Villa Italia in East Hertfordshire

Fantastic authentic family-run Italian restaurant that delivers not only Fantastic menu, but fine wines, and that crucial special something, that key element of excellence that is so often missing in the industry. Dining here takes me make a few decades to an age of class and authenticity. Bravo! meraviglioso!

Couldn’t fault this place amazing service delicious food, speedy highly recommend bellissimo 🤌🏻

Went with friends to eat here, Fantastic Service, Really nice and tasty food, lovely place, family run restaurant and such nice people. Thank You 👍😋

Our booking was for 18:30 yesterday Friday 25th September 2024, so it was nice to see the restaurant well attended with local (?) families. As the evening progressed, we didn’t leave until around 22:00, families were replaced with adult diners, so the restaurant remained busy with a good atmosphere. At no time were we placed under pressure to eat up and leave. The staff (and owners?) remained charming, attentive and helpful. As for the food, we were offered the dishes of the day board, but we all ordered from the extensive menu. One of our party of four was a vegetarian, so she ordered a modified (meat excluded) pizza, no starter or pudding. The rest of us are greedy carnivores, so we ordered the very generous anti-pasta sharing platter, served with two types of bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in good sized pouring bottles. We were offered more bread if we wanted, but we aren’t that greedy! For mains two rib-eye steaks and a veal dish for me were ordered. The pizza was freshly prepared and served at the same time as our mains. Our freshly prepared and hot mains were served with fresh vegetables and a generous bowl of excellent chips. Optional Ketchup was provided (we can’t seem to kick that particular habit). Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals, the empty plates were a testament to that, although I had to help out my partner with her pizza (just as well I didn’t take up the offer of extra bread). By the time we finished these meals we were all quite replete, so no room for puds (again we were offered the special board, but no room for that either). As two of us were driving we ordered a non alcoholic beer and a couple of bottles of sparkling water. We were also supplied with a carafe of tap water. The ladies enjoyed a pre- dinner G and T. No wine was ordered. To round of the evening two black americanos and a double espresso for me were ordered as we continued to chat and enjoy the convivial atmosphere. The whole bill including the now standard (and very worthwhile in this case) 10% service charge came to around £155 for the four of us. I consider this to be very reasonable for good food served properly supported by excellent staff.

We went out on a Friday evening and had the most lovely dinner here. The prices were reasonable, specials and regular menu food delishes, and the staff was super friendly. Also, best canoli I've had in a long time!

Visited for the first time despite living in the area a while now. Amazing food and lovely, friendly service. Thank you for a wonderful evening ☺️

Our meal was well-presented and delicious - specials of chicken livers (starter) and swordfish penne (main) were skillfully cooked and especially good. Staff were welcoming and attentive. Great restaurant - we will certainly be returning!

Food is the best, every dish is so tasty. Service is top notch, so friendly, great atmosphere

This food was absolutely amazing! The flavors were on point! Also the staff were beyond wonderful! They were friendly, fast and ensured our experience was perfect! I highly recommend this place!

Very Warm and welcoming would recommend to anyone of all ages so accommodating will definitely be going back 😊

Top quality Italian food with lots of great options. Excellent, friendly service with a great atmosphere. Highly recommend this family run restaurent.

This is a phenomenal restaurant, which shows the virtues of small-town business. Unlike London, there are no distracting insta pile-ons, no need of gimmicks ; the diners will return if you are good, and so it's worth becoming good. And good they are. They've honed Italian cooking to perfection here, from the crab, shrimp and avocado stack to the pastas to the semifreddo. Textures, tastes of food, down to the wine being chilled just right, all is bang on-point. Couldn't ask better. Thanks fellas. Hope to be back soon.

Wow what lovely place to eat. We were greeted by a lovely lady as soon as we walked in and seated immediately. I had the Risotto Con Branzino, Cozze e Limone which is Risotto, Sea Bass, mussels with lemon shaving. OMG it was exquisite, cooked to perfection. IAll of our party commented on how lovely and fresh the food was - compliments to the chef. A couple of our party didn’t like the passion fruit mocktails, but these were exchanged with no issues at all. Prices were reasonable and what you would expect to pay for high quality food. The staff were warm and friendly. I would highly recommend a visit and will definitely visit again

Superb meal for 2. Reasonably priced. Service friendly and attentive without being overbearing. We will return.

