The Villa Palmer Lake

Very ordinary. Went with a group of people and saw several different plates that were brought to the table. I was sure since everything is «fresh and homemade» it would really pack a punch and make me leave wanting more but this was simply a dream and not reality. The rolls that were brought out first were bland and dry. No flavor of any kind to be honest, and the dipping sauce left much to be desired. I ordered lemon chicken. Everything on my plate needed seasoning. Where is the salt? Sad to say many who were at the table grabbed and took advantage of shaking the salt too. I saw one person, across from me, salt her food THREE TIMES!!! I didn’t see anything that looked appetizing on anyone’s plate not to mention the salad nor the soup. The salad looked as if it was taken straight from the bag, no frills. And the soup… mildly warm. Don’t get me started on the desert tray. I was warned before they brought that out (desert tray) that nothing was good – from those who have come previously. I’m not sure how any of it would have tasted but by the appearance it looked wilted, old, flavorless, and simply boring. I will not be returning! Can’t complain with the hour and some wait for the food I guess with the large group but seriously??? One plus, the wine was good… but it’s hard to mess up something that comes in a bottle that you don’t touch.

Tonight was an amazing dinner. Tuesday is ½ price for a bottle of wine. The food was AMAZING! We had the curry chicken and lasagna and each were wonderful. The curry chicken was so good I thought I was going to melt. I enjoyed the salad dressings too. We had each of the 3 homemade dressings on the side and we couldn’t decide which was our favorite. It was definitely one of the three… Which ever one I was eating. This place is worth visiting if you are in the Monument area! Service was amazing, food amazing, wine amazing! What more do you need?

Unbelievable food and staff! Great Jazz music while you dine.
A gem of a restaurant hidden in the foot hills of the Rockies /​a quaint little town of Palmer Lake. Great small shops and a fun place to visit. Just 15 north of the Springs. You gotta see and taste this menu. Chris & Kerri Bohler have many years as restauranteurs.
Put this on the «must do» list!

very average. patio was lovely… except for the four trains in one hour that kept going by very loudly. food was average; not bad but not exceptional. GIANT portions, and additions of salad, bread and two sides were way too much, but not necessarily a complaint. nice staff, though seemed a bit disjointed (maybe they were covering patio and inside). no hostess, entry does not match the pretty ambiance inside. looked to have a good bar, and like a nice local hangout. not fine dining, as the prices are leaning, and lots of cream sauces. great gluten-​free options, not many ‘healthy’ choices.

The happy hour here is most definitely one of our favorites. The staff is so friendly and I frequently notice the owner helping out the staff helping out with keeping up with the orders and such. The bar is well stocked and the drinks are amazing. They keep a nice rotation of beers from a local brewery on tap. We like Italian and there is always a nice special or something just a little different. We will keep coming back this place is great! Mike is great and our first impression and service from him was so great it was what kept us coming back.

Went there 20 years ago and wanted to try it out again. So we just showed up last weekend without a reservation which we quickly learned was not a problem when the host treated us like we were his old friends. He found out quickly what we were looking for and sat us at a great table in the bar with live jazz. We love live music and it was a nice trio that played plenty of tunes you know. Not too loud though, just right. The place is old and quaint, not fancy but nice and comfy. Now for the good part. The best lasagna we’ve had in a while and we took plenty home for a second meal. Very fresh ingredients, descent wine list and some pretty classy desserts. It was a pleasure tipping the very attentive wait staff who have the team approach down pat. Great value if you ask us. We enjoyed ourselves and we will be back.

The Blue Crab Chicken was to die for!!! The staff was awesome! Happy hour from 5 – 6 pm including buy one meal get one half off!

Service good. Lahvosh was mediocre. Pasta was very good. Lemon drop martini was horrible, but the grey goose martini was good, but tiny. Family was mixed on returning.

We had dinner here last night. We were quickly sat on the patio. I ordered the Sesame Almond Chicken Salad and I must say it was awesome! I love their homemade sweet chili house dressing. It took a little long to get the check taken care of at the end but it was such a beautiful evening on the patio that we didn’t mind the wait too much.

I love this place. Food is excellent, friendly service. Summertime has live music on the patio. Come, take your time and enjoy.

Drove all the way from downtown… Shows as open on Sunday… Closed Sundays and Mondays… Thanks for the update villa

What a nice restaurant for the area with lots of improvements since the first time I was there. The waiter was professional and responsive, the food was delicious and the desert finished the meal off well! I will be going back with friends or on date it works for both.

Amazing options for dinner. The food was as close as you can get to being in Italy. Whether you are a vegetarian or a die hard pasta lover there is an amazing option for you.
The evening started with a wonderful Cabernet from Dynamite Vineyards. Next, our party of 11 tried many things on the menu. We were not disappointed! Come here for an unforgettable evening!

Delicious food and great service… have been eating here for several years now.

Excellent atmosphere! Outstanding service and food items… the bar is a lot of fun with engaging bartenders and servers. One thing to note, when making reservations, you actually have to stipulate the dining room. Otherwise, the staff will fill the bar area tables first.

