Villa Italia Restaurant

Earlier in the year, I searched and searched for a place that would help make a dinner of 10 feel like the best 65th birthday surprise for my mom, without feeling like we’re just going out to dinner. As soon as I was connected to Valentina from Villa Italia, I knew this was the place. From instant communication, fair pricing, personalized menus, idea for a signature cocktail, and just a homey feeling, I am so amazed with their hospitality. During dinner, a staff member noticed that my 2 year old son was getting a little bored/antsy. She took him over to look at the Christmas decorations and brought him a puzzle that she kept at the restaurant for her daughter. This meant more than she will ever know. Anyone who has tried to entertain a toddler in a resturant understands how difficult it could be. And instead of judging us, she helped us. The food, drinks, and staff were top notch. If you want a dinner in an environment that makes you feel welcomed, at home, with tasty food and drinks, choose here! Thank you Valentina and staff for making memories with our family. We will be back!

I really liked the broccoli it was cooked so good. The NY strip was also good I do wish it was a bit pinker but I think it was cooked medium rare like I asked. Overall good vibes

My fiancé and I had reservations. We showed up 15 minutes late, but that definitely did not pose a problem. We were able to choose wherever we wanted to sit, which was lovely. I wish I would've taken our waiter's name, but he was a medium aged Spanish man who was very attentive to our needs. The food was really good!! And the drinks were so delicious and tasty. It is moderately priced. I loved the music that they played in the background at the restaurant which was all 80s music. I would definitely come here again to eat.

Absolutely delicious food. The Arancini was delicious, probably the best I’ve ever eaten. Pizza was very good as well. My mother had the mussels and raved about them. We were staying at the hotel and I wanted to eat here every night. Would have given five stars, but the truffle fries were not great and I didn’t love the tiramisu. But I would still eat here again and again! The happy hour is awesome as well 👏🏻 👏🏻

We stayed at the attached Hampton Inn for 2 nights and had an excellent salad and pizza the first night. We went back again the next night, and the four of us had different meals, and all were exceptional! I had a gnocchi and beef dish, which was great, and others had penne with vodka sauce, eggplant parm, and a special with sausage and pasta in a white wine sauce. Gourmet! Great deserts as well. I highly recommend dining here!

Great food and the best rolls! Nice to have it connected to the Hampton Inn and not have to leave the hotel! Had Beef Boccincini Bascaiola, which was hard to spell and very unique! Great flavor if you like mushrooms! The other item was a pot roast with mashed potatoes that was actually not what I ordered, but so good I ate it and then asked for a tasting of what I actually ordered, because I wanted to know what I missed! I also would recommend the peanut butter mousse cake which is light and so good!

Went here with my family. It's a really nice place and the service is fantastic! While everyone else's food was good, I ordered a veggie pizza, and that was sub-par. I wouldn't pay for it! Needless to say, if I visit again, I wouldn't order the pizza. We ordered roatsed artichoke hearts, and it was a but too tangy for me. We all loved their bread! Also, in their online menu, we saw a lot of vegetarian option, but the menu card we got only had 2 vegetarian entrees. I hope they will add a couple more options for vegetarians. FYI, this place is expensive.

What an awesome Italian restaurant! The quality of the food is the top, but the true differentiator here is the warm, attentive, knowledgeable, and passionate staff. My family, hungry and tired, arrived to Villa Italia late one evening in the midst of a snowstorm, and the staff at Villa Italia took wonderful care of us to deliver a dinner that was the highlight of our trip and made such an impression on all of us that we continue to reminisce about it today, wishing that Villa Italia would relocate to our hometown. Thanks Villa Italia!

Overall the food, ambience and service was just good. Unfortunately, the Best in CT, calamari was also average. I was told it was fresh made (not wild caught, bet the ranch) I just didn't subject myself to a struggle to return it. A return visit is unlikely

This is our "go to" restaurant when we visit Stamford. It's a favorite of our CT family and we always get good service when we dine there. It's a nice, pleasant environment with good food and both indoor and outdoor seating.

