I lived a few blocks from Villa Terraza and would go there at least 5 times a week, mainly to have a drink but also to eat their great food. Highly recommend them! read more

We ordered from Villa Terraza because we've been there before and knew it would probably be busy. My husband specifically ordered over the phone and clearly said "no onions please" because I'm allergic to onions. When he got home and we opened the food, there were chunks of onions in the seafood linguine and scallions (which are onions) all over the cheesy garlic bread, which something I've never even seen on their garlic bread before, or any kind of garlic bread. On top of that, there was a hair in my husband's food! We called and spoke with Leslie, the alleged manager, and instead of apologizing, she argued that "the kitchen doesn't carry onions" and that "our chefs don't have hair," which honestly made the situation even more ridiculous. Meanwhile, we were sitting there hungry, irritated, and unable to eat the food we paid for. Her solution was basically "you can order something else", which after this experience, we absolutely would never do. She also said my husband would get a refund, but there was still no real apology or accountability, just excuses and defensiveness. Honestly, just really disappointed. If the kitchen was overwhelmed or overbooked, they could have simply said so. We would have respected the honesty far more than careless food prep and zero concern for an allergy issue. read more

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My friend found this place on an Instagram reel and we planned a day to try it. I missed it because it looked like a house. It is a yellow orange color and the sign is in some shrubbery. There is plenty of parking as well. It looks like a converted home turn restaurant. It is very cozy and the service matched that. The booth we sat at was inside a space and it made it more private which was so nice. We ended up ordering the bruschetta, a house salad with italian dressing, pumpkin ravioli, and the salmon special. For dessert, the tiramasu was ordered. The bruschetta was very fresh and garlic forward and the bread was crunchy and not soggy. The house salad was good, I just skipped the cucumbers because they tasted off. The pumpkin ravioli was perfectly sweet and the sage cream sauce paired perfectly with it. The salmon pasta was flavorful as well and generous portion of salmon. Now for the tiramisu. It has chocolate sprinkles on it which I was not a fan of and skipped over them. The remainder of it was delicious though. The service was great for an early Sunday. It was quiet but it made for the perfect catch up session with my friend. read more

Villa Terraza - Pumpkin ravioli - Italian Near Me - Shadow Hills, California

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We were visiting from out of town and heard that this place was a good so we decided to try it out. In the reviews it said "lively atmosphere" with live music and a beautiful courtyard. It sounded like a fun place to get on our list for our trip! It was a Sunday night and we're expecting it to be lively for a weekend night. When we walked in - there was almost no one there. There were so many seats open with only two other small parties there. The place was kind of dark and empty and the outside was shut down. Our waitress was very nice and attentive to us, and it was a cool cottage-like building- so we decided to sit down and try the food. We ordered "berchetta" as an appetizer to start off with. Honestly- it tasted like store bought croutons with tomatoes and salad dressing drizzled on top. Still hoping for some good Italian food, I ordered the Chicken Marsala and my husband ordered the Chicken Parcata. When we got it we were pretty disappointed. It was ok. Definitely something we could have cooked at home with our basic skills. The Chicken Marsala and the Chicken Parcata were basically the same dish with just two different sauces on top of the chicken. They came with mashed potatoes and veggies. The chicken was kind of bland and dry. The sauces were watery- not a classic creamy sauce. No cheese or flavor that made any of it stand out at all. The veggies seemed like they were steamed in the microwave. The potatoes were lumpy and bland. They didn't mash them enough. This did not taste at all like Italian food. No cheese to be found on any of our food? The meal cost us $90. It felt way over priced for what it was. I'm sad that this was our experience because we had read such good praises about this place. When we walked through the courtyard there was no water in the fountain or the stream. No lights outside. No live music. I have a feeling this place used to be really awesome but maybe it's not doing that well? Did the chef retire or something? read more

