IL FORNELLO

Name: IL FORNELLO
Address: 300c Fourth Ave, St. Catharines, ON, Canada, L2S 0E6
Telephone: (905) 684-5000
Price range: CAN$31 to CAN$50
Rating: 4.4

4.4

226 Reviews

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Top tags:

Toronto’s popular IL FORNELLO Restaurant has finally come to St Catharines! Enjoy our famous Neapolitan-style pizzas, our wide selection of pastas, salads and entrées and, the most extensive vegan menu and gluten-free options you’ll find on this side of the GTA. During the summer months, our patio has lots of seating for walk-ins with 80 more seats inside for comfortably air-conditioned, reserved dining. Our Daily Deals include $12 Pizza Tuesdays, $25 local wine bottles on Wednesdays and 50% off all other bottles, $88 Date Night Thursdays and $5.00 Shots & Domestic Drafts paired with half-price apps from open ‘til 5PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

We look forward to welcoming you to IL FORNELLO St Catharines.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Mar 28, 2023

9:30 p.m.

Booked 6 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(905) 684-5000

Other options

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Italian, Vegetarian / Vegan, Pizza Bar
Hours of Operation
Tue, Wed 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Thu–Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(905) 684-5000
Website
https://ilfornello.com/st-catharines/
Payment Options
AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Dress Code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Amber Plourde
Private party facilities
Host your next private event with us - seating available for up to 80 persons and group and holiday dining pricing available.

Location
300c Fourth Ave, St. Catharines, ON L2S 0E6
Neighbourhood
St. Catharines
Cross Street
First and Fourth Ave
Parking Details
Public Lot
Public Transit
First St Louth & Fourth Ave stop on St. Catharines 401 Bus (Lakeshore Rd & Lakeport Rd)
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Experiences

Weekend Lunch Features
Multiple dates available
Join us for lunch🍔 Friday-Sunday 12-4pm Additional lunch menu includes: - Prime Rib Burger - Chicken parmigiana sandwich - Meatball sandwich - Mini pizza of the day All served with mista salad or fries 🍟 Only during lunch hours. You don’t want to miss out 😋
Date Night Special for Two
$44.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Every Thursday, join IL FORNELLO St. Catharines for date night! For only $88 per couple, choose any 1 appetizer, 2 pizzas or pastas, 1 bottle of Niagara wine, topped off with your choice of dessert to share. Taxes and gratuities extra.

Popular dishes

Garlic Bread with Cheese$9.95
Four pieces of toasted garlic bread with mozzarella
Garlic Bread & Vegan Cheese$9.95
Bruschetta$9.95
Calabrese bread toasted & topped with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes & basil
Calamari Fritti$14.95
Crispy fried calamari with lemon caper aioli & marinara sauce
Mussels$18.95
In a spicy tomato broth OR a white wine garlic broth, served with fresh bread
Meatball Appetizer$14.95
Four house-made beef & ricotta meatballs, pomodoro sauce, ricotta, basil, served with two pieces of garlic bread
Arancini$12.95
Four arborio rice balls filled with spinach & ricotta, fried then finished with grated pecorino, served with marinara sauce
Fried Bocconcini$11.95
Lightly breaded & fried baby mozzarella balls with house-made tomato red pepper jam

Salads

Roma Salad$10.75
Mixed greens, goat's cheese, toasted walnuts, sweety drop peppers, balsamic vinaigrette
Beet Salad$14.95
Beets, arugula, goat's cheese with a balsamic vinaigrette
Caesar Salad$10.75
Crisp romaine, creamy caesar dressing, parmesan & croutons
Vegan Avocado Cashew Caesar$10.75
Crispy romaine with an avocado, cashew, lemon based dressing topped with our own plant-based parmesan cheese; contains nuts

Salad Additions

Bacon Bits$3.00
6 Oz. Grilled Chicken Breast$5.95
Shrimp (4)$4.95
Anchovies$2.10
Grilled Salmon$12.95

