The Villa Inn

1456 N Delaware St
Indianapolis, IN 46202
phone 317.916.8500
fax 317.917.9086

The boy and I were ready for a romantic evening. A restaurant with no children (not that there's anything wrong with kids, but they kind of ruin the mood). We wanted the kind of place where we could enjoy a quiet dinner by the light of the fire with minimal restaurant noise in a beautiful atmosphere. And a castle would be nice. We made reservations at The Villa, and that's exactly what we got.

We were seated at a small table next to a window and the fire place and our first server came over with the wine list. I had a few questions about the wine, which she unfortunately could not answer. She admitted she was only 19, but gave me a few suggestions based on what she knew. We selected our wines and they were brought out a little later. 

In the meantime, a second server came over to our table to start our order. I ordered the Chicken Marsala and the boy ordered Pancetta Tortellini. About 10 minutes later, the bread came out and it was absolutely delicious.

By the time our food came, we had worked up a pretty good appetite, but we were entertained by each others company and dinner really shouldn't be a rushed meal. The chicken marsala was deliciously seasoned (often times it's too salty at other places, but not the case at The Villa). It was served over angel hair pasta. The sauce had a nice sweetness to and it coated the chicken well, but didn't drown it. The boy really liked the tortellini. It was stuffed with cheese and served with a garlic cream sauce with the pancetta. It smelled wonderful and both dishes were rich and flavorful. The menu is traditionally Italian and there are some of the typical Italian dishes as well as some more creative and adventurous ones. I almost felt like I was back in Rome. Although it is not an expansive menu, there is something for almost everyone. Personally, I'd rather go to a place with a small and specialized menu.

The portions were good, but not so much that we left stuffed. Unfortunately, I didn't have room for the crème brulee and that's not one of those desserts that you can take home and eat later.

The service was a bit on the slow side, which surprised me considering there were never more than three tables including us and there were two different servers (each with different responsibilities, from what I gathered), but we weren't in any hurry.

We were impressed by the price. Most of the meals on the menu, with a few obvious exceptions, are around $20. The glasses of wine we ordered were $9 and $10 per glass.  When we sat down and saw the prices, we were a bit worried that they would be serving us poor quality food, but that was not the case at all.

The castle that is The Villa Inn, Restaurant & Spa has a rich history. I won't go into that here, but you can read all about that as well as their bed and breakfast and spa on their website.

The Verdict: I absolutely recommend this place for a couple of reasons. The speed of service forces you to enjoy your company and your meal. A great dinner like this should not be rushed through. They also advise against bringing children, which is a must for a romantic night on the town. The food was delicious and the servers were great - not on top of you, but attentive enough to your needs. And finally, the cozy and romantic atmosphere set the mood for a great evening. We're looking forward to returning soon!