If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. From arrival to departure, I was blown away...the service, the ambiance, the food...OMG THE FOOD! We started with the panzanella which was remarkable. I'd have been happy with a bottle of wine and that alone...for the rest of my life...but wait, there's more. The entrees all read like a Pavlovian trigger warning. Cue the drool. If you're unable to decide between two items because everything sounds so damned delicious, you can have a little of both. Yep, you can get half orders! I had a half of the short rib agnolotti and a half of the linguini nero. Perfection *chef's kiss*. My husband had the rabbit pasta, and, if he could be sure no one would see, he would've licked the bowl clean. Dessert was the ricotta cheesecake with salted caramel and pine nuts which was scrumptious. Chef Matt Swickerath is the real deal. Run, don't walk, to Valenza. read more

All around applause for Valenza. Tucked in an inconspicuous spot in Brookhaven, this Italian restaurant offered a great number of outside seats as well as inside seats. And the place was packed, even on a Sunday. My husband is incredibly picky about chicken- wanting it juicy and moist- and this was a winner! The pappardelle with meat sauce? Mouth watering! The tomatoes in the salad? Super fresh. No one was disappointed. I'd return. read more

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A group of 8 of us dined here on a Wednesday evening. After reading all the positive reviews, I was very excited to try this place and it definitely lived up to my expectations. We were seated at a table in one of the separate sections of the restaurant which was much appreciated as it gave our group some privacy. After carefully reviewing the menu and reading many reviews, I struggled to decide between three dishes: the Pappardelle, Bistecca, and the Wednesday homemade lasagna special. I consulted the server and she advised ordering the lasagna although as a server, she should recommend the steak because it's more expensive, but the lasagna is just THAT GOOD. I ended up ordering the lasagna and chose the Caesar salad. The Caesar was one of the best Caesar salads I have ever had. It was just the right portion and was incredibly fresh. Our server was right on the lasagna; it was delicious and a hit with everyone who ordered it at our table. I even heard a "best lasagna I've ever had" comment. A second favorite was the spaghettini-- everyone loved the giant meatballs. For dessert, you MUST ORDER the Budino. Even if you're not a bread pudding fan like myself, you will still enjoy it, guaranteed. We also tried the Tortino al Cioccolato, but the Budino wins, hands down. For first time patrons, I would recommend dining on a Wednesday evening so you can try this incredible lasagna with a side salad for just $15; it's a bargain and a real treat! We enjoyed stellar service from start to finish; everyone is very friendly. Can't wait to go back to try another dish! read more

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Ate with three friends at Valenza last week. Food was mostly fine. Service was also mostly fine. Room was loud and tables were crammed in, making it difficult to have a conversation at the table. Our table was one of those with fold out leaves. The leaves were tucked under, but the leaf where I was seated would not stay up. I asked our server if it could be fixed and she told me that is was broken. So I sat all night with it against my legs. My main concern is that they know the table leaf will not stay up but continue to seat people there. Fix the table, y'all, and show some respect for your customers. read more

Stopped by to bring my mom out for a Mother's Day dinner. I'm not a local, so I found the place off yelp and was close to her place. An upscale Italian Kitchen was food to impress! I was not disappointed, was the perfect place for a really nice meal. We ordered the calamari, pasta and steak. The steak was very well and aged, could have came out of a 5 star steakhouse. Pasta had great flavor, homemade meat sauce and cheese. Calamari was fresh and not over fried - light batter. Server was good. Parking was by valet, no street parking. Recommend! read more

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A score of 3 seems low, but here's the reasoning. First off, the food is really good. We enjoyed the saltimboca, the bucatini carbonara and the spaghettini. We added sides of crispy pecorino potato (super fluffy and awesome) along with a special request of the lentils with Swiss chard (off the Sunday family menu and DELICIOUS!). Our server was really friendly, but not attentive. We asked for lemons (for the water) three times before they were delivered. Our food was delivered to the table in a very awkwardly timed fashion. The saltimbocas and sides arrived 4 minutes prior to the other dishes. When the other dishes arrived the person delivering them was not friendly at all. Valenza aims to be a high-end eatery and your bill will reflect this. However, the entire experience may not be high-end. read more

