Vilia takes liberties with the Italian classics, to great effect.
Those who love classic home-style Italian dishes will adore the authentic, flavorful cooking at Procopio Angelo, reviewed here a couple of weeks ago, but those looking for more creative interpretations of the classics might prefer a new restaurant called Vilia in the 12th arrondissement. Some of us, myself included, love them both.
The tiny (20 covers max) restaurant’s wood-paneling is painted dark gray, brightened by a gold-painted column in the middle and given a more spacious feel by lots of mirrors, some of them with etched designs.
A glance at the limited seasonal menu (three choices for each course) would hardly tell you that Vilia is an Italian restaurant. On the night we were there, it offered such dishes as pumpkin soup with sweet chestnuts and roast lamb with hummus.
While we perused the menu, we nibbled on the generous hunks of to-die-for Parmesan cheese that had been plonked down on the table with a glass of white Cheverny by the handsome owner,
