My wife and I had dinner at Villa D'Aqua on Monday, July 3. We looked forward to having dinner on Villa D'Aqua's outdoor dock seating area. We were promptly seated near the rear of the dock. We sat at the table without menus, table setting, or water for 15 minutes. We began hearing the tables around us talk about how they'd been sitting for a lengthy period of time without even meeting their waiter. We decided to call an audible and roll the dice on indoor seating in hopes of better service. We, once again, were promptly seated inside the restaurant. The restaurant was less than half full on this Monday evening. We, again, sat without a menu or water for about 5-7 minutes before meeting our waiter, who asked for our order before we'd seen a menu, heard specials, or placed a drink order. I, however, do not think this is a wait staff issue. The waiters and other service members seemed very overwhelmed despite the restaurant not being at maximum capacity. If anything, the restaurant seems really understaffed. On the night we dined, it seemed that one waiter was responsible for ALL the outdoor diners and one waiter was responsible for ALL the indoor diners. The result was incredibly slow service and a lot of discombobulation. The food was fine. I had chicken francese and my wife had the short rib ragu (which she thought was very good). Overall, the below-average service really took away from our dining experience. Unfortunately, the restaurant doesn't seem equipped to handle the large dining crowds that the summer months will bring for their waterfront views. read more

I thought the service was great but the food was mediocre. Worst was the Tiramisu was Costco brand.

Villa Daqua 2565 Bellmore Avenue, Nassau County, Long Island, New York. South of Merrick Road it is blended in almost looking like 'another private house' that happens to be nestled in a residential neighborhood on a cozy waterway inlet overlooking the inlet bay. Quite charming cozy eatery with very attentive wait staff offering you a wide-enough menu selection with lots of variety to satisfy your palate. Decent portions of tasty delicious dishes. Even has outdoor waterfront dining when seasonal weather permits. enjoyed the visit read more

We had a meet up with friends! Nice looking place on the outside, tucked into the neighborhood! Impressed on the inside, nice decor. Friendly greeting by coat check person. The bartender was friendly, we were seated on time! John our server was on top of the table and professional! Food was excellent. Hot ,tasty, a bit creative and fresh! Pasta Fagiolli was delicious as was Burrota and Fig Appetizer!!! Osso Bucco awesome and Codfish Marecherria on Special menu, all excellent! The owner Tommy was great, on top of the service. Made sure he visits every table and offered an after dinner drink for the 7 of us!! Very Cordial!! Don't miss this hidden gem!!!! Looking forward to return trip!!! read more

I've been coming to this restaurant with my family for years. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. The staff is wonderful. The menu is varied and consistent. Try the grilled calamari and octopus and the hot antipasto. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. read more

I came here the other day for a bridal shower. Its down a busy block in south bellmore with plenty of parking. The food... Course 1: Caesar Salad or Tri-Colored. I had the Caesar Salad, I thought it was okay something was sour in it. Course 2: I opted for the Penne a la vodka. This was delicious, the sauce was light and tasty. Course 3: Tilapia, Veal with proscuitto, tomato and mozzarella cheese and chicken. The veal was DELICIOUS, not heavy or chewy. Course 4: Dessert- Cheesecake. HORRIBLE, not cheesy and very tangy. I couldn't even finish it. All the girls at my table thought the inside was dry. Decor: I love the dock but inside needs some updating its drab. It's lacking spunk, theme and personality. I would go with a water theme art work with clips or fishing boats. Staff: I found our waiter a little pushy and dismissive. We never caught his name BUT they regularly filled our water and asked if we were done with our meal prior to taking our plates away. read more

Went with my husband on a Friday night at the last minute. It was during the winter so we didn't couldnt enjoy the waterfront atmosphere but I bet during the summer it is fantastic. The food was awesome and the price is very reasonable. House wines delicious - specials delicious. We passed on dessert because we were just too full but the tray of selections they brought to the table was really tempting. We will be back. read more

The food wasn't amazing, but was pretty good... The problem was the the service was unbearably slow. Very very slow. Even after the staff, with no prompting, said they were sorry it was slow... No one refilled our water the entire meal - even when we asked for it, and even getting the check took 15 minutes from we asked for it and so far roughly as long to get my card back as well... Still waiting for that, and our water. read more

Huge disappointment. Came in with two other friends. The best dish was the grilled octopus and calamari appetizer. Everything else was amateur cooking at best. Cajun tuna special was ordered medium rare but came in looking like it was steamed and over cooked. It was all one white color, not the expected blackened spiced on the outside, pink on the inside. Tasted like it was out of a can with a little extra seasoning. Also had a shrimp and scallop special with capers. This dish included 3 decent sized shrimp and only 2 scallops drizzled in a very lemony sauce, spoonful of tasteless mashed potatoes and some frozen tasting veggies on the side. This dish was tiny and underwhelming especially given its price. The desert was ok ,cappuccinos we're on point. Service was alright. The waiter never came over to see if the food came out ok, but was prompt at bringing the receipt without us asking for it. Overall if you want good Italian food or seafood there are much better places on the island. The place has so much potential but they really need to improve their food. read more

