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Il Fornello Danforth

3.4 (89 reviews)
ModerateItalian, Vegan
Closed • 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

Il Fornello Danforth Photos

Business Info

IL FORNELLO DANFORTH ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Classy
Casual
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - Il Fornello Danforth

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Linguini Di Mare - shrimp, bay scallops, calamari, mussels in a light olive oil, pomodoro sauce
Chelo S.

This is a pleasant restaurant to dine with family, friends, co-workers, even just for two. The food is good and solid. Prices are reasonable and the servers are attentive. I can see this place being a go to spot for the neighborhood. All people in my party enjoyed their meals. One literally polished the plate after consuming the CHICKEN PARMIGANA. She said she "couldn't stop eating it and I'm not sharing" which explains her silence during our dining experience. My other friend had the creamy ORECCHIETTE FUNGI and luckily I was able to taste a forkful and with a few shakes of salt, uplifted the truffle taste. I ordered the LINGUINI DI MARE and enjoyed the seafood but did find the tomato sauce a little thick. I personally prefer marinara sauce. My favorite was tasting the LINGUINI POLLO PESTO. The sauce was so flavorful that if the chicken were absent, I wouldn't complain. Be sure to ask for a white sangria, which is not on the menu but our server Suzanne obliged in making us one each. High props to the all servers who were on hand as they seem to work as a team. Great dining experience. We will be going back to try their popular pizza's. Note: We also had OLIVES for appetizers and TIRAMISU and CRÈME BRÛLÉE for dessert but this review is getting too wordy.

ORECCHIETTE FUNGHI With wild mushrooms in a truffle cream sauce
Pamela R.

Had the ORECCHIETTE FUNGHI with wild mushrooms in a truffle cream sauce and it was good but wished there was a little more Truffle in the cream sauce. Aside from the dish, the service was amazing and the waitress was very thoughtful as I came with a baby and a stroller. The staff were very accommodating and made us feel very comfortable. Looking forward to go back with the little one very soon.

Orecchiette al funghi
Jocelyn T.

I got the plant-based version of this pasta and oh my, it was delicious. I like the contrast between the crispy cashew parmesan and the soft and pillowy orecchiette. I really appreciate the use of wild mushroom in the dish as it adds more depth in the flavour. Highly recommend this dish!

Entrance notice statute
Keven S.

This place will wow you with its wood pizza stove and fantastic food. It is surrounded by all kinds of local shops and when you are finished shopping this is a place to go. The service is great and the food makes you think you were in Italy.

Vegan Chocolate Brownie with Coconut Whipped Cream
Christina D.

Love this place for vegan food! If you're vegan, or trying to eat vegan for any reason, this is a great place to enjoy some food that you feel like you might miss out on these days. They have an entire menu with vegan options. Everything from lasagna, to pizza options, and more! I'm sure once you see how many things you have to choose from you'll be coming back to try even more. One thing I liked is that they broke down the substitutes in the back, so when they said it was a "cheese" it would has an index on the back of the menu so you know what that "cheese" is made from. The price is quite good for what you get in terms of portion and quality. We love the atmosphere there. The decor and style of restaurant is perfect for a casual night but it's also perfect something like a birthday or nice get together. The staff has always been very helpful and attentive. I think another great perk is being able to go with someone, or a group of people, who aren't vegan, and everyone has a lot of option. That's often the tricky part with finding great spots to go. But even if everyone ate off the vegan menu, I'm sure they'd be satisfied. I've been with groups that are all vegan, and groups with a mix.

Randy K.

This is my first visit to the Danforth location of Il Fornello. It is one of our favourite restaurants. This location is a large restaurant with a patio. It is very clean, and very well staffed. Today, I am having the lamb shank, and my wife and son are having the gluten free pizza. I also had the orange polenta cake which is a gluten free vegan almond based cake with coconut whipped cream. They offer several fantastic desserts. ThI polenta cake was good and bad several nice elements to it. A must try if you are doing gluten free or a vegan diet. Overall the meal was fantastic. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Summerlicious 2019 menu
Monique K.