I am pretty astonished that I actually remember Valenza given the amount of beer I've drank beforehand, the amount of wine during the meal and the grappa for dessert. However, don't let this skew your opinion of this review, especially after reading my disclaimer. After easily getting a reservation here for Saturday night the same day, both I and the remaining 3 folks at our table thought that this restaurant was absolutely spectacular. THE 5 STAR RABBIT. This was not just any ordinary rabbit, this was a 5 star rabbit (Coniglio). That little fella was so fresh and tender, if I didnt know any better, I'd think they just shot him down in some random field outside of Atlanta. CALAMARI TO BRAG ABOUT. Calamari now being a staple in nearly every $$+ restaurant, Italian or not, I've had my share of this little mediterranean delicacy. The way they prepared it here was light, the breading was not greasy or overwhelming and the sauce was spectacular. Once again, freshness was noticeable. SERVICE AND WINE, ENOUGH SAID. Service was solid, wine selection was phenomenal. Ambiance is fairly casual (you can wear shorts), but very beautiful and romantic at the same time. Would be a great place to take a date. Overall, the meal for two with wine and desserts came out just over $130. Given the quality of the food, I think the tab was very appropriately priced. PS. DO NOT SKIP THE DESSERTS. Ricotta Cheesecake. Budino. Musts. read more

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Snooty waiter responding. We are not "marginal". Valenza is an excellent restaurant. Our dining room is classic, our patio beautiful, our ingredients top-shelf, our cooks talented and my service passionate & precise. We are worth every penny and more. My name is David Shaginaw. read more

Valenza - $1 Craft-Cube. Cut daily for our guests - Italian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

My dad is from Italy and grew up in a small village somewhere between Cosenza and Catanzaro in Calabria. Therefore, I am very picky about Italian food. I find most Italian places (particularly in the Southern United States) to be crap. The sauces are terrible. The pasta is sub par. The risotto is slop. They don't realize that there is more to Italian cooking than just pasta and meatballs. Valenza is the exception!! Valenza gets it all right! We brought a large group of 14 people on a Friday night at 8:30 pm. We called ahead and made a reservation a week in advance and the manager was awesome and had our table waiting for us when we got there! Valenza's menu has starter courses that include antipasto dishes like meat and cheese platters and salads to mixed seafood plates. The rest of the menu is filled with a mixture of pasta, risotto, meat and seafood dishes. There are also always 2-3 specials that they have that you should always ask your server about. Here's what I tried for appetizers: I had the Radicchio which was a grilled radicchio with a lemon vingaigrette with shaved parmesan on top. It was tasty, but it really needed salt badly and since they did not have salt on the table by the time I got some salt, the dish had cooled some and it lost some of the flavor of the warm lemon essence, but it was good. I also tried the carpaccio which was wagyu beef with chickpea, and an aioli sauce with parmesan. It was fantastic! Very delicious! However, the best appetizer I tried was by far the fritto misto!! It was fried calamari, prawns, cod, topped with lemon and capers and it was phenomenal! SOOOO GOOOD! I would order it every time! And it was a very good portion size too. They also will bring out to your table 2 different types of bread, a chickpea spread, and an olive mix! It was wonderful! I could have made myself sick on the olives and one of the breads is just like my Nonna used to make! Here's what I tried for dinner: I had the the Orecchiette which was orecchiette pasta with fennel sausage and broccoli rabe tossed in an olive oil based chili sauce. It was very very good! Definitely worth ordering The butternut squash ravioli was also decadent and good. There was a snapper with lemon risotto on the specials menu that was incredible and succulent. However, there were two ABSOLUTE best dishes that I tried that made me give this place 5 stars: 1.Pappardelle, which was a very basic pasta with a veal, pork, beef, tomato, wine, and pancetta ragu sauce made with ricotta cheese. What made the dish so perfect was the obviously homemade pasta. These are no store bought boxed noodles. Another thing is the flavor of the sauce is as close to perfection as I have gotten at any restaurant. Also, the ricotta cheese....that ricotta has to be homemade or specialty ordered or something because it was superb! 2. the Scallops (Capasante?) I don't remember what that dish was called. However, it was pan seared scallops made on top of this apple butter risotto with pancetta on top. The savory delectable tastiness of the scallops with the saltiness of that pancetta on top of that sweet sweet perfectly cooked risotto....OMG! It was sheer heaven! That dish! I almost had a foodgasm! It was probably the best dish on the menu. All in all, Valenza was quite a delight! Our service was good but the food was even better! I will be back and I will bring others with me!! read more

