I was incredibly pleased with the service. The food was amazing. Italian is my favorite type of food and as Roberto (an italian working there) told us that the restaurant had italian cooks and the owner is really from Italy!
(Not like the many beverly hills Italian restaurants where the owners are second or third generation Italian and pretend to be authentic when there are unbelievable italian mistakes on the menu!)
It was such a nice change to see the authenticity here. The decor is warm and the layout is comfortable.
Of course I am biased to Italian food, so it was amazing, Â but the five stars goes for exceeding my expectations with the service. It was busy, but the staff seemed like such a team. Roberto had engaged in polite and knowledgable conversation regarding the restaurant which has compelled us to definitely return again.
The enthusiasm with everyone there including the owner, Antonio, who had also taken the time to greet us and talk to us as if we were family makes me want to be a regular here.
Very nice place that is the perfect combination of great ambience, good food, and great service. Â I have eaten near now three times with a client and some friends. Â Each time the "owner" has been very receptive and friendly our dietary needs. Â The lentil soup, brussel sprouts, and the pizza's are fabulous. Â it reminds of a quaint European restaurant in the midst of a garden setting. Â Must go in Santa Monica / Brentwood area.
Review Source:I had a wonderful experience at Villetta. I met a group of European friends here  and we dined on the patio in the evening where it was warm enough by the heating lamps.The waiter made terrifc suggestions (it may have helped that my friends were Italians) and everything we all had was delicious. In particular I enjoyed my dish of the whole grilled branzino filleted. The wine selection is heavenly and we chose a pinot noir ( Frank Family Napa Valley 2009) light but significant....perfect for a Monday night.
Review Source:Very nice ambience, food and staff went on a Friday night for dinner. We ate at a small table near the front bar area and our table was a little wobbly the waiter fixed it ASAP. Ordered the lentil soup it was very tasty and the lentils were perfect. Also had the prosciutto and cheese which was also great and tasty. Had the swordfish for an entree which came with  spinach and a side of roasted Brussels sprouts. Everything was tasty fresh and cooked to perfection. Will be coming back soon!
Review Source:We just had a fantastic evening at this restaurant! The service was impeccable! The waitress overheard us talking about how it was a birthday celebration for our guest and without being asked to do so, put a candle on the dessert for her!  The specials were innovative and delicious and the ambiance was divine! Try the Oso  Bucco! And the Branzino !
Review Source:One of our local gems albeit very pricey. The food is always good, great atmosphere, really good and knowledgeable service. The patio is lovely. It's always a nice night out, we always feel at home though they should really lower the prices for what it is, no matter how good. They compare to Hotel Bel-Air in cost, and that's a bit of an overkill. We still like it very much, though.
Review Source:The Yelp reviews of Villetta are all over the map, and that surprises me. Â For the record. our experience was memorable. Â In fact, we found the staff to be extremely friendly - extraordinarily so - the food to be good, and the ambience warm and inviting. Â Let me explain.
We got to the restaurant before our dining companions. Â $6 valet out front. Â The entrance to Villetta is through pretty iron gates and an al fresco patio dining area. Â It's fall, so the patio has been enclosed and lots of heaters are dotted throughout for warmth. Â
Since our friends are late we go to the bar to wait. Â Franco the bartender introduces himself and is very kind in helping us. Â We find out where in Italy he is from, learn about his family, kids and his thoughts on the menu. Â
Before our friends arrive we've been introduced to another staffer, Francesco, as well as the hostess, and Antonio, the owner. Â Everyone was so welcoming and inviting.
When our friends arrived we are taken to our table on the patio and the food begins to arrive. Â Braseola with arugula, prosciutto with burrata and rustic bread - both terrific. Â Pizza crust serves as bread, warm, crispy and burnt in just the right spots.
For dinner I order only a pizza, Margherita with prosciutto and arugula. Â 4 stars, loaded with prosciutto (domestic tonite) and arugula.