Sooooooo good! I love the lasagna and chicken cutlet!!!!!!!! I go and spend here!!!!!!!!!

Returned after 8 years and found the food to be much improved. No major issues with quality, all food was appropriate temperature. Service was very good.

We went to Villa Italia on Saturday night (it was packed) and took some seats at the bar for our dinner. There were only 3 of us so it was an easy fit. The bartender was kind and attentive, but also upfront about how busy they were. He suggested putting in our entire order up front to avoid delay and he was right. There was no timing issue with food and we felt like we didn't wait very long at all. The food was so fresh! From the warm doughy rolls to the dessert you could tell everything was made in house. Even the pizza was amazing (you could tell it would be by the pizza dough rolls)! I had the pasta and it was perfect. Not overdone and that's saying a lot for an Italian restaurant. The place was nice. Definitely dress a little to be there. It was attached to Hampton Inn l, but was clearly a stand alone. It was obviously a local favorite and I was truly impressed!

This place makes the best margarita pizza. Fresh tomatoes basil garlic. Sooo good. Add clams and bacon and you have an amazing clams casino pizza better than Pepe in New Haven. Great apps and salads and chicken dishes. The bread is amazing as well. Service is top notch.

Woman there is rude and food is meh. Live music needs major help, and a younger face would be nice. No thanks I'll not return.

Fabulous Italian food. The chicken franchese is tender and delicious. The Eggplant is fabulous as is the lasagne. The service is outstanding. They appreciate our business! Every time I'm in town this is the only place we go!

We had a fabulous night at (Villa Italia) for a family birthday celebration. Could not have been any better. Welcoming, warm staff, professional service, and delicious food. Esther and her staff could not have been more welcoming and efficient. Great value. Our go to Stamford restaurant.

Best Italian food in the area! You'll feel like it looks too fancy to try the Pizza, but if you're in the mood for Pizza try it. You won't be disappointed.

Outstanding all around. Excellent food, pleasant atmosphere, exceptional service. I will most definitely return. Everything a restaurant should be. Gets my highest recommendation. ________________________________ Since my initial review (above), we've returned many times, both for in-house dining and takeout. Villa Italia never fails to impress us, with their food, their service, and their consistent aim for perfection. They are our official go to restaurant.

Delicious food, offers live music often. Great space for a large party or event. A staple in the community.

Villa Italia has always been really good, but we visited for Valentine's Day last night for the first time in probably a year and they have really upped their game! I'm not sure if there is a new chef but everything was absolutely incredible. The calamari was seasoned very well and cooked perfectly. I was trying not to fill up on it too much but I couldn't stop eating it! Neither could my husband who doesn't even like calamari that much. The lasagna was also excellent and my husband really enjoyed his pasta as well. We will definitely be coming in more often! The live music was a nice touch as well and added a lot to the evening.

Excellent good, great service, everyone was very happy with our " surprise" birthday party !

It was a beautiful Sunday evening so we came here for dinner and wine. The view here is amazing especially if you get a table by the window. We had a great time when we were here last time and we had a great time again. We ordered a nice bottle of White Wine that went well with our stuffed clams. The stuff clams was well seasoned and had a nice crust on top. For our entree we had the lobster ravioli and it was really good. I loved the shrimp sauce that they used. Then we ended the night with Cappuccino and the dessert of the day - Banana cheesecake panzarotti. I never had this before and it was pretty tasty. The waitress was very efficient and the restaurant followed all of the CDC recommendations. All of the employees were wearing their mask properly and they had hand sanitizer throughout the restaurant.

The food is the best in Stamford, hands down. The owners are proud of their restaurant and the staff is attentive.

Really good food and good service! So much better than anything I get in Texas! I got the veal and it was amazing.

Hidden gem! Lovely atmosphere, good food, and good service. We will definitely be back soon.

