If you like paying top dollar for Italian pastries the size of a quarter this place is okay.

Villa Italia is an amazing experience. Once in the door you feel like you've stepped into a fine-immaculate bakery in downtown Manhattan. The Italian Pastries and Cookies are delicious. While making your selection at the counter - Sounds of Sinatra play in the background. My all time favorite are the Chocolate Mice. Decadent chocolate mousse sitting on an almond extract macaroon ( I believe) covered in rich harden chocolate- shaped like a mouse. To die for. Please don't ever stop making them. You must visit Villa Italia in downtown Schenectady NY. An experience to cherish! read more

I'm not sure if this is your traditional Italian bakery but great flavors don't lie, I had a such fun trying their tiny bit pastry and because of their sizes, you sure can try a few without stuff yourself. Pro: Among everything I tried in my last visit, my favorite is their cannoli and lady fingers. Affordable and plenty of varieties, cute atmosphere and great location. Con: The only downside is that it is a bit confusing about how you are supposed to order, be sure to take a number and wait to be called. read more

I really love this place! They are so accommodating and I just love their cakes. Somehow I always wait until the last minute to order bday cakes but they always make it happen for me. read more

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It pains me to write a poor review - this is a famous local bakery and they really do have delicious baked goods. This review is late. I got married in July of 2021 and went to Villa Italia after wedding cake plans fell through with another local bakery (similar e-mail issues as with Villa Italia - see below). Time was beginning to run out but I was told that I only needed to place an order a couple weeks in advance - great! I got a taste box, everything was good. My husband and I ordered our cake through e-mail. Again - everything was confirmed through e-mail, so I have it in writing. It is still sitting in my inbox. The manager had the date, time, and location of the wedding. I called a week in advance to confirm the order and double check on the pressed flowers that I was hoping to add. The girl who picked up the phone checked the system and I was not on the schedule at all....she sounded very nervous and double checked. I told her what the style of the cake, date of the wedding, location, and time was supposed to be. I then told her I was no longer interested in doing business with them. A manager called back later, repeating back everything I told the girl verbatim, and her hopes that I would come back to them in the future. It wasn't really much of an apology. If I hadn't thought to call ahead I would have shown up on my wedding day to pick up the cake and would have been told that there was no cake because I wasn't even in the system. I won't tell anyone not to get a cake from Villa Italia - I will simply suggest that you only converse over the phone. They shouldn't offer e-mail as an option because you'll be more likely to fall through the cracks. Fool me once, I suppose. read more

Amazing place, great ambiance, kind service, delicious desserts. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to sate their sweet tooth read more

Villa Italia - Assorted desserts - Bakeries Near Me - Schenectady, New York

This has always been my go to place for Italian pastries. My family always orders cakes and cookies from here and they always deliver the best goods. My favorite pastries are the lobster tails and the spogitalles which is a flakey pastry filled with custard and topped with a maraschino cherry. Oh and their cannolis are classic. It's a treat to cone here for a capachino and a pastry from Villa Italia. read more

I absolutely love this bakery, it will not disappoint anyone!!! Broadway location! That being said I was at the RIVERS CASINO LOCATION with my boyfriend this evening and I went over to get a cannoli and a hot chocolate. Great by the way, but the 2 waitress' that were there so disrespectful didn't say "hi how are you?" Nothing... yet an older woman was in front of me purchasing her pastries, asks the lady for a bigger bag. The cashier said "No that's all we have." Swinging her arms around. Telling the customer that they been out of bags for 2 weeks... I'm not sure if it's me but I found that really disrespectful. So when it was my turn, a different lady helps me. She takes my order not a single word out of her mouth. Just said my total that's it. Definitely not going back to the Rivers Casino Location for sure. I will be back over and over again at the Broadway Villa Italia Location. Great staff and wonderful atmosphere Casino location deserves 1 star Broadway location 5 stars read more

Needed a loaf of Italian bread last night and the young ladies working went to the back and got one and although it wasn't straight out of the oven, it was fresh and delicious. Can't wait to go back and try it in the morning one day. read more

And normally I enjoy going to Villa Italia, not this time. The girls at the front let other people go ahead of me and did not want to serve me, even after ordering a cake. I would claim it was my appearance but I'm thinking otherwise.I'm thinking I should take my business elsewhere. read more

Great selection, delicious cookies and the cake is so moist and flavorful. I ate 2 pieces of black forest cake from here and I didn't even like black forest much - that's how good the cake it! The shop is very nice and clean inside. Staff is super friendly and nice. You can't go wrong! read more

Despite the fact that there are few accessible bakeries in the area, Villa Italia definitely has a decent pastry selection. Their cannolis in particular are just . Definitely one of the best bakeries in Schenectady! read more