Two of my companions had the short ribs special. Â Accompanied by baby carrots the dish brought a huge slab of tasty short ribs, very tender and very tasty. Â 3.75 stars only because its tough to compete against Agoura's Cafe 14 and the beautiful M's short ribs, both incredible.
R had a special order, not on the menu, of pasta with red sauce and calamari. Â The chef did a nice job of accommodating her request, and it was simple but very good - 4 stars.
Like mentioned at the beginning of this review: Â Service was gracious and attentive, the atmosphere lovely, and the food outstanding. Â I am not sure what others have experienced at Villeto, but this is a place I would come back to again and again.
Overly eager on the phone to get you to book a table. That should have been a tip-off. But like an idiot, I booked anyway.
After I had requested the patio, the patio was full, so we were seated in the bar area -- very loud. The worst thing was that some obnoxious, vodka-soaked Hollywood douchebag was bloviating at the next table. A few gems from his conversation (which was meant for the entire restaurant to hear):
"I have a house in France and I love French food, but Italian is better."
"The first meeting I had when I got back from France was with Fincher."
"I don't care what you do to me, but when you get my wife and kids involved, that's when I'll make sure you're six feet under."
"Clint Eastwood lives on my street, and he's speaking tonight at the Republican National Convention. That makes me sad."
Another patron tried to ask this schmuck to tone it down, but to no avail. When you look up the word "douchebag" in the dictionary, this guy's picture should be there.
The food was good, not great. Service: very good and sincere. Nice wine --- a Montepulciano, on a list that had some other interesting options --- was the high point of the meal.
Would I go back? No. And I predict they'll be out of business by early next year. Not the kind of place that will attract repeat customers.
I went there with my wife and daughter and her boyfriend for a late lunch.  Being from Orange County, I was unfamiliar with Brentwood Restaurants so gave Villetta a shot. The decor of the restaurant is well laid out  and has a good feel. The Entrees looked expensive for lunch, so we stuck to Pizza's which were very good. My wife and I shared the Margherita with proscuioto which was very good, not overly salty. It was plenty for both of us. Also had a very good quality of mozzarella and not to heavy on the tomato sauce.
I had a mediocre bloody mary, which tasted like tomato juice. But I had an excellant Italian beer with my pizza, called "Milano". It's a microwbrew from Milano,IT.
Service was good, the waiter and the owner spend time chatting with us and were friendly. The place had some young children, so it was family friendly, but quiet enough where you could actually have some conversation. Reading the reviews after eating there kind of suprised me. Â Maybe it's a different experience at Dinner, but for lunch it was nice.
Last night my husband and I returned to Villetta. We had been there once when it first opened and with the exception of the pizza was disappointed in the food and the service. The second experience was just a quick in for drinks and pizza. This time we had heard there was a new chef and decided to give it a try. Since we live on 23rd Street we were really hoping to make this a go to place. The food was excellent. Especially the octopus appetizer. The service was beyond awful. If it were not for the bussers there would have been no service.This was an extremely disappointing evening.
Review Source:Went again and had a lovely dinner but the food still came in at OK. Â Pizzas were good not spectacular, the salmon carpaccio was not good at all (way too much dill) but the main course filet mignon was awesome. Â Left me craving it the next day. Â Service again was so-so but the check-ins by the owner were pleasant and appreciated.
Review Source:Great ambience and outdoor seating. The pizza is thin and soggy but really good. The rest of the food was ok. Wasn't thrilled about the pastas. Good wine list, good service. Overall overpriced for what you get, but it's a nice place in Brentwood, so you expect to pay more. A solid 3 star place.
