About Us
At Il Fornaio, our mission is to provide our guests with the most authentic Italian experience outside of Italy.
Each Il Fornaio restaurant has been designed specifically for the communities we serve, so restaurant hours, menus & reservation sizes available may vary by location. We are open for lunch & dinner every day at almost all locations & large parties, private dining groups & special events are welcome at every Il Fornaio.
Using the freshest ingredients & traditional cooking techniques, each Il Fornaio offers a wide variety of premium-quality Italian food paired with an award-winning wine list & crafted cocktails in beautiful settings located in California & Las Vegas. All 18 kitchens are supervised & guided by Sicilian native Executive Chef Roberto Gerbino using multi-generational family recipes & preparations that Italians have mastered over centuries of making great cuisine.
Il Fornaio also operates Canaletto Ristorante Veneto, located in the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Our home office is located in Corte Madera, CA. Please feel free to send us your feedback.
Our History
1970s
1972 – Il Fornaio baking school established in Barlassina (Lombardia), Italy.
1975 – Il Fornaio first retail bakery in Milan, Italy.
1980s
1981 – First Il Fornaio retail bakeries open in the U.S. in San Francisco & Beverly Hills, CA.
1986 – Noted restaurateur Larry Mindel acquires Il Fornaio with partners Howard Lester, Warren Hellman & Scott Hedrick.
1987 – First full-service Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana restaurant opens in Corte Madera, CA.
1989 – Il Fornaio opens restaurants in San Francisco, Del Mar & Palo Alto, CA.
1990s
1991 – Il Fornaio Baking Book published by Chronicle Books.
1995 – Festa Regionale, a monthly celebration of the food & wine of a different region of Italy, begins.
1996 – Il Fornaio opens first restaurant in Las Vegas, NV and expands eastward to Denver, CO.
1998 – Il Fornaio opens in Walnut Creek, CA.
1999 – Il Fornaio opens Canaletto Ristorante Veneto, a restaurant focusing on the food & wine of the Veneto region of Italy, home to native Veneto Executive Chef Maurizio Mazzon.
2000s
2002 – Il Fornaio Pasta Book published by Chronicle Books.
2005 – Awarded of Excellence for all restaurant locations.
2008 – 2nd Canaletto Ristorante Veneto opens in Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach, CA.
2010s
2012 – Il Fornaio celebrates 40 years.
2014 – Il Fornaio awarded the ”Marchio Q”, or Marchio Ospitalita' – Ristoranti Italiani nel Mondo, the "Mark of Italian Hospitality around the World”– by the collective Chambers of Commerce of Italy, honoring a worldwide network of Italian restaurants that respects the standards of Italian hospitality, developing & promoting the traditions of the Italian agricultural & food products & enhancing the Italian food culture.
2015 – Il Fornaio opens in Woodland Hills, CA.
2016 – Il Fornaio opens in Santa Clara, CA.
2016 – Il Fornaio named in OpenTable’s top 100 list of Scenic Restaurants.
2019 – Il Fornaio receives the 2019 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, marking over 15 years of consecutive Award of Excellence nominations.