Amazing service and Food. We were 1st time patrons celebrating our anniversary. The staff made us feel as if we had been dining with them for years. read more

Valbella - Oysters... picture says it all! - Italian Near Me - Riverside, Connecticut

First thing the waiter asks is what we want to drink without bringing the wine or cocktail list. When I ask for the wine list, it doesn't have the prices for the wine by the glass. I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and they charged $18!!! Unacceptable! The fried calamari were ok, I've had way better ones. The bread is not good and not even warm. The pasta was very very good but the waiter must have fallen asleep when it was ready because when he brought it, it wasn't hot enough. The dessert list had no prices!!! Again, unacceptable. The waiter was mediocre. Lastly, when I made the reservation, they didn't bother asking if it was for a special occasion. Nor did they send an acknowledgment or reminder of same. Not coming back. read more

Inside the restaurant the food & service is always solid. However beware of the mandatory valet parking. It was a rare case I didn't have any cash on me - the rude valet attendant verbally attacked me when I told him I didn't have any cash to tip. I'd add my car was parked right in front - it just had to be pulled out. Just very rude and abrasive attitude - especially when I just spent $2k on dinner. read more

Won't be eating here again. Extremely over priced for the quality of food. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't worth the $$ we paid. Definitely better places in the surrounding areas. Cafe Silvium in Stamford is far better for far less prices. read more

We were at Valbella for a very special family birthday tonight and we were delighted with the food, the service, the ambience. Our daughter is a world traveler and foodie, and she pronounced the evening "excellent"... read more

Just getting home from a much-anticipated lunch at Valbella's to mark the milestone of mutual retirement for my boss and I. As always the service was exceptional - but the food quality was SO disappointing! I ordered the carpaccio (which was still frozen) and the cavatelli & sausage (which was so dry and bitter) it was hard to eat. Valbella's was always a favorite thru the years, but clearly things have changed. Very, very disappointed overall. Let's face it, even the best servers can't overcome mediocre food (especially with $$$$ prices)! read more

Valbella is a really great special occasion Italian restaurant that's been a staple of Greenwich for years! It's a very nice ambience and the staff is very accommodating and professional. You can tell a lot of thought and effort goes into their menu, cooking, and service. Definitely expensive but worthy for a special occasion! read more

Valbella - chicken paillard - Italian Near Me - Riverside, Connecticut

LOUD LOUD LOUD........"what?! "The whole night. It was so loud. Food okay. Very expensive especially when desserts are unsolicited. It's just loud. read more

When I dined with family, the hospitality was fantastic. However, at 30 years old and on a date (my age), there was 0 hospitality. The waiter expressed his frustration when we didn't order alcohol or the seafood tower and wrote us off as cheap children. We don't drink. We ordered just as we would have with any other company. The server was consistently rude and inattentive. We spent an hour and a half there and only half of the tables were occupied. My date is more than financially comfortable. If we wanted to buy a few bottles of Veuve and the seafood tower, we would have. The server dropped the bill at our table without even looking at us. Our total was $150 and just to be funny we tipped the dude $50. The easiest $50 the guy ever made. And of course we tipped the valet $10. Hate to give 2 stars as others are friendly and the food is fantastic. But it goes to show how important it is to treat people well. read more

This place is very nice, very pretty lighting on outside the inside is warm and inviting with a fireplace.. excellent waiters offering great service. It's very Italian. I had the Chilean Sea Bass for my secondo, and the Tiramisu for my dolce :). The Tiramisu was just beautiful, and the best I'd ever eaten! (See pic) read more

Valbella - So Yum! - Italian Near Me - Riverside, Connecticut

We were here for dinner the weekend before Valentines Day. Private, intimate and very romantic. Great service, wine selection and menu. Try one of the lobster or seafood dishes. Ask to dine in the cellar for dinner and check out the bar beforehand. read more