Review Source:Had a great Martini and great food was totally turned off when I heard Antonio talk smack about the original Chef Pippa who opened the place, I can't stand it when people do this, such a turn off. The original chef was so experienced and had such  great quality of food , I don't have a problem with the new Chef but please do not talk smack about someone who was soooooooo good . When I overheard the conversation I really didn't respect him and he reminds me of the waiter he really was. So not good and disappointed with the restaurant . I work in Santa Monica and will not ever recommend this restaurant. Bummer was a great place when they opened. By the way do they think they are Capos at the beach with the drape in the front . NEVER
Review Source:We attended a party here on March 31, 2012 and discovered a wonderfully romantic place with excellent Italian food. Â This is the real deal. It has five separate rooms with fireplaces and great ambiance. Â This is a place that one can linger, enjoy great food and absorb the wonderful atmosphere. Â Service is excellent and the servers were friendly and knowledgeable. Â We will be going back.
Review Source:Anyone who came to Villetta in its early days needs to come back and give it a 2nd chance. I have been here several times recently and the food quality and service is stellar. The drink recommendations are always great, and they always have new and impressive menu items. Additionally, they have the best desserts all around. I can see a lot of Brentwood and Santa Monica families becoming regulars here.
Review Source:I really enjoyed this restaurant. I was immediately intrigued by the large iron gates and beige curtain leading into the restaurant, as well as the sprawling home-like design of the building. My family was situated in one of the back rooms, which contained a fireplace that really contributed to a warm, homey feel.
The food - really enjoyed the beet and artichoke salads as well as the funghi pizza for apps. I had the seabass for my entree and was impressed with both the healthy portion and the juicy flavor. In fairness, I think it might have had more to accompany it but no real complaints.
Overall a lovely dinner!
I feel that this restaurant is on a downward spiral. Is anyone in charge? Â I was there for lunch recently, and practically had the entire patio to myself (and my guest). Two Villetta cobb salads were tasty. What was off--putting was the creepy feeling that I was in a movie set. Beautiful setting. I hope someone can figure out how to make this restaurant work.
Review Source:Since Villetta opened I have been here at least six times. Â The food is usually very good, and has been since the place opened, but they consistently have a major problem with service. Â The wait staff is mostly mediocre and the busboys always seem like it is their first day on the job. Â Food comes out of the kitchen at irregular times and often everyone at the table is not served at the same time. Â The owner/manager is kind of aloof so it turns off many patrons. Â If this place could get the service and attitude right it could be terrific, but after all these months I'm not sure it will happen. Â Already there are less people eating here. Â Still, the food is good and I hope they can turn things around.
Review Source:Ok. This is my first review about anything on Yelp because i just had to let people know what a scam job this place is!
I figured the Yelp community has helped me so much that its time that I give back!
So we threw a birthday party at this place for my cousin and there were about 14 of us altogether.
Our reservations were at 8:00pm but they didn't have us sit til 9:30... Wait... that's NOTHING!... its JUST the beginning!!
The owner, Antonio De Cicco, then sits us down and apologizes dearly and he says that he "will make it up to us!"
Boy did he ever!!!... He starts by placing orders for us and telling our group they don't have menus!! NO JOKE!... he says they don't have menus and that's how they do things there!
He starts out by ordering a bunch of pizzas and salads that he says we "would all love"... doesn't ask us but orders for us. He then orders several bottles of red and white wine without asking a single person what kind of wine we like..... It was so strange that we ALL thought for sure he's comping SOME of this stuff for sitting us 90 minutes late.
Then we ordered our entrees and they forgot to bring a couple entrees out, so several people asked to cancel their orders since most of us had almost finished eating!
This was the kicker... the one waiter tells the other waiter to take those entrees off the bill but "charge them anyway!!"... I am not exaggerating or mixing my words. We heard him say it!!
When the bill came, they had charged us over $175 per person!!! That's with 4 people not eating entrees!!
Anyway, the food is decent at best... but they sure left a horrible taste in our mouths... Oh one last thing, one of my friends went home and really felt the pain of how we got taken by the owner and called the restaurant and told the owner that he's a crook... The owner told my friend to come back and tell him in his face and he threatened to beat him up!! None if this is an exaggeration and I'm sure we all have better things to do to make up a story like this... Hope this helps!