I noticed Il Fornello takes part in Summerlicious and their entire Summerlicious menu is vegan, so I decided to finally try them out. The dinner pricing here for a 3 course meal as part of Summerlicious is $33 per person. The inside of this restaurant is really nice, the lighting is dimmed and romantic, and it's very classy looking overall. I ordered: Appetizer: - Avocado Cashew Caesar Salad (tomaine lettuce, avocados, lemon juice dressing, vegan Parmesan cheese) This was absolutely delicious, this tasted even better than normal Caesar salads I've had in the past - and trust me I love my Caesar salads! Entree: - Plant-Powered Classic Lasagna (cashew almond mozerella, tofu ricotta and kale marinara sauce) This was also very yummy, if the menu didn't specify this was vegan lasagna, I would've thought it was normal dairy based lasagna. Desert: Coconut Panna Cotta This was also very yummy. My boyfriend ordered: Appetizer: - Avocado Cashew Caesar Salad He also enjoyed this yummy salad. Entree: Sweet Pea & Spinach Risotto (Corn, green onions, pea sprouts, vegan Parmesan) He really liked this dish, it was flavourful and very filling Desert: Lemon Cake This was good for the first couple bites but it was too sweet for us to finish. We also ordered a pitcher of Red Sangria for $40. Overall our experience here was great. Our server was super friendly and brought us fresh bread while we waited for our food. The food was amazing. I definitely recommend coming here to try out their Summerlicious menu. I would definitely come back to try other dishes on their menu.

$12 Pizza
Roseanne N.

This dining spot features a huge variety of different dishes ranging from pastas to oven baked pizzas. They now offer a plant-based vegan menu that even catches meat-lovers like me off guard! At a specific time, their pizzas are actually only $12. That's an amazing deal considering the quality of the pizzas they make. I got to try the truffle and porcini risotto and that was probably the star of the night. The truffle flavour was distinct and indulging. I couldn't get enough of the dish! The richness of the truffle oil really highlighted the dish. Il Fornello is a spot that I would highly recommend since it offers a fancy dining space with high quality food.

Beyond Beef Burger with vegan cheddar on a vegan bun
Saphire 6.

First time ordering from this restaurant and was excited to try the vegan menu which was disappointing. I ordered the vegan Orechiette which comes with a cashew truffle cream sauce. Only thing is it's completely tasteless. No truffle taste, no seasoning, no nothing. Not even salt. The sauce was clumpy and had pretty much solidified by the time my order arrived. The pasta taste like cardboard. This was barely eatable. I tried the vegan sausage pizza. Nothing to write home about. Wasn't bad but wasn't good. Again lacking spice. Beyond beef burger was okay. It would have been the only redeeming element of my $90 order if it weren't for the soggy sweet potato fries that came with it. Although somehow those came seasoned with salt whereas salt was forgotten in everything else. The chocolate brownie was decent although the coconut cream split by the time it arrived and just became and oily mess. There are far better true vegan restaurants out there. I recommend Away Kitchen on Queen West if you're looking for good vegan pizzas and tasty vegan Italian food.

Cremé Bruleé
Sarah L.

Came here on two occasions so this will be a two part review. Friday Dec. 20: Arrived with my 5 coworkers and boss. We were promptly sat at the big table by the front doors. They gave us time to settle before asking if we were ready for beverages, it was a busy night but the staff were amazing and patient with us. I ordered a white sangria...was brought a red one, the waitress realized she made a mistake and quickly made the correction anyways moving on the main menu, I got the cannioli formaggio. It was super super good, the creamiest cannioli ever and two was just enough to fill your empty stomach. While waiting for that to come out, we all ordered boccocini fritti, arancini and bruschetta to share. Those were so delicious!!! We got also a bread basket to share, I think that was complimentary with big groups? I don't know tbh. Anyways, it was a good night. The damage was around $400 which between 6 people wasn't too bad. Definitely would come back. Fast forward to Christmas Eve, I came back with my girlfriend for lunch. We came in early for our reservation, the waitress was more than happy to seat us and our waters were brought immediately upon request. We ordered the arancini for our app. Girlfriend got the fettuccine alfredo and I ordered the pizza diavola (kids from work wouldn't stop raving about them so I had to try it). Oh my gosh, mind-blowingly good, the alfredo was al dente and ridiculously creamy (that's how to make a delicious alfredo people!!). The pizza was so yummy too, perfect level of spice and cheese was extra stretchy. You can tell this was legit pizza because of the wood oven in the back. We also ordered dessert: Tartufo and Cremé Bruleé. Tartufo was good, the cremé bruleé was half burnt on top so it was bitterr which was unfortunate, we still ended finishing everything and the damage was about $74 for 2. Overall, I would still continue to return.