Valbella - Italian Near Me - Riverside, Connecticut

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We had not been in several years -- not sure why, but glad we went back to celebrate our anniversary. Our dinner was perfect from start to finish. Our server, Met was a pleasure. He was forthright on his recommendations; attentive but not intrusive and he made the evening flow nicely. We started with a couple of cocktails on Met's recommendation. Both executed very well -- Kentucky Mule and Pink Gatsby. Then first up was the gazpacho with lump crab and avocado. Very flavorful with just a touch of heat. Creamy sylte with a bit of fine dice cucumber for a little crunch. Perhaps the only slight miss... the avocado was still a bit firm, but the dish was delicious. Next, we shared the special linguine with a rich (very) creamy white truffle sauce. Stunning. The pasta was cooked absolutely perfectly, and the heady, rich truffle sauce was divine. This dish is NOT for you if you "just like" truffle. The aroma alone was "delicious". Mains were the veal valdistano and the Branzino special. Both dishes were more than ample portions (even without the truffle linguini!). The branzino was moist and meaty in a light tomato sauce over wilted arugula. Cooked perfectly (not dry!) and delicious. The veal was amazing. Smothered in a velvety deeply flavored mushroom sauce and lots of sliced shitake cooked down so they had a little bite and intense flavor over a large veal chop sliced/rolled/stuffed with prosciutto and fontina. A real treat! Lastly, with a chocolate happy anniversary message on the rim of the plate, we shared (truly stuffed at this point - think "wafer" and Monte Python) the chocolate souffle with vanilla ice cream on the side. Ok, so it was the perfect ending to a fabulous meal. Perhaps the best chocolate souffle we've ever had -- not eggy... just enough crust on top, revealing a rich, almost liquid center. We will be back again soon! read more

please be aware we were robbed they over billed us on all the food . $50 for spaghetti with white clams sauce ? $72 for a pork chop, when we questioned the prices after reviewing the bill the owner said we should have stayed in Nj and we were too dark skin for the area. the Resturant was empty no customer's should have been a sign for us to be aware, the owner was rude nasty and obliviously broke , thank god for America express disputing the charges for the prices of food that didn't match the menus prices ., please stay away .. be aware !! Much better options in the area. read more

By far one of my favorite restaurants that I have had the luxury to eat in! Went here tonight with my girlfriend of 2 years to celebrate our anniversary, and we both couldn't have been more impressed with many aspects that Valbella had to offer. Valbella was extremely accommodating with my requests for the reservation. I had initially had set a reservation for two for today at 6:30pm and then realized they had a beautifully romantic wine cellar. I called back and asked if they could kindly move my table to the cellar , and they were more than happy to do that for me. I also had asked if they could have a bottle of wine ready for us on the table when I arrived and once again were more than happy to oblige. Once me and my girlfriend got to the restaurant we were feeling quite excited , especially me because the restaurant was a surprise for my girlfriend. I walked in to a fairly empty restaurant where I was greeted by the hostess and what seemed to be the manager. I had arrive 45 minutes prior to my reservation, but they were more than happy to seat us. We followed the "manager?" To the cellar , and we were both in awe with the beautiful seating arrangements. The wine cellar alone could get this restaurant a 5 star rating!. Once seated we were welcomed by our waiter with the bottle of red wine I had asked to have ready for us, and a very welcoming/professional personality. I wish I had asked for my waiters name so that he would know this post was about him. The waiter was extremely attentive to us , and gave us a long list of specials for the day , along with flavor contrast between some of the items. (If I had to say that to every guest my mind would explode) took him about a minute or so to finish telling us the specials, but we didn't mind because he was very informative and knowledgeable about the food they sell at this restaurant. With that all being said ; we had started drinking the wine that the waiter poured for us, and started to order our meals. We ordered the calamari for appetizer , my girlfriend ordered Fusilli Filletto and I ordered Linguini Frutti Di Mare. Everything was absolutely remarkable. The Calamari was the most tender and crispy I have ever had; it also melts in your mouth. Both entrees were amazing ; my girlfriends meal was absolutely delicious and the meat in her dish along with the pasta was cooked to perfection. As for my dish ; I had a great portion of lobster and HUGE shrimp. The Fra Diavolo was the best I have had so far, the perfect amount of spice and tasty as all heck! As for the dessert we order both the chocolate soufflés and the lava cake. Both were delicious in their own ways. The chocolate soufflés was like air under a crunchy chocolate crunch. The lave cake was out of this world as well ; both of these desserts where paired with a delicious ice cream which seamed to be homemade. All in all, I will be coming back here in the future to celebrate another occasion. The place is a bit pricey, the bill for the two of us came out to 208$ and I was quite generous with the waiter leaving him a 40$ tip on 12$ tax. He was worth every dollar. You definitely get what you pay for with this restaurant. And if you are on the fence about coming here to celebrate an occasion or even for a date night, do it! Make sure to reserve a table in the wine cellar , it's spectacular! read more

