Generous portions
Several diners found the portions notably large, including a generous Italian lunch with pasta, salad and soup.
Il Forno, Dubai Festival City Mall
Dubai Festival City
Il Forno is an Italian restaurant in Dubai Festival City Mall’s food court, serving generous pasta and pizza portions. Reviews highlight dishes such as pasta bolognese and Spaghetti Valentino, along with friendly service, family extras and occasional complimentary ice cream.
Reputation Score
4.7
★★★★★
407 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Pasta variety
Reviews mention well-received pasta dishes including Spaghetti Bolognese, Spaghetti Valentino and Penne Del Mari.
Pizza favourites
The margherita and chicken ranch pizzas were specifically praised for their flavour.
Complimentary dessert
Some diners received complimentary ice cream, including strawberry gelato after lunch.
Fresh salad
One reviewer specifically enjoyed a fresh, refreshing salad alongside a green juice.
Family extras
Returning families mentioned gifts, toys and colouring books for children.
Helpful service
Multiple reviews describe the staff as friendly and attentive, with help carrying trays to food-court tables.
What to Eat at Il Forno, Dubai Festival City Mall How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For Il Forno, Dubai Festival City Mall, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
These items at Il Forno, Dubai Festival City Mall got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 6
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Chicken ranch pizza Net +1
“The food is so gooddd!! Yummiiesstt! The chicken ranch pizza so flavorful yummms!! My favorite was speghaati perlo delicious!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food is so gooddd!! Yummiiesstt! The chicken ranch pizza so flavorful yummms!! My favorite was speghaati perlo delicious!”May 2025
-
Fruit mari spaghetti Net +1
“They granted my request to make a pink sauce on the fruit mari spaghetti.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“They granted my request to make a pink sauce on the fruit mari spaghetti.”February 2025
-
Penne del mari with white sauce pasta Net +1
“I ordered Zuppa Di Funghi soup it was super delicious and Penne Del Mari with white sauce pasta and that was like a dish fallen from heavens .”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered Zuppa Di Funghi soup it was super delicious and Penne Del Mari with white sauce pasta and that was like a dish fallen from heavens .”January 2026
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Speghaati perlo Net +1
“The food is so gooddd!! Yummiiesstt! The chicken ranch pizza so flavorful yummms!! My favorite was speghaati perlo delicious!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food is so gooddd!! Yummiiesstt! The chicken ranch pizza so flavorful yummms!! My favorite was speghaati perlo delicious!”May 2025
-
Strawberry gelato ice cream Net +1
“After we finished our meal Danny handed us hand wipes and strawberry gelato ice cream which was a lovely end to our Italian lunch.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“After we finished our meal Danny handed us hand wipes and strawberry gelato ice cream which was a lovely end to our Italian lunch.”February 2026
-
Zuppa di funghi soup Net +1
“I ordered Zuppa Di Funghi soup it was super delicious and Penne Del Mari with white sauce pasta and that was like a dish fallen from heavens .”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered Zuppa Di Funghi soup it was super delicious and Penne Del Mari with white sauce pasta and that was like a dish fallen from heavens .”January 2026
Drinks 2
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Green paradise juice Net +1
“Surprisingly good pasta. The salad was so fresh and refreshing. I had their green paradise juice and didn’t expect I would enjoy a green juice at all, it wasn’t too sweet nor tasted grass. Francis assisted us and all the crews are very approachable and friendly.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Surprisingly good pasta. The salad was so fresh and refreshing. I had their green paradise juice and didn’t expect I would enjoy a green juice at all, it wasn’t too sweet nor tasted grass. Francis assisted us and all the crews are very approachable and friendly.”July 2025
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Pizza margarita Net +1
“Pizza margarita was so very delicious and staff very nice and attentive highly recommended the ilforno Italian restaurant I will comeback again and again”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Pizza margarita was so very delicious and staff very nice and attentive highly recommended the ilforno Italian restaurant I will comeback again and again”May 2026
What to Avoid (1)
Food 1
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Garlic bread Net −1
“On top of that, I ordered garlic bread and it arrived cold and hard, as if it had been sitting there for hours. I had to ask for it to be replaced.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“On top of that, I ordered garlic bread and it arrived cold and hard, as if it had been sitting there for hours. I had to ask for it to be replaced.”June 2026
Tips for a Better Visit
Allow time. If you are visiting at a busy time, leave extra time for preparation: one diner waited almost 50 minutes.
Expect noise. Choose this for a food-court meal rather than a quiet dinner; reviews specifically mention the noisy setting.
Check extras. Confirm paid toppings when ordering: one customer said a beef supplement was not properly added and requested a refund.
Ask customisation. Ask whether the kitchen can adapt a dish; one diner requested pink sauce on the fruit mari spaghetti and was accommodated.
Bring children. Families may want to ask about the children’s extras, as one returning customer mentioned toys and colouring books.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Crescent Rd
Al Kheeran - Dubai Festival City, Dubai
| Mon | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Tue | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Wed | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Thu | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Fri | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Sat | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Sun | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Long waits
One diner waited almost 50 minutes and found the order updates misleading; friends finished eating first.
Food court noise
The setting is not quiet, with reviewers specifically noting the noise of the food court.
Order changes
A reviewer said staff refused a requested change to remove one pizza and add other items shortly after ordering.
Uneven toppings
One pizza with salmon and avocado was criticised because the salmon seemed raw and the avocado was only half ripe.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Il Forno is a practical Italian stop in Dubai Festival City Mall’s food court, especially if you want filling pasta or pizza without leaving the mall. Reviews mention traditional Spaghetti Bolognese, the prawn-and-anchovy Spaghetti Valentino, Zuppa Di Funghi soup and Penne Del Mari with white sauce. Portions are repeatedly described as generous, including one lunch that covered pasta, salad and soup comfortably.
The food-court setting shapes the experience. It can be noisy, and one reviewer found preparation took around 20 minutes; another waited almost 50 minutes and said the updates were misleading. Service reviews are mostly warm and attentive, but the contrast suggests it is worth checking on a delayed order rather than assuming it is nearly ready.
Families may appreciate the reported toys and colouring books, while some diners received complimentary ice cream or strawberry gelato after eating. Prices are not the lowest among food-court choices. One customer spent over AED 130 on pizza and pasta and considered that steep, although another still found the pricing reasonable for the flavour and portion size.
Check paid toppings before leaving the counter, and remember that changing an order may not be possible once it is entered. The branch suits a casual mall meal more than a quiet restaurant evening.