Vegan orecchiette

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11 years ago

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8 years ago

One of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. If you're looking for a good Italian place with relatively quick service, this is your spot!

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PLANTA Queen Entertainment District

PLANTA Queen Entertainment District

4.1(222 reviews)
4.5 km•Queen Street West, Downtown Core
•$$$

I've heard some conflicting reviews about this well-known vegan restaurant, but I'm quite…read moreimpressed! I feel that the price point is actually very reasonable given the portions and quality of ingredients. A disclaimer that I've only tried their noodle dishes and not the sushi (I do like my seafood haha), but these are fantastic - rich in flavour without being overwhelmed with salt and sugar (the typical fallbacks for vegan food). Highly recommend the truffle fried rice and the Singapore noodles! The fact that the food seems to be relatively healthy (at least psychologically...) is of course a plus as well. The interior is fairly upscale, the dim lighting and elegant decor contributing to a muted but lovely ambiance. I do love a place that allows you to have a conversation at normal volumes! Service is always excellent without fail, the staff is helpful but not overbearing. A must for anyone who's vegan, vegan-curious, or simply searching for some great food in beautiful surroundings!

My new hyperfixation is Planta…read more I say as a meat eater this is the best vegan sushi place in the city. Gluten free menu options available! Service is so friendly and the food is amazing everytime I come here or order takeout. This is a fantastic place to go to for birthdays, dinner dates, family gatherings, or just solo dates.

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PLANTA Queen Entertainment District
PLANTA Queen Entertainment District - Singapore Noodles 2/5

Singapore Noodles 2/5

PLANTA Queen Entertainment District

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Karine's - Eggs Benedict with smoke salmon (I asked them to hold the hollandaise sauce), home fries and fresh fruit.

Karine's

4.2(282 reviews)
4.5 km•Downtown Core
•$

I was so surprised by this place. The food was incredible, the people at the front were so nice and…read morefriendly. The only thing is the venue is an open food court which tends to be chilly during the winter. They gave me an extra tart to share with my gf which was really cute. The food platter was sooo good; French toast was super well done, fluffy and full of flavour. Highly recommend

I called a week ago to find out whether Karine's had holiday hours and worked my next visit around…read moreit. Previously, I had gone by myself and was so impressed, I took not just my family but invited my cousins and their families. Each family took turns ordering and they invited us to sit anywhere in the food court. In fact, the nice lady helped us move some tables so that we could sit together. Believe me, the tables weren't light. The meals came to us on a cart in the order the we ordered them. We didn't have to wait long. They made sure we had everything we needed, hot sauce, ketchup, syrup, napkins and cutlery. Everybody was surprised at the quality of the food and how upscale everything was. We got to use real forks, plates, etc. No one left hungry. As we were talking and enjoying our food, they came to us and presented us with a plate of cookies and other desserts that we weren't expecting, the kids loved it. The adults appreciated it. We appreciate Karine's and love everything about it. For the amount of food, it was GREAT value. This restaurant cares and I think we've found our new holiday tradition. Thank you! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g155019-d1181805-r1044134504-Karine_s-Toronto_Ontario.html#

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Karine's - Seating

Seating

Karine's - Fresh green salad to go with my egg white omelette.

Fresh green salad to go with my egg white omelette.

Karine's - Karine's Fresh

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Karine's Fresh

Cafe Landwer - Sinia Shakshuka - super flavorful! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

Cafe Landwer

4.2(700 reviews)
4.5 km•Financial District, Downtown Core
•$$

Delicious food , nice service, friendly atmosphere . Clean…read morearea. Very delicious and fresh cold drink.

