Villach eats with one eye on Carinthia and another on Italy — the proximity of the border shows in the menus. The local speciality is Kasnudeln, large pasta parcels filled with a mixture of fresh cheese and mint that appear on almost every menu in town. They are boiled and served with brown butter, and the mint gives them a freshness that distinguishes them from the similar pasta of northern Italy. Carinthian food generally runs to hearty and unapologetic: roasted meats, freshwater fish from the lakes, and strudels of every conceivable filling.
The old town pedestrian zone and the streets immediately around the Hauptplatz have the densest concentration of restaurants and cafes, ranging from Austrian-traditional to Italian-influenced. The quality is generally solid without being exceptional — Villach has the eating habits of a regional hub rather than a destination food city.