Amanda

Came for my grandma's memorial service reception. We had reserved the whole back patio for ourselves. You can hear the cars from the street but they played music on their speakers so it wasnt too bad. It was nicely decorated and looked beautiful. The service was excellent and the drinks were nice and strong. My favorite foods were the calamari, veggie pizza, pasta, and chocolate cake!

Bill Lin

Il Fornaio is for sure a luxury place to dine, love how spacious it is, while they still have the Italian details in both their environment and food. Let's start from their Caesar Salad 🥗, the lemon taste of the sauce lighten up the entire dish, the bread crunches is the highlight. The blueberry sauce of fillet mignon, gives you the Italian dessert type of delicacy, the only thing I will make a suggestion is that if they can take out the ginger from the sauce, will be perfect.

+8

regis kwong

We used to go to Il Fornaio in Pasadena all the time before it sadly closed down after the pandemic. We’ve always loved their food—especially the pizzas—so we were excited to find out the Manhattan Beach location is still going strong. After visiting our daughter nearby, we stopped by for a bite and were so happy to see the familiar menu with all our favorites still there. We ordered the Pizza Fradiavola and calamari. That pizza? Next level. The crust was perfect, and the toppings had just the right amount of kick—way better than anything we’ve had from CKP. The calamari was solid too—crispy outside, tender inside. Great spot, great food, just like we remembered.

Odette Cook

Went for my friend's and I birthday dinner, we had plenty food to try but I ended up liking a slim picking of it. The highlight of our night was ordering a bottle of wine, liking it so much and going right after to to Total Wine to purchase it lol.. Service was amazing and the table bread was really good. When I go back, I know exactly what I want to order, the rigatoni alla vodka... My friend enjoyed the seafood plate. Food 3/5 for me but with going back..

+1

Shawn Matsuda

Very nice place to bring a date or family. Prices reflect the elegance, service is alright. Waiter was cool but the guy cleaning up the table is rough around the edges and needs to work on his manners. My portion was a little small, seared scallops & prawns (forgot the Italian name), seafood was a little salty. Overall a nice place if you want to impress someone bring them here.

Rob & Raiden

So my girl & I went there on a "spur of a moment thing" when she got back from Colorado the atmosphere was nice, it was a late lunch for us so it wasn't crowded yet i had steak...yes rib eye steak at a Italian restaurant, it was cooked perfectly portion was a nice size the asparagus cooked & seasoned even better(my favorite) but the steak just needed a little more flavor in my opinion, my girl thought opposite, we different palate's, she enjoyed a pasta dish (unfortunately i can't remember the name) also had cocktails that were pretty good if your from Italy (little bitter for my taste) dessert was awesome...this is a "come again" place for us to try other items.

+7

CHINESE CRESTED

In my opinion, the meal was highly salted, the chicken was overcooked, and the spagetti was aldenti. I was surprised at the lax in service for the price. A 3% "Service charge" is something unexpected and, in my opinion, based on the service rendered, unwarranted. Not that I'd eat at the olive garden ever again, but years back, when the olive garden was popular, the food and service was better. I would not make this establishment my first choice for italian food.

Siham Koury

Great customer service. Friendly. One last thing was disappointing: their desert: cranberry orange sorbet was just colored ice... we were chocked. Please do better with this desert.

Green Sea Shells Mag: Wellness by KK

Il Fornaio in Manhattan Beach, part of a global chain renowned for its authentic Italian cuisine, offers a variety of dining experiences and unique private spaces like the East Loggia and Sala del Vino. While it’s known for fresh pasta, wood-fired pizzas, and regional specialties, my recent visit left me underwhelmed. The vegetarian options, including pasta and minestrone soup, were fine but not exceptional. The pasta sauce lacked depth, though a side of pesto improved the flavor. The soup was under-salted but easily fixed, and the bread and olive oil were satisfying. The ambiance was lively, with an open kitchen that created a bustling atmosphere, though it didn’t feel intimate or particularly special for a date night. However, it’s conveniently located with easy parking and could be a great spot for hosting large groups in their well-designed party rooms. While Il Fornaio has its charm and remains a favorite for many (as reflected in its generally high reviews), my experience didn’t match the hype. Perhaps exploring their seasonal menus or signature wine pairings could reveal the true essence of what they’re celebrated for. Would I return? For a special group event, yes, but for a personal dining experience, there are other options I’d prefer in town.

Katherine Pacpaco

For me it's was just meh....nothing special. We went there for lunch. Ordered the caprese traditionale and RAVIOLI LUCANA. The tomatoes in the caprese salad were not even cut so uneven that I didn't even enjoy the presentation. Maybe that was done on purpose but it didn't do it for me. The burrata also didn't taste fresh. The raviolis were very lightly stuffed with the sausage filling and they tried to overcompensate with the tomatoes. I understand restaurants being more frugal but reducing portion size and such but it was more pasta and tomatoes than filling. Service was ok although they were very friendly.