IL FORNELLO - Bayview Village

Been visiting Bayview Village many years now, first time eating at IL FORNELLO. The host and server were very nice. We request if we can sit at certain area, the host rearrange the table just for us. And the server have a great smile on his face. Also we order three pasta everyone was happy. Will definitely go again!

Would I recommend?
Good to try once or as occasional comfort food if you crave Italian food for a decent price.

How’s the service?
Their service was average, nothing special.

How’s the food?
The food is average, the carbonara we ordered was nice, but the Pomodoro and Penne Capri was less impressive.

How’s the ambiance?
it’s got a nice dim lighting and relaxing ambience, it’s quite nice.

What did we order
- Tagliatelle Carbonara
- Spaghetti Pomodoro
- Penne Capri

How to find it
Use the South-West gate to enter, and it’s going to be on your right hand side as you walk in. Right across GOA and Thai Express.

A common conversation of mine these days is about the feeling of dismay I have because it feels as though customer service has become obsolete. Our server today, Emon, at Il Fornello (Bayview Village) was a ray of hope. On a busy Friday night dinner service, he still kept a close eye on our table and got us what we needed before we even had to ask: refilled our water and our bread basket, gave us extra plates, provided extra napkins, and fresh cutlery. To Emon, thank you for making our dinner experience so enjoyable.

Also love that the restaurant provides so many alternatives for vegan and gluten-free diets - especially for an Italian restaurant! The vegan sausage was great. The pasta dish I ordered was a little oily and needed some salt, but I put the vegan parm on it instead of table salt and it really lifted the flavour.

I make better pizza at home. Boring crust and overcooked cheese. Caprese used cheap fat tomatoes and barely any mozzarella to chew on.

My family and I recently had the pleasure of experiencing exceptional service at il fornello. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by a friendly and attentive staff that made us feel right at home. Every aspect of our visit surpassed our expectations, and I cannot speak highly enough about the quality of service provided.

First and foremost, our server Emon, was incredibly knowledgeable and professional. He demonstrated a deep understanding of the menu, offering insightful recommendations and answering any questions we had with ease. He’s attention to detail and commitment to ensuring our dining experience was top-notch was truly commendable.

Moreover, the level of efficiency and timing displayed by our server and staff was remarkable. Our food and beverages were promptly delivered to our table, and each course was flawlessly timed. It was evident that the staff worked cohesively to ensure a seamless and enjoyable dining experience for all patrons.

What truly set our server Emon apart was the genuine warmth and friendliness he had for us. He engaged in pleasant conversation, creating a welcoming atmosphere that enhanced our overall dining experience. His genuine smiles and positive attitudes were contagious, making us feel valued as a customer and leaving a lasting impression, specially to our kids.

Additionally, Emon was attentive without being intrusive, striking the perfect balance between being readily available for any request and giving us the space we needed to enjoy our meal. This level of attentiveness added an extra touch of luxury to the dining experience and showcased his commitment to providing exceptional service.

Lastly, I must mention the impeccable presentation and cleanliness of the establishment. From the elegantly set tables to the well-groomed appearance of the servers, every detail was meticulously attended to. It is evident that the management places a high priority on creating a sophisticated and inviting ambiance for guests.

In conclusion, our experience at il fornello was nothing short of outstanding. Emon went above and beyond to ensure our satisfaction, demonstrating expertise, efficiency, warmth, and attentiveness throughout our visit. I highly recommend il fornello to anyone seeking a truly remarkable dining experience with exceptional service. We will undoubtedly be returning to enjoy their fantastic service and exquisite cuisine again soon.

The food was fantastic there and our server was so attentive- she made our first experience quite well. Definitely have the calamari and blood orange sorbet. So so good. Our large group had the pizza too and they were more than enough to share. All in all a great place for some pizza and pasta.

It was so gorgeous place~! I was impressed by the friendly and nice mannered staff. Expecially, I loved an avocado salad~! I will visit again!