We went to Villa Italia for our 42nd anniversary cake, we have been customers for many years. Our cake filling and frosting were both wrong. The employees blamed us for there mistake, when we ordered on the phone the girl was short and rude with us. we paid 42 dollars for the cake and when we ate it, we both got sick. Since August we bought a cake from Hannaford Market and one from BJ's warehouse both were very good, well we are done with Villa Italia when a 20 dollar cake taste better than there 42 dollar screw-up. You lost a good customer I always buy 2 or 3 pounds of cookies when we get our cakes....no more... cookie didn't taste as fresh as in the past.either..shame on you read more

1. I like the most is fresh fruit is good, not so sweet compare other pastry. 2. Not so crazy about fresh orange smoothie. However you definally can taste the orange. A bit expensive but overall the pastry are good. read more

Good selection of pastries. Gelato looks good too. Just wish places could make proper black tea well. It's not enough having fancy teabags! Nice end to the evening though read more

Great food and super service! We had our Christmas desserts for the company through here and they did a fantastic job! Highly recommend.

Villa Italia I wanted to come and try the cake but I can't try a slice?? You must buy the whole cake, that's no fun. The pastries we got were the chocolate cupcake, rugula (cinnamon pastry), Italian rainbow cookies and the cream puff. Cream puff was pretty bad and dry, the cupcake I wouldn't have again. The drinks were superb according to my cousin and husband: macchiato and espresso. I would have liked samples out, and some background as this was our first time but they were busy around 5:30 as they close at 6. We may come back for a special occasion to order cake. I'm a little disappointed as I wanted to loveeee this place based on previous Yelp reviews. read more

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If you can read this review, heed my advice. From this moment forward, whenever you think, "Oh I should bring a dessert to that thingy I'm going to", or, "Maybe I'll grab some treats for the gang at work", or even, "Today makes me wish I was never born, I need something positive in my life", make your next thought "Villa Italia." Every single thing you can get in this place is good enough to make you want to give someone a thumbs up. You know when you taste something so delicious you sort of feel a weight lifted you didn't know you were carrying, and your shoulders loosen a bit, and you close your eyes and try to not make an audible "mmmmm" sound, because that would be weird? Well here, everyone makes that "mmmmm" sound. This is the type of food where if you bring it to a place where other people get to have some, they will look you dead in your eyes and genuinely thank you. Like, from the bottom of their heart. You make life long friends with this food. It's not even expensive. If anyone from Villa Italia is reading this; Thank you for not making it more expensive. We'd all pay it. And you know it. You are taking the high road. You're the hero Schenectady deserves. read more

My review isn't based on the quality of their baked goods. the service during COVID is a horror show. I pre ordered a birthday cake. When I went to pick it up, the store was full of people crowded around the case. There were about 20 people jammed in the front. I had to get a number to wait in line to pick up a pre ordered, ready to go item. The process is incredibly poor and potentially exposing people needlessly. they are not enforcing the state maximum capacity and have no process for curbside pick up. They SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN. read more

Meh. After so many attempts, I've routinely found Villa Italia to be overpriced, overrated, and underwhelming. Shane B's review expresses my interpretation of this place pretty well: style over substance. It's a pretty place with pretty pastries but when it comes down to it, Villa Italia fails to deliver. There's a difference between riding out your reputation and actually following through on it. These days, in my opinion, Villa Italia chooses the former. The pastries are OK but not great. They are fairly expensive for the quality that you get. On several occasions I've had the chance to try cakes from Villa Italia and generally found them to be too dry and somewhat bland for my preferences. The panini sandwiches were also a pretty disappointing. Once again, in my opinion, they are too expensive for what you actually get and I didn't think they tasted very good to begin with. Villa Italia quickly found itself off the "lunch list" for me. Let's talk positive though. Coffee. OK, I can do their coffee. They make a variety of coffee drinks from your regular old coffee to cappuccinos. I've tried some things here that probably have a year's worth of caffeine in a single cup...which is why I like it. It certainly makes those crappy Monday mornings a little easier to get through. At the end of the day, though, Villa Italia does the trick for some people, but I'm just not one of them. read more

