Il Fornaio — Restaurant in Manhattan Beach

I was really torn between a 4 star and a 5 star review. (When will they let you rank 4 1/2 stars??!) Food is authentic Italian with high quality ingredients, service is exceptional- white linen tablecloths and napkins, servers attend to all the details. What brought it down for me was the value, and the strict adherence to ‘authentic Italian’. Portions are very large, and if you’re not dining family style, doing 2, 3 or 4 courses means taking half of it home. It would be nice if the soup was available in a cup size, and if salads could be served in half sizes for an extra buck. The pizza choices also are very traditional and only the Margarita is suitable for vegetarians. I wrapped up the half of the pizza that so could not finish, so that I could have something sweet for dessert. Again, out of their 5 gelato sorbetto flavours, rather than a large $6 scoop, a trio of smaller tastes would be something that I think many would enjoy. Lovely, extensive wine list and a nice selection of beers. The large covered porch area can be closed off for private events, and the dining area adjacent has thick velvet curtains for privacy for 4 or 6. There was some work event at the far end of the patio as we occasionally heard applause and people went to the bar to replenish their drinks Noise level is low, music is muted except in the bathroom. If you find reading in the dark difficult, I recommend requesting a table near the Rosecrans side around 6 pm as it gets the evening sun. Otherwise, it is dimly lit for romantic dining. I actually looked for a light switch in the bathroom when I went to wash my hands! I was concerned about dining in shorts, but like most restaurants in California, it was mostly casual. Lots of folks in t-shirts, sweatshirts and shorts, so my aloha shirt with a collar was actually fine. Definitely will return with a group for a special occasion. Ample complimentary parking, and walking distance to the Westdrift and Hyatt...

We went here for a celebratory dinner with 12 people. The food was average to slightly better than average but the service was so bad I can’t give this place more than one star. Our waitress seemed to have no idea that being a waitress actually requires you to wait on people. She dropped a tray full of champagne glasses, told us they didn’t have things, then came back and told us they did. We had to ask for things multiple times. We had ordered a bottle of champagne that she poured and when I asked for more, it took her ages to bring the next bottle I requested and when she did bring it, it was when I went to the bathroom and she didn’t pour for me. When I returned, I was surprised my glass was empty and asked her to pour my glass and she told me the second bottle I had ordered was empty. I asked her why she didn’t pour my glass in the first place since I was the one who ordered it and she said she relied on my guests to tell her what glass to refill and she can’t remember every person at the table’s order! Seriously? That is your whole job. So by this point I’m in a bad mood and dinner is nearly over so I just bought by the glass. Then she comes back, actually checks the bottle and celebrates that there was more champagne in our bottle all along. All I could do is shake my head. She seemed to have no clue that she just caused us to spend another $50 on drinks because she told us our bottle was empty. No apologies, no concessions on our nearly $1000 bill. Just Horrible. Ruined a very special night that I was paying for. This is the second time I’ve had bad service there so, I won’t be back. Do yourself a favor. Go somewhere else. ...

This was an amazing experience. We made a late reservation at 3pm and we just so happen to get there 40 minutes early because traffic let up. We walked in and all the staff were welcoming and they wished my mother and I a Happ Mother's Day. We asked if there was any possibility of being seated earlier than our reservation time; with smiles on their faces and a sincere tone they checked their list and the area and said "we absolutely can work something out" not even 10 minutes and we were seated. Alex, our server came over right away and took our beverage order. My sister asked for a wine recommendation and he suggested a delicious pinto grigio. My sister and I ordered a bottle, it was that good. The food was fantastic, I ordered the Costata al pepe; a delicious 8oz filet with a pepper brandy sauce, roasted yukon potatoes, baby carrots and broccolini. The filet was cooked to perfection and the pepper sauce was rich and tangy; it came together beautifully with the sweetness of the carrots and the buttery potatoes. My son got the lobster ravioli in lobster creme sauce and he didn't stop talking about it the whole ride home, which is unusual for a 16yr old boy. This was an amazing dining experience and I would recommend it to everyone. The food was delicious, the staff was friendly and accommodating....