If I could give this restaurant zero stars, I would do so with absolutely no hesitation. Highly do not recommend.
My boyfriend had this restaurant in mind after he came with his dad, aunt, and uncle for lunch. He wanted me to try it since he enjoyed it the first time he came. We arrived at 6:45 for our 7 pm reservation for a early Valentine’s Day dinner and we were seated by a very nice hostess immediately. The atmosphere was cozy and relaxed, there was a nice bar, and even a fireplace. However, everything went downhill from the moment we were seated.
Our waitress came by our table with cups of water and another bottle for refills. Normally waitresses introduce themselves, or at the very least say hello, but we did not get a word out of her. She simply set the water on the table and left. She came back a few minutes later with the bread, but again did not say anything to us at all. This is incredibly strange behavior for someone who is working for tips, which I am typically generous with despite my poor-​college-​student status. At this point, my boyfriend and I were confused because no one had even taken our drink orders.
We sat for 35 minutes and still no one had even taken our drink orders, plus I had lost my appetite from filling up on water and bread when we were willing to spend $ 80+ on a nice meal. The restaurant was not even close to full, so there was really no excuse that I could think of.
In the meantime, all of the tables around us were being served and helped and generally attended to by the two waiters. One couple whose reservation was for 7:30 pm was seated and immediately their drink orders were taken. We were fed up with waiting and being ignored while everyone else received perfect service, so we left without paying for our bread and water. I had to restrain myself from leaving a nasty note on the table.
Essentially my boyfriend and I were refused service. This is simple postulation, but it may be because we are Asian, and we are both college-​age students. Every other person who was in the restaurant and receiving service was older than us and white. Coincidence? Maybe. However, I will never never never be returning to this restaurant. My money will be spent elsewhere as well as on waiters who deserve their tips.
We went to get sushi instead. We received fantastic service there!

Came in for lunch after a morning hike for our first try here. Had the Greek chicken sandwich and it was great! Knots with oregano are very tasty.
Very comfortable décor and quick service. Dinner menu looks wonderful but they’re already booked solid for Valentine’s Day

I used to love this place so much. On the positive side, Tyler was a great server. On the negative side, the food was not good and a good 40% more expensive than it was. I couldn’t have been more disappointed. It was our 22^nd anniversary and we were in great spirits having anticipated the meal for days. I’m so sad they have slid so far.
Upon arrival, the updates to the restaurant were welcome. The reconfigured entry allowed smoother movement between the various areas. We were seated in our favorite spot near the ‘back’ fireplace and as mentioned, had great service. First thing of note was the complete menu change. The menu used to be very reliable and high quality italian at reasonable prices on average around $ 16. The only thing now at $ 16 was the lasagna with prices climbing steeply form there and I’d guess averaging in the low to mid-​$ 20s. I ordered the seafood lasagna for $ 18 and my wife ordered a crab chicken dish for around the same. Historically they had an awesome seafood and pasta dish for about $ 22 which really was at the max of our budget but so good it was worth it. Seeing simple pasta dishes for that price now caused some concern so we figured we’d be safe with lasagna and chicken. The server offered bread which we happily accepted. Historically they would bring a pesto/​red sauce for dipping which they no longer do. The bread was also much more fun and varied and was now replaced by petite little rolls. Our server graciously was able to get us some dipping sauce so that helped. After an appropriate time, the meals came out. Up till now there were little indicators that restaurant cost savings and menu price increases would diminish our enjoyment for this restaurant but now it was confirmed. First my wives dish of crab chicken with pasta. It truly was pasta — nothing else. The chicken had a couple strands of crab but not so much that it added flavor. Finally the chicken tasted like sautéed chicken — no seasoning of flavor whatsoever. Place a chicken breast in a skillet and cook then serve. The roasted vegetables were delicious but such a small portion (2 – 3 Tbsp max) they couldn’t offset the overall meal. On to my seafood lasagna. It was served in an ~8 inch by ~4 inch ‘boat’ dish. The dish was filled to the top with cream. I couldn’t see anything disturbing the cream surface so I started poking around the dish with my fork. In the very middle was a slice of lasagna approximately 1 inch wide by 5 inches long. Very sad I tok a coupe bites. The lasagna wasn’t bad but it was cream flavored. Maybe it tasted like cheese with cream which effectively tastes like cream. I was so disappointed. For $ 18 I received a strip of cheese in cream. I set the dish in the middle of the table. The server came by and I explained my disappointment and my wife trying to save any potential enjoyment of the meal asked about getting normal lasagna instead. We were quoted a 15 wait to which I stated I think we should just let her finish and go. The server went to have then manager, I assume, remove my meal from the ticket. No one came by to ask any questions.
For years we have told everyone about this place and our love of it. It was a big part of the magic of Palmer Lake but maybe much like the Lake, the restaurant has dried up as well. From reasonable prices, to delicious and reliable food, to fun breads and desserts, to a great ambiance, the Villa has slipped on all counts.

The Villa seems to change their menu quite frequently. Right now, their menu is definitely not your typical Italian-​American fare. Lots of seafood, duck, and lamb tending towards a more high brow audience.
I had the lamb couscous which was excellent. My wife was less thrilled with the menu because it lacked the typical Italian meals containing Alfredo or Carbonara. I’m not sure how she survived in Italy! My wife just pointed out that they might not be considered Italian anymore.
They have two incidentals of note: the tomato basil bisque soup is fantastic, and the feta dressing is really good.

The food never seems to disappoint. There is a new outdoor patio and is absolutely beautiful at night! The service is wonderful, and they are very good with catering to allergy needs.
The only downside is that parking is very limited.