TL;DR The food is really good, the wait staff is ok but the sound level inside the restaurant is awful. We had a reservation at 8:15 for nine of us on a Saturday evening. We all got there at 8pm but were not seated until 9:15pm, not all of us enjoyed the wait at the bar. I'm imagining that Saturday evenings are one of their busiest times. When we were seated we were offered an apology from the owner which we though was nice. While the service was noticeably slow and it took longer than you'd expect to get some bread and the menu's, we ordered and the food was really good. I would have preferred to have eaten outside and would recommend you do the same if you want to eat here with a large group. At least you might be able to hold a conversation at your table. The sound inside the restaurant was incredible. Not too loud that you couldn't speak to the person next to you but speaking to someone across the table was challenging without raising your voice, which contributes to the noise level. BOTTOM LINE: If you're in a group, sit outside. It's your best change for an enjoyable evening. But if you do get stuck next to a larger group inside, ask for a different table or choose another evening to eat here. It's just not worth competing with the sound inside the restaurant for an enjoyable evening. read more

I was so disappointed last Sunday, April 24, 2022 when I arrived at 2 pm to take my friend out to lunch at Villa D' Aqua for her birthday. I had a reservation for lunch and confirmed it twice. I was told they didn't need to take my phone number because it was only for 2 people. When we arrived, we were told that there was a large birthday there and we couldn't be accommodated. The staff was not apologetic at all. They told us to go to their other site, which was more expensive and a steak restaurant. I tried to speak to the owner and was told that people are disappointed all the time. I have eaten at this restaurant many times before. However, felt really invalidated this time. If a reservation can not be honored, the restaurant should contact the person and let them know before they get there. read more

We got here on Saturday afternoon, when there were two private parties on and the place was very busy. Anyway, they got us a table and treated us super nicely. The food was DELICIOUS and very authentic. It has a great atmosphere, the outside seating is stunning. This place made our day! Would definitely come back from NYC for a weekend lunch! read more

Villa D'Aqua - Lobster, risotto, roasted beets - Italian Near Me - Bellmore, New York

Slow service, food was good not great, just good at best. The price point is more for the view then the food. Calamari appetizer was overcooked and in need of seasoning (like bland new rubber bands.) We said something to the server; he just shrugged as if to say what can I do. Courses arrived and servers did not know who had ordered them. We had to request fresh pepper several times to get it . Host was very friendly but never checked back during 3+ hour meal. With all the GREAT restaurants in the Long Island area I will not return. read more

Person who greeted us was friendly, he escorted us to the table. Downhill from there. The food is good but expensive. The service is terrible. These servers cannot handle high volume dinning . My servers (I say servers because I wasn't sure if I had one or more than one or who it really was !) seemed very disorganized, he took forever to take our order, we had to tell someone else we were ready and he took forever to take our check when we were done. Horrible service! I wouldn't come back! read more

Awful service..I love the food but the service is the worst...I have tried 4 separate times and every time it is awful. The owner should stop walking around and manage his people or better yet HIRE some more. The bus boy is the BEST... so maybe have him be the waiter. Awful awful service read more

Had a wonderful lunch. During week there is a special 3 course meal for $16.99. Host and staff attentive and food delish. They have music on weekend nights outside on patio. read more

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I love this place .. they make you fell like family and I come from out of state .. if you love veal order. Scaloppine napoletana it is fabulous either with potato's or ask for pasta because the sauce is so yummy .. if they have braised short ribs that is another must have with the pasta fagioli soup .. amazing what every you want they will make .. salads are yummy read more

Update: got an extremely rude and unprofessional message from the owner due to this response. He thought that this was an "unfair review and no way to treat a good neighbor". I explained that it was an honest review, nothing negative toward food (which if I'm being honest was nothing worth while) and nothing negative against wait staff (very slow service but completely understandable due to circumstances). Then the owner wrote me a message sarcastically asking if my name was Karen and how he's asking for a friend. LOL. I almost changed my original review because I felt bad, thinking maybe the manager just had an off night and it is challenging times for everyone. As business owners, we know that times are tough for all and that's why we wanted to support local business. Apparently expecting to be welcomed into a restaurant without an attitude is too much for this place. Now I know that they really are just an extremely unprofessional business and I can see where the manager gets it from. I can only imagine what the owner must say to his staff if he says this to customers that had a bad experience. We watched multiple people walk in without reservations and this owner tried to also say that it was the first day open and they were only taking reservations. Our good friends (who also had an unpleasant experience) walked right in the night before so we know that both statements were untrue. I have heard multiple terrible experiences at this restaurant but wanted to form an opinion off personal experience. You're much better off going to restaurants that appreciate your business !! read more