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This Saturday, if you don't already have plans (hey- it's only almost-Monday so maybe you don't! I don't!) check out the dinner benefit event at Valenza and Haven to benefit one of my favorite organizations, Open Hand. On September 6th, Chef Stephen Herman from Haven will show us the meaning of "creative comfort food", while Chef Matt Swickerath from Haven's sister restaurant Valenza will offer an Italian culinary treat that is sure to make you swoon. The event is called "Party in The Kitchen" and benefits Open Hand - an org dear to my heart that delivers food and groceries to chronically and terminally ill people in our fair city. Last time I was at Valenza, I had the pappardelle I love - but I can't wait to go back this weekend and see what's up on both kitchens' and chefs' menus! read more

Always good. Awesome homemade pastas and the Bolognese sauce is to die for. Their next door pizza joint, Vero, is awesome too.

I love this place! Traveling and consulted Yelp and we are the winners! The mussels were picture worthy and I was hungry. They were beautiful And delicious. Pasta made in house! Enjoyed the butternut ravioli w sage and pecans. The papardelle is a complete no brained. Just say yes to great Italian food with beautiful service and kick but kitchen. Blessings for a great meal with plenty of handcrafted cocktails and a diverse wine list. Wish this was in my neighborhood! read more

One of my favorite Italian places in atlanta, pastas are incredibly good and always taste fresh. Bread course is great. HOWEVER - this restaurant has basically stopped offering pickup. Only before 6pm even during the week. Extremely frustrating read more

Great place for for any special occasion. Delicious food and great service. It's well run and has a very nice ambiance.

I haven't written a review in a while but I could not pass up the opportunity to say just how good the food is here! I was really blown away! The service was great too, we had such a sweet waitress. I cannot wait to go back!! read more

Went for a Monday night work dinner. Cozy ambiencee, close to train station. Meat and cheese plate was excellent so was the complimentary bread service with olives and hummus. I ordered the gnocchi that was great and paired with cab savignon. Tiramisu was average. But they have multiple gelato flavors to try that are served in 3 giant scoops. Good to share. read more

It was everything I expected. We started with the Arugula and Beet Salad and the Bread appetizers - highly suggest both as warm up to an amazing dinner to follow. So here's the scoop on entrees, they can do smaller portion of each pasta type so you can get multiple options! We did 4: pappardelle, Carbonara, Spaghetti and Ravioli. This really is the way to explore the menu. The ravioli will knock you out of your seat by the way. 10 plates of that wouldn't be enough to satisfy you. The meatballs in the Spaghetti are enormous too. We saved enough room for a desert too - chocolate bread pudding. Yum. A huge shout out to our waitress Natalie for the killer service and recommendations too. She made a fun night out memorable and one we can't wait to repeat soon! We'll be back and in Natalie's section soon! read more