Great food and amazing service. The Pollo Asiago was delicious. Ending the meal with an espresso added that extra touch to elevate the meal experience. We were seated immediately when we arrived for lunch. The staff was very corteous and friendly.

Nice Italian restaurant with a lot of options for plant based alternatives. Food is cooked well and portions were filling. Restaurant is clean and service was attentive.

Not sure what happened to your pizza dough. It used to be chewy, bouncy and delicious. Today it just tasted and felt like cardboard. It was also kind of undercooked and I could taste the flour in my mouth.
Pasta was great. I just don't know why the pizza dough is so bad and why it was undercooked.

Mediocre pizza and pasta options at a higher end price. Not the spot for proper Italian food, but alright for a quick bite. The pizza was soggy and exceptionally greasy. The carbonara was odd with the addition of deli ham and leeks - with the menu listing ingredients for each dish in Italian, you'd think it'd be a bit more refined than deli ham.

I tried to place an order for take out I was put on hold for 10 minutes. Hung up and called back was put on hold again then somebody finally answered tried try to order the Gorgonzola pizza was put o hold again. Then was told they don't have gorgonzola. They were rude, horrendous service. So sad for il fornello. It was not like this before.will never go back now

My go-to for take out pizza during the pandemic. They have been around for so long and you can trust the quality of their food. Service is also very good. Simple yet enough variety to choose from. This time around I ordered Hawaiian and The Diavolo.

What can I say it's a great combo of good service and outstanding Italian in the Bayview Village. The Diavola pizza is Godfather approved.

What a joke, I showed up at This place at about 12: 30 pm and requested a table for two, the place was somewhat full but apparently they take reservations in a mall? Ok so the girl tells me that there are 3 tables ahead of me and I said fine. She took my number down and said I will call you as soon as it is ready. It is now 24 hours and I’m still waiting for that call. I literally went back to her 3 times to check if I was getting closer but to no avail. Finally after 1 hour of waiting and starving I took my date elsewhere. To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. After all the restaurant closing due to the pandemic you would think that these places would treat you with more respect. So I’m done with Il fornello at bayview village mall.

I have been here few times, and all my experiences are fabulous. The food is tasty, and their service is excellent and quick.
The pesto pasta that I got this time was super delicious, never had such a pasta before!

Service was really quick and it was easy getting a reservation. Manicotti was alright. The pasta sauce tasted like something out of a jar. Was expecting a lot more depth to the flavors. The aranchini lacked flavor as well.

Made reservations and they couldn't find it. We had to talk to the manager because the check in person just kept saying we don't have a reservation so she can put us on the waiting list. After speaking to the Manager, we had a table within a very short time. About 5 minutes.
Double check you get a confirmation number when booking.

Food ans service was excellent.

All good in the end.

Would never spend money again with this business. I'm very disappointed to see them pushing these discrimatory and unfair V passes. It is a voluntary program for business to implement this and so they will be held liable for asking for peoples medical information. Any business asking is violating the Canadian privacy act and the constitution both of which supersede all these mandates. Its sad because the government know this and won't lift a finger to help when all these business owners get sued. But at the same time it will be karma for these types of business owners because other businesses have chose not to implement these unlawful mandates and not to turn on their fellow Canadians. Also this place is overpriced for mediocre food.

Put a charged item on the prefix menu and use a super fine font for the price, I WOULD NOT COME AGAIN BECAUSE I HATE DISHONEST WAY TO DO BUSINESS.

