Villa Lulu 230 College Street, New Haven, CT 06510

"I can't say enough about the exquisite food and variety of cuisine. I prefer brunch and appetizers but can say that dinner is a wonderful experience. They have talented bartenders who can customize a drink for you. However, their cocktail options are just as creative. They have spicy options just the way I like them. And some with a hint of sweetness I have not experienced anywhere else. Cozy and elegant."

"I had an afternoon to myself after The Rents absconded to Florida and decided I wanted GOOD Italian. Mostly I do not eat Italian food out (unless I’m in NYC and some, specific spots in the New Haven area…). I am second generation Italian. Mainly I can cook anything myself better at home. But if there IS a good Italian restaurant?? I. Want. Excellent. Pasta. I spent some time checking out Italian restaurants in downtown New Haven. My first concern was the menu, the food pics I could see online, their overall ratings. But I also need the kind of vibe where a single, grown woman can go dine alone at the bar. That’s a specific kind of “niche” dining when it comes to certain types of restaurants: Italian being one. I need to see a good sized, comfortable bar in the restaurant before I’ll even consider dining there. Then I needed a place that was open for lunch. Preferably a place that doesn’t close between lunch and dinner because my real dining preference is a late lunch. Villa Lulu ticked all the boxes. So! Mom and Dad left at 11am and, once I was sure their plane had actually taken off I headed out to New Haven. What a great spot! So good, in fact, that I went back the next day for another late lunch and went for my third time yesterday. I have only been on the first floor, because that’s where the bar seating is and it’s a big, long, comfortable bar. Every person who has waited on me has been EXCEPTIONAL. Really great vibe, good service, fun conversation, warm, inviting, diverse team working here. Impressive. I dine alone the vast majority of the time, so vibe is extra important to me. If you are always dining with someone(s) else then you can perhaps tune out or overcome a less than delightful vibe. I don’t want to have to try to do that. I want to be interacting with people and connecting. That happens every time I’m at Villa Lulu. The waitstaff is attentive, knowledgeable about the menu (there are different lunch and dinner menus) and the very respectable wine list. So what I was really after on my first visit to Villa Lulu was pasta. I’m not looking for “modern/fancy” Italian food, I’m looking for perfectly executed pasta. Which is rare. Trust me. The pasta needs to be al dente (if your pasta is even a moment overcooked I am OUT - don’t come at me with that stuff) and then your sauces must be delicious. I am OFTEN disappointed. My fist two visits to Villa Lulu I ordered from the lunch menu (dinner menu is MUCH larger). The one thing I was definitely going to have was Eggplant Meatballs (!!). I LOVE eggplant and I don’t eat meat. So perfect for me. They are DELICIOUS and the marinara is excellent. Marinara is The Test of any Italian restaurant. Your marinara needs to be delicious enough to eat alone, with a spoon, like soup. Villa Lulu’s is that good. I had the fried artichokes. I see what they’re trying. They’re going for Roman Jewish fried artichokes. But they’re using jarred artichoke hearts and a deep fryer. Skip these. I had a Caesar Salad. If you follow me at all you KNOW I’m ALWAYS going to try the Caesar. Villa Lulu’s Caesar Salad is EXCELLENT!! There are not many excellent Caesars out there. Trust me…I’ve had this salad 3x. I knew Rigatoni alla Vodka was on the menu. I. Love. Vodka Sauce. I also happen to love Rigatoni. These are Mezzi Rigatoni. Even better! Fabulous. I’ve now eaten it THREE Times. The pasta was cooked perfectly every time. Yesterday I asked for it a little extra spicy and it was. DELICIOUS. However! They also have Cacio e Pepe on their menu. I love Cacio e Pepe. I have never had good Cacio e Pepe in a restaurant. Until Villa Lulu. On the menu the Cacio e Pepe is with linguine. I am EXTREMELY picky about my pasta shapes and I do not like linguine. But, there is also Bucatini on the menu. I. LOVE LOVE LOVE Bucatini. I asked if they could do Bucatini Cacio e Pepe for me. They did and it was AMAZING. This Cacio e Pepe is so FULL of flavor and umami. The silky, creamy mouthfeel is heaven. I am SO IMPRESSED by Villa Lulu’s ability to turn out SPECTACULAR pasta dishes."

"I made a reservation via Open Table for my mom’s birthday and everything went super smooth, the staff is so friendly and accommodating, we loved it! Excellent service! Our waiter was so nice and spoke Spanish, which was so nice because our parents don’t speak so much english. We ordered many things but the arancini and the eggplant meatballs were delicious (not in the picture) the pastas brings a very good portion, the service is a lot so you can share it."

"So many fresh, creative choices for dinner! The staff are friendly and check in with you regularly! Love how they use an older house in the heart of New Haven. Perfect location!"

"Went here for dinner to celebrate the end of term. The food was tasty. I had the squid ink pasta with salmon and shrimp, with a side of garlic spinach. Pasta was fresh, and the salmon was nicely cooked. The portion sizes were good for the type of food. Didn't have space for dessert, but I can try that another time. I'd recommend it for a nice dinner or business lunch."