The Osteria - La Villetta is located in the middle of Striesen, probably the most beautiful district of Dresden with its Wilhelminian style villas and green front gardens. If you love Italian cuisine, are looking for a special culinary experience without a lot of frills and don't want to dig too deep into your pockets, you should reserve a table here. In today's post I would like to briefly introduce you to the house and show you what makes it a clear recommendation for me.
The Villetta is a traditional Italian restaurant and has been offering its guests consistently above-average quality for almost twenty years. The decor is "classic" Italian and creates a warm and cozy atmosphere with its beech wood furnishings, lots of terracotta colors and the oh-so-famous red and white checkered tablecloths. In addition, the restaurant is rather small. There are around 40 seats inside. If you ask me, a blessing! Because the manageability ensures a private and cozy atmosphere. The open view into the kitchen is extremely entertaining and the pleasant smells that spread through the room as the food is prepared increase the mood even more.
In summer, you can also take a seat on one of the 40 seats in the front garden of the villa. When passing by, you shouldn't be put off by the fact that the outdoor seating is right on the street. Tourists should know that Striesen is a very quiet district, especially in the evenings, and that you are hardly disturbed by cars driving past.
...is excellent. You could leave it at that - period. However, if you want to learn a little more about the kitchen, pay attention to the following quality criteria:
We cook with fresh, seasonal ingredients and the menu changes daily. In detail, this means that the two very creative chefs start preparing many basic ingredients such as sauces, pesto and pasta dough for the evening in-house in the afternoon. Especially when it comes to meat and fish dishes, what is usually served is what was fresh when you went shopping in the morning. A good and varied offer is literally guaranteed.
Vegetarians also get their money's worth. Especially when it comes to pasta and risotto dishes, you can always find an exciting creation that is much more than Pizza Margaritha and Pasta Napoli.
Through the in-house deli (which we'll get to in a moment), the chefs can access a large selection of high-quality ingredients such as Italian cheese, sausages and wines, which only fuel creativity. The managing director likes to describe the character of the kitchen as a simple osteria kitchen. With nieces! The chicken liver in red wine jus, combined with a sweet parsnip puree (see blog photo), was not only a culinary poem, it was also lovingly prepared and, for the quality, dirt cheap at just under €18.
There is something for everybody. As you have already read, in addition to the typical pizza and pasta classics, there is always a small and very fine selection of two or three risotto, meat and fish dishes. The quality has been above average for years and the price is more than reasonable. That's actually enough to describe the character and quality of the cuisine. If you want to pay a visit to the Villetta, you should note: you can always get a table at lunchtime, but reservations are mandatory in the evening!
It doesn't always have to be a big meal - if you would like to get to know Dresden away from the old town center, you should take a walk or a bike tour through Striesen, especially in summer. Even if the Villetta is not a typical cafe, they are happy to serve you an espresso, Aperol Spritz or a dessert in the afternoon.
In fact, a visit to the in-house delicassy store is a must for every foodie. Whether it's Italian mortadella, Parma ham or one of the almost 150 wines, treat yourself and your loved ones to something good at home and simply buy a piece of Italy instead of the usual souvenirs and postcards. My tip: The Testun al Barolo is a spicy hard cheese in a red wine crust (don't eat the crust though!) that has a lot to offer. For a hard cheese it is incredibly creamy and the intense aroma of red wine and red fruits is simply great. Add an espresso in the summer garden and the piccola pausa is perfect - this is how you enjoy Striesen the Italian way.
In the shop you may find italian salami, ham, cheese and anything, that rejoices the italian lover's heart. As a take away or a little gift for friend's or your loved ones at home, there is something to be found for everyone.