It was my first time at this downtown Landwer's location, and it was strikingly similar to the…read moreNorth Toronto location (same relaxed service, same menu, same shortage of washroom stalls). Some reviewers complained about the loudness, but, compared to many other downtown locations, Landwers was a medium level of noise, and we were able to converse. It was not excessively busy, but if you are set on eating here, then make a reservation. I finally tried the Sinia Kebab, and it was tremendously good! It was also huge, and I had to take half of it home with me. The focaccia bread is excellent, and serves as a sort of bowl for this deconstructed kebab. My husband had his usual Cobb Salad, which he thinks is particularly well done at Landwer's. Our other dining companion had schnitzel, which came with some angel hair pasta. He enjoyed it very much. Service is, as I said above, "relaxed". If you are planning to see a concert or show afterwards, then plan ample time to allow the relaxed service to unfold (a.k.a this is not fast food!!) We had a 6:00 reservation, and we were able to make our 7:30 concert time with about 10 minutes to spare. The University location is conveniently located near Thompson Hall, the subway, and Union Station (Via Rail and Go).

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Cafe Landwer - [03.2026] Sweets

[03.2026] Sweets

Cafe Landwer - Salmon Salad! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

Salmon Salad! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

Cafe Landwer - Shakshuka

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Shakshuka

Kupfert & Kim - Avocado Toast w/Tofu Egg Scramble

Kupfert & Kim

3.9(143 reviews)
4.4 km•Financial District, Downtown Core
•$$

I'm always on the lookout for good gluten free restaurants and this one popped up in a recent…read moresearch for a Family Day brunch. It has a clean, almost cafeteria feel which doesn't do a lot for the experience but at least provides confidence in the food quality. Service is friendly and professional, however it doesn't offer table ordering so you order at the counter and the food to your table. They advertise "Wheatless and Meatless" so as well a gluten free baked goods they offer many alternatives to popular brunch staples like bacon and eggs. I had the Breakfast Bowl, a beautiful medley of guacamole, pico de gallo, sweet potato, roasted mushroom, organic kale, black beans and tofu eggs. It was delicious. Have to admit, not exactly sunny side up eggs over a couple of slices of bacon, but it did taste great and I actually felt good afterwards. My daughter had the avocado toast which was served on a seed and oat toast. Spectacular dish, really tasty and gorgeous! I'm a black tea drinker and an added bonus is that they serve one of the best I've had (other than in my own kitchen). Will definitely be back, and they cater so next time you need to serve a lot of vegetarian celiacs you'll know who to call!

My first time at Kupfert & Kim. The food was hearty and delicious and the prices were reasonable. I…read morewill try their sit down location soon.

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Kupfert & Kim
Kupfert & Kim
Kupfert & Kim - Breakfast Bowl

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Breakfast Bowl

Pai Northern Thai Kitchen - Panang

Pai Northern Thai Kitchen

4.4(3.9k reviews)
4.8 km•Entertainment District, Downtown Core
•$$

P2 Thai Chicken Wings - The chicken wings were okay, quite fragrant…read more P3 Chef Nuit's Pad Thai - The stir-fried noodles were on the sour side, not highly recommended. P4 Pad Gra Prow - The best dish! We chose mild spicy, which wasn't spicy at all. P5 Khao Soi - Golden noodles, very delicious, the coconut milk flavor permeated the noodles, and the meat was quite tender. P6 Pad See Ew - It tasted like wide rice noodles, delicious! We chose beef and extra shrimp. P7 Coconut Sorbet - Coconut milk ice cream, not bad, a little too sweet, and had a little bit of coconut meat. Mango Sticky Rice - The mango sticky rice was average, nothing particularly delicious. P8 Thai Iced Tea - A little sweet and a little too sweet. Fresh Coconut Water - Very refreshing and fresh coconut water. Compared to other Thai restaurants in Toronto, this one was the best!

