Disappointing

by hunteradam

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.

• Pros: Food was different than usual Italian
• Cons: Service, Service, Service. Dining room decor

Excellent food and style

by dgoldwas

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.

• Pros: Intimate atmosphere, excellent food and service
• Cons: Too many wines to choose from!

Well worth the wait.

by chudjr

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.

• Pros: Amazing food.
• Cons: Valet parking, flooring is not level at all tables.

Diamond Awards!!! Loved it!

by CynMcKeever

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!

• Pros: Great food and Services
• Cons: Nothing!

Amazing

by jimmcafee

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!!!!

• Cons: none

Mixed Bag

by flipkingston

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.

Bleh.

by baroloman

Some of the negative reviews below address many of my points. The place IS tired--in terms of menu, decor, and service. The hosts and servers are rather grumpy. Though the wine list is extensive, the markup is brutal (over 100%), even for the recent vintage wines widely available at retail. The pasta dishes are uninspired, and the meat dishes are rather bland. Osso bucco was dried, out for example, and reminiscent (as my companion pointed out) of "$19.99 all-you-can-eat buffet place potroast." Valentino is a real disappointment, and I was, candidly, embarrassed to have taken a date there. . .

• Pros: big wine list
• Cons: prices; quality;

Perfect for a casual evening with good food and wine

by lizziee

We tried Vin Bar for the first time Saturday night and it is a great option when you want a casual dining experience. Portion size was generous - we did splits, the food was excellent and the Vin Bar wines are wonderful plus reasonable in price.

The crudo plate was perfect - tuna with a pineapple dressing, yellowtail with cucumber and Baltic salmon with orange, salmon caviar and black caviar.

Fried baby Squid in a cone with Aioli sauce - a very, very generous portion and delicious

Sweet Corn filled Ravioli with Farmer's Market vegetables (zucchini, asparagus, cherry tomatoes) with tomato coulis and baked Ricotta cheese - the veggies were just perfect

Grilled Red Snapper with tomatoes, caper berries and cauliflower puree - excellent

Cheese Plate

A great option when you want a casual dining experience with excellent wine, food and service.

VALENTINO & WINE ?the best I ever had??!!!

by SilverSpringsWinery

VALENTINO & WINE ?the best I ever had??!!!

VALENTINO Santa Monica, CA ? the best I ever had out ?

Tuna tartar paired with Prosecco...notes of tangerine, grapefruit, pear ...perfect?

Lobster, organic tomatoes, ricotta cheese very smooth paired perfect with Venica and Venica 2006 tocai friuli 2006 14 alc 2006 Collio... pail gold, honey nose, white fig, nice minerality, great balance 14 % alc by vol ?points 93?perfect?

Prosciutto 20 month aged, succulent soft aged to perfection paired with a white wine from Umbria 2006 13.5 alc, DOA , vapid served way to cold ... with some cupping it started to open up, still it did not harm the Prosciutto...

Salmon, fennel, onion perfect paired with... Cinco Denti Sicily white 2006 wine, head fake, Juniper, tulips, flowers, fig, honeysuckle ...95 points perfect...

Cannelloni pasta with tomato, provolone, fatty meat like tripe, I flashed back 40 years with my Grandmother cooking all day having the house smell of every gustory bliss you could ever imagine... paired with Rosso dello Sparviero Toscana alc by vol 13.5% ...Dark ruby red ink , Brett , yes I asked what do you smell ...?... horse, earth, dust, mature manure, very complex if you like Brett , I do ... cinnamon, clove, cherry flying by...88 points very nice drink now or she will ride away...

Braised Lamb Shanks, cauliflower minced into a cake with different levels of complexity, brussel sprouts wilted and limp covered in oil, spice...paired with ... Barolo 2003 Sori Ginestra , dark ink tar, pepper black, eucalyptus, black tar licorice, blackberry, a real monster big dog style hang time...points 93 perfect...

We had more courses at this time I only recall the best ones...apricot, pecans, almonds, strawberry, various cheeses.... paired with a desert wine...I forget the name and vintage, but who cares it was very good... 95 points?

Tired, And it Shows. Skip It.

by 1GoodBurgundy

The wine list, with some nicely aged selections is a plus, though the mark-ups are significant, as is the norm at such spots. Unfortunately, the decor and service are as old and dusty as many of the bottles in the cellar. The pastas are, frankly, lame and no better than the average offerings at any generic Italian joint around town. Several of the meat dishes are good, but there are plenty of spots on the westside that do better with these classics. BEWARE: they will happily seat you in a run-down side room, if you do not specifically request the nicely appointed main dining room. And prices are high, no matter where you sit. Even without high expectations, you will be disappointed, here.

• Pros: Extensive wine list.
• Cons: Tired decor. Grumpy service.