I had heard a lot about Villa Danieli, but had never dined there before. Naturally I was full of high expectations. The restaurant is designed like a Tuscan villa, with vaulted ceiling and a central dining area with elevated clerestory windows. Overall it felt a bit Disneyesque, like most places are when you try to recreate something from somewhere else. But it was cosy enough.
Since it was my first time at the restaurant, I decided to go for the whole four-course experience. I ordered a salad, a soup, main course and dessert. Bread was served before the main items arrived, with an olive oil and Balsamic dip. The bread was very good, and the balsamic vineger one of the best I've tasted.
Surprisingly, the soup arrived first. I didn't complain, as it was really good. I ordered the Beef Broth with Homemade Ravioli. The flavour was very intense and beefy, and the beef-filled ravioli were good too.
Next came the Pugliese Seafoo Salad. It was a warm salad, the seafood was cooked very lightly and seasoned just with salt and pepper. It was nice and simple, maybe a little bit too simple. A bit of vinegraitte would have elevated the dish.
For Main Course I ordered the Cappelletti with Braised Lamb Shank and a Tomato Sauce. Cappelletti are supposed to look like little Modena hats, but I thought these looked a bit shapeless. The sauce was nice, but the filling of braised lamb shank could use a bit more seasoning - more wine and pepper perhaps.
There were not many choices for dessert, so I decided to go for the Tiramisu. I was not dissapointed, it was a proper Tiramisu served in a glass.
Overall, the dinner did not live up to my expectations as I've had better Italian food in less lofty places. I felt the food did not reach that extra level of excellence required of a place like this, especially for the price they are charging.
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