I’ve been here a few times and each time this place was an absolute delight!! As a vegetarian, I’m always on the lookout for restaurants that offer flavorful and creative meat-free options, and this place certainly did not disappoint. The ambiance is lovely and inviting, warm lighting and cosy seating. But the real star of the show, of course, is the food!! The pastas, pizza, ravioli - you can’t go wrong with anything! I highly recommend this place and will be going back soon!

Our dinner was excellent. They have a few locations and they all have vegan options! We had the bruschetta appetizer, penne with mushrooms and cashew cream sauce with vegan Parmesan, and pizza with beyond Italian sausage and SUPER GOOD vegan mozzarella. Our server was also delightful. Hopefully soon they have a vegan dessert option, and it would be amazing if they offered some of the stuffed pasta options that they have at the other location, like vegan manicotti or lasagna!

I came to IL FORNELLO one night because I love pizza and have never been before. Our server Hailey was great but the pizza was not. It was heavy on the cheese and really greasy. I also asked for it well done and it came out very soft. I ordered a simple cheese pizza. The pizza reminded me of soggy pizza from pool days in elementary school. One bite everybody knows the rules 5.8.

Love this place! Tried them out because it just opened up in the area and was thoroughly impressed. The food was delicious. I think the pizza was my favourite thing on the menu. Desserts were great too! Check them out if you are in the area. Really friendly staff, great service.

We enjoyed dinner at Il Fornello - St. Catharines on a Tuesday which is half-price appetizer night. We tried the arancini - a generous portion of 4 risotto balls in the most delicious tomato sauce. Our mains were chicken parmigiana and a veggie pizza. Both were very good. Their Neapolitan-style pizza has a thin crust which is not too filling. A shared piece of lemon mousse cake (comped because it was a birthday dinner) was the perfect finish. I was really impressed that they have an extensive plant-based menu in addition to traditional Italian dishes. Service from our waitress was excellent and well-paced, and a manager came by our table a couple of times. Opened earlier this year, I hope they do well here. I know I’m looking forward to returning soon.

*In reply to this review, you will see they asked me to email them. I did...twice and I have never heard back. My review: I've been wanting to go to IL Fornello for YEARS. I finally went, and I sincerely regret wasting my money, time, and calories. The bottom part of pizza crust was so soggy and wet that it was physically impossible to pick up, and it actually looked like raw dough. I couldn't even eat it. The cheese was completely tasteless and had the texture of squeaky, melted Babybel cheese. The Beyond Meat sausage was dry and also had zero flavour. Not even sure how that's possible TBH. I LOVE Beyond Meat! Very disappointing! I couldn't bring myself to eat more than a few bites. The Arancini was acceptable even though there was barely any cheese, which is probably a good thing considering how much I disliked the cheese. The tomato sauce was fairly delicious. I really wanted the Red Velvet cake or the Brownie Cheesecake, but they were sold out of both (on a Tuesday evening), so I settled for the Lemon Mousse Cake instead. Thank God they were sold out of the other two because the Lemon Mousse cake almost redeemed them for everything else that was terrible! It was so incredibly amazing! It was super moist and deeply flavorful. It was the perfect mix of tart and sweet! Unfortunately, the slice was fairly tiny for the money. I could have ate a whole cake! LOL! So will I be back? Definitely not for the pizza or apps...but that Lemon Mousse Cake *drool*... maybe for that! Hahaha! Also, the staff are friendly and the place itself is beautiful.

I initially stumbled across this hidden gem a few weeks ago. Very friendly staff and amazing food. The whole space has such a great vibe. Very modern and classy. My favourite dish thus far definitely must be the chicken parmigiana. Great selection of pizza and pasta as well. The mozzarella garlic loaf is the best starter on the menu hands down. Highly recommend.

One word, DELICIOUS! The calamari fritti was great, came with this wonderful aioli. The vegan avocado cashew Caesar was also quite good but they really hit a home run with their pizza. There is just something about the pizza, it is so delicious yet so light. When I found out they started doing lunch I absolutely had to give them a try as I already love their dinner menu. The prime rib burger was awesome. Very healthy portion and it has a special sauce which is AMAZING!

