Valentino's Restaurant in Cardiff

Great service and food,will return

Great host, great food recommendations and customer care

Fabulous restaurant, food was delicious, staff members were very helpful, knowledgeable & super friendly! A little hidden gem in the heart of Cardiff - will definitely be back 😋

Had dinner service was good nice food Busy but food came out at a good pace fair price would use again many thanks good Italian food

Lovely food as usual but quite a long wait. The afternoon was throughly spoilt by a family with 3 small children chasing in and out of the restaurant and jumping around on the outside railings,not something you expect in a nice restaurant. Also the adults in the party were all smokers and they were in and out constantly too. The waitress was appologetic but nothing was done to stop the choas! Not a good experience at all! Maybe not to go half term!!

Our son's partner booked this for us when we went to visit him in Cardiff. Very nice atmosphere all the food dishes ordered were great as was the wine. Staff were helpful. Nice family meal out. Reasonable priced as well.

This is the best italian restaurant in cardiff the food is outstanding and the staff are amazing you could not afford to miss this venue

This is a traditional Italian Restaurant, with delicious homemade food. The service was fantastic with friendly staff. To start with we had the mushroom bruschetta, this came dressed with a balsamic dressing. For mains we had the Prawn Risotto and the Beef Ragu Sardinian Ravioli , both were delicious and we cleaned our plates with the crusty bread and butter we were given at the start of our meal. We enjoyed a large glass of Pinot Grigio and their Sardinian Beer. To finish we had the Tiramisu again delicious.

The best Italian I have had for a long time. Amazing. I had the Culurgiones di Ragu and it did not dissappoint. Sardinian speciality. Delicious and brilliant service.

We had a lovely evening at Valentino's. The food and service was excellent and I was very impressed by the variety of choice on the menu.

Visited the night before the Cardiff half marathon solely because Italian is always a safe bet before a big run. Only regret is that we didn’t visit the night afterwards so we could have pigged out a little bit more. Possibly the nicest Italian food we’ve had outside of Italy. Great atmosphere. The restaurant owner is exactly what you’d want from the owner of an Italian restaurant in the UK. Will definitely be back next time we’re in Cardiff.

This is such a lovely cozy restaurant my wife and I go here quite often, the food is always excellent and the staff are friendly and helpful Thanks

A great find, excellent service and delicious food. I had garlic bread and a creamy chicken and mushroom dish with broccoli and saute potatoes. Ask for the garlic bread starter with you main to mop up the sauce ( yes, I unashamedly did !!)

Absolutely great from start to finish! 👍🏼 A clear recommendation from me if you want to eat Italian in Cardiff. You can get very tasty and inexpensive food here in a chic restaurant with a quiet atmosphere. My “Spaghetti Aglio e olio with Parmesan” was exactly as it should be! The staff is also very friendly. I can only give it 5 stars overall 👌🏼

Restaurant ambience amazing with perfect music, food is freshly made tastes like the best authentic Italian and Sardinian food as if you were in Italy, staff very friendly, the manager and Dan the best. Felt like I was in first class, have to go again :0))

🚶🏻always passed by this restaurant as the appearance was unassuming but finally went in today. 💯the food was amazing, ordered 4 tapas dishes, risotto and two desserts, they were all fantastic. 💷price wise is okay, and the portion is generous as well. ‼️ this restaurant deserves better review than cafe citta, ciligieno and giovanni’s in the city centre cuz the food here is made with love and it’s really that good compare to those restaurants. 🇮🇹if u r looking for Italian food in the city centre, look no further, this is it. 🙂‍↕️pls show some love/support to the restaurant✨

Booked last minute as we couldn’t find any restaurants with availability. The food was very good, far superior to other Italian restaurants we’ve tried in Cardiff (particularly the ones in the centre that are rated higher which to me are definitely overrated). Definitely worth walking a bit out of the way to get to. Majority of the other diners were Italians, which speaks for itself.

Had booked on line & was looking forward to our meal as in the past has always been great---food service but this experience was not its best---was told by waitress that they were busy & expecting a large party & she had no booking for us ---told her we had booked on line ---even had a reminder the day before but i didn't have my phone on me to show her, i asked if we could sit at a table for 2 which was free but she was more interested in the large booking, she then said we could sit at a different table for 2 which was next to 3 men who couldn't speak without f--ing this & that real loud mouth attention seekers anyway we left without eating & went elsewhere where staff were friendlier & the atmosphere more pleasant,

We had a great experience at Valentino's on a Friday night with our family. They accommodated 7 of us in a very friendly manner, led by our knowledgeable host Marco. The food was all delicious, tasted home cooked and very much reminded us of a past trip to Italy. The Sardinian wine was also a great match and Marco steered us through the menu selecting some very tasty but affordable wines to match our food and was generous with his pour! There was a lively atmosphere in the main dining area - everyone was having a great time. Definitely the best Italian we have been to in Cardiff so far. We had four dinners out in a row last week and Valentino's was the best!