We happened across Villa Italia walking from local accommodation and were tempted in after a diner caught our eye and enthusiastically gave thumbs up as we looked at the menu! Lovely family hosts, attentive service and a high standard of fresh, delicious food that we were extremely pleasantly surprised to find! If we are ever back in the area we would definitely book ahead to make sure we could visit again - thank you for looking after us!

Great family run restaurant Wide range of options on menu - with good GF options for both pasta & pizza Overall, a great evening Would recommend 👍

I love this place. Family run and always so friendly. The food is excellent and they are so lovely. Always my go-to to take visitors for a meal in town.

Wow, our first time in an Italian restaurant, and we're nearly sixty. The family, the food absolutely everything was brilliant. We're going to be returning regularly, and bringing our family. Thank you Villa Italia, you are amazing xx

Although we're almost 60, this was our first time in an Italian restaurant in preparation for a holiday in Rome. Wow, amazing food, drinks and a beautiful family. Thank you to everyone at Villa Italia, we are now going to become regular patrons, and can't wait to bring our daughter's. Thank you for being so kind and helpful xx

Fabulous restaurant, and now our 'go to' local Italian. Wonderful and great value traditional food in a welcoming environment with friendly, professional and attentive staff. Highly recommended.

Great Service & Lovely Food @ a reasonable price 😋

Lovely restaurant with excellent food and a great atmosphere! The customer service from staff is exceptional. A real gem in Sawbo & will definitely be back soon!

We booked for dinner prior to an overnight stay at Stansted. We were welcomed from the get-go and seated quickly. The menu is full of goodies, and making a choice was difficult, to say the least. We opted for the Trio of Bruschetta to start. Generous portions arrived of baked cheese and onion jam, tomato and basil, and mushroom and cheese loveliness. Yum. We both had pasta for mains - the Ravioli dello Chef and Linguini with seafood Both dishes were piping hot and totally delicious. Sadly, we were not able to try a dessert, being as we were so full! Great value for money, 2 courses for 2 at less than £90 is a bargain. Would love to come back and try some of the other dishes.

Lovely restaurant. Really excellent food including: grilled lamb chops with saute potatoes and lovely vegetables (£27.99) and; a generous portion of Pollo Milanese with succulent chicken and well-cooked pasta. Great, pleasant, friendly service. Good, well chilled wine. Reasonable prices. Unhurried 3/4 course meal for two with wine (×3 bottles) around £160. Highly recommended.

Lovely restaurant. Really excellent food including: grilled lamb chops with saute potatoes and lovely vegetables (£27.99) and; a generous portion of Pollo Milanese with succulent chicken and well-cooked pasta. Great, pleasant, friendly service. Good, well chilled wine. Reasonable prices. Unhurried 3/4 course meal for two with wine (×3 bottles) around £160. Highly recommended.

We cant stop ourselves from eating here. Mussels fresh, garlicky, wonderful. Special Skate beautifully cooked. Pasta with prawns tasty as always. Succulent lamb chops. We tried the pecorino wine..glug glug. Sweets all good. Fantastic cannoli and a special of pastry filled mixed fruit with strawberries and fresh cream. Wonderful family business, great food and child friendly. Love this place Great food. Seafood top rate. Great pasta. Incredible sweets. The Rum Baba was incredible as was the chef special ricotta tart. Charming service from all. Perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon in a beautiful little town

Well, what can I say. Booked a table for eight, for our daughter’s 18th Birthday. The food was fantastic. Portion sizes are very generous, and cooked to perfection. Among the eight of us, we tried the Pasta, Pizzas, Fish & Beef. I took the plunge for the rib-eye steak. Which may not seem a very Italian choice, but I complimented the chef, as the steak was perfectly, cooked medium rare. Every plate and bowl was a delight. Would recommend and definitely return. Truly delighted

One of our favourite restaurants, lovely family run business, that never fails to deliver the personal touch. The food is second to none and if you do go always consider the specials!

I’d have loved to shared the food but it was to good to wait to take a photo, so here’s proof of how good this place is. Takeaway this evening was the 2 delicious calzone’s and the service was 5 star as usual. Try this place you won’t regret it and it’s definitely our go to pizza place in sawbridgeworth. Thanks again

What a gem of a place. Just wanted to message the entire team at Villa Italia, it was our first visit last night from recommendation and what a fantastic evening both me and my husband had at the restaurant. The food was amazing and the service was top class even on a busy night of valentines and we both really can not wait to visit again and we will be recommending you to all our family and friends.

Went here twice in 2 days. Great food, and service.