Food 5/5 Service 4/5…read moreAmbiance 4/5 Food: I've heard so much about how great the food is here. I came here for a corporate dinner & I wasn't disappointed. We had spring rolls & garlic chicken as appetizers. Everyone ordered their own main. I ordered the Beef Pad Thai with some modifications for my food allergies & preferences. The pad thai was really delicious & filling! Well, maybe because I had the appetizers too. LOL. In any case I enjoyed my food & couldn't finish it all. So I took the rest home in a small container. We didn't have any dessert because we were full! Service: I came early to make sure we didn't lose our table & was seated right away. I ordered appetizers so when everyone came they would have something to eat while the main dishes were being cooked. The main dishes actually came pretty fast after we ordered them. Our waitstaff were two different ladies & they were very nice & efficient. Ambiance: The decor is very kitschy. There were paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. And the door to the bathroom is a rustic wooden door. The tables are basic & chairs all had different colours. I don't mind the decor but it's very casual so not the best for a corporate dinner if you want something fancy. Also the music was quite loud. So it was hard to have a conversation. I like the food here & it's in a convenient spot. It's just really loud & casual. Also there isn't much space between the tables so if the restaurant is full it could feel squishy! I would come back here again to try some different dishes.

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Pai Northern Thai Kitchen
Pai Northern Thai Kitchen - Pork Skewer

Pork Skewer

Pai Northern Thai Kitchen - Pad See Ew

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Pad See Ew

Hawker - God's work

Hawker

4.7(59 reviews)
5.1 km•Kensington Market

I arrived just before 2pm on a Saturday looking forward to a place I had a previous wonderful…read moreexperience. I ordered the signature smoke. It arrived and took a bite. I was surprised by the taste of fennel and a complete lack of smokiness. I proceeded to finish and ask about the fennel. I was informed this was in the smoked dates. It was suggested that somehow I had a great plate to have discovered this, fennel was the dominant flavour, not subtle. Would try again in the hopes the signature smoke is both of those.

I made reservations and was genuinely excited to support this vegan restaurant. The space feels…read moreintimate and comfortable, with beautiful touches like fabric draping and dried herbs and flowers hanging from the ceiling. Alex, one of the owners, introduced himself shortly after we were seated, offering a warm welcome that immediately made us feel at home. The cocktail program is creative, with a thoughtful lineup of drinks, beers, and wines. We tried two cocktails--both delicious, though quite small for the price. A bit of a Toronto theme, it seems. We chose the six-course vegan prix fixe. Each plate was a true piece of art, crafted with precision and intention. You get to experience a range of flavors and techniques, though the dishes lean more toward tasting portions than filling plates. We left a bit hungry, and the pricing felt high for the amount of food. The best way to think of it is as investing in edible art--beautiful, expressive, and memorable, though not necessarily hearty. I'm not sure I'd rush back based on value alone, but I'm genuinely happy to see a vegan restaurant like this thriving. Grateful for the chance to experience it.

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Hawker - Open concept kitchen

Open concept kitchen

Hawker - EARTH oyster mushrooms, smoked corn broth, sesame

EARTH oyster mushrooms, smoked corn broth, sesame

Hawker - Earth dish with oyster mushrooms

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Earth dish with oyster mushrooms

Evviva Breakfast & Lunch - French toast

Evviva Breakfast & Lunch

3.8(496 reviews)
5.1 km
•$$

I concur with Weiqi's 4-star review of this tourist spot right near all Toronto's big attractions…read more For tourists, this is as good as it gets! Food was top notch. No complaints at all. If you crave diner food from back in your home town, this would be recommended by me in the area. Atmosphere and service a commensurate for a higher end place that you would expect from a large city restaurant with bold and bright interior including views onto some interesting walkways and roads as well as great service from friendly staff. They look ready to handle large volumes so don't be put off if they are busy with crowds in this area, they got you!

While the wait staff was friendly and helpful and the place itself was super cute, the vegan…read morebreakfast I got left a lot to be desired. I got the traditional Benedict and was excited about the vegan sunny side up eggs. The photo on the menu was clearly of a non-vegan version bc as soon as I got my dish I knew it wasn't going to be good. Not only was there very little hollandaise, but it had no flavor at all. Neither did the eggs. It's like they figured out how to get the look and texture but gave up there. I couldn't eat them. And the bacon was also awful. It smelled like a bag of dog treats. I've had phenomenal vegan bacon at many places but whatever this was, was not good at all. Overall, it was very expensive and very disappointing.

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Evviva Breakfast & Lunch - Vibes

Vibes

Evviva Breakfast & Lunch - Steak and 3 egss

Steak and 3 egss

Evviva Breakfast & Lunch - Cappuccino

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Cappuccino

Il Fornello Danforth - italian - Updated May 2026

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