Valentino

I had arrived in Vegas a few hours prior and had a 7:00 reservation for 1. Seated in the very back off in a corner, it took quite some time for anyone to drop off a menu and order a glass of wine. The place was empty. I also received 20% off of my total check when I checked in on Unilocal which was great! The buffalo mozzarella salad was delicious… could have used a bit more basil however; entrée was the ravioli. Another delicious tasty dish! I didn’t have an once of room for dessert after that and 2 glasses of wine. Upscale yes, but the service could use a little bit of work.

We wanted to go for an upscale Italian meal at the Venetian, so we had plently of choices. looking at Unilocal they all seemed to have about the same overall rating but this place seemed to have the most consistent reviews. So even though we love Mario batalli we decided to give this place a shot. Monday night and pretty quite but the servers hustled with great professionalism. My wife and I sat in the front part of the restaurant near the bar, the place is much deeper than this but the back half was not being used, probably because it was a slow night.
The menu is laid out like most nicer Italian menus, apps, salads, primeri, secundi, etc. The waiter made a point of telling us every dish was made to order so if we wanted to make any special requests we should feel free. Since I had steak the two previous evenings (I know… first world problems!) I opted for the bronzini and my wife got the risotto with crab meat. The fish was cooked perfectly, cut into about 4 sections and served in a large bowl instead of a flat plate, the sauce was thick and delicious makinf this dish almost a stew. Overall, one of the best fish dishes I’ve had. My wifes risotto, while at first seeming to be a little on the small size for the price, was very well prepared, rich and dense so wound up being just right.
Between dinner and desert our waiter got a bit overwhelmed when a big party came in but one of the other servers spotted this and came to fill in which definitely speaks of a level of concern for the customer which is nice to see. Side note: the large party seemed to be having a fixed menu dinner which looked really nice.
Chocolate mousse dessert was pretty good although tasted a bit like it had sat in the fridge a while but still not bad.
Used my tablet for this review so sorry for weird spelling or grammar.

Valentino at The Venetian is up-​to-​par in my books. What they offer is nothing but quality service, and a fine meal to satisfy every taste bud.
My dad and I visited Valentino last night and this was our second visit. Again, we were greeted with courtesy and professionally. We didn’t take much time to look through the menu — since it’s only two pages + the «daily specials». Dad ordered the New York steak and I ordered the Costatello — braised veal with mashed potatoes and asparagus. We also ordered a seafood appetizer (everything from fried clams to fried asparagus). Note about the appetizers — lightly breaded and you could actually taste the food inside rather than the breading.
Every bite was worth it and I hope you will give Valentino at least one try before turning the other way. Price is reasonable and it’s what you would expect to pay anywhere else in a Vegas hotel.

I came here with my girlfriend before we decided to head over to Marquee.
This atmosphere is very fancy and comfortable.
We sat by the bar since the wait for a table was about 45 minutes around 9PM when we arrived.
I ordered a chardonnay and it tasted like any type of chardonnay I’ve had before. But good since I always order that
My girlfriend ordered a shaken watermelon margarita and it was one of the best margaritas I have ever had, and I’m not too much of a watermelon fan, and I would even order this. Perfect and it does not taste too strong.
We ordered calamari to go with out drinks and the marinara sauce, was not as thick, and it was tasteful. I personally liked it. The calamari was not too breaded and fried, which was a GOOD THING. They season it as well and give you a lemon so you can squeeze on top. Tasted pretty fresh.
This place was a bit pricey. We paid about 48 bucks for those 3 items, which is understandable in vegas.
I would definitely come back here.
Location: Right where restaurant row is.

The quality of the food was very good but it was waaaaaayyyyyy overpriced!
The portions are very small! I could fit my whole entire food (pasta) in the palm of my hand ($ 35.00 for a pasta)
Very polite staff!
The ambiance was below average!

Made reservations for 9pm and we were seated promptly. Strangely had to ask for menus. There seemed to be a confusion on who was supposed to wait on our table. But they took our order quickly and the food arrived in short order. We ordered the hawaiian ono and lamb chops which were both superb. The only negative was that it took a while to get the check. Must have been because of the Unilocal checkin offer (lol). Overall, a great place with excellent food and a great staff.

