WARNING!!!! I went to IL FORNELLO at the ajax location on October 10th, for Thanksgiving dinner with my family. We ordered appetizers that were ok, and main courses that tasted average but needed more of a presentation. Our server Carly was very friendly from the start. After dinner I asked for the bill, and was given the transaction machine with $216.19 on the display screen without the bill. I went went ahead and made the payment and place $20 cash tip on the table. After discussing the the payment with my family we found it was a high amount for what we had ordered. I asked Carly for my bill and she brought it over. I looked at the total for the meals and the final amount was $166.30, which left me confused. I asked her for my debit receipt from the machine, and when she gave it to me I noticed there was a charge for $166.30 aa tip for $49.89. When I asked the server why I was charged almost a fifty dollars tip (30%), she said I tipped her that amount. I assured her the machine did not give me an option to chose a tip because the display had $216.19 to be payed when it was brought over. I told her the only action I took was inserting my card and selected my account and processed my payment. She was upset I figured it out and she gave me back the tip before it went any further, and she didn't even brought her manager over to dispute the situation ( I ended up giving her the $20 dollars I had on the table for her tip). I called the manager on her next shift and tried to have a conversation with her. I told her I was not looking for any sort of compensation or special treatment, I was only concerned this might be happening to other people who have to work hard for their money and to be scam out of it. The manager's voice indicated she was a young person. I barely got to the middle of the conversation when she cut me off and said Carly already explained to her the night of that I over tipped her she didn't want to hear my side of the incident so I just ended the conversation that what they are doing to there costumers is a scam and it's not right. ******IF YOU GO TO IL FORNELLO IN AJAX PLEASE CHECK YOUR BILL BEFORE PAYING BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE HOW MUCH TIP THEY ARE ENTITLED TO WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT AND THE MANAGER WILL TURN A BLIND EYE TO IT**** read more

My wife and I just celebrated our anniversary at Il Fornellos and what a great choice with us both being avid foodies! The server was polite and very attentive. The food was hot and absolutely delicious. We shared an appetizer of arancini in a marinara sauce. They were wonderful pillows of soft rice stuffed with ricotta and spinach on the inside contained in a light and very crispy coating. Not greasy or oily. My only tiny critique here would be that the marinara sauce was quite acidic. My wife had the Pappardelle Stefano which were broad noodles with braised short ribs in tomato sauce. So incredibly fantastic! The meat was so incredibly moist and tender, the pasta perfectly Al dente and the sauce rich but not overly so. I had the Butternut Squash Ravioli, stuffed with ricotta and spinach and bathed in a squash cream sauce to die for. It was topped with just-wilted spinach and crispy sage. I just tasted the sauce on the tip of my fork and was in love. Delicious! The sweetness of the squash filling was a nice bit of freshness with the scrumptious sauce. My only suggestion would be to thicken that sauce it was a little loose and didn't adhere to the pasta well. It needs to coat better cuz no one wants to miss a drop it's so fantastic!! The creme brulée was reminiscent of one had in France. The custard was beautifully creamy, not too sweet and the brulée of sugar cracked perfectly. My only suggestion was the plating, I would have liked the more traditional ramekin to get better balance of custard and burnt sugar. If you are looking for an up scale, reasonably priced place to have an above quality meal Il Fornellos is your place! (P.S the drinks are great too!) read more