Valentina

I have been here so many times, and never has the food or service ever dropped below perfection. Adore this place, for anything from a coffee, to a drink sitting at the bar, to a snack, to a multi-​course dinner. Everyone I have taken has also loved it. I love perusing the deli at the front also — such interesting stuff (edibles, drinkables, and beautiful ‘things’). The décor also is really lovely — unusual, welcoming and relaxing. Oh and by the way, the breakfasts are fab too. They do the best scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast that I have had in my life.

Came here again with my dad recently and while I had the same impression about the food as before (good, but not outstanding) the service was much better — very friendly and attentive and we didn’t have to wait for anything.
There was a live singer who sang a totally random mixture of songs. It was pretty loud and made it almost impossible for me to talk to my deaf dad. If you have that problem I would suggest going somewhere else as there’s no quiet corner of the restaurant when the music is at that volume!

Good value for money. Quite empty though.

I’ve been here twice. I have to say it’s a very good looking restaurant as you can see from the pictures. The glass windows for both downstairs deli&bar and upstairs restaurant. It’s not very pricy for what you’d expect from this kind of restaurant. When I was here for the first time in January, there was a limited offer of 50% off through online booking.
Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan cheese
Tender, young asparagus with fresh black pepper and shredded Parmasan is just perfect :)
Pan Seared Scallops
Creamy sauce is not exactly my favorite, but this appetizer was still very good.
Seafood Linguine with Lobster
We ordered this both times. Seafood is all very good, lobster, prawn, mussels etc. The sauce is a little too salty for my taste, but the pasta texture is firm and chewy, nicely done!
We also bought some sweets at downstairs deli on our way out. The creamed-​filled sweets were really sugary. I personally liked the cookie with pistachio nuts.

Away from Central London, there is less of a selection of good authentic restaurants. In areas like Putney, the high street and around is dominated by non descript chains with mediocre offerings. Along comes Valentina, a family run chain of Italian Delis and restaurants with three branches around London. The deli has a massive selection of the best Italian produce you can get or want, including White Alba truffles when in season.
This Italian deli in Putney has a nice selection of their own sausages made by their own chef. If that is not enough, they even have their own top of the range olive oil too. As they have a lot of pre prepared food that you can just heat up at home, it is a great place to pick up an authentic pasta sauce on the way home. They also have an extensive selection of wines, hand picked by the team for quality.
The olives were recently harvested in October and from this harvest, they created a small amount of first pressing green olives. This is unlike any olive oils that are sold commercially as they are made from olives that are harvested a little earlier than the commercial crop. It also has to be consumed within a short time frame as it loses its unique flavours after a few months.
Recently, I was invited Valentina for a dinner, hosted by Fabio, one of the many cousins who run the Valentina chain. The Italian food here is rustic a modern twist. We tasted this amazing first pressing oil, which was used as a dipping oil or drizzled over mozarella. The oil is more green and fresh in flavour than the commercial bottled variety. They only managed to bring over 20 litres of this oil and is not usually sold in the UK.
Chef Massimo created a few stunning dishes which started with a bruschetta with tomato and mandara mozzarella, drizzled with more of the lovely new season olive oil.
One of the main attractions of the Valentina restaurant is their range of wines. You can buy a great bottle from the shop to have with your meal upstairs for a small corkage charge. There are some great labels (behind locked glass doors) which you can have for a fraction of what you will pay at other restaurants.
Next, we had a pan fried capesanta with creamed vegetables, topped with crispy leeks– totally delicious. I found a new way to cook vegetables, fab.
This was followed by a sausage risotto, made with their own home made wild boar fennel sausages. You could taste the fennel quite distinctively even when thinly sliced in the risotto
We finished with a poached pear in red wine and chocolate.
The evening is not complete without something from the deli. We were given one of their delicious artisanal panetonne to take home, which I can report is fruity and rich. I will have go back for another one before christmas.
There are more casual tables by the deli downstairs where they serve a spuntino menu, lots of smaller dishes like Venetian cicchetti. They even do pizzas for takeaway which is much, much better than those nasty pizza takeaway companies.
When it is warmer, there is a hidden terrace on the first floor, off the main restaurant. If I lived in Putney, this would be my canteen. Everything I have tasted there was delicious and you can get any Italian produce that you need too.
This review is for Valentina Deli in Putney. They have branches in East Sheen and Sevenoaks.

Maybe one of the best Italian places I’ve visited in south London! I was really excited when I found out that it has a branch in Putney. The design is modern and I like it, although I was thinking about something more Italian. What I like about this branch is that its divided into areas, also it has free wi-​fi. I like how both the 1^st and the 2^nd floors are decorated with photos etc. The food is as good as always. Its fresh, well served especially the pasta and rosittos. What I also like is that there’s a wide range of wines to chose from, so I can pick the best one to go with my food. The service is friendly and the prices are affordable. Having all these things summed up, it makes it a perfect place for an official dinner or a family evening.

I had a lovely evening in Valentina this weekend. The staff were really friendly creating a nice, relaxed atmosphere. I had the Pizzone which is half a mushroom calzone and half a salami pizza — absolutely delicious! The base was thin and not at all greasy which is exactly how I like pizza to be. The pizza prices are the same as many Italian chain restaurants but I got a much bigger portion of much better quality pizza. We choose the house white (the ‘wine from our village’) which was very light and drinkable but not hugely exciting with no strong flavor of anything. However the coffee I had after the meal was perfectly made (lovely milky latte with strong coffee).

I’d echo the sentiment of the few reviews I’ve read of this place. Personally I use it as a breakfast spot before hoping on East Putney tube. Loved the pancakes and also the panchetta and eggs are great. Couple either of these with a few crafty glasses of Italian bubbly and your day is set fair!