CLOSING THE DOORS FOREVER
At first I had read that Luciano Pellegrini was intending to close this Venetian restaurant mid July. Valentino Santa Monica is also for sale too. Again, there’s that lingering old
coupon that reminds us to use it or lose it.
Whenever I visit the Spring Mountain intersection of The Strip, my chauffeur will park the Yu-​go in the Palazzo. For those who don’t know, the Palazzo and the The Venetian are owned by the same holding company. To make walking convenient, the two monster casinos are connected by a mall of shops and restaurants.
On our way to Valentino in the Venetian, Carnevale is being remembered by engaging live music and surreal Venetian characters. It’s festivities are colorful, attention gathering and entertaining to welcome the beginnings of summer and a cheerful reminder of the historical Venetian victory.
The Carnevale is also distracting to the wait staff but doesn’t lessen our dining experience. I had previously mentioned the name Luciano Pellegrini who has earned all sorts of culinary accolades. The best of the best in the culinary industry. There are six menus for different venues and meals. Tonight we’re ordering from The Grill Dinner Menu:
Spaghetti with Meat Balls & Marinara
LaCostoletta: Pan Roasted Veal Chop Parmigiana served with Mashed Potatoes
Lamb Chops: Scottadito Tossed With Garlic And Thyme Flavored Butter
Grilled Vegetables or Mashed Potatoes are also included. Yu-​go selected the Grilled Vegetables minus asparagus. Not good for gout prevention.
Remember I said Canevale didn’t lessen our dining experience. If anything the courses were totally embarrassing for our appetite. The breads together with the spaghetti dish were prepared to perfection. It’s strange that I would say this about such a common dish, but it’s true. Next our LaCostoletta and Lamb Chops arrived sizzling with fragrances that made us forget everything else happening at that moment in time. No desserts or coffee, we end up taking half of our dinner home to enjoy again.
The ambiance is delicate, refined and now very dated following fourteen years of existence. The closing date has now been amended to mid September. I’m hopeful that Valentino will not deviate from it’s standards as it inches towards its final days.

This is my favorite restaurant in Las Vegas for an elegant meal. Be prepared to take about two hours for the entire service (My party usually opts for the tasting menu so that takes more time).
I would suggest doing the late show at 10 (if the show you are seeing has that time) and getting reservations for no later than 7:30. Then there is no stress to make the show on time.

We stopped in on purpose this time since we had eaten here before and wanted to have what we knew was good Italian food. We were told that the two dining rooms had been combined which was fine but then when I mentioned bringing friends back in October the server told us that Valentino was closing in six weeks. He wasn’t sure why but what a loss for the strip. This time I had pumpkin ravioli with a truffle cream sauce which was so good and my husband had his usual lasagna which he also said was amazing. We had the bruschetta appetizer with artichoke and cheese but it was just so so and I wouldn’t order it again. Had a wonderful Pino Grigio as my beverage. I’m so sad this place is closing

There’s a bonus to be in Vegas for work, and that’s the ability to expense certain meals.
I went to Valentino with three other coworkers and two clients. We shared 2 bottles of wine, several appetizers, we each ordered an entrée, and we shared three desserts. I’m sure the final bill would have exploded my brain, but the food was all delightful.
The Melanzana was my FAVORITE appetizer… really wonderful. I didn’t try the bruschetta with mozzarella, but others said it was good. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the third appetizer…
For dinner, I ordered the Branzino (sea bass), which was total perfection in my bowl. It was the kind of meal where you have to grab bread to soak up anything remaining at the end. My second favorite entrée was a coworker’s gnocchi, was was truly delicious. For dessert we shared plated donuts and a few other delightful items that were all passed around and shared. (I tried to find what they were, but it wasn’t listed on the online menu.)
Positives — the wine menu is HUGE. I mean… HUGE. Pages upon pages of Italian wines, French wines, American wines… we ordered two bottles of a delicious chianti. I’m sure that the sommelier would help you if it is overwhelming. (Also, price go from like $ 55 to over $ 500 for a bottle, so you could just pick by cost!)
The bathrooms were large and clean.
The waiter was friendly (although at first WAY WAY WAY too peppy and I think his manager might have told him to tone it down a little).
The location is great if you’re staying in or near the Venetian or working at the expo.
All in all, I’d go back… if someone else were paying. ;-)

This is my favorite restaurant in Las Vegas, I was bummed to hear that they are closing.
The food is wonderful and the service is impeccable. Order the tasting menu with wine pairing for an unforgettable meal!

Good restaurant, friendly and competent service, the food was really good.
It is an expensive restaurant, but it is worth what it costs!