It's been a while since I've left a restaurant feeling like I got robbed. First red flag you pull it's Sunday at 5:30 the parking lot is empty and it looks like a hunted house . You walk through the door and there's no one there on site and the host pops out and leads you down an empty seating room to the corner where there's 3 other tables. This place is sad because you can tell it use to be a lively building that was a really good Italian restaurant. Feels like a ghost town of what use to be. You can see there was a cool river running through it they don't run anymore and it looks like an Italian village but those days are gone. Why not just learn how to cook? I mean one time with ai could teach you how to make a good meal . Sad Me and my wife were vacationing here and this place looked really good and the reviews were good. Liked awesome on help. . Then i after we ordered bruschetta and ate some we definitely should of walked away but we were starving. We ordered chicken marsala and chicken picatta . $29 each. It tasted like someone just learned to cook. No seasoning, it tasted like when I first cooked myself a meal and poured some store bought sauce on it. But possible worse. You can get really nice chicken dinner for $30 basically anywhere. Would never come here again. Do people just like it because of nostalgia? My guess is the owner passed this down to his kids and they are running it and don't care. read more

Villa Terraza never disappoints! The portions are generous, everything on the menu is absolutely delicious, and the quality is always consistent. The service is fantastic, the ambiance is welcoming and cozy, and the food is truly amazing. Everyone there is so kind and makes you feel right at home. We'll never miss an opportunity to stop in and enjoy a meal at Villa Terraza because we know it will not disappoint! read more

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Very very disappointed. First time coming here, everything started off great, we got our appetizer and then our food comes I have a toddler so as a mom I take a few bites then stop and feed my toddler. I was moving around my pasta and lo and behold a BIG ass pincher bug in my pasta! omg! So I just stopped, as a prior ast. manager unfortunately know what it's like so I don't make a big fuss. We do notify the sever and quickly she removed my plate and walked to the kitchen. Kept saying sorry sorry sorry but the manager never came around to table to apologize or to acknowledge the problem. Yes the dish was taking off the bill ( as it should) but other than the poor server nothing happened in regards to management coming over. I could have made a Big deal about this but I'm not that type of person, so unfortunately we will not be returning. read more

I hadn't been to Villa Terraza in more than 5 years. The other party hadn't been there in two years. Although the hostess and wait staff were very attentive, other areas have changed drastically. Sadly the food did not live up to our past experiences, which were wonderful. This restaurant was chosen for a recent celebration, but we're quite surprised with what we received. Lasagna didn't have the customary lush red sauce; just looked like hamburger meat with pasta. The mashed potatoes were very bland. No hint of milk/cream or butter or salt & pepper; the grilled salmon was under seasoned. We were all very disappointed with our meals. Sadly this will be the last time we will visit your restaurant which we have been coming to on & off since the 1980's... read more

I'm a foodie and this is my favorite food restaurant in all of L.A. The food, service, ambiance and location are all exceptional. Everything on the menu is to die for. My favorite is the trout. WOW. But the seafood linguini, the salmon, etc. would be my top choices at any other place. I want to try everything on the menu but it's so hard to resist the trout. These people are amazing! read more

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Low key restaurant with DELICIOUS food. the pumpkin raviolis are amazing I do with they turn some fountains on for ambience If its a water thing then just buy a individual one. needed here read more

The food tastes SO homemade - obviously in a good way! Comfort food to the max. Can't wait to go back and try more of their specials. The restaurant was so beautiful, it's a shame they don't have more business. Service was kind and seems like a family run business. Agree with other reviews that I wish they could turn the water on again, would make the ambiance a 10/10. read more

This is such a hidden gem! It's always nice to find places in LA area that you wouldn't have to deal with the hustle and bustle of the city. Both the exterior and interior of the restaurant give European vibes. We had the calamari, spaghetti, ribeye steak and a side of sausage - all were delicious. Shout out to our server Joseph who pleasantly took care of our needs while dining. read more

Villa Terraza - So aesthetic - Italian Near Me - Shadow Hills, California

A local treasure- the history alone on this restaurant is enough to check it out. It's cute and quaint and tucked away in Shadow Hills. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Solid Italian comfort food. They have the best Cappellini Alla Checca- made fresh with just enough seasoning. My husband loves the Chicken Piccata. We also recently tried the Creme Brule Cheesecake, and it had the right of burnt topping with a creamy cheesecake underneath. They also have a limited but decent wine selection. They also have Happy Hour too. Highly recommend. One of my favorite local haunts. read more

