Villa D'Este — Restaurant in San Francisco

Went here for a company party. We rented out the whole place. It was pretty nice. The food was okay the portions are kind of small. The food was prepared pretty well, but I wouldn't give it five stars. It lacked imagination and variety. For some reason I think they forgot to give us condiments such as salt and pepper and sauces. Just very basic stuff was missing. They prepared the tables pretty good, tell me what happens but the presentation had much room for improvement. For this kind of small restaurant, I would say they did a pretty good job for what they are. Like I said it's slightly above average. I would give it a 3.5, or maybe a 3.7 at the most, since I can't I gave it a four. They had an open bar so that was pretty nice. Their wine selection was not large but what wine I had was pretty good. Didn't have a large selection of hard spirits though. Specific varieties of certain drinks were not available, rather going for a general selection. Overall everyone got the type of drink they wanted even if it wasn't the perfect ones. There was definitely enough space for all of us and probably space for more. Parking in the area is not great at lunch time I would imagine but after dinner it's pretty good. It does sit in a recessed pedestrian cul-de-sac of sorts, so it does provide a bit of privacy. It took a long time for them to prepare all the food, I could understand since they're serving like 40 people, but since I got my food medium rare I feel like it shouldn't have taken 2 hours. It was pretty much cold by the time I started eating it. The decorations inside were very old-timey. So if you're looking for something elegant and modern this is not the place, it kind of takes me back to maybe the 50s mixed with late Victorian. Kind of like something you would see out of Scarface, but instead of actual stone everything is painted on plaster to resemble Stone. I was afraid some of the pendant decorations were so precariously dropped overhead that it might fall on me but I'm sure it's just an illusion. The caterers and the bartender gave pretty good service though I would give them that. I remember asking the bartender a few times for different kinds of drinks and he served at no problem and pretty expediently even though there were plenty of other people there with me. The bathrooms are located in the front by the bar. if I were to judge the cleanliness I would give it probably a 2.5 out of 5. You can clearly smell odors in there. you can tell they didn't clean in a while. Pretty much something you would expect out of a dive bar, so if you're looking for high class this is not the spot even though it's trying to pull that kind of effect. All in all I give this place an average rating maybe slightly above average because of the...

Growing up in an Italian-American family in San Francisco, this is the type of food that I fondly remember from childhood, and that seems to have disappeared. Nothing trendy nor out of the ordinary, but classic dishes excellently prepared and courteously served. The decor is stunning and adds to the feel of a bygone era. The prices are reasonable even by non-SF standards, and quite a deal in the city. This is my go-to place when visiting family, and I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I've had there. My only problem is that even on a weekend, there is not the crowd they deserve to have. True, it's not the place to go to be seen or to rub elbows with celebrities. It's not the place your favorite TV chef raved about nor the place to try the must-have food craze of the week. But when a restaurant in San Francisco is coming up on their 40th year in business, they must be doing something right. Do yourself, your palate, and your wallet a favor and head to Villa. ...

This restaurant is more than the excellent food at very reasonable prices. The wait staff is "old world," meaning they are very attentive but not obsequious. The meal is served either A la carte or dinner. We had the diner. I veal Saltimboca, excellent and the epitome of the dish, and my companion had the scallopini. Anti pasta, salad, soup, dinner, desert with coffee. A most enjoyable meal. However, it is the experience of dining in this establishment that lends a high degree of elegance with its decorative motif. The walls, chandeliers and ceilings are a blend of art deco and Italian flourish. Set off a courtyard in Lakeshore Village in San Francisco, it is a feeling of a cozy respite from the hurried life we live these days. The owner, Ramon, celebrates 40 years of ownership this September. I first ate here, under different ownership, in the 50's as a child, but remembered the decoration and inviting feelings. I urge you all to take advantage...