I was there for dessert but the tiramisu and the chocolate cake were both disappointing. No flavor just a lot of sugar, really disappointing for Italian restaurant. They really need to work on the menu

Mediocre food for a high price. The saving grace is the service, which is kind and attentive. I asked for an Aperitivi Aperol and the Italian soda they had on stock was completely flat. I let the waitress know and she said this was a problem they had with their Italian soda. She could only give me tonic water instead, which when I tasted it ruined the taste of the Aperol. The chicken parmigiana was below average, the Spagetthi Pomodoro that came with it was overcooked, the pasta came soggy and soft like canned chef boyardee pasta from my childhood. The chicken parmigiana lacked texture or crunch on the breading. It was just soggy and cheesy, definitely okay, but not what you would expect from a casual fine dining establishment that is trying to be better than you mom and pop. I would definitely not compare this to the better Italian restaurants in Toronto which are not franchises and have better quality control and standards. Would prob be good as a quieter spot to chat, enjoy good customer service, and to enjoy this discounted prix fixe, but don't expect the food to blow you away. I will say, almost everyone I saw got pizza over pasta, so I would say the pizza here is probably good, but I did not order it.

I ordered plant based orecchiette funghi which was blend but their margherita pizza was pretty good. Attentive staff and nice service.

Great Italian food and great waitresses who look after you. Must-try restaurant. I know I will be going back certainly.

This spot gives amazing service as well as delicious food. One of my favourite restaurants in the city. The food arrived fast and the prices were inexpensive. Highly recommended.

I order from IL Fornello every week. It is the first restaurant that I know of to offer gluten free meals. As a person who has celiac syndrome, this is very important for me. The food is always of good quality and appropriate portions. Very healthy and tasty. Prior to covid, it was my go to restaurant, and is now my first choice for take out.

I visited this location with my aunt before the lockdown, I wasn't able to post a review earlier because of technical issues. But here we are. I'm very disappointed with their customer service. We asked for a table of 4 because we always grab a table that size. Plus I was expecting my husband and son to stop by and say hi to us. So we felt that a table of 4 was much more ideal than a table of 2. The waiter approached us and asked when the other people are arriving. We informed him that they will be coming by in a bit but we are ready to order. He made such a big deal about it, basically told us that we weren't allowed a table for 4 if there were only 2 of us and my husband might not make it on time. He insisted we take a table of 2 and we kept telling him we need one for 4 because I want my son and my husband to be able to sit down. He said no! Mind you the restaurant wasn't busy at all. We ended up leaving the restaurant before ordering and went to another one in the plaza that was welcoming and our waitress.wait for it.she let us sit in the booth! Why? Because she wanted us to be happy, she wanted my husband and son to have somewhere to sit when they arrive. Not every restaurant has booths, it was more of the fact it was a table for 4 like we asked. My family ended up coming towards the end and the whole experience was so much more pleasant. As for IL FORNELLO treat your customers better because if you have people like that man working there and treating customers like dirt your restaurant will always be kind of empty.

I’ve only ever had takeout here which I’m sure has played a role in the quality of the food, and is the only reason I can only give 4 stars. I order only from the plant-based menu, and I just love how they have so many options, you don’t feel limited to 1-2 dishes. Their avocado cashew salad is great, and so are the two pastas I’ve tried here. I hope to try their pizza soon, but I’m definitely coming here anytime I have a craving for Italian. Thank you for your vegan menu!

A great neighborhood Italian spot offering many of the favorite dishes. Their caprese salad is always fresh and a great starter that you can pair with a Prosecco.
For an alternative pasta, try the spelt alfredo with chicken. Top it off with a chocolate and raspberry tartuffo! I am a regular customer here and I love it each time.

Saturday night dinner. There was a bit of a wait as it was during Winterlicious, but not too long, maybe 15 minutes. Recieved a phone call when our table was ready, and was seated promptly thereafter. Though it was Winterlicious, I decided to order off the regular menu as the choices of the $33 prix fixe menu did not appeal to me. Others at our table did order from the prix fixe menu though. We order a couple of appetizers to start. The calamari fritti was merely adequete, being overly battered. We also ordered the mussels in a spicy tomato broth. The broth was well flavoured and spicy, however, the mussels were very small, a several did not open during cooking, indicating that they were not fresh. The menu selection includes many pasta and pizza dishes, however, only 3 meat options, 1 salmon and 2 chicken. I opted for a pizza, the Pizza Salsiccia Italiana. I did not enjoy it. The toppings were fine, however, the crust was overly burnt. Service was good from our main server, however the server that brought out our appetizers failed to bring the proper plates, even after asking for them. I have enjoyed eating at other Il Fornello locations, and I would have to say that this location at Bayview Village is by far the least enjoyable.

