Villa Romana

Sitting on the balcony on the second story of this Victorian style terrace on a cold winter’s night you’d think wouldn’t be so appealing. At Villa Romana however, a cosy ambience is created with warm heaters above and screening pulled down so that you still get a lovely view of busy Lygon Street, famously known as Melbourne’s Italian district, without feeling the cold winds of a Melbourne’s winter night.

I have been to this establishment a couple of times now and plan to return as I enjoy the warm, family-friendly atmosphere and generous servings. On my first visit I ordered slow cooked lamb with mashed potatoes – the perfect winter meal that makes you feel all cosy inside. I had a friend visiting from Sydney at the time who happens to come from an Italian background and was also very impressed with her meal. On my most recent visit with my boyfriend we started off with an entrée, sharing a serving of eggplant chips from the Chef’s specials menu, accompanied with a glass of wine. We both agreed that this crispy treat was a great start to our meals for the night. I then ordered penne with meatballs, baby spinach and fetta and I certainly enjoyed this flavour combination.

I certainly plan more visits to this cosy Trattoria, especially as winter nears and look forward to indulging in many more of their Italian feasts.