Excuse me while I die in heaven. I've been here a couple of times before but it was nothing memorable. This time, we were greeted by Chandler and felt instantly at home. The mussels were my FAVEEEEEE. DO get the bread pudding (holy moly). Agnolotti was delish. I could go on about this place. The presentation was lovely. Charcuterie board is a must. read more

Valenza is located across from The One Sushi, a little hidden but GPS should be able to show you. Also, they have complimentary valet so yay. I went to dinner with 6 other girls and we had a good time. We went on a Monday night and it was half off wine bottles so I believe they had four different bottles and it didnt break the bank (sorta) haha. I order the following: -Half Ravioli (roasted butternut squash, pecans, sage, brown butter) // this dish was so good even without any protein. I highly recommend this dish if you want something light without meat. -Half Linguini Nero (squid ink infused linguini, georgia shrimp, white wine, oven dried tomatoes, calabrian chili, basil) // this dish was good at the restaurant but it tasted even better the next day when the sauces are soaked in the squid ink. I would order this dish again but probably to go to eat the next day. It also have a good kick so if you don't like spicy noodles, probably don't get it or ask them to lower the chili ratio. We all split the following desserts: -Budino (white chocolate bread pudding, dark chocolate gelato) this was the winner for everyone. Highly recommend this. -Cioccolato(chocolate pudding,cream, caramel gelato and sea salt) this was good but too heavy on the sea salt. I order the Dresden Negroni (Hendrick's Gin, Blood Orange Pelligrino, Antica Formula Vermouth, Orange) as my cocktails since I did not drink wine and it was good. I just want more orange/blood orange pelligrino next time. :) Overall, I really like Valenza and I would come back. read more

Really really enjoyed this!! Can't wait to go back!! Get the tiramisu!! I wish we had more Italian restaurants here in Nashville. You can't go wrong going to Valencia. read more

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I am shocked that I haven't written a review for this place. This is personally meaningful place in many reasons. They are located in the heart of Brookhaven. They are in a building with Haven which is also owned by the same owner. Their service always has been amazing. I completely forgot the name of servers but everyone were attentive and friendly. My favorite dish is Capesante-scallop dish. Scallops are really cooked well and they will melt in your mouth. I don't normally eat carbs but I devoured risotto in Capesante! I also love their broccoli rabe as well as Cavolini(Brussel sprouts). I have heard that Coniglio(braised rabbit) is good but I will never ever in my life eat a cute little furry bunny. I have a bunny and she is intelligent and extremely sweet. I won't judge you if you decide to try it out. I just don't think you shouldn't because bunnies are amazing!(sorry I get too excited every time I talk about a bunny.) Their wine list isn't too extensive comparing to some of Italian restaurants that I have been to but I definitely enjoyed their Chardonnay! They also have patio party when weather is warm. It seems great as you will pay flat fee(I think it was 30 bucks last time I checked). You will be able to mingle with a bunch of ppl. It was a little loud for my liking, tho.( hey.. I am a nerdy Asian! Although I am loud and obnoxious most of times, I prefer my dinner time to be quiet lol just FYI). I think Valenza offers a lot and I almost think their dishes are similar to what I got at an amazing place in Rome. This is definitely a good dating spot! You should take your date to this place! read more

We went on a Tuesday night, the dining room was pretty sparse, the patio was kickin!!! The patio looked like a much more fun place to sit, but it was 90 outside.... we sat inside, our waiter was spot on. The parking is valet, but it is on the house. I started with mussels, they were great! I wasn't enamored my the dipping juices, but I think that is all in the taste of the beholder.... but they were fresh and good.....and the dipping bread was outstanding! Then, I had the Pappardelle, which I thought was very bland. Probably some fresh parmesan would have helped, but none was offered. I was looking forward to this dish, so I was disappointed, but I brought the "leftovers" home, to see if I could jazz it up some, although I will probably will totally ruin it then!! I wanted it a little sweeter.... more of a tomato base I guess. My partner got the Octopus, nice! Chewy of course, cuz that is what octopus is, but charred just enough to give it a nice smoked taste. Then he had the short rib "ravioli".... he liked it, it had a good amount of peas on it (yum) and mushrooms, but still, I wasn't a fan of the "ravioli" part. The short rib "ravioli"..... I was overall disappointed, and I was really looking forward to this new Brookhaven place. Maybe HAVEN, which is next door is better, although I think owned by the same people. Maybe not..... read more