Went there today for lunch with a group of friends. The lunch specials were amazing and everyone enjoyed their meal. Appetizers, Entree and dessert -all delicious. However, when presented with the bill we noticed we were charged $50 for an average size pitcher of sangria- seemed a little pricey for sangria. read more

Not worth the wait. Extremely slow service. I don't think it's the waitstaff's fault, just mismanagement of the kitchen or of the entire restaurant, but I write this as I wait for the check after being here for 2 and a half hours already. The food was mixed. We got burrata and antipasto for appetizers, which were good, but nothing special. My girlfriend got Sole Francese, which I didn't like at all. It tasted undercooked. The second star of my review is for the Ossobuco special I got. It was the bright spot of the meal and was very tender and tasty. The view is nice but the inside of the restaurant is cramped and very loud. read more

Villa D'Aqua is a cut above the rest. I refer everyone here because everything from the staff to the food to the gracious owner and beautiful ambiance really stand out. The food is always outstanding, I've never had a bad meal. The waiters and bussers are kind and always accommodating. We've held several gatherings here and have always been impressed and our guests have left raving about the experience. read more

Service was one of the worst never gave us specials never came over to give bread one of the worst experiences plus took an hour to get food and we where with 3 kids we ordered them ice cream and took 25 min and we told them to forget it and take it off the bill and who serves chicken parm with potato salad !!!!!! Terrible ! read more

Came as a party of 6, left feeling like family! Not only was it a beautiful summer night, we were able to eat outside on the patio which accommodates many! To our surprise there was live music. We were singing along and dancing. Others sang karaoke. It was like being at Tony and Tins's wedding!!! Dinner and a show. Such fun! Highly recommend the following: Appetizers: Buffalo Mozzarella Grilled Octopus Dinner: Veal Saltimbocca Veal Funghi Salmon with Balsamic Glaze Filet of Sole Almondine Dessert: Great coffee Cannoli Chocolate Mousse Cake Tommy, a most warm and gracious host and owner, clearly takes pride in all things Villa D'Aqua. We will definitely be back!!! read more

We had a reservation for 3 to dine outside on Sunday, September 13 at 1pm. When we arrived, the hostess was not friendly at all. We followed her to the outdoor deck and she directed us to a small table with full (very hot!) sun on us. None of us can sit in the sun, so we pointed to a nicer table under the very large canopy, even though I admit that table was for 5 or 6 people, the place was not crowded at all. We were told no, we could not sit there, they were expecting a large party. Then they offered us an umbrella. One of the wait staff brought out a small, broken umbrella that didn't do much to protect us from the sun. Clearly seeing our frustration, the owner came out and instructed a waiter to sit us under the canopy, however, the table was in a corner right next to the door of the storeroom with no ambience whatsoever. We were hoping to enjoy a nice lunch with a view of the marina. Instead we had a crappy table and then the Communion party folks showed up who all sat at a large and a small table not far from us. One of us ordered a pasta fagioli soup which was just mediocre. Two of us ordered sole francaise which was good, but the fish was extremely thin. One of us ordered chicken milanese, which was good, but different then what we expected. Unfortunately, the service was awful. We were never asked if we wanted another drink, when we finally asked for the check- twice- we had to wait so long that my husband had to get up to find the waiter. But when we put the cash into the folder on the table he was there in a flash to pick it up without so much as a thank you! It was a bit pricey and, in our opinion, not worth it. We live fairly close to the restaurant and were there once before back in the winter. The food was very good, the service was fair, and the restaurant is very pretty so that had been a good experience. We were looking forward to going there again, but sadly, we won't be going back. PS - the table I had asked to sit at was still empty when we left 90min later!!! And so were several others next to it that would have been much better as well!!! read more

Pass this restaurant often and finally decided to give it a try. What a mistake !! Service is horrible and food is just ok. People sitting next to us were so annoying . Don't waist your time or money at this place. read more

Beware! Nasty and uncooperative hostess! This started our dining experience going down the tubes. First we were told we didn't have a reservation and when my advised her we did her comment was "I'm not going to argue with you" After being refused a table in the shade, we dined inside even though the tables in the shade remained unoccupied for the next two hours. Food was very good not great and nothing to rush back for however the service was excellent Poor management attitude will preclude us from returning. Tom M read more

Nothing about this place was northern Italian but I guess it's hard for albanians to know what northern Italian is when they are not Italian at all. Nothing I hate more is albanians pretending to be Italian. I should have known from the misspelling of the word acqua in the name. Wasted $350 and right now feeling nauseous. How this place got more than 1 star is a mystery to me. It was awful. I would have preferred olive garden. read more