Pasta

Seafood Linguini$24.95
Shrimp, bay scallops, mussels, calamari in tomato sauce
Penne Capri$22.95
Grilled chicken, mushrooms, spinach, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic, parmesan
Meat Lasagna$19.95
Layered with bolognese sauce, mozzarella, béchamel, tomato sauce, served with bread
Pappardelle with Italian Sausage$21.95
Broad noodle pasta with crumbled Italian sausage, cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, olive oil garlic sauce finished with grana padano & arugula
Cheese Cannelloni$21.95
Ricotta & spinach filled cannelloni, mushrooms, cream, tomato sauce, parmesan, mozzarella
Rigatoni Bolognese$19.95
Tomato, beef & prosciutto bolognese sauce
Spaghetti & Tomato Sauce$15.95
Our house-made tomato sauce, fresh basil
Spicy Penne$15.95
Spicy tomato sauce, garlic, chillies
Gnocchi Asiago$21.95
House-made gnocchi with asiago cream sauce, spinach & crispy shallots
Spaghetti & Meatballs$18.95
House-made beef & ricotta meatballs, tomato sauce
Fettuccine Alfredo$18.95
White wine, cream & butter sauce, parmesan, fresh chives
Rigatoni Funghi$19.95
Wild mushrooms, parmesan, cream sauce
Penne Alla Vodka$19.95
Tomato & cream vodka sauce with cherry tomatoes & fresh chives
Butternut Squash Ravioli$20.95
Ricotta & squash filled ravioli in a parmesan, squash cream sauce, wilted spinach, crispy sage
Linguini Pollo Pesto$24.50
Pesto, chicken, cream, parmesan, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts

Pasta Additions

Crumbled Sausage$5.00
Shrimp (4)$4.95
Chicken$5.95
Meatballs (3)$4.95

Pasta Substitues

Cream Sauce$2.00
Rosé Sauce$1.50
Gluten-Free Rice Pasta$2.00

Pizza

Pizza Carne$18.95
Tomato sauce, mozzarella, bacon, sausage, pepperoni, green pepper
Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza$17.95
Tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, grana padano, dressed arugula
Hawaiian Pizza$16.50
Tomato sauce, mozzarella, pineapple, Italian ham
Cheese Pizza$14.50
Tomato sauce, mozzarella
Sausage Pizza$18.50
Tomato sauce, mozzarella, crumbled Italian sausage, caramelized onions, mushrooms
Vegetarian Pizza$16.50
Tomato sauce, mozzarella, red onion, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach
Mushroom Pizza$16.50
Extra virgin olive oil, wild mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, arugula
Pepperoni Pizza$16.50
Tomato sauce, mozzarella, cured pepperoni
Margherita Pizza$16.50
Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil
Pizza Diavola$17.95
Tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy salami, basil, chillies, black olives
Fig Pizza$20.95
Mascarpone, prosciutto, figs, shaved parmigiana, honey, arugula
Pizza Salmone$18.50
Pizza bianco with smoked salmon, fresh mozzarella, red onions, capers
BBQ Chicken Pizza$17.95
Tomato sauce, mozzarella, slow roasted chicken, chipotle BBQ sauce, roasted red peppers, charred red onions

Pizza Additions

Prosciutto$3.25
Spicy Salami$3.25
Italian Sausage$3.25
Chicken$5.95
Bacon$3.25
Italian Ham$3.25
Green Peppers$2.15
Olives$2.15
Mushrooms$2.15
Onions$2.15
Pineapple$2.15

Pizza Substitutes

Gluten-Free Crust$4.25
Fresh Mozzarella$2.25
Goat's Cheese$4.25
Plant-Based Mozzarella$2.00

Mains

Salmon$26.95
Grilled Atlantic salmon, fingerling potatoes, seasonal vegetables & lemon caper aioli
Chicken Asiago$25.95
Chicken breast stuffed with asiago, spinach & caramelized onions with garlic mash, seasonal vegetables & honey mustard cream sauce
Chicken Parmigiana$23.95
Breaded chicken breast, tomato sauce, mozzarella & parmesan, served on linguini pomodoro
Lamb Shank$27.95
Braised New Zealand lamb shank with pan jus, seasonal vegetables, garlic mash potatoes
Eggplant Parmigiana$21.95
Breaded & lightly fried eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella & parmesan

