Was really excited to try this place! Fabulous cocktails, great wine program. Very knowledgeable & welcoming staff. Dishes are well thought out & tasty. Excited to come back some time!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexandre Guertin
Amazing food and service, highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Polly Cordwell
One of the best restaurants I've ever been to. We moved to Courtenay recently & I never thought we'd find restaurants here that rival top restaurants in big cities, but the food & cocktails were both outstanding. Great service & a lovely cosy atmosphere too. We will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
GA Better
There's quite a lot to say about Il Falcone that is outstanding and very little that is not. If you're into excellent food and wine served with care and attention to detail, this is the place for you. I'd consider Il Falcone somewhat fusion influenced with some Asian and Canadian touches here and there, but overall Chef is faithful to the principles of Italian cooking: Simplicity, quality ingredients and love of tradition. We dined here the night before the MOMAR race, in an effort to "carb up", and carb up we did in style! We began with Pacific Ling Cod croquettes with puttanesca & saffron aioli. The dish was low key but very satisfying, just preparing the palate for the next stage of the feast. Ragu di Carni was next, with tagliatelle and a rich beef ragu that would make nonna blush. For the secondi I enjoyed a vegetarian meal of roast squash and other veg with a salsa rossa (I'm not doing this justice, it was excellent but my memory fails me now!) and my friend raved over the flank steak with broccoliini with shishito peppe salsa verde. He's a foodie and has 20+ years in the business and repeatedly stated what a surprise it was to find this calibre of restaurant in a town the size of a peppercorn. We skipped dessert on the first night to save ourselves for a 6am wakeup and a 9am race that included kayaking, mountain biking and trekking across some 50km. The race was a wild scramble requiring maps and wits for the two of us new to the area. The meal (plus a few gels) held us over and as I progressed I began to consider that perhaps I should have saved Il Falcone for AFTER the race, as a reward. The food was so fine and the libations so generous and perfectly paired that really it would be an injustice to trust our gullets to just any restaurant in Courtney. No, we'd have to dine again at Il Falcone, and this time partake of the dessert list and coffees as well. Night two began for me with Carciofi Fritti Giardiniera. These lightly battered and crisply fried tempura artichokes were once again an excellent starter... an appetizer that functions as an appetizer should, just whetting the palate not bombarding it. And I'm a huge fan of house-pickled veg, particuarly the tiny would-be watermelons that are cucamelons. Part of my rationale for coming on night two was to confirm that this establishment wasn't just lucky on night one, that there was depth and breadth to the menu. And so I cheered the pasta dish, a bloody scrumptious chicken and mortadella balanzoni -- hand crafted -- with a brown butter sauce, sage leaf, pistachios and quince. It was well balanced and begged to be savoured, begged to have its plate licked, though I did not. Rather I swept that plate clean with the lovely house focaccia. The main on night two did not disappoint either Ling cod in a corn and farro stufato with chantelle mushrooms in a miso butter with olives and cherry tomatoes. The fish was perfectly seared and baked, the juices of the dish just went on for miles satisfying and singing the praises of the cod. There was harmony here. This is fine dining as it should be. I could go on about this place. And one should! Cassidy, part owner is a champion of great, reasonably priced wines, and shares his joy and knowledge like a pied piper, and we danced along with him from glass to glass (no not excessively, merely merrily). The desserts and espresso topped off the night with as much success as the rest of the meal. As we paid the bill, our legs stiff from the running and biking, backs sore from the kayaking and biking and our bellies revelling with gratitude, I wondered why it is that Langley, BC, my home town, has such a dearth of good food like this. What has Courtney done to deserve such accolades, such rich rewards? I'm jealous and considering a move.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Markus Mueller
Very nice place for Italian style food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maria Olsen
The lovely fruit tree garden provided a beautiful entryway to this special dining experience. Il Falcone is located in what was formerly a residence expertly transformed into a fine dining experience. The food and service was impeccable, especially the local vegetables, house-made pasta and almaretto cookies! Love the decor, too, with vintage photographs and well placed wine bottles featured. Highly recommend if you visit the Comox Valley area!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kris Toijonen
Wonderful service enjoying a 5 course pairing! IL Falcone is a gem in the Comox Valley and always an exciting adventure in experiencing their fine art.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yoann BAGNEUX
Thank you for the warm welcome and the anniversary card!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nirmal
I came here with a friend last year on my birthday. This is possibly the best restaurant on the Vancouver Island. The food is simple, per Italian tradition, but exceptional! The cocktails were delicious and service was charming and personable, including the owner who made us a special cocktail. I never expected such an excellent experience in a small town; sincere compliments to the chef, the owner and the staff! I shall be back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Samantha Gregory
I was excited to try Il Falcone, but my experience attempting to make a reservation was disappointing. After multiple failed attempts to book online due to the site freezing, I decided to call the restaurant directly. The person who answered the phone greeted me with a singsong tone and immediately dismissed my concerns, stating, "I don't know what to tell you, it's working for me," and implying that the restaurant was just too popular to have availability.