For Vegas style eating, I wasn’t too impressed with Valentino. We wanted a good, Italian pasta dinner but the pasta pickings were slim. The place is located in the Venetian hotel and it has a nice, quiet ambience. Our servers were all very pleasant and the place was nice and clean.
We started with the soft shell crab appetizer for 4 to share. It was quite good, came with fried asparagus too. We enjoyed this very much. Two of the people I was with ordered the lobster bisque and for the price paid ($ 16 I think) it was devastating. It was a very small piece of lobster not like advertised on the menu and the soup was very watery. I wouldn’t recommend this soup. For entrée, I had the wagyu beef which same with a small salad and zucchini, it was perfectly cooked and tasted delicious. My boyfriend had the veal dish with polenta. He was less than impressed. Our one friend ordered the swordfish rolls which she was actually very disappointed in. The meal was overwhelmed by peppers and the menu description made it sound so much better. Our other friend had the special of the night which was filet, he seemed happy.
So I guess the 2 people who ordered steak were very happy with their meals. We had a bottle of wine to share and then each our own individual glass. Besides the food being mediocre, the wait was forever. I think we waited an hour for our entrée… kind of a waste of time in Vegas when we were wanting to go out and have some fun. Good thing to note, a Unilocal check in will get you 20% off the food portion of the bill. Which is a good savings.
I wouldn’t go back here merely because Vegas has way too much to offer at other restaurants and the place was quite expensive.

Loved it! I was in Vegas for a convention and needed to grab some lunch so I wasn’t forced to eat trade show food. Stopped in here and really wanted the smoked chicken salad. It was about 3pm. Sat down at the bar and found out this item was on the dinner menu and it was lunch time. The manager didn’t; skip a beat. He went back to the chef to find out if it was possible. No problem.
The salad was amazing. The smoked chicken was done perfectly — tender, flavorful, lean The bartender was extremely friend;y. In fact, service from everyone was wonderful. And I had the opportunity to sit next to a writer for food and wine which made lunch even more interesting.
Wish I had time to try it again for dinner.

I met a friend here for lunch. Things did not start out well when the hostess initially sat us down next to a pillar. There were not too many people so I asked if we could sit at another table against the wall. Boy, she gave me da stink eye when she sat us down. The server Brooke was a nice girl, although she is not the sharpest tool in the shed. I ordered the fried calamari to share, and a caesar salad (pic) and piadina (wrap in pic). After ordered she asked me if I wanted a salad. This was already after I ordered one and I inquired if the place has anchovies. The answer was no. Who ever heard of a real Italian joint w/​o anchovies? My friend ordered a salad and grilled chicken and fries.
The salads come and they are hearty and the croutons are crunchy. The dressing is a bit much but not by much. Our entrees come and both portions are hearty. Neither of us finished our plates and I rarely leave leftovers. Both meals were OK. The bread on the wrap resembled a tortilla. The fillings inside were so-​so and the portion was not that large. My friend then reminds me that we ordered calamari. Brooke forgot to place the order which was OK because the rest of the food was so-​so. Service was so-​so also because I had to ask for a refill on my drink.
The positives: If you check in on Unilocal you receive 20% off your bill.
The negatives: Bitchy hostess, the good is so-​so and the prices are high. The bill was $ 56 before tip for 2 non-​alcoholic drinks, 2 salads and 2 mid priced entrees. I am glad I used the 20% coupon.
Overall, food was 3, prices 2 and hostess a 1. Combined score of 2.5. I won’t be coming back.

Yummm, went to Valentino Saturday night with a group of 5 and boy was it tasty! We ordered a few bottles or red, they have a great wine selection either by the bottle or by the glass. One of us ordered the chicken and said it was dry so he switched it out for the spaghetti and meatballs. We all did Italian. I had the special — a seafood spicy spaghetti.
The following dishes are A OK in my book ;) and if you like spicy ask for the chili flakes, sooooo good!
FRIED CALAMARI WITH SPICY MARINARA
SAN DANIELE PROSCIUTTO, MOZZARELLA AND OLIVES WITH GRILLED PIADINA
SPAGHETTI WITH (THREE MEATS) MEAT BALLS AND MARINARA
LASAGNA ALLA BOLOGNESE
Nice comfortable atmosphere. I’ll certainly return if I’m looking for Italian again. Prices are great!

Stopped by Valentino’s after setting up for Autodesk University last week and was really pleased. As someone else noted, the restaurant has two sides — a more formal side (Valentino’s) and the more casual Grill at Valentino. Both sides had plenty of room but the grill side menu grabbed our attention.
The wait staff was super friendly and our server was quick to take our drink order, tell us the specials and hand off bread with oil and spices. The bread was fantastic — soft and almost a little sweet on the inside with a golden brown exterior that gave just the right amount of crunch.
I opted for the grilled Scottish salmon with onion pepper dip and grilled veggies. Both were out of this world — the salmon was perfectly cooked and tasted so great I skipped most of the sauce. Grilled veggies were HUGE and plentiful — very flavorful and you could see the grill marks.
My colleague selected the special — a seafood pasta with a spicy red sauce. I believe it had salmon, scallops and shrimp — it looked great and he really liked it.
A glass of wine each and the bill wasn’t too crazy — would definitely hit the place up again if I go back to the Venetian.