Loved the Pizza! I could say I like it as much as Mozza's. It's more authentic Italian. Had great service. It was a packed Saturday night and we had to be out fast to make it to the movies on time. Our waiter was attentive and got our food to us quickly once I told him our time constraint. Wonderful atmosphere. My only caveat is some items were either bland (the Lentil soup) or very understated in depth of flavoring. My pasta Bolognese was excellent but some might think it was too delicate in flavor. it's delicacy grew on me and the homemade texture of the pasta was excellent. Great desserts too. My BF is very picky and we both agreed we will be back.
Review Source:4 stars for food
1 star for management
We arrived on time for a Saturday night reservation. Â The hostess seemed very confused and told us to wait at the bar. Â When we asked her how long she thinks the wait will be since we do have a reservation, she summoned the manager. Â The manager then suggests why don't you wait at the bar. Â We agreed to wait at the bar and also asked how long the wait might be, and the manager says "We have done such a great job with our restaurant that people don't want to leave!" Â and then tells us maybe 15 minutes. Â 45 minutes, starving, and several (very poorly made) drinks later, we inquire again about our table. Â We are told "any minute now! Â People just love it here!" Â 30 more minutes later, we are escorted to "the best table in the house, aren't you lucky!" Â
By this time we are smashed, voracious, and irritated. Â
The food was good-- pizza, pastas, etc. Â We were happy with the food, but waiting over an hour for a reservation is simply not an experience I want to repeat.
It would have helped if the manager took a little bit of responsibility and perhaps even apologized for the extraordinary wait. Â He was unfortunately too busy congratulating himself on a job well done.
I would not return.
Saturday night dinner with my wife and son. Beautiful space, good service. But the food left so much to be desired.
Antipasti:
- Marrow bones - unctuous and delicious, but 3 of these bones equaled very little marrow to go with 3 large piece of bread and a scattering of greens (onion marmalade very good but unnecessary)
- Nose to Tail Berkshire Pork - rillettes good (though I've had better) pickled veal tongue was over pickled by a mile, coppa di testa was okay
- Salmon crudo - How can cucumber overwhelm the fish...but it did. Miniscule portion.
Pasta and Carne:
- Pumpkin Gnudi - VERY subtle, nothing outstanding
- Polletto 'al mattone' Â - Â a very large serving compared to the "nibbles" the other plate had been. Good, but again nothing special
- and finally Taglierini with Santa Barbara Uni - buttered pasta with one portion of uni! Mix it up and the uni is gone...almost no trace of it in the dish. I was stunned.
So, we were very disappointed. On a Bang-for-the-Buck scale, a 1. Next time it's back to Vincenti which never disappoints.
The look and feel of this restaurant is quite lovely. The outdoor seating can be romantic if there are no big parties. The host, this dude who is quite Italian is actually hilarious. He looks like a Fabio type - can't miss him if you are there. The food is good. I had the liver, which is a taste that is not for everyone. My party said their food was great though. The only down side is that our drinks did not come fast enough. At times it seem as if 4 different wait staff was waiting on us. Now, this could be because we were a group of 8 but still - you have to bring the drinks. Overall, I recommend this place. Good vibes, good food.
Review Source:This restaurant is in a historic building in Brentwood/Santa Monica and the ambience is very pleasant. The service was excellent and the staff was helpful and very eager to please. On the other hand, the drinks were watered down, and the portions of the appetizers and entrees were microscopic. The prices, however, were macroscopic, meaning that the value of the restaurant was poor. I won't go back unless someone else is paying and I can go elsewhere afterwards to satisfy my hunger.
Review Source:The place looks beautiful.
The food is overpriced, portions are very small, only 2 people working the bar, tables suffer and wait too long for any type of drinks.
Dishes lack on their main ingredients.