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Most romantic setting with wonderful food. Always so welcoming and attentive. Food is incredible, I always order the zucchini flowers and the potato wrapped Chilean sea bass. My husband and I love this place! read more

I want to start by saying that the service at this place is outstanding top of the line and I have been to a lot of restaurants by this one is by far the best and are waiter Juan was excellent and the food out of this world and this is my second time coming here and I will be coming again and I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone that wants good service and excellent food... read more

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Had an incredible time here for my birthday! I made a reservation for 4 about and hour before on a Wednesday with no problem. It wasn't too busy, but the staff treated us like we were their only customers! We stayed til closing and they didn't rush us out at all. 3 of us ordered the specials for the evening, as pictured. The Napoleon for dessert was fantastic as well - so fresh!!!! read more

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We held our rehearsal dinner on Friday 5/30/14 for around 30 people. They surpassed all of our expectations. They let us choose the room.. We picked the one at the front because of lighting It was gorgeous. Food, drinks and service were impeccable! I can't complain about anything! We held the bridal shower at "the school house" in wilton and our wedding at blue hill in tarrytown and I have to say all 3 were amazing. This however made you feel so welcome, like family, like they were celebrating with you. We loved every minute! read more

Valbella - Rehearsal dinner with my beautiful bridesmaids! - Italian Near Me - Riverside, Connecticut

Valbella is named after the owner, Valerie. This is a typical pricey joint that is perfect for the occasion where somebody else is picking up the check. The big boss man is a frequent customer and service was anything but excellent. Wine was overflowing. We sat around a huge table in the wine cellar. I had an amazing plate of oysters to start. I also tried my coworker's pesto gnocchi (daily special) and can say it may have been the most perfect gnocchi I've ever tasted in my life (and I've been to Italy). It melted in my mouth. I had a halibut as my entree - it was mediocre. We had napoleon for dessert (to die for) and the maitre'd brought out an extra chocolate souffle with ice cream. Nobody else wanted it and I didn't want it to go to waste so I ate some of it. It was good. Conclusion: appetizers and dessert were great. Entree was eh. read more

Sorry but covering the chairs in a plastic bag, while the busboy wares his mask under his nose makes absolutely no sense. I think I would understand if you changed the plastic bad in-between customers- but you didn't. read more

Valbella - Plastic covering chair - don't ware a dress - Italian Near Me - Riverside, Connecticut

We had the loveliest evening at Valbella last night. My husband and I went for the first time and everything was great. We had excellent service and even a great wine recommendation. We wanted to split a few dishes and they plated them for us that way which is very rare! The food was great (truffle pasta and short rib specials were highlights) and we are looking forward to coming back! read more

The experience is priceless, the service is traditional Italian style, the food is amazing, ohhh my god she said. I never heard my wife drop so many F-bomds in a meal. She was blown away. Pretty unusual for a chef. It was fabulous here. Hey, wise guy! Propose to her again here. Trust me she will fall in love again. read more

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Great and attentive service. Excellent food. Very knowledgeable waiters. Dim lit, romantic, great for dates! read more

Valbella - Italian Near Me - Riverside, Connecticut

We come here usually only a few times a year but the food has always been amazing! The service is even better!! We went last Friday for my birthday and despite not having been there in over 6 months, our waiter remembered us and even remembered our usual orders (down to the fact that I replace the roasted potatoes with mashed!). Everyone there is extremely friendly, the wine selection is fabulous and the ambiance can't be beat. Definitely worth paying a little more for better food. This is a place we will always come back to! read more

We've been returning to Valbella for almost 20 years now. It remains impeccable. The food is wonderful and refreshes its creativity and inventiveness over time. (Don't miss the chocolate soufflé.) The service is thoughtful, charming and just the right level of attentive. It's our go-to restaurant for special occasions with larger groups (in the Garden Room) and we enjoy impromptu just-the-two-of-us visits (in the living room) equally. It's a gem. read more

