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Willow
Modern Italian dining in the heart of Sacramento—where classy meets casual.
3.6(5 reviews)
restaurant
$$
Modern Italian dining in the heart of Sacramento—where classy meets casual.
Willow is a charming Italian restaurant and bar located inside the Exchange Hotel in downtown Sacramento, offering a blend of fine dining and relaxed atmosphere. We serve delicious Italian-inspired cuisine, including breakfast, brunch, and dinner, with a full bar featuring craft cocktails and wine. Perfect for happy hour, special occasions, or a casual meal before a Kings game, our focus is on quality food and excellent service in a beautiful setting. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming spot for locals and visitors alike, just minutes from DOCO and major attractions.
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Enjoy classic and modern Italian dishes like Bucatini Carbonara and seasonal specialties in an elegant setting.
Start your day with delicious options such as Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and healthy breakfast plates.
Unwind with discounted drinks and appetizers in a stylish bar atmosphere.
Sip on craft cocktails, wine, and beer, including fall-inspired drinks and post-dinner cocktails.
Host special occasions like Thanksgiving dinner with impeccable service and flavorful, unique menus.
Ideally situated near DOCO and Sacramento Kings games, with easy access for Uber and walk-ins.
Went for happy hour w a friend. My smash cocktail ($10) plus her hugo spritz ($12) and 2 appetizers (wings, eggplant tower) came to $65 with tip. What kind of HH pricing is that? Pretty interior but probably won't be back. Also they didn't have parking validation for my friend.
Excellent experience for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. Food was delicious aside from one of the main courses not being as hot as I would like (I give some leeway on holidays though because I know how slammed restaurants are). Everything was flavorful and unique and the service was impeccable. Wine was good and post-dinner cocktails on point. I'm looking forward to our next dining experience with Willow. Also, even though this is attached to a hotel, you would never know it. Atmosphere is lovely and the space is completely separate from the hotel lobby. Really great experience overall. We'll be back!
Visited October 8th...see my receipt. This place is classy but casual in a great location in Sacramento ( inside the Exchange Hotel). I wanted to visit this place after seeing it on Good Day. I met Chef Carr and he was so welcoming! He was focused on the food and showed pride on the quality and presentation ! What a kind Chef! We just ate an hour ago but the fall drinks looked amazing ! We had a glass of wine and beer before having to leave for an appointment. Full bar. Walk to Sacramento kings game ! It's a welcoming small restaurant in a great location ( 2 minutes to my Uber!). Btw... there was a nasty review a week ago from what appeared from an employee..don't know...I saw nothing but cleanliness and glad we came in! I am coming back for their brunch next weekend! Thank you Jon for excellent service! Great location and close to DOCO! Great experience!
I assume most people probably wouldn't eat here at "Willow" if they knew just how dirty and unsanitary their kitchen really is: - Hair, dust and grease buildups underneath, and on top of all the stoves and other cooking equipment. Most equipment looks like it hasn't been cleaned in months, if not longer. - Used gloves and old moldy food underneath the stoves, prep stations and other equipment in the kitchen. - Live and dead cockroaches in the kitchen where the food is being cooked, and inside the walk-in refrigerator where all the meat, seafood, fruits and vegetables are stored. - The cast iron pans they cook the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes in are always left filthy dirty with dust all over them. Multiple times I witnessed them pour pancake batter directly into a dirty pan built up with grease and dust without cleaning it out first. - If you've ever wondered why their "Bucatini Carbonara" dish tastes under seasoned and watered down, that's because it literally is. They run their pasta boiling machine with unfiltered tap water and NO SEA SALT...just plain water. And the "Cream Sauce" is made up of 1 part WATER, 1 part Heavy Cream and 1 Egg yolk. Cooks seemingly do not even know how to properly sauté either. I personally witnessed multiple breakfast cooks, even the Sous and Executive Chefs throw COLD oil and COLD ingredients in a COLD sauté pan all at the same time...then put it on the stove burner, and start stirring and tossing the ingredients before the pan or oil even heats up! Not to mention they all gossip about each other like they're in high-school. Everyone from the Bartender Jon, the Pastry Chef Amanda, and even the Sous Chef Dan talks badly about the Executive Chef Scott Carr behind his back...saying he doesn't know what he's doing. I was warned not to let him cook my lunch, and they also said he previously took the Gnocchi off the menu because he didn't know how to cook it correctly, and kept burning the brown butter. They were also operating their kitchen here with a dishwashing machine that had NO HOT WATER for months. Which is a huge ⚠️Health Code Violation⚠️ They told me it had been like that already for a while because the higher ups were being lazy and taking their sweet time to approve getting it fixed. HOT water is crucial for effective cleaning and sanitation! A lack of hot water can lead to an inadequate removal of food debris and potential bacterial growth, creating a HEALTH RISK. Even though they do have soap and sanitizer...that and mere COLD water alone is not enough to eliminate all the germs, bacteria and other harmful microorganisms. Fine dining? This place is an absolute mess. Eat at your own risk 🤮☠️
Excellent service! I just had breakfast at willow and the server was so professional, kind and a total gentleman. He made sure I got my food right away due to a timing constraint I had. The food was fast and so delicious, it was also very healthy which I appreciate! I will recommend this place to anyone looking for a beautiful environment and good breakfast. (I haven’t tried the dinner but I’m sure it’s delicious too). Thank you for a great experience!
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