Villa Berulia

Phenomenal. Decided on this gem based on reviews and proximity to the hotel, we were travel weary, hungry and there were so many options. This one stood out and I am so glad it did. We asked the manager at the front desk of our hotel to point us in the right direction and his face lit up. He had nothing but wonderful things to say and suggested that we mention the hotel because they notoriously treat their guests "very well." It's Saturday night, unbeknownst to us at the time, also restaurant week, what are the chances we could walk in at 715pm and be seated immediately? It happened! We were greeted immediately, handed our coats over to the check room clerk and had a table all within minutes of opening the door! May I remind you, in NYC on a Saturday evening, during restaurant week?!The place was packed, had we seen the bar first we would have been very comfortable to grab a seat there, but do not regret having a table to watch the flow of the service. These finely dressed gentleman weave in and around tables seamlessly, with smiles and friendly banter, all while managing each and every customer with efficiency. They ALL took care of the entire small but cozy restaurant, it was truly a masterpiece in service. Even the bartender came out from behind the bar to take drink orders & make recommendations when he noticed empty glasses. I took advantage of the week specials to order a delicious bottle of wine at a fantastic price point, but otherwise we ordered from the regular menu. A plate of tasty assorted breads were complimentary as were some flaky cookies at the end of the night. An additional variety of bread was offered when it was noted that we had scarfed down the first offerings while we waited. Salads and sides are ordered in addition to any entre, large and meant for sharing. We ordered a Caesar salad to split. My partner wanted anchovies, I did not. We received the salads on separate plates, one with anchovies one without. Seems simple, but it was just an extra layer. Mussels Marinara, tortellini sausage pasta and we were both too full to give any dessert a fair chance, but they looked decadent as they went by us. Do not sleep on this place, like I said, it was packed so plenty of people already know. I would travel to dine here again. The food was amazing but the service stood out!

Great family owned restaurant. I felt I was dining in my friend's house. Service was friendly but not familiar. The owner stopped by to check if everything was ok. Good choice of meat, poultry and seafood. Good wine selection by the glass and bottle. And complementary grappa and Limoncello. Restaurant has multiple rooms so it appears cozy but not very loud even when it's full. Prices are on the higher side $40-50 per entree but there are options under $30. ( disclaimer- this was a Valentine's Day dinner). Special drinks were $20 and wine by the glass $13-$16 mostly.

I'm going to be honest and say I'm a bit biased with my review since I've been a customer of Villa Berulia for about 14 years. Not sure why I didn't write a review sooner but better late than never. I haven't been in a while and since I was in the City today, I figured I'd take advantage of restaurant week here. I love it here. It's so intimate and beautiful with the dim lights and candlelit tables. The original staff that I'm used to is no longer here but the current staff is quite nice and friendly. The food as always is absolutely delicious. I chose the Spring salad and Tortellini Bolognese ($30) excluding tax and gratuity. I had to have a cocktail so I had my usual, which is Vodka with Cranberry and a splash of Peach Schnapps. I sat in the back at my usual table and reminisced about times with my good friend Greg, chatting with John and the old staff. Villa Berulia isn't just a restaurant, it's like coming home to family. If you're in the Murray Hill area, please stop in for drinks and have some amazing food and I'm sure you'll leave with a smile.

This was a stroke of luck. I wanted to take advantage of NY's Restaurant Week but remain within blocks of our hotel. Without reading reviews -- something I almost always do -- we made a reservation at Villa Berulia. And it was great!The $45 prix fixe menu included a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert. My husband's baked clams were delicious, and I was pleased with the Caesar salad. I asked for anchovies, which came almost minced, covering every mouthful of romaine. (I'm going to do that from now on at home!)Fish apparently changes nightly. Thursday's special was sole picata. Lemony, light, simply delicious. The accompanying vegetables were prepared al dente, as they should be. While my photos are hard to see -- the restaurant is low-lit -- T's braised short ribs were a treat.Al, our gracious and friendly waiter, came around with the dessert cart. T and I shared a lemon tart and chocolate mousse cake. Both, excellent. And then -- thanks to the owner -- we capped off the evening with limoncello.There's old-world charm to Villa Berulia, from the ambience to the staff. I chatted with two women at a neighboring table who said they're here at least once a week, sometimes twice! For anyone out there vacillating over what to order, the women recommend veal. "The steak is also perfection," one added. "Better than what you get in a steakhouse." And I believe her!