Was here last night for a celebratory dinner when a critter made it self known. We brought it to the attention of our waiter who seemed to be irritated that it was even mentioned. He kept brushing it off just as he did everything else last evening. The waitstaff had apparent attitudes throughout the night. This restaurant is small so of course the roach made its way to us and went under our table. It seems maybe this is a recurrent issue as they did not bat an eyelash. In addition to that, I was brought the wrong dish. As I tried to catch the food runner's attention she left abruptly. Will not patronize this establishment further. Worst first impression I've experienced and I used to work in the food service industry. Food was subpar to boot. read more

Valenza - Roach that made its way under our table DURING dinner. - Italian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

One of my Favorites!!! Sitting at the bar is the best. Service was outstanding and lots of laughs with other friendly customers! The food is so delicious. My favorite beet salad! Can't say enough amazing things about this place!!! read more

Excellent all the way around. From the reservation, to the environment, to the food, service, and desserts. Our waiter originally from Chile was phenomenal. read more

Valenza - Dirty Beaches by Scofflaw was phenomenal. - Italian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

My go-to spot for Italian food. Easy parking, good staff and great food. They have two specials, lasagna Wednesdays and Family Dinner Sundays. Lasagna Wednesdays consist of a portion of lasagna and a glass of wine for a can't beat price of $18. Family dinner Sundays consists of a 3 course meal with sides for $26 fricken dollas! Below are some of the items I've gotten in the past: -Salad: gotten both the misti and the cesar. Would recommend misti as it has more variety of greens and was more tasty -Main: spagettini and the ravioli were both on point - very flavorful and good amount of meat to pasta ratio -Sides: potatoes were the highlight here, perfectly roasted and seasoned. Also came with greens and white beans -Dessert: budino was alright, by that time I was too full to think too much of the dessert Overall, great restaraunt to come with a group or with a date. read more

Valenza - Dessert on dessert - Italian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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I was looking for something outside of my normal roster of go-to restaurants recently and ran across Valenza--I'm glad I did! The room is warm and inviting and the vibe was perfect for a casual Saturday night. Once seated, our terrific waiter (Enzo) came over and gave us the lowdown on the menu and some bread with olive oil and a hummus-like spread appeared. We started with a beet salad that balanced the acid of the beets with Asian pear. A great way to start the meal. Our entrees were the pork saltimbocca and the pompano special. My pork was really flavorful and the little strips of prosciutto gave it a slightly salty edge that mixes really well with the rest of the dish. The pompano special featured truffles AND morels. How could it not be amazing? That's like going on a (pre-J) date with Beyonce and fining out she's bringing Rihanna along for company. The pompano was really fresh and the mushroom flavors were so well balanced they let the flavor and texture of the fish really shine through. We had a really great meal, and if the bar were a little better I would have given it 5 stars. I love sitting at the bar in most restaurants but we decided not to in Valenza. It was just not quite as I'd like. read more

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This place is more a 3.5 because the food was mediocre for the price point while everything else was good. So for food, I tried the butternut squash ravioli and the mussels as an appetizer. I tried the raviloi because many seemed to like it, but it tasted average for the price point. The mussels and the sauce they came in however, were delicious. Ended up dipping our bread in the mussel sauce. As for ambience, its a great place for a date night. Dim lighting with candles with a tuscan feel. Service was good too considering I celebrated my birthday here last week and had a large group of 16. They had us in their back private room which was nice. They brought out all our food at once, but it did take about an hour or a little more for it come out. At the end, they let me choose a complimentary birthday dessert (I got tiramisu) and they gave everyone a spoon to try some as well. It was a big slice. They have complimentary valet and there is also plenty of street parking in front. read more

