Vila Verde Restaurant — Restaurant in Wayne

Spanish cuisine has a long and proud tradition. It became very popular here in the states back in the early to mid eighties. It remains one of my favorite cuisines. My family and I recently went to Villa Verde for New Years and it was very very crowded. So much so that even with a reservation we were still seated 30 minutes after our reservation time. The staff was friendly and apologized for the delay as the place was veritably packed. All this could easily be forgiven and overlooked as it was after all a holiday and things of course happen. What is absolutely unequivocally unforgivable however, is the quality and authenticity of one of the hallmarks of Spanish food, Paella. Having enjoyed Paella from Amterdam to Rome, from Toronto to our beloved Iron Bound district in Newark, and many homes and places in between I can say that what was served our family simply was not Paella. It was just flavorless rice and steamed seafood. There was no salt, notes of cumin or achiote. But this insult to Spanish Cuisine did not stop there. No dear friends, the greatest fraud perpetuated New Years Eve. was the failure to include Saffron. The cornerstone of many Spanish dishes and key to the umami that is distinctively in Paella. Paella is the flagship dish that is the foundation to any Spanish menu, or home kitchen. Perhaps I'm blowing this out of proportion some may claim. Tell that to my folks who had ordered the Paella. My father was and is still furious. I was almost embarrassed at the level of his ire until I tried some of the tasteless dish he was served, wishing still that I hadn't. I can't say that it was the worst tasting Paella I've ever had, because by composition it most certainly was not Paella. It IS however the worst Spanish food I've ever tasted. Being part Spaniard myself, to me anyways, that's definitely saying something. I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1 for the staff's efforts in trying to assuage my parents despite the kitchens lack of ownership or interest. It's really only out of pity. I'd recommend a trip to Segovia or Don Pepe II which are the closest alternatives I can think of outside of going to the Iron Bound district in Newark (Forno's, Spanish Tavern) for great Paella and proudly...

Wow! Absolutely outstanding! In these days of take out as one of the few options, Vila Verde shines! You know when you go to a decent restaurant and you get take out and you get home and you say to the fam around the dinner table "yeah, this is pretty good" because you know you can only expect so much from food that you've just driven home fifteen minutes from where it was prepared? This was NOT that! The food was ready exactly on time when we got there to pick up. The staff was courteous, masked, and brought the food out to the car. It was a 13 minute drive home. My first impression lifting the box out of the trunk was "holy moly this is HOT". The food was very thoughtfully packed in those catering tins and the regular aluminum carry out containers. The top one unfortunately had fallen over, likely due to my driving, but the bag it was in contained all the spillage. Not a drop in the box it was packed in and not a hint of anything in the trunk. But that was only the beginning! The food was as if it had just been served on a plate at the table. We got the mushroom and garlic and shrimp and garlic appetizers and they were magnificent. The entrées were equally satisfying and very generous in quantity. We have plenty of leftovers. What an absolutely delightful meal in the midst of trying to be responsibly at home. It's not inexpensive, but worth every penny. We will most...

Very nice place located in pompton lakes with plenty of parking. There's a bar area as well as restaurant style seating with an excellent wait staff. We had dinner on a Saturday night.... suggest a reservation.....and it was great. They asked us for drinks and told us the specials for the day which were a good variety we thought. We didn't get appetizers because the main dishes were big enough. My partner had the seafood casserole which is clams, mussels, scallops and lobster in a green sauce served in a pot! Very flavorful and huge. I had the Valencia style paella with shrimp, scallops, mussels, lobster, chicken and Portuguese sausage served in the traditional yellow rice and it was massive! Enough for 3 people really. At least 1 1/2 pounds of just shrimp plus the other stuff. Cooked perfectly. The wait staff has eyes on you at all times never letting a glass get low or plate filled with shells and whatnot. The coffee and dessert menu is just what you'd expect.... Well rounded. I recommend that if you're in the area and want good food prepared right with excellent service then check...