What 226 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.5Service
4.1Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Niagara
Gluten-free-friendly
Niagara
Good for groups
Niagara
Healthy
Niagara
Vegetarian-friendly
Niagara
Italian

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Filters

D
Dell
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall1food1service1ambience1
First,we waited for over 1 hour for our first course. We had to ask to have the music turned down, so loud . They were not prepared for the turn out, the place was full & they could not keep up. The food was just ok not great. The good part was the young women serving they were great & felt really bad about the poor service. The tables had water glass stains that wouldn’t wipe off, giving the table not a very clean look. So disappointed.
k
kshitijv
London
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Nice cosy room place, great food and warm service.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food, service and ambiance. I’ve been before and brought my mom last night and she was amazed. We drove 30 minutes for this dinner and it was all very much worth it. Our Server Jon was amazing was very attentive to the table, demonstrated exceptional customer service and made us feel very welcomed and comfortable. 100/10 would recommend and come again.
S
Suzannel
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience4
Food was excellent as was the service. Very enjoyable!
GW
GavinW
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Some of the best pasta I have had in St. Catharines. Pizza was great too
OT
OpenTable Diner
Las Vegas
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on March 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
It was very busy at 530 when we went in but the service and food was top notch as always. Love this restaurant for family dinners and a place to get together with friends 🙂
CB
CherylB
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall3food3service4ambience4
I wasn’t overly impressed. $20 for a bowl of meatless pasta. A small salad was $10 extra so I skipped it. I got a soda water with lime and they used lime flavouring instead of a real lime which was kind of gross. I had the gnocchi which was okay but really salty. Service was good although slow (I don’t believe it was his fault they were perhaps understaffed). I wouldn’t choose to return.
SG
StephanieG
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Loved this resistant! Great staff as everyone was super friendly and our waitress was a sweetheart.
M
Momof7t3
Toronto
5 reviews
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience3
Early dinner. Seated right away . Served right away . Food arrived quickly and was hot! Very good dishes, nice wine and mixed drink. Good coffee following dinner. Hailey was an excellent waitress, attentive and cheerful!
WC
WesC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Service was great, food was great, moderately busy on a Friday evening. I have nothing negative to say, it is a fine place to eat, despite being in a unit in a plaza.
IL FORNELLOResponded on March 19, 2023Thanks for visiting, Wes! We strive to provide an exceptional dining experience each and every day at IL FORNELLO. We do hope to serve you again soon!
JB
JoeB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 16, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Great pizza. Service was excellent. Definitely be back for the pizza.
GC
GailC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This was our second time here and it was every bit as good as our first. Our waitress Brie, was so attentive and pleasant, the food was amazing and my son really enjoyed the Fried Bocconcini balls. I would highly recommend eating here!! Gail
JA
JoAnnO
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on March 11, 2023
overall4food5service5ambience4
Chicken parm and gnocchi Asiago was fabulous. Caesar salad great as well!
IL FORNELLOResponded on March 13, 2023Thanks JoAnn for visiting IL FORNELLO and taking the time to leave a review. We are so glad you enjoyed your meal and hope to see you again soon!
AS
AdamS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great time. One of my favorite places. Service is always superb.
IL FORNELLOResponded on March 13, 2023Thanks for visiting, Adam! We strive to provide exceptional service each and every time. Cheers!
DZ
DebZ
Toronto
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
My dear friend and I came to celebrate our birthdays! I had been twice before to Il Fornello and enjoyed the experiences immensely. This was my friends first time. From our greeting from Dan to our incredible service from Rachel. It was a birthday to remember. I am a plant based eater so I knew the choices for myself and my friend who is not would be perfect. Rachel was personable, funny, relaxed yet on point with her timing and service. It was Wine Wednesday so we enjoyed a fabulous red wine at a fantastic price and shared the Vegan Caesar salad. My friend was over the moon with this choice. Both of our meals were hot, tasty and out of this world and we wrapped up with a vegan brownie, berries and ice cream. Truly the icing on the cake. The restaurant is clean, ambiance amazing, enough energetic atmosphere but enough space and volume to have a great catch up and chat. Another great experience! Thank you.
