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Valentina

4.3 (657 reviews)
Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

Order Valentina Takeout or Delivery

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VALENTINA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Hipster
Casual
Trendy

Recommended Reviews - Valentina

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Reviews With Photos

Hanna S.

LOVE. I've been here a few times now and it's on my favorites list these days. Some of my favorite dishes so far: pan con tomate y jamón iberico, arroz del senyoret (like a seafood paella with a lot of socarrat), chuleton, alcachofas, buñelos Very cute interior and great service as well.

Evangelia G.

My second time here- equally as amazing as the first. Celebrated a friends birthday; and they took a cute Polaroid when we were seated! We shared all of our dishes and it was the best way to try everything! We got: Tuna Carpaccio Steak Tartare Octopus Artichokes Steak Frites (forgot to snap a photo) Crema Catalana for dessert. Will be back again

Seabass
Joyce L.

Delicious meal! And they were able to accommodate our large party size (9ppl), which was their only large table in the restaurant. Otherwise, would recommend smaller group (4ppl) in this more intimate setting. Appetizers were all very tasty, even their bread! Which we ordered to pair with the clams, and the garlic shrimp. I was most impressed by the patatas bravas. Of the main courses, the sea bass was amazing!

Octopus
Sam P.

Came here for dinner and it did not disappoint. In the evenings it has a dark, moody vibe which creates a lovely atmosphere ( though you will have to dig out the iPhone light to see anything on the menu. Enjoyed a couple of their appetizers- namely tbe poke and the smashed artichoke and enjoyed the octopus for the main course which was very good. Service was fantastic throughout the evening and it was a great choice!

Patatas bravas, artichoke
Grace L.

4.5/5. What a lovely romantic neighborhood restaurant! My friend suggested catching up over dinner here, one of her favorites. Our server was warm and friendly, and she took good care of our table. I also loved their unique candle holders that were basically giant mounds of drippy, melted wax. For drinks, I enjoyed my sangria, which had the perfect balance of sweet fruitiness and wine, but I wished the gin and tonic had the option of adding other flavor elements. Highlights of the meal were the delightfully crispy patatas bravas, warm basque cake, and alcachofa (smashed seared artichokes). We also savored the tuna tartar, pan tomaquet con iberico (although the bread could have been more toasted), pulpo con alubias (octopus and white beans), mussels, arroz del senyoret (paella-like rice). I'd definitely recommend this spot for date nights and special occasions!

Crudo Del Dia
Nevin A.

Valentina has quality, flavorful and unique Spanish cuisine. The parking was difficult, so we parked in the dirt road across. We were seated on the bar since we didn't have a reservation for dinner. Shoutout to David! David was cool, attentive, and friendly. He took time to explain the menu. We ordered , -Arroz Del Synoret 5/5 It is Valentina's version of paella. The rice was crispy and there was a great amount of seafood in the dish. It is highly recommended. -Steak Tiradito 5/5 It is Chimchuri, pickled Fresno. It was flavorful and well marinated. The steak was juicy and tender. -Side salad was very fresh -Crudo Del Dia 5/5 Bluefin was the fish of the day. It was really perfect. For dessert -Creme Catalina 5/5 Spanish Custard topped with caramelized sugar. It had creamy and rich texture. The service was top notch. We had an excellent experience and outstanding dinner. The restaurant had very cozy vibes. I cannot wait to go back and try more dishes. I highly recommend Valentina.

Blue fin tuna
Elizabeth M.

Came here to celebrate bday on a Friday night, this place was packed. The ambiance was relaxed with a cottage feel. Every so often, you could hear the whistles of the train passing by. We ordered: 1. Pulpo con Alubias : 5/5, sweet and tender octopus with white beans 2. Gamles al Ajillo : 4.5/5, garlic shrimp in delicious chili oil, perfect to enjoy it with their soft and warm bread. 3. Crudo del Día: 4/5, blue fin tuna with a silky and citrusy sauce. 4. Alcachofa : 5/5, smashed seared artichoke with aioli, perfect crispy soft bite, super delicious! 5. Chicken Paillard : 3/5 , light but full of zing with that lemon mustard sauce. 6. Steak & Potatoes : 4/5, a hearty classic 7. Arroz del Senyoret - 5/5, crispy arroz rice with seafood. This dish had the perfect socarrat, that golden, toasty bottom layer, and each grain of rice was coated with infused flavorful oil. Superb! Desserts: 1. Buñuelos : 2.5/5 , fried dough + cinnamon + sugar. It was pretty light and puffy, but I prefer a little bolder flavor in cinnamon. 2. Crema Catalana : 2.5/5, crème brûlée with that burnt sugar crackle, it was light but lack of creaminess. 3. Basque Cake: 2.5/5, pastry cream, cherries, vanilla ice cream, it was not as rich and creamy as I prefer. Overall, the savory dishes were all so delicious, this place definitely is a gem.

Steak frites, gambas (shrimp) with a side of bread, smashed artichokes, and squash soup
Yasamine P.