One of our favorite after-work restaurants to frequent, we've been here dozens of times but never had the chance to leave a Yelp review. We were greeted with smiles at the door and seated right away. This restaurant is always packed, and it's no wonder, as the service is consistently on point and amazing. The restaurant is cozy, with small tables spaced out comfortably. We started with drinks and an appetizer of Blue Point oysters on the half shell. For the main course, I had the Bistecca, a 21-day aged NY strip steak, while my husband opted for the veal Francaise. The steak was cooked to perfection (rare) and seasoned nicely. The Francaise was tender and saucy. Of course, we saved room for dessert: pistachio cake and affogato. We will be back we can't get enough of this place.

IAmInLoveI mean, seriously, I cannot rave enough about how perfect they made our night and experience, how comforting, how relaxing, how wonderful our entire night and every single aspect of that meal was.These are the rare finds in this city that bring you back to where you've always been called to.I am fully smiling writing this review, I was fully smiling telling my mom about the place this morning.I am fully smiling like I have a crush on Villa Berulia - I do! I do have a crush on Villa Berulia.From the moment we sat down we knew it was just going to be a perfect night, exactly the vibe we wanted. The staff treated us like royalty. They were the absolute best and I hope I tipped very well. I will be back monthly if not weekly!Almost Indescribable is the best way to describe every bite of every dish. Talk about a breath of fresh air! It's a place that feels like home because it's in our blood and it's a place like Villa Berulia that must be cherished, supported, and kept around forever. For last night alone, it will be forever in my heart.If there is one thing you could do for me, it would be to give this place as much business as you can. It's a very reasonable price and the night was priceless. I truly hope the staff sees this and feels my utter appreciation and gratitude for a wonderful evening. I want to thank them for the freebies, thank them for the service, thank them for delicious food, and the best ambiance we could have asked for. There is simply nothing we could have asked for further.I will be giving them all my money. I'm calling HR and making them the beneficiary to my retirement plan hahaVilla Berulia is my entire Murray Hill Heart

I worked right across the street from this restaurant for almost 16 years. I was lucky enough to experience a few meals there and I have to say, I was never, ever disappointed. The food was always very good and the service was always excellent. It's also very pretty on the inside and is dimly lit at night. This is a perfect place for a date night, lunch with colleagues, dinner with friends, etc. I highly recommend it.

They can easily accommodate large parties and have private party rooms! We had a party of 20 heads! Very delicious Italian food but def on the smaller portion size Service 5/5Food 4.5/5 Ambience 4/5 Skip the beef and go straight for the ravioli & pasta

I have walked by this restaurant more times than I can count and finally decided to try it out. Murray Hill needs more restaurants with this one's cozy ambiance.I had initially planned to sit with my friend at the bar however the bar portion we sat at has absolutely no leg room. We decided to opt for a table. The bread and bread sticks are delicious however no olive oil was provided which I like with bread at red sauce italian spots. To be far, I didn't ask for it.We started with fried calamari and the lemon vinaigrette salad aka insalata verde. The salad was fresh with some nuts but it was just the chunks of lettuce on the plate. Overall it lacked creativity such as a fig or something to break up the monotony of the greens. It was fresh. The calamari was fresh, crispy and delicious. It was served with a tasty homemade tomato sauce.For dinner my partner had the pasta trio and I had the halibut special. The halibut was so fresh and had no fishy taste. The pasta was very good!We did not have room for dessert.I also had a glass of Pinot noir was which was fairly good. Overall I would give this spot a solid 4.0.I would like to come back again to try a few of the other options. I will def be back as I live in the neighborhood.

The character of the restaurant has stayed the same for 40 plus years. It's Italian gothic style and ambience. The service was very good. I had the salmon a tomato broth. Very good but wasn't expecting so much broth. Solid 4.5