If I could give this place 0 stars I would. Terrible. The service was atrocious. The waiter was horrible. There was a party of 10 next to us celebrating grandpa's birthday. They were such A-holes. They passed by our table for two to visit with grandpa and had the unmitigated gall to use our table as a crutch to hold up there decrepit bodies. Horrific people. I will never in my life go back to this place. read more

My husband and i really enjoyed this place! We went there for the first time tonight and everything about It was great! Food was delicious, the staff were the nicest people, and i love the live music. At the end of the meal the waiter offered us after dinner drinks on the house! We can't wait to go back and try more menu items! read more

Great food, excellent service. That's what is important. Clams casino, osso bucco, Italian cheesecake for dessert....so tasty!

I researched why the spread was bubbly and a chef friend of mind told me when salsas and spreads taste bubbly it is because the bacteria is growing rampidly. I also find amusing the owners comments that says i did not provide details on the rest of the poor meal other than the eggplant. read more

Not terrible but not great either. It's not a place I'd go back for the food again. The location is on the water and has an outside deck which is nice. I went there in October for a luncheon party. There was a table set up by the window facing the deck. It was not crowded so we felt like we had the room for ourselves and the weather was nice outside so some of us went out to the deck between courses. The food was average Italian fare. Not bad but not worth coming back again. The waiters were older gruff types but in an amusing way. read more

Such a shame not to be able to give more stars. The food and atmosphere is very good. However, unless you don't mind sitting for a very long time between courses and 40 minutes just to get the bill, it's not the place to go. I will give them another try on another night when I can sit for three hours. Sunday night is not that night. read more

Was almost canceling my reservation after I read current reviews. So glad I didn't! A great Northern Italian restaurant overlooking an inlet of water near Jones Beach. Expansive seating both indoors and outside. Went for an early Friday night dinner. The place was packed when we left. Also saw a guitarist/singer by the inside dining area when we left. We were warmly greeted by the owner who had his hostess seat us outside away from the sun, as we requested. We sat there leisurely as we waited for menus and the waiter to take our drink order. And eventually our dinner order. I understand why some patrons may think they are short staffed and complain that the service is slow. From what I experienced and watched service at surrounding tables this seems to be a normal occurrence. To not rush the customer and have them enjoy a leisurely dinner without getting a rush job because the table is needed. I like that mentality, as I'm sure that those patrons having a large gathering would appreciate that as well. Our entire meal was delicious and we loved the ambiance of the outside patio. Our waiter was attentive to our needs as well. If you are looking for a quick dinner go elsewhere, but you most certainly will be missing out on a great meal. read more

We had a great experience for my daughter's christening party. The upstairs party room was private, the food was delicious and service outstanding. Tom, the owner, was easy to work with and helped plan the menu. There was plenty of food and all guests shared positive feedback following the event. We also had lunch there (on a separate occasion). The outside deck with palm trees was very nice in the summer and had a great view overlooking the water. Restaurant was very crowded but food and service were both great. read more

Hair in my food. Enough said. Also, apps were very small. To make matters worse, my hairy food was cold. Never again for me. Waiter never checked on us, very cluttered table. read more

First Time, Last Time. The food was very good. So why did I only give it 2 STARS. The owner was difficult to deal with when he took us upstairs when tables were available on the main level. I guess he never heard of the customer is always right. The hostess/greeter failed to do that so we didn't even know to approach her. Lastly, 90 minutes passed between the appetizer and entree, with no apology offered by the wait staff. When I approached the owner, he already knew about it and excused it by accounting for the pouring rain. Really? I didn't realize we went to an outdoor bbq. Hey Mr. Qwner, why don't you just be transparent and tell the truth, your kitchen messed up. The rain had nothing to do with backing up your kitchen. My guess is you forgot to put our order through. Next time fess up to the next one. Assuredly, it won't be me. read more

Love this place! Great food, great service, valet parking Not to mention Tom is just a great guy! read more

Horrible food, horrible service & a shady bill! Anyone who eats here does not know good food! Yeah your sitting outside, but your on a dead end, dirty canal, with the smell of boat fuel filling the air. read more

Amazing! Celebrating our boss' birthday and wanted a beautiful place outside. Call literally every outside restaurant on the south shore. No one could accommodate us. Called Villa D'Agua and they were very accommodating, very nice to deal with, not to mention the food was great. Everything was just perfect. There was a woman there that played music and singing. She was great also. I would highly recommend Villa D'Auqa and plan on going again Went again tonight, we had the best waiter Fernando. He was great, had a great sense of humor. The food was great. Can't wait to come back read more