Yes, please. Started with the oysters and a chef appetizer sampler that consisted of a prosciutto wrapped scallop, smoked ham with buffalo mozzarella, and blood sausage on cornbread. Then came the caprese salad and cab wine. I am not sure what brand of wine it was but it was delish and homeboy kept filling my glass so I kept drinking.
For my main I went with the «tomahawk» rib eye that was 36 ounces of bone-​in, thirty five day ultraviolet-​light aged, mouth watering sex on a plate. They only prepare five of these a day and my table ordered six so someone had to change their order. When the waiter mentioned this I avoided eye contact with anyone as I was prepared to go caveman on everyone in the restaurant if I didn’t get my «tomahawk». I finished it all including the truffle ravioli and asparagus sides and have since been given the office nickname of «Tomahawk». I wear the nickname with pride. I went with liquid desert in the form of grappa and limoncello. A perfect end to a perfect meal.
I must also mention we were seated at the chefs table in a private room so this added even more to our dining experience. If Valentino was alive and I was gay, I would marry him. Valentino… as good as it gets. Cheers

What a great night! Valentino’s knows how to treat you right. We were lucky enough to get a table in their small but private «library» room in the back of the restaurant. I’m not sure if you could request this for a special occasion, but it is worth a shot. The room had cook books and guide books of Italy on the shelves with a bit of Frankie to be heard throughout the night.
The service was outstanding from beginning to end. We had some nice conversation about wine with the sommelier and found out he is actually from our neighborhood in LA.
A couple of their dishes really stood out to me. A must get is the Gill Spaghetti with Rabbit and Mushroom Ragu. The combination was perfect and the use of quality olive oil shined through. The Scallops with Polenta was one of the best prepared scallops I’ve ever had, and I’ve had way too many scallops! Perfectly seared on the outside and tender on the inside which really displayed the essence of what a scallop is all about. Lastly the tender Lamb Ossobuco was the best I’ve had and again this is a dish I hunt down regularly at Italian restaurants. We fought after each piece as it fell off of the bone.
Overall our experience was perfect and the food was good. Putting Valentino head to head with other top restaurants in Vegas I would still want to revisit a few others first, however if you are specifically looking for quality and authentic Italian food this is the place to go.

I. Can’t. Say. Enough. Good. Things. Here. Let’s start with OVER 2000 wines in their Wine Bible!
Ahhh, Valentino, why do you have to be so very far from my reach on a regular basis? Oh, I know, because you are meant for special occasions and that’s what brought us to you in the first place!
We were celebrating a WIN in Vegas… no, not cash, silly… a DIFFERENT kind of win — the end of a productive and promising Trade Expo that left us hungry for good red wine and unparalleled vegetarian fare in a refined yet comfortable atmosphere… cue Valentino! Our server, Adrian, a Johnny Depp-​esque creature with immaculate timing and menu advice, helped us put together a trio of pastas that delighted us to NO END… seriously, one bite was bliss, knowing I had a whole plateful was HEAVEN. The fresh ingredients were so obviously abundant in each flavor combination, yet all blended together so well in the various sauces and pasta fillings. The gnocchi, in particular, was so silky smooth and perfectly sized to mix with the fresh pesto sauce, that I would still be dragging the meal out now, a week later, if I thought I could be away from my family for that much longer! This all followed a scrumptious appetizer-​gone-​spunky version of eggplant parmesean that was topped with fresh curly, peppery herbs. This ALL was accompanied by a merlot that was suggested by the sommelier after we had deposited our request for woodsy-​earthy-​cheesy-​veggie items… he found a perfect match!
I would be leaving you without a kiss good-​bye if I didn’t take a minute to explain just how a fabulous dessert followed this amazing meal. Picture rich-​without-​overpowering chocolate, nutty yet mild hazelnut, and silky essence of pistachio all meeting up to delight the senses in the form of mini-​2-​bite nougat desserts (there were other varieties available… I think a crème brûlée and a fruit tarte among other things… but these morsels we decided on were a perfect compliment to the sparkling rose that was suggested by none other than Johnny Depp himself! (Okay, maybe it was Adrian — he knows this is all in good fun and filled with love — and, yes, he was pre-​warned the review would include the reference!)

I’ve never had service so bad at a fine dining restaurant.
My friends and I were there on a slow night, and we sat in the back room. It was quiet, and the décor was nice. I had cheese ravioli with pears, walnut, and sage. The ravioli was delicious, and the portion was perfect. The dessert was okay, chocolate ravioli and a berry and mint soup.
The problem was how we were treated. Our two course dinner took well over two hours because our waitress checked on us once every 20 – 30 minutes or so. She did not read the specials, explain the menu, or give us the slightest amount of attention– though we saw her chatting up larger parties and giving them attentive service. Perhaps it was because we did not order wine, but there is no excuse.