Restaurant Review: Villa Verone

People who spend a rare evening out dream of escaping to a restaurant tucked away on an out-of-the-way street, where waiters are friendly and prices reasonable. The dining room will be spacious, but intimate. The food will be varied and prepared to highlight its ethnic flavors. It’s the restaurant of my dreams.

Villa Verone is this kind of place. While the food and atmosphere alone are an attraction, it is Owner Pietro Verone’s presence and customer interaction that set Villa Verone apart. Dining should be an experience, an art; and he paints a beautiful picture. The quaint Italian restaurant occupies an historic home, with outdoor patio, fountain and statues that welcome you to a little bit of Italy. Upstairs is the Upper Club, a martini bar, where you’ll enjoy dancing and live entertainment while sipping your favorite libation.

We were pleasantly greeted on a busy Thursday and were soon benefiting from our server’s knowledge of the menu. We enjoyed a generous caprese, which was fresh and aromatic. Next we were treated to the Asparagi, fresh asparagus wrapped in bacon and grilled with a Gorgonzola cheese sauce. Pietro suggested the house signature entrée, Vitello alla Vincenzo Verone, a dish Pietro’s father made at home in Italy. Tender veal sat on a bed of fresh spinach with Portobello mushrooms and pearl onions, in a Marsala wine sauce. We also enjoyed my personal favorite, Mamma Carmela’s Rotolo, a tri colored pasta, filled with ricotta, spinach and prosciutto in a light cream sauce. House wine is by the glass with no specific label. You pick the grape; they pick the wine–a great concept and excellent quality. It was a romantic evening in an historic home where the staff would break into an Italian song without notice.

The Italian trattoria atmosphere has lent itself to many marriage proposals and date nights; and by the end of just your first visit, Pietro treats you like family. I know times are tough, but forget the stock market for a moment and declare it DATE NIGHT! You won’t be disappointed.

Maureen lives in Geneva with her husband and three children.

This article first appeared in the November 2008 issue of eGeneva Magazine.