Went yesterday evening for the first time and was extremely impressed. The food was not only delicious but very reasonably priced. All our party had different dishes and nobody had any criticism. There was also plenty of staff working making for efficient service which seems to be rare these days. They were all really friendly too which was a bonus. Will definitely be returning.

Lovely Italian, family run staff are always friendly and welcoming, food is served fresh, hot and delicious, they are also great with my son's nut allergy, always feel reassured.

The food at this restaurant never disappoints.. There was 6 of us and all the dishes were 10/10 .. delicious.. The staff are so friendly and helpful and the atmosphere was really nice .. Definitely recommend this restaurant if you like Italian food 🇮🇹 .. it’s a must ..

It is a great local restaurant owned by local people. Food amazing, efficient, friendly service and good atmosphere. A great find.

Took my sister for a family surprise birthday dinner, service and food was amazing we all had a great night and the singer was the great too. We will all be back again soon thanks to all the staff for making it a great evening

Lovely meal after work, we were there early so quiet but relaxing.

Well - what a find! Authentic fine Italian cuisine in the heart of Sawbridgeworth 😍 Wonderful ambience; fab family hospitality; welcoming and attentive staff who provide an outstanding and speedy service; a comprehensive menu and amazing cocktails! This gem has it all. Plus a designated doggy booth so you can enjoy a night out with your pooch by your side ❤️ I honestly cannot praise Villa Italia enough and no wonder it has such glowing reviews, they've earned it! It was hard to choose between the delectable dishes on offer and as for dessert... two words: Malibu cheesecake. Just try it from the specials board and enjoy the taste of holiday (you can thank me later) 😁 Eccezionale!

Awesome food with great service and super friendly staff. Really recommend this place, we have been a few times

Another gorgeous Italian restaurant outside of busy and expensive London. Fabulous!

The food was incredible, and every aspect, including the service, was outstanding! Can't wait to visit again soon.

Highly recommend this restaurant, the food was spot on ,very fresh and full of great flavours. The staff are so attentive and professional. Well done guys, keep up the good work.👌👌👌 Tony from Chingford

Visited tonight for the first time. The staff were so welcoming, the ambience was great, all the tables and chairs etc were in great condition, the food was great, the whole experience was fantastic. One word for the evening....Fresh. Everything tasted so fresh. I will definitely be returning 👌👌👌

Was disappointed with the food and the attitude of the staff when I pointed out my thoughts on the food. Would not return.

Fantastic place, lovely food, lovely staff, lovely restaurant, highly recommended.

Always a good experience when eating here. Nothing is too much trouble and always the food is excellent.

Lovely family run restaurant. Very very warm welcome and fabulous food. Great atmosphere too. Nothing too much trouble. Best Italian for miles

We had a fantastic time, the food was delicious and the service was amazing. Won't be regret if you go.

Very nice place. Good friendly service. Lovely food...

I just love it here, the staff are so friendly. They are super welcoming and can't do enough to help you. Very smiley and bubbly which makes for a great atmosphere. The food is also superb as are the cocktails. Fab restaurant.

Visited on a Sunday Afternoon with the grandchildren. Been before and again wonderful friendly service. The food form the scampi, meatballs, pizzas, pea risotto and linguine with prawn, all were great and tasty. Only issue was there was no cannoli left. Maybe review menu update/alter the menu to give new alternatives.

Brilliant. Family friendly fantastic Italian food. The Tiramisu is especially nice.

Called last minute this eve as the pub had stopped serving food and we were lucky enough to get a table with 10 mins notice on a Sat night! Faultless service from start to finish, felt so relaxed and welcome. The food was absolutely TOP class, WAY better than many rated London restaurants. Both our dishes were cooked to perfection , I was not expecting it be this good. A special thanks to Joelle for being so friendly, I will DEF be visiting again soon! What a treat, Thanks guys!

We were welcomed into the restaurant- food was lovely … However it became personal and insulting after the meal had finished. As a gay couple ( lesbian ) we / I do not appreciate being labelled “ as a dyke “ Wearing “ shorts and trainers “ As we were ! Do straight people not wear shorts and trainers ?! In this day and age a discrepancy regarding the price of the bill should not result in the owner and his daughter becoming insulting and homophobic Sad state of affairs in 2023 🥲

We decided to eat out at Villa Italia as we has not been for a while. Everything about the place is delightful. The staff are very engaging and helpful providing excellent service. The meals are very generous and superbly cooked. They will even provide you with a box to take home the leftovers providing a nice lunch the following day. The prices in this day and age are very reasonable. I tried a new cocktail; raspberry crush. It was beautiful. Would thoroughly recommend. We have vowed to make this a regular outing.