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we went as a family for dinner, and our waiter did not interact with us at all. He did not give us any indication as to what was good or what we should get. It was so mediocre will never go back again. The bread they served was cold like it was bread from the local grocery store. my fish was so mediocre and everything pasta was so spicy we could barely eat it. read more

I visited Valbella tonight with my coworkers. I didn't like how the waiter brought the main plate of broccoli rabe pasta to our table and served each of my coworkers from the main plate and then took my plate up and placed what was left of the main plate in front of me. It was very offensive and disgusting. Do better Valbella! read more

Truly and wonderful delightful evening of hors' d oeuvres that were delish and waiters that exceed the level of service expected. Just fab!!!' read more

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My family and I have been coming here for years and it's a very lovely restaurant. However, be aware if you have any allergies. Twice in a row I've come to Valbella and clearly explained that I can't eat dairy and each time I've been given a dish with cheese in it. They have always been understanding, but if you have any allergies please make sure to double check your dish before eating. read more

Tried too hard to be a high end Italian restaurant. Incredible wine list. And that's it's.

This is a perfect venue if you are planning to have a small wedding in CT. Given the pandemic, we were seeking a place which gave us a nice ambience, our privacy, elegant, affordable, and a very cozy environment. I found this place online, and by looking at a few pictures, I already knew that this was the place. Nick who is the owner of this place was very accommodating and he catered to all our needs. The venue is normally closed for general public on Saturday afternoons, however, Nick had made an exception and allowed us to have our private affair. Our 14 people wedding turned out to be an amazing affair, where we did not feel that we were missing out on much. We were slightly worried as there was a snow blizzard 2 days before the wedding, but it turned out to be even better for our pictures. We chose The Corporate room for our event for Saturday afternoon which is a 90 people room. We had the room for ourselves from 12-5pm. We followed the social distancing and Covid precautions, which, given the size of the room, allowed us to follow them. Nick also arranged for custom wedding cake which came out to be delicious and beautiful, exceeding our expectations. We also had our own wedding menu with our names printed, which was provided to us by the restaurant. The service, the staff, the chefs, the servers, waiters, and bus boys were extremely courteous to our needs and the hospitality was just superb. The food was delicious from hors d'oeuveres to desserts. The restaurant's elegance is depicted on how they care for their patron's needs; they made all of our guests feel special and everyone only left with good thoughts and memories of the event in mind. The restaurant is impeccable for its cleanliness, decor and style. I highly recommend this place, not only small events, but also for your special day as a wedding, as you and your guests are only going to feel like a family here. Thanks again to the entire team of Valbella for taking care of us in December 2020. read more

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Excellent service and staff from the second you walk in the door, waiters were very knowledgeable of the entire menu and a majority of the wines in the cellar. I highly suggest eating in the wine cellar if you want a more intimate setting with friends, family or want to impress a date. All around top notch service, and the gnocchi just replaced my all time favorite from Milan, you have to try this. read more

Four of us went to dinner at valbella and it was a disappointment .The service was good but the noise level was super loud !Two at our party had the chicken paillard , Standard. The zucchini blossoms ok . The lamb in crusted almonds was swimming in butter and my other friend had a veal chop boring, tasteless.The worst part was the outrageous price . $25.00 for a house glass of wine ? $600.00 for four people and a standard meal ? A ripoff go to the Stamford diner you'll get a great meal at fraction of the price read more

I was here last weekend with a wedding party and everything was top notch! The staff served twenty two people effortlessly, the food, drink and desserts were outstanding. Arthur the lead server was intense but he was also very professional and knowledgeable, he knew exactly what was happening and led his team perfectly. Thank you Arthur for getting my son chicken parm and pasta, it wasn't on the menu but you took care of it no questions asked. The whole night was fantastic and thanks to the whole crew who made the night unforgettable, front and back of the house. read more

