Valentino Italian Restaurant

Doesn't Recommend

Ingran E

Joined 2 years ago

Not to impressed :(. The food was fine, but nothing special about it. I rather go to Macoroni Grill....had to wait over 30 min for the food....!

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technotourist

Joined 3 years ago

Italian at its finest. I'd only ever been to the Valentino in Las Vegas, so i was ecstatic when i was able to check out the original in Santa Monica. i'd also eaten chef Chessa's food at the place he cooked in Vegas, Cafe Giorgio, and I really liked his style of Italian cuisine there. Valentino Santa Monica, however, was a revelation into the true nature of his cooking.

I tried to stay on a budget, so i opted for the four course tasting menu with wine pairings. I loved the artichoke salad with amazingly fragrant shavings of truffle cheese, and my dining companion's lamb prosciutto was delicate and tasty. Spring was definitely in season with the use of spring lamb throughout the meal in various courses.

I got to go back another night to just nosh at the wine bar, and that was great too. Lots of little plates that pair with their nice wines by the glass.

Rest assured, it can be a little pricey, but if you choose wisely, Valentino is a lovely, romantic spot that's worth every penny.

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foodguy08

Joined 3 years ago

Still the best Italian in town. Piero Selvaggio has been doing this the right way since 1972. I have been eating at Valentino for years now and have always been impressed with the service the food and of course his wine list. I went just the other day to see about their new chef Nicola Chessa who is a Sardinian guy with a great reputation in Vegas. This guy cooked for the Pope once! Anyway we went and were impressed with Chessa's skill. He's certainly added a little of that southern italian flare to this menu - but the diehards (like me) will rest happily knowing the restaurant's classic dishes are still there and being cooked to perfection.

Doesn't Recommend

atlcj0010

Joined 3 years ago

Terrible!. A single glass of wine costs $14. $28 for a plate of chef boyardee raviolis that were supposed to be accompanied by chicken, but weren't. Pushy servers. $40 plate dinners that don't satisfy. Overall a bad experience. We were in LA on vacation so decided to try it out.. what a mistake.. Go to Wendy's or Mcdonalds.. you will enjoy it more.

Doesn't Recommend

hunteradam

Joined 4 years ago

Disappointing. I took my wife to this restaurant for our Valentine's dinner, and was really excited to go. The food was pretty good. Similar to other reviewers, I thought for the price it could be better and the wine prices were way over the top, but I expected as much. However, the crowd was depressingly small for a Friday night. When we tried to get our coats back from the coat check, the real fun began. They had mixed up the tags with other patrons, which caused a delay and ultimately ended up in them misplacing my wife's Louis Vuitton cashmere scarf. I only mention the name brand to illustrate how expensive a mistake this was.

One would think that a place that charges 35$ for a plate of pasta and 20$ for a glass of wine would have some fantastic service to justify those prices. Alas, despite my best efforts to work with their managers and even their insurance company the best answer I got for their mistake was "too bad". Anyone that has experienced truly good service from renown establishments knows what their course of action should have been here. It isn't if you make a mistake, it's how you recover that stays with people. They had an opportunity to truly wow us with their ability to serve their customers by offering some sort of compensation for the scarf, but instead they chose the route of a cheap mechanic that got grease on your seats and stonewalled us. Effectively, I paid 700$ for a dinner for 2 that night including the cost of the scarf. They will probably lose at least that much on my business alone in the next 12 months (we like to eat out) and they get this nice review to boot.

In reading the other reviews, it seems that I am not the only one that sees this restaurant and recognizes that in the new economy, it's a dinosaur waiting for extinction. Service is king, and people will pay extra for it, but if you'd rather have your pasta with a side of "F-U" like we got, there's lots of places nearby that charge much less for it.

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dgoldwas

Joined 11 years ago

Excellent food and style. This high-style restaurant has excellent food, perfectly prepared. The wine list is a veritable phone book of options, but the wait staff was extremely helpful. Every bite of food was pure heaven and while it's a bit of a bump to the wallet, if you're looking for fine dining on the westside, Valentino is absolutely worth going to.

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chudjr

Joined 7 years ago

Well worth the wait.. I have been thinking of trying Valentino for many years, but frankly the negative reviews put it lower on my list. We were quite pleasantly surprised at how delicious all the food was. The flavor of the food is superb. This is one of the best Italian restaurants on the Westside, maybe just one of the best restaurants on the Westside period. I don't know why there are any negative reviews. I will definitely be back to try it again. Yes, it is expensive, but worth it. Parking is valet, but there is some street parking.

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CynMcKeever

Joined 5 years ago

Diamond Awards!!! Loved it!. My husband & I have passed this place millions of times but have never gone inside.

We found out that they have a small wine bar inside and decided to check it out for apps and drinks. I wouldn?t call it a wine bar more like a high class bar area with tables. It was really relaxing. My husband had one of their house Martini?s that he loved. We decided to have apps/dinner and it was amazing. 5 stars!!!! The bartender was very nice and the host was GREAT. He greeted every single person with a firm hand shack and a smile. I really enjoyed watching him. I can?t wait to go back!

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jimmcafee

Joined 5 years ago

Amazing. We first found Valentino in 2001and ity is a must stop everytime we are in Vegas we have never been disappointed obviously you pay for the great food,service and atmosphere but we would tell you it is worth every penny!!! From the appetizers to the steaks we had all the way to the dessert, it was deliscious and perfect!! And that they always have specials to tantilze our taste buds. It can be very difficult to get into, as they book up well in the advance. Bon Appitete!!!!

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flipkingston

Joined 5 years ago

Mixed Bag. Considering the price the decor and service was lacking. Neither were awful but they did not live up to what you expect from a place that is this expensive. My wife and I split an appetizer, we each had a Grey Goose and tonic, I had the lamb, she had the salmon, we each had a glass of wine with dinner, split a dessert and each had a coffee. The bill with tip was a little over $200. That's about what I expected to pay so I'm not ranting about the price. The food was very good as well, however when you go to a place with this kind of reputation (and cost) the food is supposed to be great, what distinguishes the experience is the service and decor. Both areas were very average and it's clear this restaurant needs a shot in the arm in the form of new management or ownership. I would go back but only if on an expense account.