Best sautéed calamari I've had in the USA. Buttery soft squid rings. Light tomato sauce. Not overwhelming garlic like Maxi's. The chicken livers with onions special was fine. Very iron-y and the liver taste was not my favorite. The burnt sort of surrounding onion mix only emphasized the iron flavor of the liver which turned it from enjoyable to a bit much. Only kinda downside was my server didn't listen to me emphasize multiple times to fire my orders all at once. He coursed them out and I could not have been more clear to send them at once when he asked ready for next course etc. Very frustrating to wait between courses when I was in a time crunch. Might have been a language barrier but I really said this like 3 times at least and he didn't listen. read more

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Service at the bar was comfortable and Mike was great. The gnocchi Al Gorgonzola was light and flavorful. I had the Bistecca alla Fiorentina was AMAZING. Beautifully cooked, wonderful piece of steak. The roasted potatoes and zucchini were also very tasty. The house made tiramisu was a perfect finish. read more

Valerio's Restaurant - Bistecca alla Fiorentina - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I have been here MANY times.... My favorite Italian restaurant in Little Italy... well Cleveland!!! I always bring my guests here when they visit me... it's a small, classic Italian restaurant with DELICIOUS dishes! If you plan on going... make a reservation to secure your spot!! (You don't wanna miss this place!) Time and time again they show up & show out, the workers are so helpful, kind, & most importantly knowledgeable on their dishes and wine! They always have delicious specials and know exactly what wine would be perfect to pair with it! I have tried their calamari, chicken livers, pasta bolognese, lemon chicken, fish, steak, etc! And trust me when I say NOTHING HAS BEEN BAD!! (Maybe those chicken livers but that's just me because I was scared of them ) They have such an extensive wine list as well, there is always the perfect pairing... just take your time and look/ask question because it will complete the meal!!!! I can't wait to come back! read more

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Service is great and Nicky made it awesome! This tiny little spot nestled in historical Little Italy has it all. A wide variety of meal options, even more including the daily specials, a bartender that can make whatever cocktail you desire, and excellent food! It is space-tight, but what isn't in this neighborhood. This place has been here 25+ yrs and after one bite, there's no wonder why. I started with a simple salad and yes it was only greens and 2 slices of tomatoes, but I didn't mind... just wanted a light start. There were 9 or 10 specials but I just wanted what I wanted, Saltimbocca alla Valdostana... sautéed veal topped with a thin slice of prosciutto and parm cheese. It was served with little red skins and zucchini. All were a joy in my mouth...just would've enjoyed a few more taters and zuch a little less soft. Overall, my meal was splendid. The lemoncello sorbet was a beautiful ending to cleanse the pallette. One tip, I do not recommend the tarimisu... I felt I ate a dish of whipped cream with a lonely little lady finger or two. Not at all what I expected... read more

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When a man puts his own name on his business he better be prepared to stand behind his product. I just had one of the best meals in Cleve and I'm in the food business. Mussels and Squid ink pasta cooked like never before, anywhere! Viva Valerie!! read more

I met an old friend here the other night. Great atmosphere, impeccable service and de-licious food! I had the grilled Lamb Chops.

Came here on a Friday night and chose to sit at the bar. It was the best seat in the house! Great hospitality from the staff and chatted up some locals who all come to Valerio's on the regular. One bottle of wine, 2 more glasses of wine, grilled octopus and one steak Florentine later... this was one of my favorite dining experiences I've had in a while. The steak was right in line with Florentine steak I had in Florence (the owner is from Florence). The rib eye was huge and prices are very reasonable! I would be a regular at Valerio's if I lived in Cleveland! read more

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One of the best meals of our lives. Seriously. After dinner we talked through our list of favorite restaurants in the U.S. - and we've been some places and dined at some amazing restaurants - and Valerio's made our list of Top 10 favorite restaurants in the U.S. For us, this is VERY high praise. The Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce was stunning. The gnocchi is made with ricotta and my wife referred to how light and fluffy they were as "ethereal". Phenomenal. We will both crave them as some of the best things we've ever eaten - entirely worth the calories and fat grams. The Osso Bucco Special with Risotto was equally phenomenal. The meat was delicious and tender, the Sugo was amazing, and the Risotto was absolutely correct. Downright perfect. The Chicken Lemone was exactly as it should have been and also really tasty. We were so full after 1 Primi and 2 Secondi that we couldn't even think about dessert. Maybe next time we'll skip the Chicken and save room for dessert. Can't wait to go back. The dining room is simple, the service is attentive and excellent, and the food... and OMG the food... Valerio's food is worthy of any accolade I can give them. I don't think I will ever try another restaurant in Cleveland's Little Italy - why date around when you've already found perfection...? :-) Incredibly highly recommended. read more