Valenza - Butternut squash ravioli - Italian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Excellent Service with outstanding food! The Chef does a great job at offering good Italian Food with a special twist. It is a special Foodie jewel in the Brookhaven area!! Loved by many people whom each have different palates! read more

My boyfriend took me out to eat here, and I was not disappointed! We'd both been around the surrounding area several times but never thought to stop by Valenza until getting a recommendation. The lighting is low and it's a perfect spot to go for a romantic occasion or even a night out with friends to enjoy some wine and cheese! My boyfriend got the spaghettini which was served with these giant meatballs and I ordered the pappardelle. Both entrées left our bellies full and our hearts happy. We were there for an anniversary, so we decided to go all out. Took a peek at the dessert menu and asked for the budino. I kid you not, we talk about how good this was all the time. As described on the menu, it is white chocolate bread pudding served with dark chocolate gelato. I would recommend this a hundred times over. read more

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Great service, delicious food and wonderful ambiance. I was honestly overwhelmed by all of the pasta selections and the waiter let me know that I could order appetizer portions of the pasta so that our table could share and try a bit of each. We started out with the Burrata and the Frito Misto. Buratta was not my favorite however my boyfriend loved it - i'm not a huge fan of cold veggies though, so it that's your thing you'll love it! The Frito Misto was filled with calamari, cod, and prawns so there was a type of seafood for everyone. As far as pastas go: The buccatini is by far my favorite, i may be biased as i love a good carbonara but this dish is sheer perfection. The agnoloti comes in second, it's delicious but VERY heavy - i ate two filled pastas and was out of the game for the rest of the night. In terms of entrees: I usually order pasta but on the rare occasion if don't feel like that i go with the veal saltimboca. It's tangy, salty and scrumptious. If you're a veal fan - highly recommend. This wasn't my first time dining at Valenza and it certainly will not be my last. read more

Valenza - Summer Burratta - Italian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Ok I looked for an email address so that I didn't have to leave a public review. I love this place and don't want to bad mouth it, but last night was worth bringing attention to. We came for dinner with friends. I had brought my friend there the last time she was in town from NC and it's the only place she wanted to go back to during this trip. We were sat (per request) at the circular booth last night for dinner at around 7:15pm. The server came and took our drink order, and thank god we put in an order for the appetizer and bread service because we sat there for a whole hour before our server came to even take our dinner order. Sure I get that it was busy. But 1 hour? That is excessive. I was happy we were in the booth cause we still were enjoying each other's company and hanging out. But we were at the restaurant in total for 2 hours. It was crazy. As soon as we got our checks the server was very quick to come and grab those from us after signing and tipping. But where was that speed when it came to taking care of us from the beginning? I love this place so I really didn't want to give it a bad review but I wanted it brought to attention. read more

Good, not great is the theme. Everything is just fine... decent ambiance, acceptable food, ok wine selection. This place doesn't warrant the five stars everyone seems to be giving it. read more

Very nice ambiance. Food has always been very good with an excellent Waite staff. Good time.

Everything we ordered was perfectly cooked and seasoned! I ordered the calamari antipasti and the rabbit entree (so sorry I can't remember the Italian name of the dish). Both the calamari was the perfect balance of light and crispy, and seasoning was not overpowering as man places tend to do. The main dish was tender and filled to the brim with delightful flavors. The server was attentive and helpful to our little party. I also had the Bordeaux with dinner, which our server was a big fan of recommending! read more