IL FORNELLOResponded on March 19, 2023Happy belated birthday Deb! And thanks for choosing to spend it with us. We are so happy to hear about your positive dining experience and assure you this is the quality of service we strive to provide on each and every visit to IL FORNELLO. We look forward to welcoming you back again and based on your order (app, wine, mains, dessert), perhaps for a Thursday date night special?
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on March 4, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience3
Great service and love the vegan options
IL FORNELLOResponded on March 5, 2023Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a review! Would love to know what vegan dish is your favourite!
FB
FredB
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 26, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very enjoyable evening out together for a family gathering.
IL FORNELLOResponded on March 5, 2023Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a review, Fred! Would love to hear what dishes you and the family enjoyed!
M
Mugsy
Toronto
10 reviews
4.0
10 reviews
Dined on February 24, 2023
overall4food5service5ambience3
The food and service here were both great. The only con is that the atmosphere and decor feels a bit cold.
IL FORNELLOResponded on March 5, 2023Thanks for dining with us Mugsy! We are glad the food and service was enjoyable, and have shared along your feedback re: the ambiance. By sharing your honest review, we're able to perfect the IL FORNELLO experience for you and other guests - much appreciated!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Las Vegas
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Second time there and it was lovely. We thought we could order “garlic cheese bread” on gluten free crust as appetizers but they wouldn’t do it that made us sad as we were really hoping for an appetizer. We would pay whatever the charge if you can add it your menu in future ;) food and service was wonderful as always and we tell all our friends to go.
IL FORNELLOResponded on February 25, 2023Thanks for dining with us again and sharing the word! We are always looking for additional ways to accommodate and have shared your suggestion with our kitchen - that sounds delicious! Cheers.
SM
StephanieM
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on February 18, 2023
overall4food3service4ambience4
Service was good, food was fine, not outstanding though.
IL FORNELLOResponded on March 19, 2023Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a review Stephanie. Please feel free to share any more information regarding your dishes and how we could improve as it would be much appreciated. We strive to provide exemplary food and service each and every visit and rely on guest's feedback to perfect the IL FORNELLO experience for you and other visitors. Cheers!
RJ
RJ1234
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on February 17, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience4
First time there. Good evening meal. Would go back
IL FORNELLOResponded on February 20, 2023Thanks for checking us out! We are so glad you enjoyed your first visit and would love to welcome you back anytime. What dishes did you get to try?
MO
MaxO
Toronto
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We celebrated Valentines Day at Il Fornello. The Valentine's Price fixe was awesome..
IL FORNELLOResponded on February 20, 2023Thanks for spending Valentine's Day with us Max! We would love to hear which dishes were your favourite! We look forward to serving you again soon.
S
Sandy
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2023
overall3food2service3ambience3
We booked for Valentine’s Day. There was a posted fixed menu as well as option for standard menu on the booking page. We booked standard menu. When we arrived we were told no it was fixed menu only. We were not the only guests who ran into this issue. Most booked for standard menu option as well. The sever also acknowledged this. When our entire arrived my meal was under cooked and very pasty (I had the risotto). Portions were very small and not very flavourful. We will not be returning.
IL FORNELLOResponded on February 20, 2023Thank you for taking the time to share your review Sandy. On behalf of our team, please accept my sincere apology for your experience. We strive for all guests to leave our restaurant satisfied on all days, especially one as special as Valentine's Day. We would love the chance to make this right and have messaged you privately to address your concerns. Looking forward to hearing from you.
K
Karie
Toronto
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a party of 8 & at first were very disappointed bc they were serving a special "Valentines" menu, even though it wasn't Valentine's Day, our server, who was excellent by the way, said he would do his best to accomodate any requests from the regular menu. We all decided we would stay & enjoy a meal but said we probably wouldn't return as we all had viewed the regular menu online before hand. The food was devine & we were all very happy with our meals. They definitely redeemed themselves. We will most certainly be back to enjoy their regular menu. We wished they would have let it known on the website there was a special menu, also being an Italian restaurant, having a salad & or bread included with a pasta entree would be nice. Most places do this.
