Valentino’s

I came here based on the other Unilocal reviews and I was not disappointed. I was dining alone this evening as was given a nice table by the friendly waitress who was just the right level of attentive.
I ordered from the pre-​theatre menu which is an absolute bargain. I had the Italian sausage to start, which came fairly quickly and was not only very pretty on the plate but also delicious! For my main I had the pork loin with a mushroom cream sauce — again delicious and perfectly seasoned. It was thin slices of loin as expected, with plenty of mushrooms in the sauce.
My only regret is that I didn’t come here last time I was in Cardiff!

Had a lovely meal at Valentinos on saturday. 2 courses for £10 cant beat it. Excellent food and service.

Went here for a friends 21^st birthday and got a great table, fantastic food, attentive service and a very reasonable price.
I seem to remember that even the Peroni was reasonably priced which it normally isn’t in places like Bella Italia. I had the Lasagne and it was a more than generous portion for the £8 approx. that it cost. The staff were incredibly friendly without being intrusive and they got the service exactly right, a rarity in many of the Italian restaurants in Cardiff. With the glut of Italian restaurants in town I’d have to say that this is the best. I’m pretty sure it’s been around the longest aswell.
My advice would be to avoid the newbies around town as this is the best Italian meal I think I’ve ever had!

Valentino’s has been there since the days when my parents were dating! There are so many Italian restaurants in Cardiff now that this place must be good to have survived all that time.
As a non pasta eating lover of Italian food I just love the selection of meat dishes they have. The chicken is always cooked beautiful and I don’t think I’ve ever not enjoyed eating here.
The staff are so welcoming and attentive, I even remember going as a child and they really looked after me and spoilt me in that way only Italian’s do.
Love the charm and atmosphere of Valentino’s, its a far cry from all the other wanna be Italian chains. Bellissimo!

Picture the scene, I’ve been dragged round St. Davids Mall for what seems like the 67^th hour. I’m hungry, tired and desperately hinting at my lovely (probably not subtly) that I am losing the will to live and can we go eat (Yea, I wasn’t very subtle thinking about it). Luckily, rather than an argument I got a merciful confirmation.
Like Sven Goran Eriksson, I fancied an Italian. Wanting to try Valentino’s, situated just out of the shopping area it is an incredibly stylish restaurant keen to capture the theatre/​lunch going public. we went for the £9.95 two course pre-​theatre show option, which doubles as the lunch menu too.
Given that it would take a lot to get my approval in my current soul sapping shopped out state Valentino’s did very well.
We shared a basket of bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to start. From there I had a wonderful dish by the name of Risotto con Salsciccia. Rice and Italian sausage for those who do not speak the language. Very tasty indeed and just the right portion I felt to not to be left feeling bloated. Missy McLovely had the same funnily, and commented on it’s authentic taste.
Service was efficient and very warming. Defiantly worth a look if your into your Italian foods. Oh and if your looking to book, you will have to pay a deposit of £5.

This is a great place for a little romantic dinner for two. I went there with my boyfriend on a Saturday night so it was actually very busy but everyone was obviously there for the same reason. There were no large groups of noisy people — just a lot of quiet murmurings.
The whole ambience of the restaurant was lovely. It was decorated beautifully. It was obviously subscribing to the traditional Italian-​restaurant genre. But it was done in a fairly subtle way.
The meat was expensive — most of them were around £18, which seemed a little too much for what it actually was. As a vegetarian, though, I never really have this problem. And the vegetarian options (the pasta and the pizza) were really very cheap.
As I would hope for from such a restaurant, the service was excellent. I didn’t feel left alone, and also didn’t feel that I was being harassed. Perfect.
We had a very lovely night, thank you.

went here before going to the theatre. this was my second visit to the restaurant and i really enjoyed it.
They offer a seperate lunch and pre-​theatre menu which is £8.95 for two courses (bargain!)
the first time i went here i had the bruchetta to start which was lovely, then a rib eye steak for mains (without sauce) and with boiled potatoes and veg. Now I like my steak medium rare and it did come out slightly over cooked, but they were quite happy to take it away and make me a fresh one, which fair play was cooked to perfection and didnt take long so i wasnt left eating alone.
the second time i came here i had the soup of the day which was mixed vegetable which was very tasty and again i thought i’d see how the rib-​eye steak was aainabsolutely beautifully cooked and i had the sauce this time which was red wine and black peppercorn (lovely).
The people i were with also had nice meals salmon and sea bass which were also cooked perfectly.
The service was good, staff are very nice and friendly so will definately going back when i go and see my next show in june cant wait!

One, if not the best italian restaurant in Cardiff. Visited a dozen or so times and there’s always a great atmosphere. The staff are friendly, and the food is fabulous, need I say more!

Meal after show at Theatre 22 Nov 2008
This has to be the worst meal I’ve ever had in a restaurant. We were expecting something Italian, not a bit of it. prawn cocktails, sirloin steak, salmon fillet.
There was also a complete lack of anything fresh. The food was cheap, poor quality and badly cooked. When asked for something Italian (like a pizza) we were told only 2 of us could have one. The pizzas that arrived were absolutely appalling, cheap tasteless cheese with some tomato purée thrown onto a base. My salmon fillet was small and over cooked and the sirloins were tough and overcooked. The service was abysmal and they had the cheek to add a charge on the bill (which was removed). At £30/​head for a 3 course meal it was a total rip off and none us will ever go back. The worst restaurant experience I’ve ever had.

This Italian restaurant really captures the essential flavours of traditional Italian food. Everything served is freshly prepared with their daily deliveries of meat, fish and vegetables. This restaurant isn’t very big which makes it more romantic and cosy. Unique styles of decorating which gives this place a great style and atmosphere. The perfect place to take someone on a romantic date and this place feels extra special on valentines day. The staff are really friendly and you feel very welcomed as soon as you arrive. The prices are reasonable by offering a tempting selection of Italian dishes for only £7.95. They also offer a very nice selection of wines and give a guiding hand of what wine will suit the meal you have ordered.