GREAT SERVICE. DELICIOUS AND AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD. INTIMATE BAR. QUAINT ATMOSPHERE! I visited this Italian restaurant, Valerio, for the first time in early March 2024. It's located in the Little Italy neighbourhood of Cleveland. I came with 5 other people and Molly, a friend's friend, could only get a late evening reservation but I'm happy we still got a reservation for a Saturday night. It was packed and busy when we arrived. SERVICE (5/5) -- exceptional. There is a piano player right at the entrance which is a lovely sight to see and hear. We arrived just before 8:15pm and a host greeted us where my friend Ian mentioned that we had an 8:30pm reservation. We were then seated right away and our appetizers came out right after 8:35pm. FOOD (4/5) -- To start, we all shared two appetizers -- a calamari one and a cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto. Both were delicious especially the calamari because it had a flavourful soupy base. Next, the main courses arrived. I ordered the Orecchiette alla Salsiccia ($19.95) which is an orecchiette pasta sautéed in a tomato cream sauce with mild Italian sausage. I enjoyed the orecchiette and the pasta was very fresh. It wasn't a complicated dish in terms of making this by yourself at home. I will say that it came with too much tomato sauce for my liking but I loved the Italian sausage in it. The orecchiette came in a very large amount so I couldn't finish it and I had to take the rest home which I wasn't mad about because that was my lunch the next day. Two people on my table ordered the Gnocchi al Gorgonzola ($22.95): gnocchi sautéed in imported gorgonzola cheese and a touch of cream. They liked it. I tried one gnocchi and it was fine because I don't really eat cheese or creamy things so this dish was too strong or rich for me. If you love gorgonzola cheese and cream then you'll love the Gnocchi al Gorgonzola. The menu describes this dish as having a "touch of cream" but that's definitely a lie (haha). From what I saw, it has ALOT OF CREAM although the gnocchi still tasted light. I highly recommend this Italian restaurant and then after dinner, if you want dessert, go right next door to Rosso Gelato to indulge in some gelato ice-cream. **** GOAL of 150 reviews in 2024 - 15/150 total reviews in 2024 - 665 total overall Yelp reviews - Reviewed on 16 March 2024 read more

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We didn't have reservations so sat at the bar. The bartender was the manager and was great. They had a Sicilian white wine Grillo which we loved in Sicily. I had oso bucco o which was wonderful and enormous. read more

First time here small restaurant too close to other tables we were sat right away we made reservations because of it being small it sounded loud Anna our waitress was soft spoken so we had to ask her to speak up because everyone couldn't hear her there were 6 of us she was slow we had to ask for bread a couple of times never brought them out finally we asked the host and he brought the bread out the food was ok we also felt rushed they kept asking us if we were done and tried to take our plates when we are still working to finish eating read more

Valerio's Restaurant - Pollo al lemone potatoes zucchini - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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This was my first visit to Valerio's and I'll be back. A small, intimate restaurant with a menu that will suit everyone. Service was fabulous (and I rarely have fabulous service anymore) and my pasta, salad and bread were delicious. My friend and I both enjoyed our meals. Cost: $122 for two, both having a salad/appetizer, dinner and two glasses of wine each. Park at the church for $10 and walk up. Valet is $18 cash/$20 card and for my friend was no where to be found when we left. Valerio's staff had to go find the valet. read more

Fun menu - Small place right in the heart of little Italy Cozy and cool vibes. There is space to sit. Authentic Italian. Real ingredients. Can tell everything is home made. Small non chain atmosphere which I like. Selection of Italian wines with a wooden wine rack. Recommend for Italian night read more

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Fabulous everything food, waitstaff ambiance!we both had pasta delicious ! Gotta go read more

Right smack in the middle of Little Italy lies this small little gem. It's small in size but big in flavors! Between 4 of us, we tried 4 appetizers (chicken livers, Carpaccio di Salmone, Braseola, insalata di Silvia), 3 main course (Oso Bucco, Cod, seafood risotto) - all of it was excellent. The end of the meal was topped off with house-made tiramasu and some kind of hazelnut torte/ice cream (I forgot the name of it), but it was excellent as well. Service was fast, efficient, friendly, and knowledgeable. And a live piano was a definite plus. Absolute fantastic experience. read more

Service and ambience were both good but not exceptional. The eggplant bruschetta special appetizer was wonderful and the mushroom salad was great. The seafood risotto was good, but not exceptional. The osso Buco was also good. One of the disappointments was when I ordered the coconut sorbet for dessert and it came out and was the exact island sorbet and the half coconut shell that Costco sells. I have the same dessert in my freezer at home. read more