This site is my preferable place. Of all restaurants I know I prefere it most. I never miss an opportunity to go to this restaurant.when I feel like having a proper lunchon, this restaurant comes straightaway to my head. Great and many types of food and a large list of dishes.helpful staff members, and good vibes. In addition to that, the cost is affordable. I praise this spot with no hesitation.

Overall an ok experience. Pros: lots of plant based choices. The food is good.
Cons: service tends to be slow and there is no bread to entertain you while you wait. Can be expensive for the quantity you get.

Delicious food, and far better value than their neighbours across the hall where portions are small. Affable servers who check in "just enough", and don't put pressure on guests to order alcohol.

Must visit for starters, pizza and desserts. Pasta dishes aren't as great. Good service! Will return for that tiramisu - absolutely fantastic

This was my mistake. I hit the incorrect arrow to review another restaurant I do not understand how I ended up at Il Fornello. Yes, I have eaten there several times & have ALWAYS been satisfied with the service and the food.

I'm disappointed to be writing a negative review for Il Fornello, however, after several unpleasant experiences I think it's important to offer a differing perspective from the majority of reviews here.

I order and dine in at Il Fornello frequently, I've even recommended dining there to colleagues and friends. While the food is great, I've had poor customer service experiences lately:

1. I tried booking reservations for a group larger than 8 (the website instructs to do this over the phone). I was told that we could not book at noon and when I asked if we could come in earlier or later I did not get a clear answer. I had to push for a clear answer if I could book or not.

2. When this group arrived, we needed 2 additional menus, one of these menus was literally dropped on my face. I did not receive an apology or acknowledgement.

3. The table ordered wine to share. The waiter filled everyone minus one of our party members in the middle - when we tried to request this glass to be filled, the waiter ignored us and walked away.

4. I contacted Il Fornello directly regarding some of the above and did not receive any acknowledgement whatsoever.

5. On another occasion, my reservation was not even in their books despite receiving digital confirmation.

The experience at a restaurant isn't complete without friendly service. The customer is not "always right", but everyone deserves courtesy - customer or otherwise. I have now advised my friends and colleagues to NOT go to this location if we are looking to dine at Il Fornello in the future. So, in summary - the food is delicious, but this location does not appear to value their guest's experience.

Good Italian food. Typical stuff, the seafood pasta had a good amount of seafood in it, the artichokes in the risotto had a nice smoky taste to it, but my favorite was the BBQ chicken pizza.

Well, this time it was interesting: my business partner and I came back to Il Firnello because O&B at Bayview Village could not locate a "not so noisy spot" in the entire restaurant: unexpectedly, some sections @O&B are very restricted for some other purposes that servicing people who want lunch at 2.30pm. Well, Il Fornello surely won! Why? The food is exactly what two business ladies needed on a cold day, and then there was our waiter! Mario, you are an incredible host and the finicky clients like us are lucky to get you!

Service was quite slow at first but once the waiter realized he became much more attentive. It was a nice experience with very good food, we’ll be going back at some point.

Such a pleasant experience, again and again. Its not our first time here and it definitely wont be our last. Friendly service (Jojo is a sweetheart and made us feel at home), beautiful decor and mature clientele. Thanks for a great date night

I love this place! I've had both brunch and breakfast here on a weekend and weekday and everything had been exceptional!

The food was delicious and they have a while vegan menu with lots of options for appetizers, mains, and desserts. Good food and choices for everyone. On top of that, our server was fantastic and super attentive. Definitely coming back!

Open for breakfast! Fantastic vegan options added to the already sumptuous regular menu. There is something for everyone.