We went back again on Thursday. Oh mine. 10 out of 10 again. I think we will become a regular there. The food was excellent. Service that day was good but the food took a bit longer then the first time we were there as it was clouded. But the food is worth the wait.

Villa Italia Ristorante is located downstairs at the Hampton Inn. It is a beautiful restaurant with excellent food we thoroughly enjoyed it. I had the baked clams and my husband had the Eggplant Parmesan. Both were delicious and cooked perfectly. The bread was extremely delicious, fresh baked and served warm straight from the oven. There is parking garage next to the Hampton Inn. The indoor dining room is spacious and elegant and the outdoor dining is beautiful and across the street is a park which provided a pretty view. The service was excellent too!

Fantastic food and service. We enjoyed mussels and bruschetta for appetizers. My man had chicken Francese and I had Orecchiette with Italian sausage and broccoli rabe as our main course. Both were excellent. We shared a yummy bottle of French Sancerre. Our after-dinner drinks were an expresso martini made with Kailua and a black Sambuco. Best expresso martini I've ever had! Our server Klever made our evening just perfect. Ask for him! You won't be disappointed.

Easy to get to from the Hampton Inn & Suites in Stamford, but also worth the trip even if you're not staying there. The people there are friendly and the food is pretty good as well. I had the veggie pizza for $15. Pretty nice size and could easily feed 3 people or 2 very hungry people, or in my case 1 very famished person. Fresh vegetables, great sauce and plenty of cheese with a crispy crust. That plus a couple of 2 Road Double IPA's and I was very satisfied. They also provide the room service for the Hampton and will allow you to charge the meal to your room.

We heard about this restaurant and decided to try it. Server was excellent . Remembered 8 people without writing down their order. My chicken franchese was excellent as well as beet salad. Only 2 complaints...Italian restaurant shouldn't serve mashed potatoes. They aren't Italian and just a filler. They should serve dishes with vegetables or a side salad. Plus, remove the paper liner on top of tablecloths.

I got a gluten free pie to go and it was one of the best gf pizzas ever. It actually was doughy and had that wood fired bottom, not a cracker like other places. The pineapple was real and not canned! I'm excited to go back and try some entrees.

We had a wonderful dinner at Villa Italia last night. The ambiance was nice and cozy, service was phenomenal, and food was even better! We started with buratta and arancini and they were both excellent. I had never been an arancini guy but these really got me - great flavor and cheese melting everywhere. For dinner we split the gnocchi bolognese, penne alla vodka with chicken and lobster ravioli. Usually gnocchi is too heavy for me but this ricotta based gnocchi was the best i think i've ever had. So cheesy and tasty. The penne vodka was phenomenal with tremendous flavor to the vodka sauce and the lobster ravioli hit the spot. We will definitely return!

I love this place!!! Service is excellent and they treat you like family. The food tastes amazing and is made with care

Love their grilled salmon with pesto sauce and the warm bread is super tasty. Their Chicken Francese is also delicious. 10/10 recommend.

The reviews are right. Best Italian in Stamford. Do not miss out on this hidden gem. Food and service outstanding. Lobster ravioli was insanely good. Get the meatballs for appetizer. Right portions. Dessert was incredible and price was right. It was a great date night for the wife and me. We can not wait to go back

We ordered calamari as an appetizer. It was not crispy. Feels like it should stay in oil for longer. My entree is Pappardelle with Shrimp and Scallops. I actually liked it. I'd give it a 4 out of 5. But the Chicken and Hot Sausage Scarpariello my husband got was not good at all. It honestly tastes like a Chinese takeout. I don't recommend this dish. Maybe we were unlucky with the choice of food , but it's disappointing as a Yelp 4 star restaurant.

Villa always has excellent, creative, and delicious homemade food accompanied by attentive and friendly service. We are a vegetarian and non vegetarian couple and are always able to find perfect options for us both. Happy hour is also a wonderful idea. We love sitting at the bar. Food options are delicious and filling.

