Best Restaurants with a Wood Oven in Old Town

As usual Il Fornaio doesn’t disappoint! When my husband and I are able to go out for a special dinner we never think twice about going to Il Fornaio. The food, waitstaff and ambiance are top notch every single time.

It takes a lot for me to be impressed on every level but I cannot say enough good things about Elvira. From the outstanding service to the knowledgeable staff to the quality of the food and drinks. Wow! We were started off by a great male (manager maybe?) who was super thorough with my food allergies and knew everything about the menu. I had: - the vegan caccio Pepe with gluten free pasta- WHICH IS HOMEMADE and so so good. The best gf pasta I’ve had in San Diego. - vegan mozzarella caprese salad was also so good for being vegan. Super fresh, flavorful tomatoes. - gluten free pizza: the crust is homemade and so realistic tasting/texture that it’s scary! Haha. I had vegan cheese also on that- you could hardly tell drinks: the Italian red wines were delicious. Also had a few drinks from the cocktail menu: the fig jam mezcal cocktail (What a COMBO! ♥️) as well as the white Negroni YUM

Was a really nice place to catch a random Saturday brunch….aesthetic was nice and you could see the pool from our seating area. We liked the cocktails and my short rib hash was delicious.

Very friendly staff, food was delicious. The artichoke appetizer special was incredibly good. We shared a bottle of wine and had some great entrees. The server was helpful in decision making and offered my wife and I a complimentary dessert with valentines being the next day. What more could you ask for? Take it from this Italian, who has eaten pizza in Napoli this place is the real deal.

It was an amazing experience I recommend it very much. The worker are actually Italian and know what they are doing, and the food is incredibly good, highly recommend.