Not only did I feel talked down to, but the staff member also failed to ask basic questions like my party size, date and time I was trying to book for or how he could assist me at all. Instead, he insisted that I try booking on my phone. This struck me as poor customer service and a bad business practice. While I understand that some restaurants operate primarily online, it’s frustrating to be condescended to when the booking system they chose isn’t functioning correctly.
It also made me wonder how they accommodate people who aren’t tech-savvy or who prefer to call in a reservation. Many of my family members don’t use smartphones or computers, and if they encountered a similar issue, they would rely on calling.
In the end, it’s not just about whether or not I could secure a reservation—it's about being treated respectfully and getting help when needed. Unfortunately, that was not my experience here.
Great food, great service, definitely recommend trying!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Laurence Pressault
So so great. Everything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
dale sundberg
Outstanding service, delicious food and great cocktails. We had the 3 course and everything was fabulous. The foccacia appy is a must. Great outdoor seating area as well!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish of the Day
Kathy Schmidt
“Big City Fine Dining” meets “Small Town Friendly Casual.”
Our party of four enjoyed a delightful dining experience on the summer patio, shaded by mature fruit trees and surrounded by a water feature and small gardens that supply many of fresh ingredients featured in the authentic Italian menu of Il Falcone. From the beautifully custom-crafted cocktails through the sweet amuse bouches to the delicious made-from-scratch appetizers and entrees, extensive Italy-centric wine list and killer house-made plum sorbet dessert, Cassidy, James and the rest of the staff delivered an outstanding meal in a welcoming and fun ambiance. They handled a few special requests with that easy grace that exemplifies a team dedicated to their guests’ pleasure of the table and their own obvious pleasure in their work.
The price was in line with other local high-end restaurants, but with an experience of individualized focus of attention that is often missing in the larger venues. We appreciated the “day of” phone call confirming our reservation and inquiry into any special occasions or dining needs they might anticipate prior to our arrival. In fact, given the intimacy of Il Falcone’s establishment and their commitment to high quality, fresh, and in-season ingredients, and the business impact of no-show reservations, I wouldn’t be surprised if in future they implement the common “big city” practice of credit-card held reservations. If it means Il Falcone can continue to bring the delights of authentic Italian cuisine to the Comox Valley, I’m in!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Regan Pringle
By far my favourite spot on the island. Cass and his team knock it out of the park. Friendly service and amazing food. best little garden out front. If you are in The Valley it's a must go
Was really excited to try this place! Fabulous cocktails, great wine program. Very knowledgeable & welcoming staff. Dishes are well thought out & tasty. Excited to come back some time!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food and service, highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best restaurants I've ever been to. We moved to Courtenay recently & I never thought we'd find restaurants here that rival top restaurants in big cities, but the food & cocktails were both outstanding. Great service & a lovely cosy atmosphere too. We will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
There's quite a lot to say about Il Falcone that is outstanding and very little that is not. If you're into excellent food and wine served with care and attention to detail, this is the place for you. I'd consider Il Falcone somewhat fusion influenced with some Asian and Canadian touches here and there, but overall Chef is faithful to the principles of Italian cooking: Simplicity, quality ingredients and love of tradition. We dined here the night before the MOMAR race, in an effort to "carb up", and carb up we did in style! We began with Pacific Ling Cod croquettes with puttanesca & saffron aioli. The dish was low key but very satisfying, just preparing the palate for the next stage of the feast. Ragu di Carni was next, with tagliatelle and a rich beef ragu that would make nonna blush. For the secondi I enjoyed a vegetarian meal of roast squash and other veg with a salsa rossa (I'm not doing this justice, it was excellent but my memory fails me now!) and my friend raved over the flank steak with broccoliini with shishito peppe salsa verde. He's a foodie and has 20+ years in the business and repeatedly stated what a surprise it was to find this calibre of restaurant in a town the size of a peppercorn. We skipped dessert on the first night to save ourselves for a 6am wakeup and a 9am race that included kayaking, mountain biking and trekking across some 50km. The race was a wild scramble requiring maps and wits for the two of us new to the area. The meal (plus a few gels) held us over and as I progressed I began to consider that perhaps I should have saved Il Falcone for AFTER the race, as a reward. The food was so fine and the libations so generous and perfectly paired that really it would be an injustice to trust our gullets to just any restaurant in Courtney. No, we'd have to dine again at Il Falcone, and this time partake of the dessert list and coffees as well. Night two began for me with Carciofi Fritti Giardiniera. These lightly battered and crisply fried tempura artichokes were once again an excellent starter... an appetizer that functions as an appetizer should, just whetting the palate not bombarding it. And I'm a huge fan of house-pickled veg, particuarly the tiny would-be watermelons that are cucamelons. Part of my rationale for coming on night two was to confirm that this establishment wasn't just lucky on night one, that there was depth and breadth to the menu. And so I cheered the pasta dish, a bloody scrumptious chicken and mortadella balanzoni -- hand crafted -- with a brown butter sauce, sage leaf, pistachios and quince. It