We ordered Roasted Marrow Bones, the presentation was great, the bones were cooked too long, the marrow had pretty much dissolved to fat, there was about 1/4 teaspoon (if that much) eatable inside the bone $16
"Artichoke salad", had 3-4 shavings of artichoke on top of lots of arugula $18, Â when we ask the waitress why there was only a few artichokes in the "artichoke salad" we were told: I will be happy to bring you more for an extra charge!!!!!!!!!! Â Are they kidding? it was an ARTICHOKE salad.
Spaghetti al pomodoro $21 (the large) portion  (VERY small) and nothing special about it, very plain.
Pork chop (very good sauce) but cook too long, meat was though.
"Strawberry" shortcake, you could count the strawberries slices 6-7 max.
They are under staff, service is slow, many mistakes with the orders, wrong food, too long of a wait for the food and the drinks.
Brentwood has much better Italian restaurants, they better get on with it or they will be out before they know it!
Love this new restaurant! We usually sit at the bar, because Blake the bartender is amazing at his craft. Â The food is delicious, very balanced, never too heavy or too light. The pizzas are great, thin crust served just right. I like that you can choose to have a light meal or an all out Italian feast. Some of the dishes are traditional, but some are very creative with modern twists. Again making for a versatile dining environment, especially for groups with varying tastes. I also like the more formal vibe of the various dining rooms. Service is spot on.
Review Source:pros: Â great, attentive waiter. Â lots of wine choices in the moderate range
cons: - very overpriced menu items. Â for example, $18 artichoke heart salad had 3 small pieces of artichoke hearts. Â Â the supposed raw artichokes advertised were no where to be seen. Â very small portion, too.
-pastas were outrageously priced and just so so.
-water glasses were only refilled upon request.
-bread was not offered
-we were told we could only get a 5:30 reservation. Â Â when we got there (a little late) restaurant was mostly empty and still at least 1/2 empty when we left. Â Â this was kind of annoying.
to conclude, the restaurant is very young and may get its act together. Â but for now it's very over priced for what you get.
Lala and I went there yesterday night, the patio is really nice but the music is definitely not appropriate for this environment, so we had it changed by Lauren.
Food was great and wine selection is also a must.
The best part was the complimentary dessert Iced limoncello with grapefruit
We'll be back Antonio
I am going 3 1/2 stars.
Dined here for a second time this week. Â
Nice little bar scene while you wait. Â
Pizza is 'good'.. expectations are high here considering they have a super nice pizza oven and pizzaioli brought in from Naples. Â I wasn't blown away by the pizza, but they are good. Â I need to sample a few more to formulate a definitive opinion. Â
The pasta is okay. Â Slightly pretentious in its preparation. Â In my opinion pasta is, at the end of the day, comfort food- keep it simple. Â Sampled the bucatini with lamb ragu on both visits. Â Was fine. Â Pasta cooked properly. Â Portions are not large, but thankfully prices aren't offensive.
Have also tried the dry aged steak for two ($90.00) and came away very impressed with it. Â Med Rare. Â Excellent, flavorful cut of meat. Â Perfectly cooked, excellent char. Â Plenty of meat for 2. Â Might order a pasta dish next time and get a steak for the table. Â 4 people could enjoy it if they pair it with pasta as a primi.
Ambiance / atmosphere is excellent. Â Cool restaurant / interiors / courtyards. Â Dining inside and outside both have their perks. Â
Service is good. Â Wine list is good. Â Nice selection of music in background.
Came here for my birthday dinner... my friend had originally requested a patio table when she made the reservation... when we arrived, the hostess said it would just be a bit of a wait so we went to the bar.  Could have stayed there all night!  Blake the bartender is the coolest.. he recommended the cantelope martinis and they were delicious... he melted a birthday candle on the rim of my glass, cracked jokes, and performed napkin tricks.. cute and entertaining ;)   so when the table was ready, they tried to seat us in the stuffy indoor back room, telling us a  patio seating request doesn't mean you always get it...  my friend was NOT having it... so after a bit of 'nice' arguing we got a patio table ;)  After that, we had at least 5-6 people tending to us all night... customer service overload!  In a good way!  All in all, we enjoyed our meals and had a great time...  will definitely be going back!
