Valentino's Ristorante

This place has great potential if the customer service were better. The food was great. The setting of this place and the decor is amazing! I could not believe the staff was so rude. I have heard great things about this place, but employees ruined what I thought would be a great experience. Repeatedly had to ask for drink refills.Prices like that you would think they would be friendly:( Maybe I caught them on a bad day?!?!

Pros: Gorgeous Setting, Food was great

Cons: Waiters WERE VERY RUDE

Posted 10/31/09

We had a good time at Valentinos Ristorante for my sisters birthday. We dined in the upstairs lounge area which was beautifully decorated. The upstairs lounge didn't exist last time there and is a very nice section of the restaurant. The ambiance was warm and inviting... I love the brick. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly. Our food came in large portions, was seasoned well and fresh tasting. No complaints and we'll be back. Next time we won't wait for a special occasion.

Pros: Excellent food & service.

Cons: A little pricey, but worth it.

Posted 08/25/09

I took my wife here for a special occasion dinner. We have had better Italian food from a Stauffer's Frozen Dinner box and Pepperidge Farms used to have a better Terra Masu than was proudly placed in front of us for desert. Lastly Valentino's was so proud of this experiment; our investment in this lesson was a mere $167.94. They served us the food, here is my perspective... A Very, Very Sad Meal :( !!!

Pros: Convenient Location

Cons: Poor Food Quality, Cold When Served and Tasteless

Posted 08/03/09

Decor: Not as handsome as the pictures online.
Service: Good but you occasionally have to ask for it. One of my guests was not happy with his order and the dish was deducted from our bill. +
Wait staff: Pleasant, enjoyable.
Wine list: Good.
Menu: Expensive, overpriced.
Serving size: Very good; appetizer (calamari, enough for 3 or 4; price: good).
Notes: As a former restaurant owner, I don't think I would ever try to charge a customer $25-35 for a large plate of pasta with a few pieces of seafood. I thought that this had to be homemade pasta and seafood flown in from Maine. I asked and the answer was, "No." I am not certain why someone would charge $25-35 for pasta with seafood. I was there with three friends and we all ordered the pasta. We all agreed: the pasta with the seafood: VERY salty. Stuffed shrimp: Big but dry.
Other: The bread that came out...Honest to God, looked like it had been touched by at least three other people, came off someone else's plate, and looked reheated. I didn't even want to touch it. The wine was our first impression (fortunately it was good, unfortunately we stuck around). The menu looks impressive but the food is really quite average. If you don't cook for yourself, this is probably good food. If you're from New York (our table was), and have travelled to Italy (our table had), this is not unique.
Overall impression: I MIGHT return to hang out at the bar (which, I should note, the noise level from the bar goes right into the dining area quite a bit). Definitely NOT a family restaurant. Some roudy drinkers at the bar may stop by your table. That was fun (not really).

Pros: Good service

Cons: Overpriced menu

Posted 07/17/09

Its not the same Valentino's. Food prices have gone up and value down. I had a very bland stuffed shrimp and INSTANT mashed potatoes for $25 and my wife had a piece of bland salmon and a carrot stick for $26. Service was excellent but I had better fish bought from Walmart and cooked in a microwave. Total bill $83 better meal and less money at Captain D's!

Pros: nice atmosphere great survice

Cons: poor food quality for the money

Posted 07/08/09

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.

Posted 01/01/09

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.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Everything else

Posted 09/02/08

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!

Posted 06/04/08

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.

Pros: Wine List, Caesar Salad

Cons: Staff, Entrees, Bread

Posted 05/08/08

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

Pros: Excellent food and Service

Cons: None

Posted 10/12/07

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.

Pros: great service

Cons: not open on Sunday

Posted 09/22/07

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.

Posted 01/13/07

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

Pros: kinda vibey

Cons: food is way below par

Posted 10/17/06

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.

Pros: seated promptly

Cons: bad service, bad service, bad service.

Posted 01/16/06

If you love Italian food and romance this is the place to go. The food was wonderful and the price wasn't bad. We would suggest the bananas foster for dessert. This is a great place to start a wonderful evening.

Posted 08/09/05

Not normally open on Sundays, an exception was made for the day before Valentine's Day. It couldn't have been more perfect... the ambiance, the food, the EXQUISITE Bananas Foster prepared tableside. Wow! Yes, the cost is above average but so is the experience and so is the food... and I was impressed with the free valet parking. This is the special occasion restaurant.

Pros: Free valet parking, desserts

Cons: dark

Posted 02/25/05

Food was extremely average, service was poor. Would not return to Valentino's for a long time unless it was free, but for the money atmoshpere only goes so far.