was well balanced and begged to be savoured, begged to have its plate licked, though I did not. Rather I swept that plate clean with the lovely house focaccia. The main on night two did not disappoint either Ling cod in a corn and farro stufato with chantelle mushrooms in a miso butter with olives and cherry tomatoes. The fish was perfectly seared and baked, the juices of the dish just went on for miles satisfying and singing the praises of the cod. There was harmony here. This is fine dining as it should be. I could go on about this place. And one should! Cassidy, part owner is a champion of great, reasonably priced wines, and shares his joy and knowledge like a pied piper, and we danced along with him from glass to glass (no not excessively, merely merrily). The desserts and espresso topped off the night with as much success as the rest of the meal. As we paid the bill, our legs stiff from the running and biking, backs sore from the kayaking and biking and our bellies revelling with gratitude, I wondered why it is that Langley, BC, my home town, has such a dearth of good food like this. What has Courtney done to deserve such accolades, such rich rewards? I'm jealous and considering a move.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very nice place for Italian style food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The lovely fruit tree garden provided a beautiful entryway to this special dining experience. Il Falcone is located in what was formerly a residence expertly transformed into a fine dining experience. The food and service was impeccable, especially the local vegetables, house-made pasta and almaretto cookies! Love the decor, too, with vintage photographs and well placed wine bottles featured. Highly recommend if you visit the Comox Valley area!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful service enjoying a 5 course pairing! IL Falcone is a gem in the Comox Valley and always an exciting adventure in experiencing their fine art.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thank you for the warm welcome and the anniversary card!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I came here with a friend last year on my birthday. This is possibly the best restaurant on the Vancouver Island. The food is simple, per Italian tradition, but exceptional! The cocktails were delicious and service was charming and personable, including the owner who made us a special cocktail.
I never expected such an excellent experience in a small town; sincere compliments to the chef, the owner and the staff! I shall be back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was excited to try Il Falcone, but my experience attempting to make a reservation was disappointing. After multiple failed attempts to book online due to the site freezing, I decided to call the restaurant directly. The person who answered the phone greeted me with a singsong tone and immediately dismissed my concerns, stating, "I don't know what to tell you, it's working for me," and implying that the restaurant was just too popular to have availability.
Not only did I feel talked down to, but the staff member also failed to ask basic questions like my party size, date and time I was trying to book for or how he could assist me at all. Instead, he insisted that I try booking on my phone. This struck me as poor customer service and a bad business practice. While I understand that some restaurants operate primarily online, it’s frustrating to be condescended to when the booking system they chose isn’t functioning correctly.
It also made me wonder how they accommodate people who aren’t tech-savvy or who prefer to call in a reservation. Many of my family members don’t use smartphones or computers, and if they encountered a similar issue, they would rely on calling.
In the end, it’s not just about whether or not I could secure a reservation—it's about being treated respectfully and getting help when needed. Unfortunately, that was not my experience here.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food, great service, definitely recommend trying!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So so great. Everything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Outstanding service, delicious food and great cocktails. We had the 3 course and everything was fabulous. The foccacia appy is a must. Great outdoor seating area as well!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish of the Day
“Big City Fine Dining” meets “Small Town Friendly Casual.”
Our party of four enjoyed a delightful dining experience on the summer patio, shaded by mature fruit trees and surrounded by a water feature and small gardens that supply many of fresh ingredients featured in the authentic Italian menu of Il Falcone. From the beautifully custom-crafted cocktails through the sweet amuse bouches to the delicious made-from-scratch appetizers and entrees, extensive Italy-centric wine list and killer house-made plum sorbet dessert, Cassidy, James and the rest of the staff delivered an outstanding meal in a welcoming and fun ambiance. They handled a few special requests with that easy grace that exemplifies a team dedicated to their guests’ pleasure of the table and their own obvious pleasure in their work.
The price was in line with other local high-end restaurants, but with an experience of individualized focus of attention that is often missing in the larger venues. We appreciated the “day of” phone call confirming our reservation and inquiry into any special occasions or dining needs they might anticipate prior to our arrival. In fact, given the intimacy of Il Falcone’s establishment and their commitment to high quality, fresh, and in-season ingredients, and the business impact of no-show reservations, I wouldn’t be surprised if in future they implement the common “big city” practice of credit-card held reservations. If it means Il Falcone can continue to bring the delights of authentic Italian cuisine to the Comox Valley, I’m in!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
By far my favourite spot on the island. Cass and his team knock it out of the park. Friendly service and amazing food. best little garden out front. If you are in The Valley it's a must go
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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