This was a NYE dinner. We made our reservation for 9:30 because even if dinner took 2 hours we would have plenty of time to get back home to see the ball drop. The experience at Valbella has nothing to do with the food because that was actually good. This has everything to do with the waiter. For starters. Every table around us got bread and butter to begin with. It took the runners who brought our apps over to realize "oh damn, you should have bread." When we asked to see the wine list to order a few wines by the glass. He instructed us that it was only for bottles and walked away. Instead of perhaps informing us of what wines they did sell by the glass. We had to track him down again to just get the wine list to review. We did end up ordering a bottle btw. In the course of our appetizers and dinner, he came over only once to check in on us. Lastly, we were decided on getting dessert. Obviously he was nowhere to be found. But when we did get his attention, our desserts took about 15 minutes to come out. Oh and they never brought out our cappuccinos. They offered us a bottle of champagne and to stay at the bar to see the ball drop. But why would we want to stay at an empty restaurant. For the money we spent on this dinner, the level of service was just abysmal. If your wait staff if going to offer that service, maybe lower your prices to meet it. read more

The staff did not treat us the same as the other patrons. They did not scrape our crumbs or offer us coffee but the food was great. Too many better options in Greenwich that will treat you right to waste your time at this place. read more

Sadly was disappointed with what used to be an amazing special place to dine. First you may want to add some female servers because your male servers have zero personality and zero energy. Somehow I never feel welcome there, like their doing me a favor but I never let that bother me anyway. With prices like this and dishes that are not really difficult to prepare the food was disappointing. I can easily rip all the dishes we had with the exception of one or two that were decent but nothing made a great note here. Ordered an endive and arugula salad, 95% endive with 5% arugula wrapped around a cucumber coral, what is that about? They did say the coconut sorbet was homemade. It was delicious but no way it was made in house . The consistency and texture was too perfect. The prices, lack of energy sub par food, there are so many other options in Greenwich that are much less $$ with much better food and servers that make you feel welcome. read more

I may not know how to throw a curveball, or please a woman, or write a decent Yelp review. One thing that I will be able to teach my son is an appreciation of risotto, however. I have had risotto at a West Village restaurant that serves dozens of varieties of risotto. I have had risotto at an Alphabet City restaurant that doesn't take credit cards, or reservations, because they can get away with doing that. I have had risotto at an Upper West Side restaurant that would make me their risotto special whenever I wanted, because I ate there three to five times per week. Those were all phenomenal risottos. I have also had plenty of decent risottos, mediocre risottos, terrible risottos, and things that were probably jasmine rice presented as risotto. Tonight, Valbella served me the best risotto I have ever eaten. I don't say that lightly. I don't say that to take away from any of the other risottos I have ever eaten. I just say it because it's true. If my entree had been terrible, my risotto would have been good enough that I still would have given Valbella a positive review. My entree wasn't terrible, though. It was amazing. I just don't happen to consider myself quite the authority on veal that I am on risotto. i would stack this entree against any other I have eaten, though. Also, it seems like overkill to mention the chocolate soufflé. It was ridiculous, though. It was completely unnecessary, one-hundred percent gratuitous. I had no capacity to appreciate Valbella beyond what I already did. The soufflé was on par with the rest of the meal, though. From now on, I will no longer be able to say negative things about the entire state of Connecticut. From now on, I'll have to mention how awesome Valbella is before I talk about how much I hate Connecticut for being the armpit of New England. read more

Our waiter was very nice. However, my husband asked him for his recommendation on the best pasta and he advised him to get the truffle pasta which he ordered. I got the halibut which was just ok, no complaints but not amazing. The bill came for the 2 of us and it was $329! Turns out the truffle pasta was $120!!! it was was a cream sauce and truffle shavings! When we mentioned that we should have been given the heads up that the special was 4 X's the price of the other pastas he said said other guests had been insulted by that information insinuating that they couldn't afford it! Unless you are on a business expense account I would never recommend it. read more

Food: Started with a cold appetizer dish..lobster, shrimp, calamari, etc - lobster was cooked perfectly! Had the halibut for main course which was cooked masterfully. The sauce balanced the meal. The apple tart: WOW! I have never had apple tart like that in my years of dining out. All I have to say is: order it when you get there. Wine: excellent variety. Service: 5 stars! Who doesn't love a shoulder massage, a sports/random trivia thrown at you while sipping on espresso dashed with sambuca?!?!?! read more