I love this place! The vibes are wonderful, service great and the food delicious. We were a party of 5 plus a baby. Started with a bottle of wine and fried zucchini appetizer. Very relaxed pace. I had the salmon with a balsalmic reduction, very enjoyable with potatoes and veggies. Others had chicken piccata, eggplant parmesan and penne al forno. Everyone left with happy bellies. There is also a very nice outdoor seating area but it was too cold for us. read more

Had been up in the area the other night, at decided to give this restaurant a try. Definitely out of the way unless you live up in Sunland area or just happen to be in the area for some reason. Didn't have a reservation but there weren't many people on a Saturday night so we were seated right away. Started off with the bruschetta. One thing about the crispy garlic bread if that they are fragile. Tried picking up two of them and they both broke apart. Could have been due to the toppings being too moist, or maybe they were just frail pieces of bread? Either way, ended up being more of a mess to eat than it would have been For entrees we had the pumpkin ravioli and the beef lasagna. The ravioli had a nice pumpkin flavor inside while the butter sage sauce on top didn't really feel very fresh. The flavor of the sauce was ok, felt something was missing though. The lasagna was big and hearty, with a nice amount of beef paired with the ricotta cheese and mozzarella. Was actually a good slice of lasagna. Overall, a decent restaurant with some good things about the food, with some areas that could be improved. read more

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This review is based off the food alone as I ordered take out. I ordered at 4:23 and was told it be ready in 20 minutes. Get there at 4:50. By the time I get home it's 5. I tell you this timeline because I don't want anyone to think that the food was sitting out for a long time. So we were excited to try this place out because the photos online and all the reviews make it seem like the food is absolutely amazing. First, the spaghetti and meat sauce looked like they added noodles and ground beef into the container. Had no flavor, I thought my husband was lying until I took a bite. It tasted like noodles and nothing else. Next, I ordered chicken parmesan and the first bite I felt the chicken had a weird texture. Husband tried and spit it out. It was rubbery! He said chicken that had been cooked and only less than 20 minutes old should not feel like that. The spaghetti that accompanied at least tasted okay. More flavor than my husband's meat sauce. We also had a Caesar salad and a good portion of the lettuce was brown. Threw that out right away. Last, my daughter had the chicken tenders with fries. Fries had no flavor, like would it kill you to add salt? Tenders tasted like generic store bought tenders. At least they were edible. I spent $100 bucks just for most of the meal to be thrown in the trash. Never again! read more

We got food poisoning. Absolutely horrendous diarrhea and i couldn't even drive home and it ruined all of my clothes I've never gotten so sick from food before. Definitely not up to standards. Dont go there read more

Villa Terraza - Italian Near Me - Shadow Hills, California

Welcome to your neighborhood Norms. Save your money please. They just give you frozen pre packed food and not even fully warmed up. Ordered the Chicken alfredo and the chicken was still cold. Meatballs tasted like 5 days old. read more

Super good food at great prices! The service is also really good here. We came in when it was happy hour and ordered the arancini (5), fried zucchini (7) and mozzarella sticks (7), plus some house wine (7). For main courses we ordered the pumpkin ravioli, beef ravioli and filet mignon. Everyone was happy with their dish! Definitely a place we will be coming back to. read more

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This is a cute little hidden gem with a nice ambiance. It was adorable for a date night. The food was good and authentic. I also loved their dessert menu items. Service was great too! read more

Villa Terraza is a wonderful family restaurant that we've been visiting for about five years now. the food is always delicious, and the staff consistently provides excellent service. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, it truly feels like home ever time we go. We've celebrated so many special family occasions here we highly recommend eating at this restaurant. read more

We gave this place a second shot, as the first was years ago. It will be our last time. I had the greasiest calamari ever in my life.