GET YOUR CAKES HERE! I've had good experiences with Villa Italia over the years, but just this past week I had an experience that was excellent enough where I felt I needed to write a review. Here's the story... With Valentine's Day coming up, I was trying to think of gift ideas for my wife. Villa Italia was the vendor who made our wedding cake, so I decided to start there. I walked in mid-day and spoke with one of the friendly employees about ordering a smaller version of that cake. As I began to describe the cake (to the best of my ability), the employee pointed at an option on their "menu" and BINGO, our wedding cake was actually one of their standards! Excellent. So of course I ordered the cake and picked it up the Friday before Valentine's Day. Not wanting to hold off, I surprised my wife with it that very evening. Not only did she love it, but when we opened it and tasted it, it was beyond my expectations. I ordered the rum soaked sponge cake with cannoli filling. They absolutely nailed it. The frosting and decor were beautiful. The taste, fantastic. It absolutely took us back to that wonderful day when we became husband and wife. We have since had a piece every night, slowly working our way through the whole 8" cake. Every piece is as good as the first one. The cake is holding up perfectly in the fridge and it made our Valentine's Day magical. Thank you Villa Italia! The next time I need a cake, I'll certainly be back! read more

Villa Italia made my sons birthday cake. I sent them a photo of the three tier cake I wanted and they absolutely nailed it. It was delicious and looked exactly as we wanted it. Great experience. read more

Villa Italia - Angry Birds Birthday Cake From Villa Italia - Bakeries Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Try the tiramisu! It's soft and delicious has the perfect amount of sweetness. The coffee was decent. It needs to be stronger. What I don't like are the inexperienced workers behind the counter. read more

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Amazing variety of pastries, delicious gelato, and great downtown location. When this location opened years ago I was so excited to check it out and have never been disappointed. Love this place. read more

Let's talk cannoli. Cannoli are fabulous when done correctly. The crisp shell houses a rich, cheesy cream, smooth and not too sweet. Sometimes, if the wind is right and the stars are aligned, you can get cannoli like this at Villa Italia. And when you do and the cannolo is so perfect, so crisp and creamy inside, you may steal your boyfriend's. You won't be able to help your self, it's that good. Unfortunately, Villa Italia pre fills their cannoli. Prefilled cannoli quickly lose their crispness as the moisture from the cream soaks into the shell. The shell becomes soggy. The experience is ruined. I've given Villa Italia many chances. One time I had that sublime, crisp cannolo but most of the time? Soggy. We're reasonable people. We've asked if they could sell us the cannoli cream and some shells and we would fill them ourselves. No. Asked if we could pre order them that way. No. Asked if they would fill some for us to order. No. And no reason, just no. Why so mean to your customers, Villa Italia? We asked nicely. I even let my boyfriend do the talking since he's the nice one. Always no and never a reasonable reason why. read more

I wish more Italian bakery's were this great! Pastries not only taste great but are decorated beautifully. The store smells so good. There's a lot to chose from... Where do you start? It all looks delicious! The cannoli I had was wonderful. A light airy cannoli cream in a crisp cannoli shell. Couldn't ask for more. :) read more

Villa Italia - Yum - Bakeries Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Received a lovely box of OMGosh the best italian cookies I have EVER had!...and I'm a Cookie Monster!! Just the greatest

I'm officially in love with Villa Italia. This place has some of the best authentic Italian-style desserts that I have found in the Capital Region. You can buy small desserts by the pound, which I did, gleefully. The counter girl had to rein me in so I was aware of how many sweets I was actually purchasing...I can see how it could be easy to get out of hand here. I chose a tiramisu slice, two cream puffs, two chocolate log-like confections, two of the tri-colored cake pieces and a couple of other odds and ends. The tricolor cake is my favorite, nice and thick, moist with a definite marizpan flavor. So yummy! The cream puffs are also unlike any I've had before. They aren't filled with pudding or whipped cream, but this vanilla-flavored thick meringue-y cream that is really beyond description. One thing I didn't get this time (which I wish I did) is the chocolate mouse. The hard chocolate candy is in the shape of a mouse, and it's filled with incredibly rich ganache. Underneath, there is some sort of a delightful little almond cookie--thick and chewy, SO amazing. I'll likely come back to this place again and again--for coffee, for lunch, and for any excuse to buy an entire cake. Go there and feel ashamed that you ever ingested the desserts of popular "Italian" chain restaurants... ;o) read more

I have never had anything from Villa Italia until today! They made the cake for a friends bridal shower and it was absolutely phenomenal! I had no idea what to expect. I simply called and told them that it was a nautical themed shower and the type of cake that I wanted. I dropped off one of the invitations and hoped for the best! The cake was absolutely beautiful and matched the theme perfectly! Everyone raved about how wonderful it was. read more

Villa Italia - Bakeries Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Fantastic, very pleasant little place in Schenectady. Almost all their products are good, but the breads are the best. Definitely worth coming by on a daily basis if you're close enough. The staff is pretty pleasant as well. read more

I ordered a golf themed cake for my husbands birthday. I went in and placed the order, then they called me for some details. I emailed some pictures and they called me back with price quotes and refining the details. Well let me tell you the cake they did was beyond my expectations and better than the picture I sent them. Not only did it look amazing it was delicious! Love Villa Italia read more