Our family party of 7 had a top class meal at Valentino’s, the Sardinian restaurant in the centre of Cardiff.

Been here a few times in the few years, still yet to have a bad meal, always great service too.

Carbonara was fantastic, a very relaxed atmosphere with great service

The food was gorgeous and not overly expensive. The drink selection was excellent and the staff were friendly and accommodating. The restaurant itself is not very accessible (at least from the front entrance) as there's 4-5 steps up and a very narrow door. I found it a bit difficult to navigate with a walking stick but overall had a very positive experience. Would absolutely eat here again.

Always a great meal, value for money, and superb service. The two-course pre-theatre meals are brilliant value. However £6.95 for a basket of bread (about half a demi-baguette) is really daylight robbery.

Elbowed my girlfriend in the head collecting garlic bread plates. Reasonable food but quite overpriced for the tone of the restaurant. Was okay I guess.

We had a delicious meal at Valentino's The food was fresh and incredibly tasty. We ordered a bottle of the Sardinian rose, which was also lovely The service was excellent We would definitely visit again and recommend it for an evening meal.

Last night, we had the pleasure of dining at Valentino, and it was an unforgettable culinary experience from start to finish. To begin, we ordered the Bruschetta Pomodoro and Arancini Bolognese as starters. The bruschetta was a perfect balance of fresh, ripe tomatoes, aromatic basil, and just the right amount of garlic on a perfectly toasted slice of bread. Each bite was a delightful explosion of flavors. The Arancini Bolognese, on the other hand, was a symphony of textures and tastes – the crispy exterior gave way to a rich, savory Bolognese filling that was simply divine. For our main courses, we opted for the classic Pizza Margherita and the Carbonara. The Pizza Margherita was a true testament to the art of pizza-making. The thin, crisp crust was topped with the freshest mozzarella, tangy tomato sauce, and fragrant basil, creating a harmonious blend that transported us straight to Naples. The Carbonara was equally impressive – creamy, rich, and perfectly seasoned, with al dente pasta and generous portions of pancetta that added a delightful smokiness to the dish. To conclude our meal, we indulged in the Tiramisu. It was the epitome of decadence, with layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and creamy mascarpone that melted in the mouth. The subtle hint of cocoa on top added the perfect finishing touch to this classic Italian dessert. Overall, our experience at Valentino was nothing short of extraordinary. The attention to detail, the quality of ingredients, and the mastery of Italian cuisine were evident in every dish. We highly recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking an authentic and memorable dining experience.

My prior expectations for Valentino’s were absolutely blown away by their delicious and authentic Italian food and great service. The aesthetic of the place truly made me feel like I was visiting Italy. Five stars.

Been to this restaurant for the first time in my life. Recommended by many this Italian restaurant didn’t disappoint. For starter I had the aranchini with bolognese. Stunning dish, served with bolognese sauce tasted great. Exactly as it should be. As a main we had to share two Sardinian ravioli (fresh pasta) that they make in house. Absolutely wonderful. Definitely coming back and staff was amazing and with plenty of knowledge and ready for anything.

Popped in on the off chance for some lunch Shared a bruschetta and fungi pizza - bottle of Rose wine 🍷 and bottle of water to wash it down Bruschetta really hit the mark - balsamic dressing topped it off 👍🏼 Not too much cheese on the pizza - so good for the calories 😊

The restaurant looks good and feels right, but going by my experience can't deliver. The waitress got the drinks order wrong, then we were presented with a basket of 'Italian bread' that was so cold it had obviously been thawed from frozen. Real Italian bread is wonderful, airy, light, with a crisp crust - this was like stale baguette. The bruschetta (made with the same bread) was OK, because the bread had been toasted, but the starters were both poor - bland Caprese, made with mozzarella and tomatoes that had obviously just come out of a cold fridge. You can't TASTE tomatoes that are at 5 degrees fridge temperature, they need to be allowed to warm up for a salad like this. My wife's Aranchini ball starter had a minced beef sauce - WHY? Unfortunately, the mains were worse, with my raviloi swimming in oil - see photo. Overall, a very poor experience that (without a bottle of wine or desert) cost 2 of us £80.

Best meal yet in Cardiff. Lovely service. The food was on point from the starters to dessert. Reasonable prices for amazing food,

Absolutely amazing service and the food is die for. Reminds us of home, all freshly made. Delicious prepared with a great care. Very attentive waitress and the owner make sure we all happy with our choices. You will find mix of traditional sardegnian and Welsh food.

