La Villa is a long running French Restaurant hosted in a beautiful villa in Saigon’s District 2. The restaurant is operated by Chef Thierry from France with the help of his Vietnamese wife Tina.
I had several dinners and lunches in this restaurant over the years (the first one I believe back in 2011). I have never been disappointed and I have always regarded La Villa as the golden standard for fine dining in Ho Chi Minh City. However, sadly, I have to file this specific visit among my (mild) disappointments. I will certainly go back and do not discourage you go; hopefully this review can help you choosing the right menu.
The visit
I showed up unannounced for lunch during a weekday. Lunch time is not usually crowded. Dinners are another story and I would recommend to make a booking in advance.
The dining room is not huge and occupies the best part of the ground floor of the mansion (the upper floor is closed to the public). It has a classy atmosphere and tables are generously spaced. They also have some outdoor seats.
The first thing you notice is the impeccable service. The staff is very well trained and provide a high level of professional care. Man, it is one of the few places that will clean the table before the dessert… This is well above the average of what you can find even in five star hotels in Saigon, so it deserves some kudos.
The bread is served warm and you can choose your type. It is regularly replenished during the meal.
In my previous visit, also for lunch, I had ordered a la carte. But that was one year earlier. This time I was made aware that for lunch only the set menus were available and in particular the set menu Petite Villa that was specifically designed for lunch. I did not think too much and I ordered from the Petite Villa set menu.
First, I was offered three amuse bouches, including a refreshing tomato gazpacho.
One more treat came in the form of a salmon mousse sprinkled with a few (literally) eggs of caviar. The presence of original blinis in the composition was really a nice touch.
My first dish from the menu selection was a classic beef tartare. It is a very good well executed tartare. The only disappointment was that it went in a mignon size. Below you can see a picture that I took of the same dish ordered a la carte.
Then I got the duck leg, another French classic, with mashed potatoes. Again, it was good; I suspect it was also a reduced portion.
The dessert was a beautifully presented molten chocolate cake with a mango meringue.
A few more treats came before the check.
The check
Total check was 970,000 VND (or 46 USD at the time of the lunch; at the time of writing this review, only 41.5 USD), including a soft drink.
The food was good but I was disappointed for two reasons. First, this menu did not do justice to the chef. There are way better and more creative dishes on the menu. Of course they will be more expensive, but it is worth. Second, paradoxically, for what I got, I think this was terrible value for money in Ho Chi Minh City. In other similar restaurants (thinking of Le Corto in Saigon or La Verticale in Hanoi) you can get a similar lunch menu for half the price or less.
So in conclusion, if you go to La Villa – and it certainly retains my recommendation – go big, aim high. Do not settle for this lunch menu, go for one of the more comprehensive set menus or choose what you like from la carte. It won’t be cheap, but the return on investment will be higher than the one with the Petite Menu described here.
Where in Ho Chi Minh City:
14 Ngô Quang Huy, Thảo Điền, Quận 2
Check the restaurant website for bookings and menus.