The food is amazing, a small taste of Italy here in America, nice portions and very fresh and I loved the salad that came with my clams w/linguine and let me tell you about the bread.. yummy yummy yum, I saved one for my coffee in the morning.

Cute place located at the Hampton Inn hotel! Food was incredible, especially the rolls hehe. And the gnocchi was amazing. Service was very attentive, and we had 3 or 4 different people helping us, so we always got what we needed. Great little spot and the outdoor patio was awesome!

Tonight we had dinner at Villa Italia and really enjoyed everything we had! The arancini was delicious and so were the baked clams. All portion sizes for the entrees were perfect - we left satisfied but weren't overly stuffed. Their dessert special of the hazelnut gelato was amazing too! We noticed how clean the restaurant was and really felt that they were taking COVID seriously. At night the view of Mill River Park and the Stamford skyline is gorgeous. What a great place!

Food was not good. Bland. The free Bread was best part of the meal. I would not go back. I think majority of reviews are fake. Many reviews with profiles who have only reviewed this place and many with profiles that have 1000 reviews that are all 5 stars. That would explain the over 4 star reviews for such sub par food in my opinion

Our favorite restaurant! We just can't come as often as we want. Enjoyed the obligatory summer Gorgonzola Stuffed Figs (pictured) followed by the Basa Francese and the Branzino special. Delicious Molten Chocolate Cake. Wines by the glass were very good (a Cabernet and a Sauv. Blanc), recommended by the waiter. Thanks for a fabulous anniversary dinner!

The food here is excellent, as well as the service. If there is any criticism, it was that it could be loud at times, and difficult to understand the conversation at your table.

Waitress was really weird and not personable at all. She lied to our faces and said tip is always included for 4 people or more and it was like 18% on a $600 bill. Food was okay. Atmosphere is nice. Probably won't be coming here again due to price and quality of service.

I keep forgetting to write this review but it is so important I do so. I was on the fence about this place because it is attached to a hotel but I am so very glad I went. My mother was in town and this was the one menu that we both agreed on. They have classic Italian meals with a little bit of flair. The buratta was to die for and the lobster ravioli really hit the spot. I am so glad I gave this place a try and I'm excited to come back soon. Side note: I left my leftovers at the restaurant and called them to ask if they saved them when I got home and they did. Totally made my night that I could go back and get the food

To not confuse and to be clear, this should call white pizza since no tomato sauce on it. They call this Margherita and I expected tomato sauce and more basil on it. Taste just OK.

Great food unexpected meal add on with house salad My new go to place for Italian in Stamford

Delicious food and served hot. Friendly staff and good service. Comfortable seating in dining room or bar. Wish they bring back happy hour.

I had an evening with my father-in-law, his sister, and his third wife and I was expected to entertain them for dinner. Since my father-in-law was from Stamford originally he wanted to choose the restaurant. But after driving everywhere to no where, I politely stated that I would choose the restaurant. While sitting at a light, I made reservation on Yelp for Villa Italia. Once we arrived, we were seated by the window where my father-in-law requested. After everyone seemed to be comfortably seated, I stated I was heading to the men's room where I stopped on the way to the bar for a much needed shot of Tequila. I love their bar area, its really cozy and relaxing. Dinner was great as usual. Thank you Villa Italia for helping me survive the evening.

I visited Vila Italia last night for dinner. I was staying at the Hampton Inn which is next door so it was very convenient. The food was good but for 27 dollars for the veal saltambucca was very pricey considering the size of the portion. Clams were pretty good. Probably would go back however there is an awful lot of options in the area.