Came here Christmas Eve eve for dinner with my lovely partner and my mother to give them both a real treat. V.T. Is an awesome hideaway and tonight they had live music with a wonderful keyboard player and singer (one woman band)! Got some Christmas favorites in the set. Settled in our booth and enjoyed the new menus, they came out a couple months ago apparently. The California salad is very delicious with thinly sliced green apples. My first time with the cheese manicotti and Italian sausage. That was a big hit. Dear one got the seafood linguini, she liked that dish and mom enjoyed eggplant parmigiana. Pinot Grigio was a good pairing. Dessert of bread pudding exceeded expectations by far, really good. read more

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Villa Terrazza is a quiet, charming Italian spot with good food at fair prices. We loved the calamari, Caesar salad, and my kid's fettuccini Alfredo with chicken. My husband enjoyed his chicken parm with spaghetti. I tried the Capellini alla Checca -- it was just okay, a bit underwhelming. Same with the spumoni ice cream. The building has historic charm, but it felt a little empty, which made it seem run down. Still, the vibe is nice, and I'm surprised more people don't go. We'd definitely return! read more

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amazing food. awesome service and a great ambiance !!!! we will miss Joseph, best waiter ever Love, Nathan & Maya read more

Villa Terraza - Delicious Calamari Fritti - Italian Near Me - Shadow Hills, California

Second time coming here and restaurant opens late. Very disappointed. Feels like no respect for customers. If it says you will be open at 4pm, restaurant should be prepared. read more

This holiday season I decided to have Christmas Eve dinner at a restaurant. It was only myself, my husband, our son, my dad and my aunt. I called the day prior to make a reservation and the manager, Leslie was so pleasant and accommodating. We were able to get on the list for 6 pm. We arrived and it was such a beautiful place. Definitely hidden a little bit but once you park and walk in, the place really gives you a cute Italian cottage vibe. We were seated quickly and the hostess was very sweet. This is a family owned business and this night we were greeted by the mother and father of Leslie. Such a wonderful atmosphere!! It was so nice to be greeted by the family as I had my little family!! We were told they had some holiday specials so, of course we had to try them. We first started with 2 appetizers. The cheesy bread which came out soft and fresh was so good!! We also ordered a caprese salad that was refreshing. We ended up ordering the rack of lamb with a mint jello, the filet mignon with mashed potatoes and veggies, the Beef Wellington that came with smashed potatoes and veggies, the Cheese ravioli with spinach and mushrooms with red sauce, and a chicken Alfredo for my toddler. Everything came out soft fresh and absolutely delicious. Great portions and presentation. We were so satisfied that we ended up getting desserts and holy moly, they did not disappoint. We ordered the crème brûlée cheesecake, the tiramisu and the bread pudding which so delectable!!! And since it's the holidays they gifted a cute little Christmas pen. This place is so cute and pretty. I found out that the restaurant also offers take out and delivery service. They also have a large outdoor eating area that is typically used for warmer weather and they also host private events!! Overall the owners and the workers were so sweet and knowledgeable on the menu that we've already made it a point to come back next year for my birthday!! This place is definitely a must if you're in the area!! I can see why this is a local hot spot. Loved everything about this place!! read more

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Food, service and a quirky castle ambiance will bring me back to this unexpected adventure in delicious Italian fare!

Our first time at Villa Terraza. This place was recommended by my brother. The ambiance was nice. Customer service was excellent by our waitress. However we didn't get her name. We came here for our wedding anniversary. Made a reservation online and as soon as we arrived our table was ready so we were seated right away. We ordered the garlic cheese bread for starters along with the calamari. Main dish we ordered kids chicken Alfredo pasta, seafood linguine, linguine with clams, egg plant a la parmesan and chicken parmesan. We thought it was great that they brought out our child's meal first before the other dishes. Our food did not take long to be served. Our waitress was awesome because she brought water/drinks right away and checked on us a few times. Last but not least our food was delicious. The portion sizes are great. Food is not salty and actually has a flavorful taste. Portions of the seafood and chicken were of good amount. We will definitely come back. We enjoyed our first dining experience at Villa Terraza for our wedding anniversary. Thank you! read more

