We have lived in Lakeland now for over eleven years, and are always amazed when we find a restaurant that we have either not tried, or better yet not even heard of... Such is the case with Il Forno Italian Restaurant, which has been here -as we are made to understand- now for over 18 years!?!! We discovered this little gem when perusing TripAdvisor looking for BEST Italian Restaurants in Lakeland, and a quick phone call to them locked us in to a most enjoyable evening of Italiano fare! Our (phone) Host, David, was very energetic, touting his disappointment that Il Forno was rated as #2 (on TripAdvisor), because (as he stated) they have won Best Restaurant in Central Florida now for the last SIX YEARS! And it wasn't long before we realized WHY they have not only won, but why they KEEP winning... The food was excellent, and the cost was well-priced. And although the (dineresq) atmosphere was a bit "less-than," as far as asthetics, fare and the service more than made up for that. In all, my wife and I had a most enjoyable dining experience and we thank the staff for making this so! One last thing, regarding pricing (that we always add-in for all of our military community) is that Il Forno does NOT allow for any military appreciation discounts.
Amazing food (delicious pizza!) and cordial welcome of the owner from Napoli and his very friendly staff makes this restaurant the place to go if you wish to enjoy the authentic Italian food and ambiance. Highly recommended. Grazie mille per tutto!
It's been 10 years since my initial review of Il Forno, and in that span, we've visited more times than I can count. There isn't a single menu item we've tried that we wouldn't recommend - HIGHLY. Service is on par with some of the best we've ever experienced. Is it the best Italian restaurant we've ever visited? Very possibly. Is it the best Italian restaurant in Lakeland? Beyond a doubt. The occasions where the owner has NOT been present, greeting diners as they enter, and visiting tables - have been RARE. He also offers annual tours to Italy, which are VERY highly reviewed.
We dined in this excellent restaurant on Valentine's Day. Me and my wife could not have asked for a better location to celebrate.. The host, Mr. M, most certainly added to our overall outstanding time.We will definitely be back!
Phenomenal staff, great food. Enjoy it every time we visit town!
Just had lunch there today! Food was delicious and plentiful! Fresh breadsticks with marinara sauce and great lasagna!! Did I mention great service from a very personable waiter?? Well it was!! I love this place!
2/4 Friday night was absolutely fantastic a little wait but if you want great food and service that’s typical. We had a large party food came out timely. Owner is great and staff checked on us throughout the night. Thanks again we will be back soon!!!
This is always one of my favorite local places to eat.Food is awesome, and service meets all expectations. The wait is worth it, even if it takes a while. Be patient, and I can assure you the wait is worth it!
5:30 on a Friday, 2 hour wait. Recommend you call for reservations although Google says little to no wait at this time. Staff had no recommendations where to go after we drove 90 minutes to meet family there. Restaurant should update description to recommend reservations and staff should have alternative recommendations. We found a restaurant 5 minutes away with little wait.
We met our son and grandkids at Il Forno in Lakeland for dinner after watching a You Tube review. The video showed delicious food, cheesy and full of red sauce! We were greeted by their friendly staff and seated immediately. We had reservations. Ben was our waiter and he was excellent- friendly attentive and knowledgeable. Our food was so delicious! And there was lots of it! Hubby got delicious beautiful chicken Marsala. His favorite and he loved it! I got stuffed shells with a side of meatballs. Sooooooo good! I love meatballs and these were to die for! Soooooo good! Evolved the food! And the friendly staff. We’ll be back for sure! A nice menu. I had a hard time deciding what to get! There were probably 10 things I wanted on it. Wish they were closer to Apopka!