Villa At Palmer Lake, The

I met a friend of mine here as she was in town from the east coast and staying in Colorado Spring, while I live up near Denver. We decided to meet here because it looked like the Villa had good reviews and probably a nice ambiance. The place is super cute, the patio is lovely. The wine selection is very nice. Our waitress was personable... for some maybe too personable too personal with stories, but I thought she was cute and kind of funny. She raved about the bread and the dipping sauce which I honestly didn't love. It wasn't bad, but just not very flavorful (bread) and the dipping sauce had an odd combo of ingredients that didn't sit right on my palate. I thought my friend was enjoying her meal because she was eating it, while I on the other hand, was not eating mine. I ordered the salmon shrimp special with a creamy tomato sauce... but it tasted like a combination of teriyaki and alfredo... totally not good. My noodles were bare, so I ate a bite of those, about 1 4 of my salmon (which was also very very dry) in the hopes that subsequent bites would make it good and a couple bites of my vegetables. The staff kept stopping to ask if I wanted it wrapped up. I did not. As it turned out, my friend did not like her chicken with crab either. Hers was also very dry, but she ate it. The thing is that pouring a ton of sauce over overcooked meat doesn't make it juicy and good... it makes it dry meat covered in sauce in what I assume is the hope that we don't realize it's so dry. At the end of the meal, I decided we should try a dessert. I kind of wanted to see if there was something I did like aside from ambiance and the silly comments from our waitress. The dessert was pretty good. We had a chocolate peanut butter thing (I can't remember what it was called). I've seen other comments about how good this place is and honestly, I don't get it. I like to think my palate is pretty good ... and I cook a lot at home of various cultures. This just wasn't a place I would risk coming back to. It's very expensive for being so (for me) inedible. The best thing I had was wine, second best, dessert, third best, ... bread?

If I could give this restaurant zero stars, I would do so with absolutely no hesitation. Highly do not recommend. My boyfriend had this restaurant in mind after he came with his dad, aunt, and uncle for lunch. He wanted me to try it since he enjoyed it the first time he came. We arrived at 6:45 for our 7 pm reservation for a early Valentine's Day dinner and we were seated by a very nice hostess immediately. The atmosphere was cozy and relaxed, there was a nice bar, and even a fireplace. However, everything went downhill from the moment we were seated. Our waitress came by our table with cups of water and another bottle for refills. Normally waitresses introduce themselves, or at the very least say hello, but we did not get a word out of her. She simply set the water on the table and left. She came back a few minutes later with the bread, but again did not say anything to us at all. This is incredibly strange behavior for someone who is working for tips, which I am typically generous with despite my poor-college-student status. At this point, my boyfriend and I were confused because no one had even taken our drink orders. We sat for 35 minutes and still no one had even taken our drink orders, plus I had lost my appetite from filling up on water and bread when we were willing to spend $80+ on a nice meal. The restaurant was not even close to full, so there was really no excuse that I could think of. In the meantime, all of the tables around us were being served and helped and generally attended to by the two waiters. One couple whose reservation was for 7:30 pm was seated and immediately their drink orders were taken. We were fed up with waiting and being ignored while everyone else received perfect service, so we left without paying for our bread and water. I had to restrain myself from leaving a nasty note on the table. Essentially my boyfriend and I were refused service. This is simple postulation, but it may be because we are Asian, and we are both college-age students. Every other person who was in the restaurant and receiving service was older than us and white. Coincidence? Maybe. However, I will never never never be returning to this restaurant. My money will be spent elsewhere as well as on waiters who deserve their tips. We went to get sushi instead. We received fantastic service there!

The Villa seems to change their menu quite frequently. Right now, their menu is definitely not your typical Italian-American fare. Lots of seafood, duck, and lamb tending towards a more high brow audience. I had the lamb couscous which was excellent. My wife was less thrilled with the menu because it lacked the typical Italian meals containing Alfredo or Carbonara. I'm not sure how she survived in Italy! My wife just pointed out that they might not be considered Italian anymore. They have two incidentals of note: the tomato basil bisque soup is fantastic, and the feta dressing is really good.

Amazing options for dinner. The food was as close as you can get to being in Italy. Whether you are a vegetarian or a die hard pasta lover there is an amazing option for you. The evening started with a wonderful Cabernet from Dynamite Vineyards. Next, our party of 11 tried many things on the menu. We were not disappointed! Come here for an unforgettable evening!

Unbelievable food and staff! Great Jazz music while you dine. A gem of a restaurant hidden in the foot hills of the Rockies a quaint little town of Palmer Lake. Great small shops and a fun place to visit. Just 15 north of the Springs. You gotta see and taste this menu. Chris Kerri Bohler have many years as restauranteurs. Put this on the must do list!