Finally a great Italian place in North York! Ambiance was nice considering it’s in a mall and it was super busy, which is a good sign. Service was quick and our waitress was very nice and efficient. We got the arancini balls - they were amazing. I got the Pizza Fichi, which was unreal. The combination of flavour with the prosciutto and figs was amazing - would highly recommend. My significant other got the salmon pizza, which was really tasty but would recommend as a shareable plate as the salmon is a lot. Drink and food prices were reasonable. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant, I can’t wait to go back!

Came on a sunday afternoon at around 12: 30pm and it wasn't packed.the lady who brought us to our table seem a bit unprofessional.she didn't smile at all to each customer that walked in.she look like she didn't want to be there at all.the food was great.our server was super nice. I recommend the chocolate souflé cake.

Went there for late lunch we didn't get acknowledged by our server for at least 20mins. Overall it doesn't seem like the staff is overly attentive. We eat out a lot and I would have to say that I didn't feel comfortable there at all. I won't be going back.

Great location with parking, excellent caring staff, and service. Tasty food with small portion size, not impressive. The owner must be stringent on the food cost. There are not enough sauce on any of the pasta, main course Lasagne is not hearty, left me hungry.

Their food is unbelievably delicious. They have great wines and amazing Italian food. Super friendly staff.
The restaurant and restroom are entirely wheelchair accessible, and so is the mall itself.

The service was amazing, the staff were so friendly and accommodating. The food was absolutely delicious. I ate the pizza ficchi which was fig, prosciutto, honey, peccorino cheese and arugola. It was baked perfectly, the thin crust pizza was so delicious. My sister ordered the pasta bolognese and she said it was the best she ever had. The sauce was so flavorful and the pasta was cooked to perfection. Will definitely go back to this location for another great dining experience.

Cozy atmosphere, friendly service and all the Italian grub tastes delicious.
Best to visit on weekdays as weekends increases your waiting time considerably.
Great spot for a fun dinner with friends or family!

Our server was kind and polite. We took the Monday Margarita deal for $15 with a glass of wine, assume it was not bad. The food tasted good and twas quick. I like Bayview village because we always have the parking and the mall is not super crowded.

Super lovely wait staff, very friendly and helpful. We got two mains to share which were absolutely delicious. The waiter knew we were sharing and had the pizza split on to separate plates for us. Lots of yummy choices on the menu. Restaurant was easy to locate in the mall. They also have a good basic brunch cocktail menu which is awesome.

We had mains and dessert. Everything was excellent. The smoked salmon pizza was on a thin crust and the focaccia for the avocado toast was also much thinner than usual, which was appreciated. It made it easy to eat and let the flavours come through. The avocado toast was super tasty and the tartufo serving was enough to share. Server was also quite attentive. I would definitely return to this restaurant.

Really good food. Definitely more pricey, but to be expected in this mall. I love the ambience and it is quiet enough to have such a great conversations without having to raise my voice. If you love Italian food, it is a solid choice!

The service we received was decent, but nothing spectacular. The servers could have been a bit more welcoming, and that certainly wouild make this review go up half a star. The food was brought out in a timely manner, though my pasta seemed undercooked, dry, and might have needed a few more minutes boiling (the other half-star from this rating. I don't think either of these fixes could have made it anything over a 4-star review). In conclusion, this was a disappointing visit to Il Fornello, considering the quality I have known the brand to maintain in the past. I hope my experience was against the norm, and their other locations have the higher quality that I remember from the chain.

Me and my friend went during the valentines day. We have booked reservation. It was not a long wait at all. They provided us with great service. The food was amazing. We ended up getting dessert also. Very busy place. Workers are very very friendly. It is located near the lowblaws entrance. Food was served very fast. The price is not cheap. Its bit pricey. I would love to go back there again.

Delicious! The pasta was perfect and the dessert was even better. We were impressed with their service. The price was great for the portion! Definitely recommend this place