Great restaurant. This is THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD in the Niagara region. I’m so happy they opened because otherwise I had to drive all the way to Toronto for good Italian food. They have their pizza down to a science; I find myself back every week for their pizza. It is as good as it would be in Italy. Staff is amazing, always great banter to be had as well. Good selection of local wine. Great prices.

Delicious food, warm inviting atmosphere, reasonably priced (some things are on the more expensive side), good service! Was busy both times we were there so consider making a reservation. Forgot to take pictures the first time we were there but the fettuccine Alfredo was incredible. The other items we tried were also great, but I think the fettuccine wins in my books. Expect to spend around $20-$50 a person, depending on what you order. They also have a large plant based menu, didn’t try it but worth noting.

We dined in with our friends tonight. I have tried their Toronto and Oakville locations and was very keen to try this one that opened just 3 months ago. Dan, our server was an amazing guy who helped us getting comfortable. The atmosphere was perfect and kid friendly as we had a 5 months old with us. We ordered pastas and pizzas and as always, they served the best Italian food. Congratulations to the team and thank you for the experience!!

Our pizzas were amazing! This will be our favorite spot for sit down pizzas. The service , staff and food was excellent. Our waitress Sarah was very attentive and helpful with the menu.. 5 stars ⭐️

Been to this new restaurant 3 times, loved the first 2 so went back for a special lunch today as sadly I fly west to finally lay my mother to rest, a year after she passed away. Gentlemen who seated us asked have you been here before to which we both said yes and we loved it. We were sat across from the kitchen and literally 5 feet from the bar. We were given two dinner menus and a lunch menu. NO wine list. Twenty minutes later with numerous staff walking back and forth past us there we sat with our two dinner menus and a lunch menu. They were busy but not that busy that staff had time to stand around and chat for a moment or each two. Oh they did serve the table across from BUT not us. No water not a “I will be with with you in a moment” nothing it was like we were ghosts. We then went elsewhere. Since our first visit I have recommended this new restaurant to eight friends and five have tried it out. I guess I will not be recommending it to anyone else.

Dined at this location last week, fantastic experience start to finish. Delightful Jonathan kindly took my reservation with gusto. Sarah took care of us, funny, knowledgeable, attentive, amazing! Food and beverages were incredible and the PLANT based menu is worth the drive for any vegan or veggie. Fabulous. Even topped off my meal with vegan ice cream! Wow. Happy guests and will return. Lovely location and sharp and modern restaurant. Awesome!

Had an amazing experience here! Food was amazing, along with portions.. very generous. Mike D was a great server, gave great recommendations and came up with some many awesome specialty cocktails!! Very personable, would definitely come back and request Mike! Gluten free pasta was also incredible, couldn’t even tell the difference.

Firstly. The food and service were excellent. No issues with taste, temperature or friendliness. What I want to know is why are the vegan options half the size as the non vegan? Dinner and dessert. Not kidding. Half the size. If it costs more that’s fine, charge more. Why does someone have to leave hungry when the rest are full.

Reservation made on OpenTable, had a red sangria and pizza each. Ambience was mellow and volume was low enough to be able to have a regular conversation. Service was friendly but nothing over the top. I was happy to see a full Plantbased menu which makes ordering stress free. I recommend the vegan mushroom pizza. My husband had a margarita pizza with gluten free dough, which could have been cooked more as the dough was on the softer side. Overall we had a pleasant time and will be back

Chicken Asiago was excellent. Wife enjoyed the Beat salad. Only thing was the garlic bread was charred which is great to see but we tasted a burnt smell like it was chareed after a piece of meat was burned on their grill. Overall we liked and will be back 👍🙂

Went here to celebrate our anniversary and we had a lovely experience. Great atmosphere and an amazing place to celebrate milestones. I loved their food. It was truly the best food I’ve tried in the area. Very authentic Italian food. We tried a few different items on the menu but what stood out most was the pizza. Great selection of wine as well. Overall a lovely experience. Highly recommend.

Excellent meals are found here. The meatballs are to die for. The vegan pastas are amazing and up to Michelin star standard. I will surly return. The venue is very cosy and my waiter is awesome . Knows when to appear and disappear. In all, great meal experience.

