Forno Vecchio Restaurant, in the heart of historic downtown Pleasanton, is the destination for fresh, local cuisine served with the warmth of a genuine Italian family dinner. The menu features long-time favorites, including house-made pastas with a twist on traditional sauces. But don’t be surprised to find unique savory fare like truffle fries, filo-wrapped salmon, and seasonal specials. The wine list, carefully chosen to complement the menu, includes local California wines as well as Italian classics at very affordable prices. Do save room for dessert!

Forno Vecchio presents a distinctive dining experience created by new owners and long-time Pleasanton residents, sharing three generations of Italian food and wine expertise and family hospitality. Each menu item is prepared and served with individual care and attention. Sentite l'amo

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Reservations for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

24 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Very Good) 3.7 / 5

(24 Reviews)

Rating Breakdown 24 reviews

5 stars

(6)

4 stars

(9)

3 stars

(5)

2 stars

(3)

1 star

(1)

Food

(Very Good) 3.7 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 3.9 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 3.5 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

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Diners classify this restaurant as:

neighborhood gem(13)
good for groups(7)
fit for foodies(6)

great for outdoor dining(4)
romantic(4)
kid-friendly(3)

Forno Vecchio Restaurant Reviews List

Review 1 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

OpenTable Diner

Dined on 5/12/2013

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Great service and good food. A bit disappointed in the sauce on the side of pasta, no taste at all, but the fresh pasta itself was tasty."

Dined on 5/12/2013

Special Features: neighborhood gem

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Review 2 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Great first Mother's Day Brunch

OpenTable Diner

Dined on 5/12/2013

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"This was their first Mother's Day Brunch offering. Lots of varied selections, sweet and savory choices. Handled it well, very attentive, friendly staff."

Dined on 5/12/2013

Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem

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Review 3 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Despite the decoration looks

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/12/2013

2003

Dined on 04/12/2013

2003

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Despite the decoration looks moderate and the entrance area seems empty (I believe their table setting created this impression), the food is awesome! I love the lasagna. Not the typical lasagna you'd have at other Italian restaurant but it just tastes Great! A must-go-back place!"

Dined on 04/12/2013

2003

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem

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Review 4 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

We came on a Saturday evening

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/06/2013

2002

Dined on 04/06/2013

2002

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Good) 3 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"We came on a Saturday evening and the restaurant was only half filled. Yet our server seemed to have most of the tables in the room. Possibly as a consequence, he never gave us the specials, and the delay between the salads and the entrees was inexplicably long. The rigatoni was good, but not great. The filo wrapped salmon was excellent, as was the budino dessert. The food is always good here, but they really need more staffing."

Dined on 04/06/2013

2002

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Review 5 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Fair) 2 / 5

Dissapointing. The food was

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/09/2013

2009

Dined on 04/09/2013

2009

Food

(Fair) 2 / 5

Service

(Good) 3 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"Dissapointing. The food was only fair. The pasta portions were small and served lukewarm."

Dined on 04/09/2013

2009

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Review 6 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

The restaurant was not busy

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/03/2013

2007

Dined on 04/03/2013

2007

Food

(Good) 3 / 5

Service

(Fair) 2 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"The restaurant was not busy at all but service still very slow."

Dined on 04/03/2013

2007

Special Features: good for groups

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Review 7 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Owner came up to our table

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/30/2013

2010

Dined on 03/30/2013

2010

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Owner came up to our table and introduced herself. Service was excellent. Food was even better. Highly recommend."

Dined on 03/30/2013

2010

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Review 8 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Best Service, worst Minestrone Ever

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/26/2013

2012

Dined on 03/26/2013

2012

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"As always the atmosphere and service were exemplary. 2 of us had the Chicken Cesar Wrap wonderfully moist, the flatbread was soft and flavorful and the warmed Cesar vinigrette was delicious. Our third had the Salmon panini, and she was talking about it the next day. But for the first time, I was disappointed. I LOVE minestrone soup, I actually make it at home at least 3 times a month year round (I LOVE IT). I was really looking forward to trying the minestrone and when the cup came...I was really disappointed. I couldn't even eat it...I tasted it, and yes...it was a flavorful soup, too thick, too much tomato, no pasta..sorry not minestrone..might be me...but never again."

Dined on 03/26/2013

2012

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, romantic, great for lunch

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Review 9 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Great food. Good, friendly

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/22/2013

2012

Dined on 03/22/2013

2012

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"Great food. Good, friendly service. The lasagna is always a favorite and no one else around makes it as good as they do."

Dined on 03/22/2013

2012

Special Features: neighborhood gem

+1point

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Review 10 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Poor) 1 / 5

It would be difficult to describe

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/14/2013

2011

Dined on 02/14/2013

2011

Food

(Fair) 2 / 5

Service

(Poor) 1 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"It would be difficult to describe how poorly our evening went: Valentine's Day. Let me simply say that this one experience has completely put us off going out anymore on Valentine's Day.

We did not have to wait to be seated even though our reservations were for for 20 minutes later than our arrival. The wait came after we sat.

From appetizer to entree: 1 hour. Mind you, this was a fixed price dinner where prep should have been well in hand. The place was never full, much less people waiting.

Tiny, tiny portions of food. While my salmon was fine, my wife's was overcooked and dry. Waiters chewing gum. Seemingly complete confusion among the wait staff.

So that was it."

Dined on 02/14/2013

2011

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Review 11 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

This is the second time in

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/02/2013

2002

Dined on 02/02/2013

2002

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Fair) 2 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"This is the second time in four months that we have had to wait for our reservation; this time, it was almost 25 minutes until we were seated. The table service was generally good, except for an unusually long period between the salad and the entree. The restaurant was quite crowded, and the noise is substantial whenever all tables are filled. However, the food (filo wrapped salmon and fettucini bolognese) was very good, and the dessert (budino) was excellent. If it were not for the consistent excellence of the food, we would probably take a break from this restaurant; as it is, we may just stay away from Saturday nights."

Dined on 02/02/2013

2002

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Review 12 for Forno Vecchio Restaurant

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5