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First time going and was super excited. Loved the ambiance and the live music was amazing !! My biggest complaint was the food which was very bland and too long of a wait for what I received which was the chicken piccata and chicken alfredo pasta. Sadly was my first and last time going :( read more

I was excited to try this restaurant on Valentine's Day but was very disappointed by the food, service and taste. It took over an hour for the food to arrive just to be disappointed by the taste of it. The food was also over priced for two dishes it came out to 60 dollars, I would not have minded the cost if the food was actually good, the ambiance of the restaurant was very beautiful and cozy. A hidden restaurant that should stay hidden. Very disappointed! read more

The only Italian place i go to there food is so homie and delicious they have this salad i get all the time with sweet pecans poppy seed dressing omggg im craving that as im writing this also there pink sauce and seafood pasta is a must get read more

Outstanding flavorful food. Great service and ambience. Never disappointed when we come here.

Over priced. Food not so good. Ordered bread waitress said, oh yes, bread we have garlic butter bead. I said sure.. sounds good. What she brings to the table garlic cheese bread.. not so good. Service alright . . Won't visit again. read more

Excellent first time here. Will be coming back to try more food. But definitely get these for your first time. 1. Garlic cheese bread 2. Calamari 3. Cioppino (this was the best dish I tried so far) excellent amount of seafood in the soup. My family came right when they opened. Not crowded whatsoever. And the service was excellent as well. Extremely friendly and helpful waitress. Will be back again soon! read more

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This place is all about the ambiance! We were looking for exactly that! The outdoor area is cozy and spacious all at once. Perfect for a summer evening. Inside there are also some super cozy booths that are walled off between them, which I always love (reminds me of a place I worked in college). Our dinners were good, my partner got the salmon special and said it was the most tender cooked salmon he'd ever had. I had the chicken piccata which was good and the prices are definitely reasonable. Always a gem in 2024. Bar is beer and wine, which always works well for us. They appear to have musical guests from time to time. Our server was attentive and delightful. There's parking on site and it seems plentiful enough. We had a great time and will definitely be back. read more

I love this place. The food and ambiance are amazing! It's a nice tucked away hidden gem.

Classic Italiano eats in the hills of the Los Angeles Valley... Villa Terraza has an amazing history: "It was 1936 when Bavarian-born August Furst and his family arrived in Los Angeles from New York City. They bought a hillside orange grove on a winding dirt road and built the Old Vienna Gardens Restaurant.... (with a roller coaster of accusations and 1930s endeavors that would make your brows cartoonish)... The Old Vienna Gardens sold in the '70s and became an Italian restaurant and then a Mexican restaurant before it emerged as the beautifully restored Villa Terraza" - Villa Terraza They have amazing indoor and outdoor layout with seating for both including cozy intimate covered booths and coves. Enjoy a drink from their impressive wine bar, Italian dishes made with care and/or service from the best. Beer, brunch (during the weekend) and dessert are also on the menu. While Villa Terraza doesn't have many dietary restriction options at the moment (for this person) with traditional well prepared egg pasta dishes they do have a solid salad, potatoes, fruit and some miscellaneous items by default that can be very satisfying for plant-based food enthusiasts. Several of the dishes are naturally vegetarian and/or gluten-friendly and they do seem to be able to accommodate request. I did hear they are looking to expand the menu and add a few more vegan specific items in the future. This hidden gem in Shadow Hills shines bright with cuisine, atmosphere and plenty of parking. Slow down or you'll miss out on the Sunland Blvd spot between the light at Shadow Island Dr and La Canada Way just before Rancho Caballo. Enjoy a stroll to the restrooms outdoors if needed or just around the property and take in the Villa Terraza. Beautiful architecture. Beautiful experiences. read more

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Great food, service and ambiance! Hidden Gem in Shadow Hills. Looks like a great place to use for an event.

Probably the best Italian cuisine in this part of LA! Super friendly staff and on Saturday Live Entertainment!!