Il Falò Wood-Fired Kitchen

"Dined at IL Falo Wood-Fired Kitchen at the Westin Brier Creek Raleigh and was thoroughly impressed! From the delicate Peace Crudo to the rich Pasta Bolognese and perfectly cooked Halibut with Truffle, every dish was a hit. Coupled with their heavenly beds, it promises a night of contented dreams. Absolutely recommended for a taste of perfection.""

"The food was INCREDIBLE! The flavors were all so unique and innovative. Everything tasted fresh and perfectly seasoned and paired with sides. Our only complaint was the service was soooo slow. Everyone was super nice, but the waitress would disappear for 30 mins at a time. No water refill and my drink from the bar took over 30 mins. It’s a shame because everything else was 5 stars!"

"This restaurant has potential in all categories. As the experience wasn’t stellar, it left a feeling of hope for both service + culinary. Went with a girlfriend to catch up on life, this restaurant is nestled on the floor of the hotel, behind their Starbucks coffee stand. Host was friendly + accommodating to seat us promptly, as we did not have a reservation. However, once seated, sat without water, just menus for a little over five minutes; then informed back by the host, our team member is on the way, but didn’t fill our glasses in the meantime. Granted it was a busier evening, but we felt invisible after sitting down- Server drops water informing they’ll be back momentarily and disappears for what felt even longer wait for the water. Warm focaccia placed before server got back. When our server returned we ordered, but drinks took forever to arrive, and arrived just before our food came out. One drink watered down, which indicates it sat awhile before getting to us. Food pictures + descriptions below. Food was decently fresh, presentation of food + drinks were the best part, service needs, timing on cocktails + food tastes need work. Overall, pretty decent experience, just lack of attention in areas. In time will give another try-"

"I visited Il Falò which is located inside The new Westin hotel on Macaw St. This is an area that is currently being developed. Il Falò which means bonfire is local and appeared to present some of the aesthetics that I had in mind for a relaxed birthday dinner close to home. The open concept and modern farm table interior design was refreshing. The restaurant truly pairs well with the Westin's modern contemporary and unique flair. Typically I do not have high expectations of hotel restaurants but I was impressed with the service here. Ava was our waitress and she was excellent. I enjoyed her spirit and dining recommendations. She aimed to please. We started with focaccia bread. Focaccia is my favorite when dining Italian. The bread missed the mark for me. It was served cold and was not flavorful at all. Disappointing. The condiments for this were just plain olive oil which was not good at all. Had a weird aftertaste. I decided on the Sicilian Spike for my cocktail. This was a perfect choice for me. The Tajin rim and fresh cucumber made it aesthetically appealing and delicious. The presentation of the menu items at Il Falo is spot on for me. Everything was plated to perfection but many items missed the mark concerning freshness and temperature. Meatballs arrived as an appetizer and they were luke warm. They appeared beautiful and delicious but appeared to have been sitting for while. The sauce was luke warm. I ordered arancini which are Italian rice balls with a similar recipe to pimento balls here in the south. They were very tiny compared to arancini I have had previously. Typically they are made the size of meatballs. They were not served hot as well. Our entrees arrived and I ordered the bolognese with a side of zucchini in pesto sauce. I enjoyed both equally. Really flavorful and rich. The zucchini was very creative with the pesto sauce and how they sliced the squash as well. The pasta was said to be made in house and I really enjoyed it. However, again the dish did not arrive hot. I sampled my friend's steak and it was the same issue. Luke warm steak ? I would assume the chef and kitchen could not move quickly enough for the night. Our plates probably all came out at different times or were pre-prepped. This left much to the imagination. At these price points, we need hot food to be served. It was after 9:00 p.m. and we could not possibly think to send plates back. Had it been earlier, I absolutely would have. I received a free dessert of choice to celebrate my birthday. I decided on the chocolate torte and it was everything I hoped for. I enjoyed the fudge like mousse decked out in hazelnuts, chocolate, marshmallow whip and a beautiful orange flower which is my favorite color.I would absolutely return for cocktails at the bar but won't race back for the menu items. Special thanks to Ava for making my evening special. Another gentleman was kind as well."

"Came here for brunch on Mother’s Day and it was great! At first I thought the buffet was small when I arrived but every single item was DELICIOUS and I left super stuffed. The staff is super friendly. Regularly checked on us even though we did the buffet. Constantly refilled our waters and brought my husband ketchup. There is an omelet station. The salmon and baked pudding thing were my favorites. They also have La Farm baked items like croissants and little apple pie things (I ate 3 of them!) There is also small desserts and a large cake. It is a little on pricey side but it is excellent and worth the cost in my opinion. There is ample seating and nice decor. It is attached to the Westin so most of the customers are hotel guests. They said they have been open 3 weeks and I was surprised with how well it is run. They were constantly restocking. The only recommendation I have is for the staff to change out the serving silverware because they were kind of sticky and got my hands dirty. Overall though, fantastic and will return!"