Review Source:although brentwood has enough italian restaurants, you need to check out villetta. my dinner there was sooooooooooooo good.
the staff was incredibly friendly and everything from the bread to the wine was sooo good!!!!
must trys: the pizza with the sunny-side egg on top, meatballs, strip steak, and the panna cotta= amazing.
the ambiance is fabulous and the patrons are the typical older-brentwood-toscana crowd.
ahh! cant wait to go back!
Beautiful spot. Â Gorgeous atmosphere. Attentive service. Terrific, reasonable wine list. Â If stars were for appearance and style, Villetta would get 5. Â But the meal was mostly disappointing. Â Maybe it will get there, but the food simply isn't (yet) worth the high prices. Drinks are tasty, though ours arrived with a massive ice cube that looks great but takes up most of the glass. Pizza was generous in size but blah, lamb was ok but neither special nor worth the pricetag...and the portion was on the small side. Mashed potatoes were delicious. Â An artichoke salad was the best thing we had...fabulous. Â A chicken dish was ordinary, as was our dessert. Â Waiters were pleasant and eager to please but made two mistakes in our order. Â However, I have a feeling (hope!) that Villetta will get its act together and live up to its potential. Â I will certainly go back and hope they succeed, and if they do, I'll re-post with more stars. Â But right now, it's outclassed by at least three Italian restaurants (Vincenti, Osteria Latini, and Toscana) that are close by.
Review Source:The boyfriend and I checked this place out last night. We called first  to see if we could get reservations but they said they aren't taking any for the first few weeks. We decided to take our chances and swing by to see if we could get a  table.  The restaurant was gorgeous. I really loved the setup.  The "front" of the restaurant is a large patio of tables with  comfy looking couches for seats.  To the right is the front bar, which also has a few tables. This area is a house that's been made into a restaurant and it was just beautifully done in my opinion. Â
The hostess wasn't sure what the wait would be, but we put in our names and went to the bar for a drink. We were lucky enough, with the help of a lovely woman who I think may have been involved with the restaurant, to snag two seats at the bar while we waited for our table. Â I'm so glad we decided to sit there - the bar staff was lovely. They were quick with the drinks and even though they didn't have any downtime, were very friendly and talkative. Â About a half hour into our wait, one of the bartenders gave us menus in case we didn't get a table. Just as we were thinking of ordering, the hostess came over and said our table was ready.
We sat in the back of the house at a two top against the wall. Although we had pretty much made up our minds about what we were going to order, we asked our waitress, Tasha (if you go - ask for her - she was a great server), her recommendations. Â She gladly pointed out her favorites. Â We ended up splitting 4 dishes and a side:
Pizza with prosciutto, arugula, and mozzarella. Â - delicious. definitely recommend the pizzas - the table next to us got the mushroom pizza and it looked super good as well.
Bone Marrow - Â this came on a plate with three large bones and the marrow inside and 3 pieces of warm bread. There was a jam like sauce on the side to add to the marrow. I personally didn't really like it. But I think I just didn't like the way it was prepared - I let the boy handle most of the bone marrow. And he took it down like a champ.
Blue fine Tuna - i loved this. Super fresh and tasty. It came with a dipping cream - but I preferred the fish on it's own.
Ricotta Ravioli - ridiculously good however it came with four pieces of
ravioli. Those four pieces were amazing but super small.
Creamy potatoes - perfection. We made sure to get every last bite of this!
We'll definitely be back. There were dishes that came out to other tables that I want to try - swordfish, the clams, and definitely their desserts. I didn't have any room left for a dessert but the ones that I saw looked delicious!
I would give the service and the restaurant itself 5 stars. Every member of the staff that we interacted with was super nice , friendly, and helpful. The food itself was 4 stars. Definitely worth it to go back and sample the rest of the menu.
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