Villa Italia is just about as good as you'll get for Italian pastries and treats in this area. The best part here is that the quality of their offerings has been the same for years. The location here is very cozy and modern inside. The gelato is top notch. They do an excellent job here. I also had the pleasure of working with one of their cake decorators on a cake I was ordering for a retirement party for my father. To do an elaborate cake decorating ordeal, it is quite pricey, but they are willing to work with you to come up with sometime budget friendly for your wallet and still get across the things you are looking for. read more

I'm 44, not 14 and my tastes have changed. I believe you get what you pay for in the sweet department and if I am going to indulge, I want it to be well done pastry and NOT a dime store candy bar. This shop is THE BEST. My daughter fell in love with it and had me take her here for her birthday instead of cake. Cue my love affair with the place. Their European pastries are done right. The choux pastry is perfection (not easy to do with filling). You have this small delicacy that is just right, but treat yourself ... have them pack up a box with a little of everything. The gelato is amazing as well. The last most important element? Customer service. I have NEVER had a bad experience. I don't live close by (which is a good thing for my hips), but if I want something sweet, but not crazy sweet, I am happy to make the trip. Completely worth it! read more

It's a little bit like being in grandma's kitchen. Although I can say their pastries are not the best I've had but they are in the top 3. A bit pricey as compared to a Utica competitor but worth it to have a pastry that brings back memories of my youth. Super place to stop in after a show and have a coffee and delectable. read more

So, now it's 2019. I've done a lot of traveling since my original review of Villa Italia, and I just wanted to say that it's still the best pastry shop I've been to. The Sfogliatelle and the Lobster tails are simply the best I've ever had. Keep up the good work, Villa! read more

The store itself is beautiful, the service is good, and the bakery items are also good. I wish they did not pre-fill the cannoli and I was hoping for more with the rainbow cookies as these are the two treats I really adore. I'd come here again, but I am not in any rush to do so. There's nothing wrong with this place, I just feel like it could be better. read more

What a great place for some delicious baked goods! My absolute favorite thing here so far has been the cupcakes, I wished they were labeled though. You can get one or a bunch and they are very reasonably priced. The gelato is awesome! Not too sweet, great texture and I love all of the flavor varieties. The cakes are a little pricey, but they are definitely good. They offer lunch and beverages but I haven't had the opportunity to try them yet, but I look forward to it. The set up is a little strange. They have a "pick a number" thing but don't always use it so just go in and see how it's working that day. The staff has been friendly every time too. read more

After ordering a birthday cake and being explicit about the color and type of decorations on the cake, upon pick up, the color was incorrect on the cake. Their was no manager on at night to Correct the mistake, therefore my information was taken and I was told I would be reached out to tomorrow. The owner Bob, contacted me the next day and offered $20 in return for the cost I paid for the additional decorations. I told him that was fine, although the cake being made incorrectly completely ruined a birthday theme. Upon arriving to receive the credit, I was told that only $15 was being given because that's what I paid. Although my receipt said $20. It was explained that the owner made a mistake(see the trend) and that it was confirmed(by the same staff who incorrectly placed my order) that I paid $15 xtra. No confirmation phone call was made to me to confirm what I paid, before arrival and the owner didn't offer to come out to double check. After I confronted the owner about the second mistake (on the phone) his establishment made, no ownership or accountability was taken, nor an apology given. My only option was to come and pick up $5 or get mailed a check. Even after explaining, I shouldn't have to pay for anything given my inconvenience. The owner continued to not acknowledge his or his staffs wrong doing(no surprise). This is also my second and last cake where the order was wrong. It's very easy for white owned, popular business to lose focus of customer service, especially when your family owns many Schenectady restaurants. I however will not forget your lack of tact and accountability. read more

Villa Italia has changed a lot over the years and now got Saratoga-itis (style over substance). The pastry is hit-or-miss, if you get something good--its excellent; if it's bad--its pretty bad. The fruit tarts, however, are always excellent and may alone be worth price of admission. They were never "cheap" when they were in Rotterdam, but I don't remember things being this bad. Last week I grabbed six little cupcakes (those 2" midsize ones) for a dinner party and a cup of coffee...$18. Ouch. The chocolate / peanut butter cupcake was awesome (the violet or lavender one was atrocious). They are something of an area institution and you'll still eat well...so in the end I guess it's good. read more

The pastries and gelato are amazing. However, I am disappointed with the attitude of a staff member that was helping me. I believe her name is Sharmila. She was very rude and short with me. Even though I've been there multiple times, this experience was unpleasant due to her poor customer service. read more