We used to come to Valentina almost weekly back in 2021 and had tried everything on the menu back then. Fast forward a few years and we finally made it back, and it was still delicious. While a lot of their menu has changed, they still had some of our favorites such as the steak frites, gambas, and basque cheesecake. We used to love their corn soup and would get it every time, but their current soup was a butternut squash soup which was yummy as well, although I liked the corn soup better. We tried their smashed artichokes for the first time and these were perfectly grilled. They were very busy when we went last night so it did take a bit of time for our server to come around to us, but they were able to seat us earlier than our reservation which was very appreciated by our group. It has a cozy modern vibe with really great candleholders throughout. Definitely recommend

Chips for Steak TarTar
Jack S.

Great service and atmosphere. Tuna Carpaccio was the highlight of our meal. Steak Tartare was alright, would be better if the chips were slightly crispier. Potato bravas was second best and was a much better side than the artichoke dish. The seafood rice has a mild seafood flavor and reuses the aioli from the artichokes. Capers seem to find their way into many dishes. Overall great place and not too pricey. Everything shown here + 3 drinks came out just under 200$. Solid meal. 4.3/5 if I could be more accurate.

Sashimi
Felina V.

I treated my partner to a romantic birthday dinner date night, and Valentina checked all of the boxes! We were greeted almost immediately upon being seated. Our waiter was super friendly and was able to offer some excellent suggestions. Ultimately, we decided to try a bit of everything! Here's what we had ~ Spanish Sashimi Olives Croquetas de Iberico Pan Tomate Tartare Schnitzel Quail We loved the experience!

Party plate - from the buffet style serving
Patty S.

Had an amazing time! Valentina's food is amazing!!! Morgan is super amazing! The hospitality, service, ambiance, decor, cleanliness, food and ALL.... I loved! Tip: parking looks tricky, but, ounce you realize you. A park across the street... lol! It's not... so just know there is plenty of parking across the street.

Patatas Bravas
Sarah P.

Stumbled upon this spot and am so glad we did. Delicious food, beautiful ambiance. The servers and hosts were so kind and welcoming. Next time we visit, we'll plan on a couple hours and sharing a bottle of wine. Thank you for the great experience!

Weiner schnitzel
Matteo G.

Wonderful date night at Valentina. Sat inside at one of the booths. Service was great and the food was excellent. Highlights of the evening were the patatas bravas, the steak tiradito, the weinerschnitzel, and the basque cake. We also had the tuna tartare and the churros type dessert which were good, but nothing to rave about or that I would order again. Will certainly be back for the atmosphere, and great food.

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Valentina Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Valentina

What is on the children's menu?

Steak, chicken or fish. With choice of mashed potatoes, fries or veggies.

Is this restaurant kid friendly? Thinking about trying it while visiting Encinitas this week but we have a 1 and 3 yr old..

Hi there Kate, Yes, they are absolutely kid friendly, and also they have kids menu 😊 if needed

Are you closed 3-4? If I make an OpenTable reservation for 2:30, do we have to be done by 3?

the restaurant is open from 3-4 however the kitchen closes for one hour. limited menu between 3-4, we just ask that we get your entire food order in before 3pm.

Where to park?

There's a small lot on the south side of the restaurant. Otherwise it's along 101

Is there breakfast/brunch on weekends?

Yes

Would 5 year old kids be OK for a 5 PM dinner?

absolutely! we have a kids menu available at all hours

Does this spot serve wine and beer?

Yes it does

Do you have gluten free options?

yes they have quite a bit, valentina's menu is mostly steaks and seafood, so 75% of the menu is gluten free.

Where is a good place for a casual 1st date with drinks & food near Encinitas Blvd.?

Valentina is proably your best bet.

View All 16 Questions

Ali Baba Mediterranean Cuisine of Escondido - Chicken Shawarma Platter

Ali Baba Mediterranean Cuisine of Escondido

(1.2k reviews)

$$

We stopped by Ali Baba for a quick dinner before a show at the Escondido Center for the Arts. We…read moreboth ordered the Lamb Kofta Kabob Plate, and when we asked to omit the rice and naan, they offered a salad to fill the plate. It was all great! The food was great, as was the service. The pickled cabbage was amazing. This is a great place! Huge dining room, that would be great for a very large gathering. We shall return! Looks like they were doing a pretty brisk take-out service, too. If I lived nearby, I'd be picking up dinner here a lot. Good option for people eating keto!

Been a long time since I've been here, but finally decided to come back as I had been craving their…read morebeef shawarma, and they have a great lunch special. Parking is very easy as the lot is very big. They are usually empty during lunch time, so not usually too long of a wait. My go too is the beef schwarma lunch special, it includes the schwarma, rice, salad and hummus. You can add on bread for an extra cost and it's a bigger than your head. The schwarma is seasoned very well, and not chewy. The rice is also very good, and flavorful. The hummus is one of my favorites, although this time it was a little thicker than usual. I love the dressing they use on the salad, I could eat a whole bowl of the stuff. The salad had a lot of cucumber, cut in big chunks, which is how i like it. The bread is enough for 2 people at least, so i would keep that in mind. 2 of us shared it and we still had some left over that we couldn't finish. The portions in general are very big, for me it was enough to dance leftovers of everything except the salad. I think this is a must to try if you live nearby, or even if you are just in the area, i don't think you will be disappointed.

Valentina - seafood - Updated May 2026

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