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Went here with some friends. A little pricey, but the food was good and consistent. A good place to stop in Little Italy. read more

My wife, my adult son and daughter and I ate here June 2025 to celebrate our anniversary. We started with an order of mussels for an appetizer. These were pretty good although the sauce was too bland for my wife and my taste. For her main course my daughter had pollo al limone. She thought it was good. My son had the branzino. He really thought it was great. My wife had the the ravioli funghi, She thought this was fantastic and the best of all 4 entrees. I had the scallopini funghi. I thought this was good although a bit bland for my taste. We sampled three desserts. The lemon ball had a delicious lemon ice cream outside with a tiny center of lemon curd. The Teramisu was not that good. There was a dessert similar to flan which was not that good. We also tried a chocolate ball. This was ok. The atmosphere was upscale and relatively quiet. The service was good. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. read more

Our experience was just okay...so was the food just okay. My ravioli sauce tasted like flour...I didn't eat them. iI felt like we were always in a rush to get done and get out so they can flip the table. Would not recommend the place...food average, service was just okay; read more

Server was excellent. Food was very good. Did a traditional 3 course meal. A bit crowded. Seated right near the kitchen entrance. This was lousy, considering we had made a reservation in advance and walk-ins received better seating. Overall, a good meal. read more

The food is great here but the bartender was impressive her ember every special with all the details and they had 5-10 specials that night. It is a fun and friendly environment. read more

Terrific experience with authentic Italian! Celebrated our anniversary here. We enjoyed the Insalata & entrees. Lovely staff & environment. I recommend visiting during the week and making a reservation as the restaurant was full on a Tuesday evening! We will be back. read more

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Get the Osso Buco! It was great! Fantastic service and a great atmosphere at this wonderful cozy eatery. Most meals run twenty to thirty dollars, but I splurged and went with the waiter's suggestion of Osso Buco with a generous portion of pearmesan risotto. It was well worth the price if you're looking for a great upscale dining experience. I highly suggest you call ahead for reservations. read more

Valerio's Restaurant - Ossobuco - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

The restraunt is very old school in ambience but definitely brings it back to the good old days of Little Italy! Our waitress was very knowledgeable of the food and wine, and the specials were absolutely excellent. We had the swordfish and rack of lamb, and they were perfectly cooked.! highly recommend going here for any occasion! the -1 star is because for me it was a little chilly and drafty whenever the door was opened, and when ordering wine they were out of both of their only Cabernets. they were very kind in allowing me to taste 3 different wines similar to choose from read more

Valerio's Restaurant - wine - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Server not that good another server was excellent. He covered for her. Sauces were all the same. i won't t be back.

We had reservations, arrived early, and they kindly seated us early. The dinner plates were very good, but I can't recommend the appetizers. Unfortunately it was just unbearably loud. There was a piano player, which would have been lovely, if the space wasn't too small and cramped. We couldn't hear the server and couldn't understand each other without nearly shouting. It wasn't what we were looking for. read more

Rock star treatment and impeccable food. Our server was spot on with wine parings, and very attentive throughout the meal. Cozy and intimate dining with live piano music and amazing food. We all tried each other's salads, entrees, and deserts. The mushroom salad was very unique and although I forgot to take a photo, I'd highly recommend trying that. Light dressing of lemon and olive oil on thinly sliced mushrooms. Amazing. I had the lemon chicken and that was cooked perfectly and served with rosemary potatoes and cauliflower. Home run. We all enjoyed our meal, and will return at our next opportunity to splurge a little. Nicely done. read more

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The service was exceptional even though it was extremely busy. Both at the bar and table. The food was everything you would expect from an authentic Italian restaurant. Delicious. Wish I had taken a picture but you won't be disappointed. read more

This Murray Hill restaurant was pretty awesome. We chose it based on Yelp reviews and got a reservation on a Sunday night. It's a cozy place and was pretty busy when we arrived. We ordered cocktails and a bottle of wine. We had already planned out our food order but scrapped all of it when we heard the specials! We split three courses, all specials: eggplant bruschetta, risotto fra diavolo, and osso bucco. It was all DELICIOUS, especially the osso bucco. The tiramisu was a great way to end the night! read more