IL FORNELLOResponded on February 20, 2023Hi Karie, we are so glad we were able to accommodate and your party was able to enjoy some favourites from our daily menu; we have some great weekly specials that we encourage you to check out! While the Valentine's Day menu was on our website, we will look to make it more prominent for future events thanks to your feedback! I have also shared your feedback re: side salad/bread with the correct team and we look forward to perfecting the IL FORNELLO experience for you and other guests.
KM
KimmiM
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food and Service was exceptional!! We will be back!! Two of us had the salmon!! It was amazing!!
IL FORNELLOResponded on February 20, 2023Thanks for dining with us and sharing your kind review, Kimmi! The salmon is a fan favourite and we are so glad you enjoyed it! We would love to welcome you back anytime.
AH
AnnaH
Toronto
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 4, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Went for our anniversary it was wonderful and we can't wait to back. food was great quality we can't wait Togo back
CL
ChrisL
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 31, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience2
Excellent as usual. Our server was very attentive and happy to see to our needs. Food was delicious and vegan options were very good. Looking forward to summer on the patio.
KR
KarenR
Toronto
11 reviews
3.0
11 reviews
Dined on January 28, 2023
overall3food3service2ambience3
The food was not as good as the previous time we were there. The salmon was smaller than the last time and was overcooked. Service was very slow and it was very loud in the restaurant. The choice was limited as the lamb shank was not available. Our receipt shows that we would get $10 off our next bill when leaving a review on Open Table.
LE
LyndaE
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 28, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
I usually try to steer away from chain restaurants. But this one is just so yummy and reasonably priced, it's hard to stay away. We really enjoy each visit so much. Food has been on par every time and the staff is super friendly.
R
Rick
Toronto
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on January 27, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
Date night. Great service from Dan! Thank you
OT
OpenTable Diner
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great experience overall! Food is amazing, fresh and well priced for portion sizes. Jayden put the TML game on for us. We will be back! Thank you!
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Service was great. Food was excellent.
KR
KarenR
Toronto
11 reviews
4.0
11 reviews
Dined on January 7, 2023
overall4food4service3ambience3
The food was excellent. The wine was very over-priced. Service was slow. Still enjoyable experience.
j
jenb
Toronto
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 5, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
It was my absolute pleasure I had dining in at this restaurant tonight. Our server Bailey was amazing and very attentive and our food came out piping hot and was delicious and the taramisu was to die for definitely homemade! We will be back for date night again. Bailey should be recognized for her awesome disposition and great customer service.
RG
ReneeG
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 4, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Nice place. The food and service was good. I would refer friends and family.
TK
TerryK
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on January 4, 2023
overall4food5service3ambience3
Pleasantly surprised at the quality of food and value. That and a good menu makes us want to return and try more items.
CC
CraigC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a fantastic night. The food, the service and the experience were all great. Our server, Johnathan, was attentive to our needs and very informed as to the menu options. We will certainly be going back.
EB
EliseB
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on January 1, 2023
overall1food1service4ambience5
We reserved for their prix fix New Year's Eve menu however when we got there the menu had vastly changed and we were unable to eat anything on the new menu. Very disappointing experience.
DH
DaveH
Toronto
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on December 31, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was very tasty. Dan took care of our table and was great. Wonderful meal for new years eve
M
Marilyn
Toronto
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 31, 2022
overall4food5service5ambience4
We enjoyed our prix fix dinner on New Year's Eve. There were several good choices and we enjoyed them all. Our server Bailey was delightful, very friendly and attentive, and happy to be serving us. We will definitely go back to try their everyday menu and we will ask for Bailey.

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitising
- Surfaces sanitised between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitised menu provided
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Sanitiser or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available

FAQs

IL FORNELLO does offer delivery in partnership with Skip The Dishes and Uber Eats. IL FORNELLO also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (905) 684-5000.

IL FORNELLO is rated 4.4 stars by 226 OpenTable diners.

IL FORNELLO does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.