Irvine, California — For anyone craving authentic Italian food in Orange County, Il Fornaio offers an experience built around traditional recipes, fresh ingredients, handmade pasta, house-baked breads, thin-crust pizza, and an extensive selection of Italian wines.
With roots that reach back to Italy in the 1970s, Il Fornaio has grown into a collection of Italian restaurants throughout California and Las Vegas. Its mission is straightforward: to provide guests with an authentic Italian experience outside of Italy.
In Orange County, Il Fornaio Irvine brings that philosophy to a polished setting near John Wayne Airport, making it a destination for everything from business lunches and casual dinners to celebrations and special occasions.
From an Italian Baking School to a Restaurant Tradition
The Il Fornaio story actually begins in Italy.
In 1972, an Il Fornaio baking school was established in Barlassina, in Italy's Lombardy region. A retail bakery followed in Milan in 1975, before the brand expanded to the United States with bakeries in San Francisco and Beverly Hills in the early 1980s.
The first full-service Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana restaurant opened in Corte Madera, California, in 1987. Additional restaurants followed throughout California, eventually creating the restaurant group known today as Il Fornaio.
That baking heritage remains an important part of the restaurant's identity.
Fresh Pasta Made Daily
Pasta is one of the centerpieces of the Il Fornaio menu.
The restaurant prepares fresh handmade pasta, with dishes ranging from classic Bolognese and lasagna to seafood pastas and regional Italian specialties. Gluten-free pasta options are also available.
Current menu selections include Rigatoni alla Vodka, Tagliatelle Bolognese, Ravioli Lucana, Lasagna Ferrarese, Linguine Mare Chiaro, and Gnocchi alla Sorrentina.
For seafood lovers, Linguine Mare Chiaro combines clams, mussels, shrimp, and scallops with thin pasta, roasted cherry tomato sauce, white wine, and crushed red pepper.
The variety reflects one of the strengths of Italian cooking: a relatively simple collection of ingredients can produce very different dishes depending on the region and preparation.
Start With Antipasti
An Italian meal is often about more than simply choosing a main course.
Il Fornaio's antipasti menu provides a selection of dishes designed to begin the meal or share around the table.
Current choices include Fritto Misto, Bruschette Assortite, Burrata con Prosciutto, Carpaccio, Polpettine, and Gnocchi Gratinati.
The bruschetta selection comes with three toppings, including caponata, roasted cherry tomatoes, and basil pesto with stracciatella.
For something richer, burrata is paired with prosciutto di Parma, arugula, grilled ciabatta, and basil olive oil.
These dishes are a natural way to turn dinner into a longer Italian-style meal built around several courses.
Pizza From the Forno
Pizza is another important part of the Il Fornaio experience.
The restaurant makes its pizza with housemade dough and serves thin-crust varieties inspired by Italian traditions.
The menu includes classics such as Margherita, along with Capricciosa, Pesto e Mozzarella, Hot Honey Calabrese, Fradiavola, and Cristina.
The Cristina pizza combines prosciutto di Parma, fior di latte mozzarella, Grana Padano, mushrooms, wild arugula, and white truffle oil.
For something more traditional, the Margherita keeps the combination simple with mozzarella, tomato sauce, oregano, and fresh basil.
Italian Specialties From the Grill
The menu isn't limited to pasta and pizza.
Il Fornaio also offers a selection of Italian-inspired dishes from its rotisserie and grill.
Current selections include Salmon alla Griglia, Branzino in Crosta, Pollo Toscano, Pollo ai Funghi, Pollo alla Parmigiana, and Grigliata di Pesce Misto.
For meat lovers, the menu also features an 8-ounce Filetto al Vino Rosso, an 8-ounce beef tenderloin served with red wine reduction, mushrooms, and mashed potatoes.
A New York Steak and a 32-ounce Tomahawk designed to serve two guests provide additional choices for a more substantial dinner.
Fresh Seafood With Italian Flavors
Seafood plays a significant role in Il Fornaio's menu, reflecting the importance of coastal cuisine throughout Italy.
