Valentino's Ristorante

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jerseyrefugee

Joined 4 years ago

closest thing to NY in TN. I have dined there many times for both business and personal occasions. The food is very good and I am comparing it to the best- NYC and NJ Italian restaurants. I am biased in that I hate most chain restaurants and prefer locally owned joints. (I have been to Italy, but that's a different league.) Good wine list, very friendly staff. You can't go wrong.

Doesn't Recommend

mdavis98

Joined 5 years ago

Don't waste your time or money.. My wife and I have been trying to get to Valentino's for about 3 years now to eat. We actually considered having our rehearsal dinner there for our wedding. Well, we ate there last night, and boy are we glad we decided on something else for our rehearsal dinner.

The food and service at Valentino's is mediocre, at best. I called early yesterday afternoon to see if I needed to make a reservation for 6pm, the man who answered the phone said it was 'highly recommended' and supposedly took my name down. When we got to the restaurant, no one had written my name/reservation down, however, it didn't matter because there were a grand total of 6 other people eating in the restaurant at the time. Good thing I called ahead! The patrons who did eventually arrive later looked like they were out from the nursing home. Definitely the geritol scene at this place.

Our waiter, an older gentleman, seemed very much inconvenienced to have to serve us and was not very friendly at all. Never once did a 'Thank You' come out of his mouth for any reason.

Food: Beef Carpaccio almost didn't look like tenderloin at all. The slices were too thick. The parmesan and Roquette, however, were good.

Shrimp bisque: Definitely not what I would consider a bisque, as the consistency was of tap water. Flavor was just okay.

Osso Bucco: Ok flavor and the risotto was decent.Not worth $36

Zuppa di Pesce: Scallops were small and chewy. The other seafood was okay.

Dessert portions were extremely small for the high prices they charge and they also look to be store-bought or ordered from a food service company (Sysco). Definitely not home-made.

I do not consider myself an expert on food, however, I've eaten at fine restaurants all over the world (From Grand Cayman to Italy, New York to Las Vegas, Napa Valley, etc...) and I know what I like and don't like.

In my humble opinion, you could find more authentic Italian food at Amerigo down the street at a MUCH more affordable price.

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csuzan

Joined 5 years ago

One of my new favorites!. Valentino's has great food and an attentive staff. What more can one ask for? So far, I have tried the veal saltimboca and the veal piccata. Both were outstanding. My husband is a fan of the tiramisu, and I enjoy the chocolate mousse cup. They also have a great wine list, and the wait staff is happy to make suggestions. Valentino's is the whole package!

Doesn't Recommend

sterned

Joined 6 years ago

Worst Restaurant Ever. I've heard plenty of good reviews of Valentino's both here and from people whose taste I trust. I returned after a mediocre visit several years ago to give the place a second chance. I don?t know where to start. So, I?ll try to highlight the positive. The Caesar Salad was very good.

Now, the negative. The bread tasted like leftover Publix baguette, with burned cheese on top. I ordered the osso bucco, which was absolutely the worse I?ve ever had. It tasted like putrid rubber coated in urine flavored jello. My wife ordered the veal parm, which was at least edible, but not impressive in the least.

The waiter was obnoxious, with no sense of personal space and a complete inability to make recommendations on either wine or food. I agreed to get the salad so my wife could as well, since there is a two person minimum. Another in our party ordered it, so she mentioned I could skip out. The waiter asked her why she was trying to ruin his sale. He returned later to ask if we wanted desert, as we were in the middle of making plans for the following day. Rather than return in a minute, he literally yelled over the discussion.

A perfect end to the evening was the valet trying to start the wrong car with my keys, asking me to come see what was wrong. I didn?t make a big deal out of it, tipped them, and picked the car up myself. On the way back around to pick up the rest of my party, the valet made a point to tell me that my key unlocked the other car, so it was my fault and not theirs.

To sum up, this is by far the worst ?upscale? restaurant I have been to in Nashville. Quite possibly in the world. If it closed its doors tomorrow, I would throw a party.

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dms34

Joined 6 years ago

Great Place!. I was a bit intimidated when we first arrived because there were no parking spaces, You almost have to use Valet. Howeve, our waiter was great! He was friendly, and the bussers were great, too. I ordered a seared eggplant appetizer and vegetable soup, both of which were great. My boyfriend had a seafood bisque that he enjoyed. I ordered Chicken Marsala, which was great. I never order chicken because almost every restaurant overcooks it. However, this was so good that I took my leftovers home. When we got home. My boyfriend ordered zuppa de pescado, which he loved. Wehen we got home, we just had to finish our dishes, despite being full. Excellent place. I recommend it to all our guests at the hotel

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kat03

Joined 6 years ago

Great customer service and Itailian cuisine. It is nice to visit a place that still understands and cares about great customer service. Our romantic evening at Valentinoes will be a memorable one for sure. We decided to have cocktails before dinner and truly enjoyed the service from the bartender. Great personality and she makes one of the best dirty martini's in town. The menu was fantastic, the food delicious and the service impeccable. We capped the evening off with a dessert and a tasty treat from chef Paolo, a nicely chilled lemoncello. We strongly recommend this resturant. The best Nashville has to offer.

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tgt

Joined 6 years ago

Good Italian Food. We went early on a Saturday evening just before it got busy. We thought the place was very quaint. We were somewhat surprised that our waiter did not ask us if we would like a cocktail? We did however ask about a specific wine and he brought us a sample. Overall the service was excellent and prompt. The food was very good and the price was reasonable for that part of town. I would recommend dinner here however not for a special evening.

Doesn't Recommend

c0711y

Joined 7 years ago

come on now.... this place is out of a bad movie. the food is mediocre at best which is a shame because the vibe is kinda cool...

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Couples cozy up at this popular swoon-worthy Italian restaurant.. In Short
No light from the outside shines into the interior, an old house with dining areas upstairs and in the wine cellar below. Diners typically dress up and spend a little more money than usual, a formula for a special occasion. Couples dominate the crowd, absorbing the romantic atmosphere over a tableside-prepared Caesar salad. The chef prepares traditional Italian cuisine--pasta, veal, chicken, and seafood. Desserts rival entrees in richness, a decadent complement to a satisfying meal.

Doesn't Recommend

hillmind

Joined 7 years ago

Worst Service I have had in years.. The food was just average. The service was awful. We did not get one refill on our drinks. We were there on a non-busy Tuesday night. The waiter never even ask did we want dessert. We had to almost beg for dessert. I will not be back. Overpriced.