One of my locals and an absolute favourite, the quality of the food and wine is excellent, the deli is great and I often nip in to pick up bread and olives, it’s a lot more expensive than supermarkets of course but you can really taste the difference. Have eaten here over 20 times and the welcome is always warm and genuine with a real family feel. My daughter loves it to and they always spoil her.

I’m usually very articulate, but I love this place so much it’s hard to locate adequate vocabulary. Whether you purchase something from the deli, grab a take-​away coffee, frequent the café, or the restaurant it’s a super experience. The drinks and food are fantastic but more than that, the ambience, staff, and service are what really set this place apart (the décor is pretty cool too). It’s like being welcomed into the arms of the Italian family who own it, every single time you go; the family-​owned vibe is beautifully palpable. I have been many times, but made sure it was included in the places I went to on my fortieth birthday weekend places which I selected especially, because they mean something special to me. That says it all really. Oh, by the way my father and I are hooked on the scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast. Whenever he comes to visit, we make sure we partake. I guarantee you won’t have had better, even homemade (that comes from my father, who ran top hotels for forty years; and me, who shares his passion and extremely high standards for food and service!). PS If you’re reading, Valentina, please bring back the seafood (wood) platter! Addendum: well, my father came to visit recently and guess where we went. I had the Lobster Linguine for the first time — and oh my word, what an experience; it took my breath away when it arrived, and was equally notable upon scoffing. I can’t remember which pasta dish my father had, but let me put it this way he doesn’t usually bother finishing dishes, but the plate was spotless when he was done! We’re still talking about it, and planning our next foray

After repeated visits since my first review, Valentina have proved themselves to be true purveyors of quality food. Sure, some of their prices have continued to baffle me (I believe they have a chicken club sandwich for close to £8, which is the most expensive I’ve ever heard of), but generally speaking, the quality of the offerings are worth shouting about:
Their pizza, which is probably the best in the area, and also available for 20% off Mon-​Thurs when taking away, meaning Margheritas start from £4.80;
Their panettone, which is the best I’ve ever tasted;
Their pasta dishes to go, which are perfectly cooked, using good quality pasta and accompanying ingredients;
Their tiramisu, which has the perfect balance of coffee, cream, cheese and sponge.
And the Cannolos are still excellent.
Also worth mentioning is the large amount of seating they have for eat-​in meals, both comfy sofas and tables and chairs. Décor is a mixture of scattered quality Italian produce (e, g. De Cecco pasta) and other en vogue Italian icons, such as a shiny scooter.
I’m still exploring their range, and every now and then find a product and/​or price that throws me slightly, but on the whole, this is a deli well worth patronising.

I can only really review the café area from the few times I’ve been here. There are a few seats downstairs if you want to have an informal sit down with someone rather than dine upstairs. There’s a good selection of italian deli and pantry shtuffs.
Pricey but conveniently located near the tube station if you want to grab a coffee and pastry before you head to work and hope you’re not too late :)

Ready dishes — def a real hit or a miss. I had a delicious spicy penne for lunch and thought it was amazing. I had a ravioli this other time and thought it was a little bland.
Restaurant — My favorite dish is the Paccheri which they do very nicely. The Cappella Romana wouldn’t be a repeat offender. Tiramisu is nice and light compared to others.

Valentina, the best Italian delicatessen in south London for almost twenty years, has now opened a branch in Putney, and it’s another star. The original deli added a café last year that serves delicious pasta, risottos and other Italian staples, but the Putney sibling is a more striking design and has a café area where Guipeppe and his team serve ‘spuntini’ — small dishes in the manner of tapas (but better and more substantial) — for £3−4 each and there is also a larger restaurant and bar upstairs. As in the Sheen café, there’s free wi-​fi.
The delicatessen is still the main event here, and it’s superbly well stocked with wonderful breads, oils and pastas, but also offers cooked foods such lasagne and raviolis to take away. The spuntini menu contains delicious antipasto di mare and a frittatina — and omlette made with courgettes and onions finished with mozarella — and other delicacies.
Upstairs the bar and restaurant are decorated with photos of the owner, Bruno Zoccola’s ancestors and those of his cousins, who also work in the business, a still-​life with scooter and sidecar, and a flat-​screen TV showing old black-​and white Italian films. The selection of wines is spectacular, from the highly prized and highly priced Tuscans to more modest but still delicious chiantis and atelier wines. My favourite is the La Grola from Allegrini.
Altogether a perfect place to shop for food, relax with a plate of something or go with friends for a meal. If I’m not at home, you’ll probably find me there.

If I could give different marks for different products within the deli I would, but overall, it’s very average for the prices they charge.
Cheeses and meats — 5, delicious, just delicious. And they have quite a variety so you’re sure to find something you’ll love.
Ready-​made dishes — 3, these are hit and miss. Some are delicious and others are just way too oily and are made with less than favourable parts of the chicken for example.
Produce — 2, it all looks very pretty from a far, but when you get up close you realise that it’s all been sitting there a bit too long. I’ve actually seen avocados with black holes in them. It just makes you wonder if they really take care of the rest of the food.
Service — 4, as it’s a little chaotic, but the staff are nice and fairly knowledgeable
Price — 2, it’s excessively expensive
I haven’t tried to restaurant yet, but it looks like a fairly nice menu.

Being only a stone’s throw from my house, this is handy at dangerous at the same time. There is too much of a temptation to walk over and get breakfast, lunch or dinner when I can’t be bothered to cook. Being next to East Putney tube station, it’s also a godsend for picking something up on the way home rather than face the miserable queues of Sommerfield next door