The restaurant's seafood dishes combine ingredients such as clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, salmon, Mediterranean sea bass, olive oil, tomatoes, herbs, and wine.
The Grigliata di Pesce Misto, for example, combines fish fillet, salmon, scallops, and shrimp with a lemon-olive oil sauce and seasonal vegetables.
For a lighter option, grilled Norwegian salmon is served with lemon, extra-virgin olive oil, sautéed spinach, and roasted Yukon Gold potatoes.
Bread Is Part of the Tradition
Given Il Fornaio's origins as an Italian bakery, it should come as no surprise that bread remains an important part of the dining experience.
A basket of fresh-baked bread is served with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, providing a simple beginning to the meal.
It is a small detail, but one that connects today's restaurant experience with the company's original baking roots.
Italian Wine and Cocktails
The dining experience extends beyond the food.
Il Fornaio pairs its menu with an award-winning wine list, featuring Italian wines alongside selections from other regions. The restaurant also offers handcrafted cocktails.
Wine is particularly important to the restaurant's approach because Il Fornaio frequently highlights regional Italian food and wine together.
Its Festa Regionale program, introduced in 1995, celebrates the food and wine of different regions of Italy, reinforcing the idea that Italian cuisine is not one single style but a collection of regional traditions.
A Restaurant for Lunch, Dinner and Celebrations
Il Fornaio Irvine is designed to accommodate more than one type of dining occasion.
Its menu offers enough variety for a casual lunch, while the polished setting and broad wine list also make it appropriate for birthdays, anniversaries, business dinners, family gatherings, and other celebrations.
The restaurant group also welcomes large parties, private dining groups, and special events at its locations. Il Fornaio's catering program offers Italian cuisine for weddings, corporate events, social gatherings, and other occasions.
For private events, the company can create customized menus and dining arrangements, with event coordinators available to help organize the experience.
An Italian Experience in Irvine
The Irvine location sits at 18051 Von Karman Avenue, near John Wayne Airport and Irvine's major business districts.
Its location makes it convenient for Orange County residents, business travelers, and visitors looking for a full-service Italian restaurant outside the more tourist-oriented dining areas.
The restaurant's setting is also suited to larger gatherings, making it a practical choice when a group needs a menu broad enough to accommodate different tastes.
More Than One Il Fornaio in California
Il Fornaio has developed into a substantial California restaurant group.
Its locations include restaurants in Irvine, Del Mar, Coronado, Carmel, Corte Madera, Burlingame, Mountain View, Roseville, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Clara, Walnut Creek, and Woodland Hills, among others.
The brand's expansion has allowed the same Italian-inspired dining philosophy to reach communities throughout California while maintaining its focus on traditional cooking techniques and regional Italian cuisine.
The SocalEat Take
Orange County has no shortage of Italian restaurants, but Il Fornaio offers something that comes from decades of building its identity around Italian baking, cooking, and regional traditions.
From fresh handmade pasta and thin-crust pizza to antipasti, seafood, grilled specialties, fresh-baked bread, Italian wines, and handcrafted cocktails, the menu provides plenty of ways to experience different sides of Italian cuisine.
The restaurant's history also gives the experience some context. What began with a baking school in Italy in 1972 eventually became a California restaurant group dedicated to bringing Italian food and hospitality to diners across the United States.
Whether you're stopping in for a bowl of fresh pasta, sharing pizza with friends, planning a business lunch, or celebrating a special occasion, Il Fornaio offers an inviting way to enjoy the flavors and traditions of Italy right here in Orange County.
Visit Il Fornaio Irvine
Il Fornaio Irvine
18051 Von Karman Avenue
Irvine, CA 92612
Phone: (949) 261-1444
The Irvine restaurant offers lunch and dinner service, with hours varying by day. Reservations are recommended for busy evenings and special occasions.
For the latest menu, reservations, hours, catering, private dining, and additional information, visit the official Il Fornaio website.
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