Valentino Piero Selvaggio Luciano Pellegrini THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Valentino

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Valentino

3115 W. Pico Blvd. (Bundy Dr.)
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310-829-4313
Map
Cuisine: Italian
Piero Selvaggio's Valentino has dominated Los Angeles' Italian dining scene for years.
Openings: Open Tues.-Thurs. 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Fri. 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Sat. 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.

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THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Valentino, Santa Monica, CA


THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Valentino Restaurant Review:



About the restaurant: In a city where a restaurant's success can disappear as fast as shooting stars in the sky, restaurateur Piero Selvaggio has definitely found the right recipe to keep Valentino shining for more than four decades. There are four downstairs dining rooms and the wine cellar room upstairs, probably the one we all prefer. Dining there will give you a chance to admire Selvaggio's extraordinary wine cellar.

About the food: Chef Luciano Pellegrini has returned in the role of executive consulting chef. A native of Bergamo, Italy, he moved to the United States in 1985 and began working with Selvaggio, eventually becoming executive chef and partner of Valentino Las Vegas. Together with chef de cuisine Tommaso Tarantino, they have crafted an updated menu that starts off with antipasti such as tuna tartare with orange-flavored burrata sauce; grilled eggplant terrine; and smoked quail on potato and asparagus salad with blueberry sauce. Classic dishes get a twist, as in the prosciutto-stuffed ravioli with melon cream sauce. Move on to the wide-ranging secondi, which might include bone marrow stuffed veal shank braised with vin santo served with soft polenta. A plate of Italian cheeses makes a good transition before the cannoli or tiramisu. The Valentino vin bar adds a casual touch to the fine dining establishment.

About the wine list: Valentino is the guardian of 20,000 bottles from all over the world, with the grand prize being a 1891 Biondi-Santi at $25,000. Otherwise, travel the world through the wine list, where you'll discover much more affordable wines.