Il Fornaio Carmel Monte Verde Street, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921

"We stopped by here for lunch today and ordered Lasagna, Cornish Hen and a seafood pasta dish. The sea food in the pasta lacked flavor and it felts like they are using frozen packages which were added to the sauce later. My Lasagna sauce was also bland and lacked flavor. It was not as bad as hospital meal I had in August but the lack of flavor was not good. It also pained me that they don’t serve bread and you have to order it for what I was told was $2 dollars. On the positive side, they served us quickly during a busy day. Restaurant has outdoor seating too which ads to the experience."

"I had previously dined at the Sacramento location and was pleasantly surprised to discover there was one in Carmel. To say that my experience at the Carmel location exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. From the moment we arrived, the host welcomed us with a warm and friendly demeanor, promptly checking us in. Despite it being a busy night at the restaurant, our waiter managed to accommodate us swiftly and with a cheerful attitude. The food, without a doubt, was a highlight. Everything we ordered was fantastic, but the tiramisu and setteveli deserve a special mention – they are both incredibly delicious and shouldn't be missed! This has quickly become my favorite Italian restaurant in the area. I'm looking forward to returning more frequently. The exceptional service, delicious food, and welcoming atmosphere make it a top-notch choice."

"They don’t always seat outdoors but when they do, it’s beautiful. A deck surrounded by bright colored flowers. They have an excellent vegan minestrone soup (better than other Il Fornaio locations which I have seen omit beans) and another vegan avocado salad/grain item on the menu also! Grateful to have this in Carmel."

"We had an afternoon reservation when it was not busy - we were initially the only group in the entire restaurant. From the hostess who seated us to the waiter who took our order, the servers were extremely rude. They didn't refill our waters or check in on us once the entire meal. I would not recommend this spot for that reason alone. As for the food, we ordered the lasagna ferrarese ($27), mezzalune di zucca ($25), and cristina pizza ($22). You can see the portions in the pictures below. The pizza was okay in terms of size, but there were only 6 pieces of ravioli! The price was definitely not worth it. The quality of the food was okay, but poor service ruined the experience. They also have a 3% restaurant adversity surcharge."