Delicious meal, good wine, great service and atmosphere. Will be returning.

My local Italian, and it is the most warming environment, the best food and the owners are great!

Lovely family lunch, food is amazing, tasty, well presented and great portions. Been a couple of times and will definitely keep going back. A true family restaurant. Staff very attentive and friendly. Made us feel very welcome. Definitely the place to go.

Driving through Sawbridgeworth last night expecting to get a mediocre dinner, we stumbled upon Villa Italia and what a find !! We received a superb greeting at the door by the owner, taken to our table by the very enthusiastic waitress , order taken by the great fun owners wife ( think I got that wrong should be Co Owner !!) Then came three courses of true Italian high quality food, as good as we get in Italy If you are a Lover of "proper Italian food " we could not recommend this more We live 35 miles away but will make the journey again soon to enjoy Trie Italian Food served by a superb team

Excellent food the staff were amazing and very attentive will 💯 be going again soon thanks guys

Warm welcome, busy restaurant , great service, food was amazing! Bill was reasonable too, we will be going back for more soon, thanks guys

Had a great night out at Villa Italia! Prompt friendly service and food was amazing and reasonable prices too. Highly recommended

Had a great night out at Villa Italia! Prompt friendly service and food was amazing and reasonable prices too. Highly recommended

1st time visit, welcomed nicely, waitress and staff all attentive. I am amazed that so many people giving this restaurant a good review must either never have had an authentic Italian or are friends or family. Garlic bread with cheese starter was absolutely gorgeous but all 3 pasta main dishes were so bland and the chicken was nasty and frozen Iceland type cheapest chicken. Pasta was stuck together and I can honestly say that I can cook better food at home and I am not Italian. The chef is supposedly Italian, but it doesn’t equate to them being a good chef automatically. So in a nutshell, friendly staff, nice atmosphere but as authentic as Del Boy speaking french.

Been here several times before and decided to bring the family to celebrate my birthday & they never disappoint! As always the food was amazing and their service was excellent. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. We would find it hard to find a better Italian! Highly recommend. Laura

Lovely, family friendly restaurant with amazing food. Friendly staff, nothing was a problem. Will definitely be back.

Disappointed. Some staff good, some staff no so good. Without going into too much detail, lipstick residue on 2 of the drinking glasses, food presentation and content leaves much to be desired. First and last visit by the looks of things.

Disappointed. Without going into too much detail, some staff good, some staff no so good, lipstick residue on 2 of the drinking glasses, food presentation and content leaves much to be desired. First and last visit by the looks of things.

Love the food. Love the staff. Honestly so impressed. It’s a must try! And we will be back often.

Wanted to make a special evening for my sister's birthday but it was very diappointing. Musty smell as you entered the restaurant. The food and wine very basic. There was nothing Italian about it at all and the chef lacked the necessary Italian culinary skills. Being a non Italian, i can cook much better Italian food at home. We were the 2 of the only 4 customers in the restaurant the whole evening. Everything we had marked from the menu from their online menu they had run out of when we tried to order at the restaurant!. The starter, main dish and the dessert (home made Triamasu) we were most looking forward to were all run out! Sorry, but have tasted far better Italian meals from good supermarkets. Best to go to a nearest chain Pizza chain restaurants inside.

been a couple of times now. and the food is great and family run. son loves the mocktails

First time here, and first time in Harlow. Lovely warm greeting on arrival. Ambiance was nice and cosy, even though it was busy. Good service, bar the young server, who was slightly confused by some of our questions,etc, but overall very good. Food was fab, and was enjoyed by our party of four. Wine was spot on. Would definitely recommend a visit if you enjoy Italian cuisine.

We love going to Villa Italia, going once every ~2 months or so. The food is always amazing, whether you want pizza/pasta, or be more adventurous on meat of seafood. The service is very attentive, and they take pride in knowing the customer base. Lastly the wine and cocktail selection is always a highlight of the evening!

Great food and service. Always there to accommodate us with a larger than normal party

We went to Villa Italia on Saturday night, we went as a family of 6 as it was my sons 15th birthday, it’s the first time I’ve been there but my daughter has been a couple of times and recommended it to me, I wasn’t disappointed, all of the food was delicious, nice and fresh, you could tell everything was prepared and cooked freshly at the restaurant, the restaurant was busy with a great atmosphere, and very welcoming, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this restaurant to any of my family and friends and we will definitely be back to try some of the other dishes from the menu, thanks guys it was a great night

Nice place with lovely staff and food. Highly recommended.