Just finished a terrific dinner here, and had to post about it immediately. Starting with Dan who was our server/bartender, what a genuinely nice and charming guy! He answered all our many questions, and had excellent recommendations! Take a look at the photos below to see how good everything was! Drinks - bottle of Prosecco 😋 Appetizers - vegan garlic bread was awesome, I am such a fiend for garlic bread :D; my wife had the fried Boccocini and would've ordered 3 more plates if we hadn't ordered more food Pasta - I had the vegan pappardelle which was delicious! Maybe a bit too much of the beyond Italian sausage compared to the noodles but honestly not a complaint, just felt bad I couldn't eat it all. Perfectly done, and super juicy, even without any sauce, just olive oil. My wife had the penne Capri and loved it! Absolutely bursting with flavour :D Pizza - I wasn't leaving here without a bite of pizza straight out of the oven. I had the vegan pollo pizza which was absolutely amazing! The crust, the dough, so light and fluffy, expertly sauced and the right ratio of toppings. They don't mess around! I was only able to have one slice, but I was determined to have it hot and fresh out of the oven! My wife got the Carne but didn't have room to eat it at this time, had to save room for... Dessert - we got the two vegan desserts on the menu, the chocolate brownie with ice cream and the budino. Get the budino, so rich, so thick, so indulgent, so good! Absolutely killed it! All I could do was smile and eat and smile 😁 😁 😁 Big ups to the whole team, especially my man Dan!!!

Nice spot. Service was great, albeit busy and understaffed. Cocktails were delicious. The food was good, but hard to identify some of the flavours. Had the Italian Sausage Pappardelle - just lacked some seasoning or spice. The chocolate torta was very good but the caramel sauce was too hard. I'll be back - looks like a good menu!

Food is delicious and Dan was a fantastic waiter. It was mid week and early evening, so quiet but still very nice. Dan made great recommendations, advised us of the chef’s ability to modify recipes to meet dietary needs and omit any ingredients that we didn’t like! Portions were good everyone (5 of us)were all very pleased with our dishes. Parking lot is a bit of a challenge(located on the other side of A&W) But found it obviously! Definitely, looking to return very soon.

Great experience for a birthday dinner!! 3 wonderful meals and appetizer! Portion sizes were good, and prices are decent. Will be returning.

Mr Dan - he is amazing!!!! Best service and hospitality Toooo delicious 🤤 Food 🍲 We ordered- Arancini Spicy Penne Pasta Penne alla vodka Mushroom pizza 🍕 with pesto sauce Two desserts Brownies Cheesecake Red velvet cake All the items are so good 😊 Mostly going to Repeat 🔁 on every special occasion!!! 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Must visit. Authentic Italian pizza and pasta they have. I tried vegetarian and margarita pizza which was so delicious. They also have bar if you want any drinks. And $12 Pizza they have specially on Tuesday, must visit.

Great service and overall experience! The food was great and the gluten free pizza crust is some of the best I have ever had! The homemade tiramisu is a must try! Hats off to the chef!

This restaurant was recommended by my life long friend. It was a long awaited reunion of five close people. A reservation was booked with the simple online link. I found the atmosphere to be modern with a welcoming feel. The staff was very efficient and courteous. It was our waitress’s first shift and I must remark how well prepared she was for it. We had all ordered a different dinner from the menu. It arrived all at once and was wonderfully plated and hot from the kitchen. All the food was delicious and nothing went to waist. Our waitress ensured our needs were met throughout the sitting. I commend the staff and manager whom I met to thank him personally for a great night. 👍

The plant-based menu is fabulous! We had a delightful dinner on the patio, very much enjoyed the delicious vegan lasagna and grilled bread. The rat-pack music was awesome. Bailey, our server, was super friendly and kindly shared her recommendations - she's a hospitality champion! We will be back to enjoy these vegan dishes again and again!

Went here last week with my team. We were thoroughly impressed. They had something for everyone and even the pickiest eaters in the group found something they loved. The best starter is definitely the garlic loaf. The pizza was a huge hit for the entire group. Lots of drinks! I remember the server was very friendly. Overall great food, and a great place to get together with friends or colleagues.