Posted 05/22/04

We have eaten there before and been very satisifed. We just went for Valentines day and was very disappointed. The food was warm, not hot. Service did not seem to know or care about our dining experience. The best thing they have is bananas foster, but they did not offer it because of the expected crowds for Valentines day. We are doubtful to return

Pros: parking

Posted 02/12/04

We had a outstanding time last Friday night. Real buffalo milk mozzarella, shrimp and crab bisque was great.I had the special - grilled beef filet (perfect) with stuffed shrimp and roasted tomatoes. I had heard mixed stories before - but Valentino's definitely has what it takes to be among the city's best restaurants. Ask for Sergio - hes was great and try to get a place in the wine cellar to eat - very cool. Bon apetito!!

Pros: food, food, food

Cons: decor- update, from 80's black, lacquer

Posted 06/21/03

Great place. The staff very nice, eager to please. Food was awesome. The chef and manager came by to see if we were enjoying our dinner. Now who does that anymore. Great feel all the way around. Beautiful restaurant. Ask for Andrei, to wait on you.
We were told this place was snobby, but found the exact opposite. Highly recommend.

Pros: Atmosphere, Service, Food

Cons: Noisy, Parking

Posted 02/14/03

This is one of my favorite restaurant's in Nashville. I'm no expert of Italian food, but the food is very good and the atmosphere wonderfully romantic. I've always gotten good service there. I always treat my wait people with respect and I'm usually not disappointed in the way I am treated as a customer. I highly recommend Valentino's for those very special occasions.

Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Service

Cons: Self Parking, A Little Expensive

Posted 02/13/03

Food was great, wine was great, atmoshphere was great. The only bad thing is they forgot my salad. But the desert more than made up for it. Be ready to spend some cash.

Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Desert

Cons: Missing Salad

Posted 02/11/03

With all the dining options in the Nashville area, this is one to definitely avoid! This was the worst dining experience I have ever had...the service is extremely unprofessional, the meal prices are overvalued, the food is far from authentic italian and the ownership lacks accoutability for customer satisfaction.

Pros: location

Cons: food quality, food authenticity, SERVICE

Posted 12/15/02

My husband and I went here for dinner one night before going to a play. I'm really into Italian restaurants lately and thought we'd try this one for the first time especially since we had a buy one get one free in my Entertainment Book. All went OK, food was good but not the best I've had in town, until I gave our waiter my Entertainment Book card and he stopped speaking to us!!! He even sent someone else out to bring out the bill and snubbed us as we passed him on the way out the door. I guess we weren't good enough for him anymore!!!!

Pros: romantic, food was good

Cons: snobby waiters

Posted 11/13/02

This is the best Italian restuarant in Nashville. My recent visit was my first experience with Valentino's and it was an enjoyable one. Our waiter was fantastic...the food delicious...and the atmosphere terrific. The tomato sauce had an unique and wonderful flavor...and the portions were healthy enough, even for me!

Pros: DELICIOUS

Cons: SEMI-EXPENSIVE

Posted 08/21/02

In our quest to find a good Italian restaurant with ambiance, we were directed to Valentino's by the staff at the Wyndham Hotel. It was a very pleasurable experience due to the romantic atmosphere, excellent service, and superb food. I highly recommend this establishment as one of the best in Nashville!

Pros: Ambiance, Service, Food

Cons: Parking

Posted 07/30/02

This is simply my favorite restaurant here in Nashville so far. We moved here two months ago, and absolutely love it! It's our second time back and it was wonderful. We came hungry and had a five-course meal. We started with the Gnocci and Stuffed Eggplant appetizers. Caesar salad for two they prepare right at the tableside. Quite a show. We had soup, my husband the Pasta Fagioli and I had a Egg Drop Spinach Soup du jour. Very good. We had our main course. My husband, the Pasta Cardinal, and myself, the special, Marco Polo, a chicken breast filled with crab meat with a Angel Hair Marinara on the side. We finished with the Chocolate Cake. Go there and give it a try. We had no trouble with the service. Bob did a great job. Everyone was nice and it's really elegant and pretty inside.

Posted 07/19/02

My husband and I spend most of our special occassions at Valentino's. The food is always wonderful and the service is excellent. It is nice to have a nice, quiet, relaxing and romantic dinner with my husband from time-to-time.

Pros: Great Food, Excellent ambience

Cons: Parking

Posted 06/10/02

Wanted a quiet, intimate dinner with friends. Made a reservation for 4, nonsmoking section. Was seated 30 min late and in the cellar less than 20 ft from a party of 12-15 drunken obnoxious chainsmoking oafs whose vocabularies consisted of mostly the "S-word" and the "F-word". Ventilation was non-existant in that cave. Complained to the mgr, who did NOTHING to salvage our evening. They seemed to be friends of his. The veal was bland and the salmon was actually spoiled to inedibility. Being our second experience there, with the first being as equally disappointing, we will not return. Spent about $200, which was $160 too much for the value received.

Posted 05/21/02