Villa Romana

This classic Italian restaurant has been here for years and years, and provides one of those comforting facts that no matter how much town continues to change, there are some places you can rely on. Located in one of the busiest (and messiest) parts of town for a night out, Villa Romana has great deals, great food, and is completely different to absolutely everything else along that stretch. Forget Casa Italia the other side of the city centre, Villa Romana is where it’s at!

The Vibe

It is so weird to us that Villa Romana is where it is. The bottom of Wood Street is where you can expect to see drunks falling over each other, puke on the sidewalk, and angry bouncers, from O’Neill’s up to Cava (and all the swill of tequila that comes out of there), and on to whatever we’re calling The K these days. After that you’ve lost a lot of us because Concert Square is insane. Villa Romana is a little oasis of calm and good food where you’d expect only another wild bar. If you think back to what you would have expected an Italian restaurant to look like when you were a kid, Villa Romana is like that. It’s quite big inside, and they know how to pack the crowds in on the wicker chairs and wooden tables, with plastic check tablecloths. It’s quaint, old-fashioned, and unpretentious, and we’re glad they’ve kept it this way. The service is really fast without interfering, and the food is always spot on.

The Food

It’s a simple menu. There is quite a lot of choice on there, but it is simple in style, with all the classic British-Italian restaurant dishes we know and love. If you fancy pizza, they’ve got the classic margherita, ham and mushroom, spicy pepperoni, as well as folded calzone that is packed full of various fillings. Pasta, the same – carbonara, spaghetti Bolognese, and lasagne. The grill menu and other dishes include the classics, such as pollo Milanese and pollo Valdastana. It’s all very familiar fare, but that’s great, because you know what, the last time we went there the first thing that came out of the mouth of our companion was: “Oh my! This is f*****g delicious!”, and we couldn’t agree more.

The Price

There is always some kind of great offer on at Villa Romana, such as a 50% off all pizza and pasta on a Wednesday evening. It’s worth keeping an eye on the menu to see what’s happening and to fill your boots. You won’t regret it, trust us!