Valerio's is located in Little Italy towards the top of the hill. You can make a reservation online on OpenTable, which is great, because not all Little Italy spots take reservations online. They have been around for (I think) 24 years. So by Little Italy standards, they are newer! Ha. Like all of Little Italy, be ready to allow extra time for parking. They don't offer valet, which doesn't bother me, but I know that can be a deal breaker for some visitors to Little Italy. A lot of the menus you'll see online for them are outdated, especially the ones I saw. The one on their website is the only one correct plus any specials you can hear about verbally. But you should always check the website menu regardless, IMO! All the servers were super helpful and I was impressed that Nicky, our sever, could literally rattle off all the detailed specials barely taking a breath. The inside is snug and there's a few bistro tables outside that are first-come first-serve. In the COVID-age, it may make you a tad nervous to sit inside so try to snag those bistro tables during an off-time like we did during our very rare restaurant outing. For dinner, I basically had a seafood pasta (I regret not catching the name, I'm not Italian, cut me some slack). I'm not sure if I would get it again... I can't explain it, but it didn't hit the spot the way I hoped. Next time, I'll opt for a traditional pasta dish. We also had the Prosciutto e Melone and Caprese salad as starters...I can't believe I've gone my whole life without trying Prosciutto e Melone! Overall: cute, very cozy restaurant. Would return after the pandemic. read more

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Wonderful Restaurant! We made reservations (4 of us) just an hour before arriving, we were able to sit outside for dinner. The staff were courteous, polite and professional. The food was amazing! We all ordered appetizers, all were phenomenal. Main courses were excellent as well. Had pastas, chicken and fish. Dessert, coffee and espresso was also enjoyed. read more

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I went to Valerio's recently to celebrate a birthday. If you're looking for an authentic Italian restaurant, this is probably the closest you'll get in Cleveland. You can feel it right when you walk in and meet the staff! I was pleasantly surprised by how many specials they had. The service was pretty good. I didn't feel rushed at all. All the food we had was excellent - even the bread basket. As an appetizer, we ordered the grilled duck breast. I would order it again. I ordered the lobster spaghetti as my entree. It was amazing! Huge portion size. My boyfriend ordered the tortellini, and it was probably the star of the show. Any pasta dish you get at Valerio's is going to be top notch. They have valet, which is great (street parking is difficult on the weekends). read more

Valerio's Restaurant - Lobster spaghetti - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Cute small place with excellent service and a nice wine selection. Food is good but not outstanding.

Wonderful food and service. We sat at the bar. Several people recommended this restaurant. We are in town for a procedure at Cleveland clinic. Restaurant did not disappoint. read more

Our favorite little Italy restaurant!! It's a must and will never leave you disappointed. Thanks Valerio! read more

Valerio's Restaurant - Lamb chop lollipops with tortellini and Spaghetti al Pomodoro, fantastic all around. The house Chianti is a must as well. - Italian Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

We had the gnocchi and it was to die for and about the same as we have had in Italy. We had first rate service and also enjoyed the wine selection. Ambiance was very cozy and old school which we find very comfortable. Definitely a keeper! read more

We made reservations in advance and took my in-laws to Valerio's for their 50th wedding anniversary! Upon arrival, we valeted our car and entered the establishment. There was a piano player creating wonderful ambience just inside the door. We were promptly greeted and our table was waiting for four. There was a lively crowd in the restaurant of mixed ages. We ordered a meat tray as our appetizer and two bottles of wine - one white, one red. My father-in-law and I shared the red while my mother-in-law and my wife shared the white. The wine was just okay. I looked it up online and it was an $18 bottle, but they charged $40 for it, which is customary. The fresh bread was just as good as I remembered. I could've eaten more, but I didn't want to spoil my dinner. I asked the waiter to surprise me with one of two dishes - either the Ravioli ai Funghi or the Orecchiette alla Salsiccia. He chose the latter and it was really delicious. My mother-in-law ordered the Osso Buco over risotto, my wife ordered the Penne alla Bolognese, and my father-in-law ordered the chef's special - veal with veggies. I tasted all the food and the only meal I didn't care for was the Penne alla Bolognese. It just didn't have a great flavor to me. Overall, my favorite dish here is the Ravioli ai Funghi followed by the Osso Buco. They are both rich, savory dishes that I love. The service was excellent. read more

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Amazing dinner!!! Would definitely recommend this restaurant over any other one in little Italy!

Server was knowledgeable and did an excellent job. He was not intrusive but very attentive. The food was better than good, it was really enjoyable. The cioppino was well done, not acidic and had a beautiful balance of flavor. None of the seafood was over cooked. The grilled octopus appetizer was fantastic, not chewy or rubbery, well prepared and well seasoned. We chose to not have desserts as we wanted to go to the gelateria, which was a mistake. The restaurant was very nice inside, elegant but not that you felt out of place if you were not dressed up. read more

We had a rather delightful dining experience at Valerie's In Cleveland's iconic Little Italy. Our waitress was very professional, patient with our questions and knew the menu and specials from memory. The food was extremely fresh and tasted homemade. We ordered far too much food for one sitting but looking at the leftovers I'm not sadden by the next day lunch prospects. From the wait staff to the dinner itself we had a first class experience and would recommend this restaurants to friends and family. read more