I noticed most of the reviews of this establishment are quite old, so that prompted me to share our more current experiences. My wife and I came here first time last Thursday evening, such a tremendous experience I came back the following night with my whole family. Second night, equally as impressed. They made us feel like regulars even though we were not. We have a tendency to sit at the bar most of the time and here was no exception. The bartenders Grace and Michael were amazing, very warm and professional. The cocktails are well crafted, the wine list is complete without breaking the bank and the food... well surprisingly exceptional. I am Italian and can really, really cook, so going out for Italian is usually a mediocre experience. I maybe have 5 or 6 go to spots around the entire Metro Atlanta area. This is now one of them. Best mussels I have ever eaten ... seriously; I don't hand out compliments easily. The bolognese is outstanding, this dish, done right, is a labor of love and I enjoyed it as much as my own. Spaghetti and meatballs is something I never order, that's what non Italians eat, but we did give it a try and the dish is quite admirable. I can see why it is popular here. Squid ink pasta also worth mentioning. Very high quality EVOO offered with the bread and although I don't care much for desert, I was assured by both my well versed dessert queens that the sweets were on point! Will be recommending this place quite often! read more

Came for the food while return for Mary!!! Amazing service. Food: Butternut squash was delicious. The chicken on the chicken parmesan was nice and crispy, and came with a glass of wine. Wine: Great wine selection. We ordered a bottle of Chianti although my food came with a glass of wine. Service: MARY IS AMAZING. She was knowledgeable of the menu and provide great recommendations. She also gave us a menu for the Pizza restaurant which is owned by the same company (I think). I have food allergies and she was very accommodating. read more

We usually love this place so it pains me to leave a negative review. Food and service are excellent. But I echo some of the other reviewers about COVID safety- this place (and its sister restaurant Haven) are not taking this seriously. They are way too crowded and not reducing capacity or spacing tables appropriately- definitely not 6' apart. We were crammed into a small section near the bar and were extremely uncomfortable. We won't be back to any of these restaurants until COVID is over. (BTW, in trying to leave feedback on their website, the form gives you an error message.) read more

Just got home from a birthday dinner, hosted by a close friend. Dinner was Amazing. I had eaten there once before several years ago. Everything was Delicious!! I had the chicken---best ever had in a restaurant, hubby had pappardelle, we also also shared the roasted beets salad and the calamari. Bread was very good, Tiramisu very good. Atmosphere really nice. My friend had the pork which she also said was delicious. We all took part of our dinners home. Only regret is my friend did not say we were celebrating a birthday (mine) and there were no birthday candles with sparklers and a free gelato to celebrate. Can't wait to return!! read more

Uhhhh...... yum. Wow. This place has some seriously tasty eats. I came for a girls night out..... with my mom and her BFF. It's located literally around the corner from her BFF's place, so I was expecting a typical, average neighborhood place. Yes, Valenza has all of the perks of a neighborhood joint: owners and waitstaff who remember you AND your name, a bustling diverse bar scene, and an upscale yet casual environment where you'd feel comfortable gussied up or in jeans. But where Valenza really excels beyond the usual is in the quality of the food. I started with the mussels which were great: garlicky with a little kick with lots of fresh tomatoes. Yum. I ordered the saltimbocca which was a HUGE portion. 2 large cuts of pork wrapped in prosciutto served over broccoli rabe. I also sampled the butternut squash ravioli which despite the small portion was absolute heaven. The homemade donuts served for dessert were the perfect light, sweet end to the meal, and the gelato that accompanied them was very good. The only thing that was a bit off for the evening was the bar. My mom and I both ordered cocktails with tonic water and we received soda instead. When we sent them back, the new drinks were still off: kind of a mix of soda and tonic, or something. It wasn't good at all, so we switched to wine and had no more problems. I also have to commend Valenza for having an open policy about taking any leftover wine home with you: it makes the "bottle or no bottle" decision a lot easier. I would very happily return to Valenza in the future. I had a chance to speak with Michel, the owner, and I appreciate his focus on supporting other locally owned Brookhaven businesses. This neighborhood is having a bit of a resurgence and Valenza is definitely leading the charge. read more