Full Disclosure: I steer clear of Italian restaurants, but this was by far the best experience I've ever had dining at a restaurant connected to my hotel. It's a shame given how nice it would be to not work too hard at getting dinner, but usually this situation involves a 2 star pub or dark and sticky sports bar. My only complaint was that the whole experience was a little slow, but it seemed they were busy. I started with the carrot soup, went to the Brussels sprouts salad, eggplant Napoleon and finished with peach cobbler. Yes...it's a lot of food, but the portions were very "right sized". I really enjoyed the salad and the soup, while the peach cobbler was a great finish. I'd definitely go back if I was staying here at the HI, but if not I'd venture out for something different.

Nice restaurant off the lobby of the Hampton Inn and Suites. Great happy hour with $5 drafts. Tried a BBQ chicken pizza and it was delicious. A pizza and 4 beers for under $40 was a deal to us. Outside seating available.

My husband and I were first introduced to Villa Italia by another couple. The four of us went on a late Sunday afternoon, ate outside. Everything was very nice. Good service, attentive server, good food. Due to that pleasant first experience, my husband and decided to go again, which turned out very disappointing. We arrived near 7pm, the restaurant seemed very full and the hostess offered us the patio which was nearly empty expect for 1 table just finishing up. This worked great for us because we wanted to sit outside and enjoy the warm summer temps. After seating, the bus boy quickly brought us water and then disappeared. After waiting over 10 minutes, my husband had to go inside to request for a server to come to take at least our drink order. I should mention that during the 10 minutes of waiting for a server, the hostess, who also seemed like the manager, sat two other parties on the patio, during which we tried desperately to get her attention, and it seemed she was making a deliberate effort to avoid even looking in our direction. After going inside to request a server, one came to our table with a couple minutes to take our order. She apologized for the wait and informed us "its crazy inside right now". Seems we are sitting in low priority area. We placed our order and the appetizer & drinks were delivered fairly quickly after that. Entrees followed adequately. We ordered Bruschetta for the app, which was as basic as I've ever had it, nothing special. It was simply chopped tomatoes over toast. No onions, basil or garlic as the menu indicated. The entrees were better. My husband ordered the Chicken Scarpariello and I ordered the Chicken Milanese. Both were good and if I ever go back, not likely, I would order these entrees again. After our entrees arrived, no one ever came back. No one checked to see if we need anything else, another drink perhaps? Maybe dessert? Nothing. After about 35 minutes, my husband went back inside to the hostess desk where the hostess just stood there and stared at him. She didn't' even bother to ask "how can I help you? Let me clarify, the hostess was not a teenager who might not know better, this was an older adult who also appeared to be more than the hostess, maybe a manager. After several awkward moments of just standing there staring, my husband realized all common sense here was not applicable and the hostess/mgr had no intentions of lowering herself to actually asking how she can be of help the to customer - she seemed had no clue why he was even standing there disturbing her. No point on dragging this out - he requested the billed, paid it and we left. No apologies, not even an excuse as to why no one ever came back. Never felt more "unwelcome" to give someone by business. Good food, horrible service.

Spacious Restaurant Allows Conversation This is a large restaurant located in the same building as the Hampton Inn. We were there with friends that we only occasionally see, so one of the best aspects was the space between tables and an ambient noise level that allowed conversation (rare these days). The website says that the restaurant has been family owned for 30 years. The food was good but not spectacular. Scallops were rather bland, but the person who ordered the saltimbocca was pleased as was the person who ordered a tuna pasta. Our party enjoyed the range of Italian antipasto. A big hit for dessert: Affogato, essentially a chocolate sundae. Service was professional and attentive. Prices slightly on the high side, but you pay for not being crammed against loud diners at an adjacent table.

Nice quaint restaurant tucked in the Hampton Inn hotel in Stamford ... the bar is well stocked and bartenders are pleasant and pour good drinks. The food is very good and coooled with a passion to make sure the patrons are enjoying a great meal. Well worth dropping in and giving it a try. While there try the beet salad, it was a family favorite

I'm so happy with the service and quality of food. I received probably the best eggplant parmigiano I've ever eaten, in 20 minutes! The service was phenomenal and staff went above and beyond to make my stay enjoyable. Would highly recommend.