Warm and friendly service. Excellent Italian food. Love the Rum Baba. Excellent wine list.

So good. Joelle the owner made it really special for Averil. Thankyou

Had a family SURPRISE 16th party for 11 yesterday. Food was so fresh and tasty. Lovely friendly staff..very accomodating!! We had a couple of younger girls with us and the staff were great with them! Hugs all round when they left. If service charge wasn't included we would of happily paid that anyway! Thank you!! Xx

The loveliest family run restaurant with fantastic authentic Italian food. The service is excellent, friendly welcoming and super professional. And the food is just superb. Amazing find.

Absolutely gorgeous. Everything was perfect, the service was super nice and friendly, and the food was simply delicious. Would definitely recommend!

It was good but a bit overpriced especially the bottles of wine

Great service and thourally enjoyable meal. Great time had by all of us. Highly reccomend.

Fantastic service from all the staff, food was perfect, highly recommend this restaurant.

Had anniversary lunch on Sunday And really nice vibe inside very relaxing and comfortable, had the pleasure of meeting the owner ,very nice guy and good knowledge of the menu and will definitely be coming along on a Friday night with family and friends Food and drink is good quality and good price ,thank you for the great experience

If you’re in the area this place is a must. Fantastic food as ever.

A family run Italian restaurant serving great food.

Another visit to villa italia last night the meal was out of this world so lovely.. brilliant service as always.. keep up the good work guys see you again soon 👍

Amazing food- everything we ate was fantastic. We had booked for 4 people, but unfortunately, just as we were about to leave, my mum, who has been unwell for a few months, started to feel very faint and we had to carry her into bed. She insisted we go for the dinner without her as it was my birthday. We could just about make the booking on time leaving straight away. We arrived at the restaurant and said that there were only 3 of us - and were told repeatedly by 3 different members of staff that we should not have come without telling them in advance about the change in numbers and it would ruin the table plan. We explained to each of them the situation and they weren’t bothered- actually they were all still just as annoyed. The restaurant wasn’t even full!! I cannot believe, given how upset we were, how rude they were. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Such a shame given how good the food was.

Have to say after reading many positive reviews I was left underwhelmed with this restaurant. This was my first visit and the bruschetta starter was excellent however my chicken main was completely Bland with no seasoning . Had tiramisu for desert which was average and bizarrely served in a drinking glass . The cocktails at £10 seem on the expensive side for a neighbourhood restaurant . Whilst the whole experience wasn’t terrible it certainly didn’t live up to high expectations I was expecting here

fitted us in as walk ins service was very good food was delicious and we had gluten free. Would highly recommend

Not a bad word to say about this hidden gem. Food was authentic, delicious and portions were above and beyond, had to box some to go because there was so much and couldn't let it go to waste. Beautiful little place with the nicest staff, friendly and absolute laugh. Original planned place were closed even though booking was confirmed. Walked down the road to find somewhere to eat and the staff were just incredible and fit us in on a busy night and treated us like family. We will be going back every year for mine and my partners anniversary, they made an important occasion feel extra extra special. Thank you Villa Italia and all staff!

Staff are really nice and friendly. Food is delicious and service is great. Cannot recommend enough. Car park 1 mins walk away also so no issues parking. We are regulars here and will be for a long time x

Excellent food excellent service

Always a great meal....Manageress absolutely lovely, the manager though can be a little grumpy sometimes.

My first time visiting here today for dinner with my partner. Food and service was phenomenal. Honestly! Can't wait to come back. I never finish my plate and I did 3 courses here xx

BEST ITALIAN FOOD!!! We was recommended to try villa Italia and we are gutted we never came sooner. The food was out of this world, fresh and cooked to perfection. The staff were amazing & friendly & couldn’t do more for you. Worth the travel, you won’t regret!! Thankyou for a lovely meal.

Such an awesome atmosphere staff were friendly and made the dinning experience that much more enjoyable ,the food was outstanding we enjoyed it so much came back a second time during our short visit highly recommend this spot for an enjoyable evening out

Probably one of the worst restaurants I’ve ever been to. Food was fine, but wow were the owners rude. If you want average food served by some of the most unpleasant people you’ve ever met, this is the place to go!

Excellent served sea food. Friendly staff. Nice interior.