End of year Uni meal at Valentino’s for six guys here’s how it went. Nice cosy atmosphere inside, disappointed to see no form of coat hangers etc, we all ended up with soggy backs after being forced to put our wet coats on the back of the chair. After proceeding to sit down we were greeted with a very long faced looking waitress who didn’t greet us with any form of smile or welcome. From the get go we were made to feel like a group of childish uni lads on a piss up. The waitress didn’t really ask if we were ready to order, she just stood at the end of the table. I think what was most disappointing was everything seemed like a bit of an effort for her when asked for something. The food arrived and was tasty enough, however, a large menu alaways concerns me as to the freshness of things. All in all a satisfactory visit to Valentino’s restaurant, a 10% service charge while discretionary certainty was not worth it, as the service was frustrating and poor.

We had the best experience there with ala she was so delightful and kind! Would come back just for her <3

Booked a table at Valentino’s to celebrate my father in law’s 80th birthday. We had a brilliant relaxed evening and the food was amazing. Staff so friendly. Would definitely recommend.

We went for the pre theatre menu which had lots of choice. The food was delicious, generous and had no faults at all. Really good value for money!

What a little gem. We were in Cardiff for a few days and booked this partly due to location and menu as on the website The service was really good the menu varied and everything that we ordered was delicious

We had a family party of 25 and i am writing to say a huge thank you for the evening. The attention and flexibility of Pierro and the staff was fantastic which allowed the evening to flow really well. Food was great and it felt really special. My mum was so pleased and everyone had a great time. Thank you again

Theatre menu was tasty and great value! Polite Staff Good service. Good Cleanliness. and Tasty food. Location Cardiff City Centre, opposite Weatherspoons Central Bar.

Parking was a bit of a struggle in the area but once that was sorted Accommodated me and my friends, despite being 20 minutes early for our booking. The staff were very warm and inviting. Enjoyed the carbonara and the pizza diavola. Had a great time and felt like we were eating at an authentic italian family run restaurant. Would recommend if you're in Cardiff for some good italian food.

You’ll hear other Italian restaurants mentioned but this is the one to go to in Cardiff. Nice family feel and really really excellent food, which feels a bit more traditional/authentic than most Italian restaurants.

Worst place we've eaten in Cardiff since moving here over 10 years ago. Thought we'd have a nice meal pre theatre show, sadly that was not the case here. Rude staff, ok at best food, no atmosphere. But it was the poor service and rude staff that really let the restaurant down. Would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Food was absolutely deliciously authentic Siciliano Italian!! I can’t compliment this restaurant enough! Delicious!! Great wine, great atmosphere!

A fantastic, family run restaurant in the centre of Cardiff. Staff were relaxed and friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. Went there for a family celebration and had a really wonderful evening. Highly recommended.

This place is a must when you are in Cardiff. Amazing food, great service and if you are lucky you are attended by Damian who was a great waiter. Try the organic Italian Pinot Grigio, it is gorgeous. So is the scallops and the fried dessert. Definitely will return

We went on a Thursday evening for my brother's 18th birthday. I had booked in advance but we were the only table there (we did get there early - around 5:30pm and left just after 7). The service was amazing, with the waiting staff asking about my brother's birthday plans and talking about their own 18th birthday. As we were the only table at that time, I can't comment on what the service would have been like had the restaurant been full but our experience was excellent. The food was delicious. We all had starters and a few of us had desserts. There were no faults with the food. We also were given complimentary bread and butter while we were waiting. When desserts came, they put on a happy birthday song and had written 'happy birthday' on my brother's dessert plate and put a candle in his dessert, which was a lovely touch. The only criticism I have of the restaurant is when you first come in, you can smell the toilets, which are upstairs opposite the entrance door. I didn't use the bathroom there so can't comment on cleanliness but there was definitely a toilet smell. I wouldn't let that put anyone else off going, as inside the restaurant is fine. Two of us are vegetarian and there was enough choice on the menu for us, rather than just the usual one option!

Probably some of the best Italian food I have ever had. And that is saying a lot as I am italian from New York. Every dish that we ordered was outstanding and the service was fabulous. Our only complaint is that it was obvious that there was a table of individuals that either were the owners or knew the owners. They were loud, pretty obnoxious and rather " entitled". While we understand that it's great to have people who you know frequent your restaurant It shouldn't be obvious to the other paying customers.

delicious food and top service - very friendly and relaxed - cheers

This restaurant is such a hidden gem! Authentic, family run business with fantastic food and amazing service. Our new favourite Italian!

Really enjoyed our visit here. Both food and service were excellent. Couldn't fault anything and would highly recommend this restaurant. Especially as I found myself booked into two Italian restaurants two days running. There was no comparison.

We had a family birthday celebration meal at Valentino’s - it was excellent- food, service and ambience were perfect. The homemade dishes were superb, including the vegetarian dishes as well as the lamb and sea bass. The scallops were absolutely delicious. Highly recommend.

Excellent restaurant and staff. Delicious food, would highly recommend for excellent Italian food.

Lovely food and wine and very friendly service. Would highly recommend the scallops and black pudding as a starter. I would have liked to have seen more fish options for main courses. Overall, really enjoyable!

Thank you Valentinos , for a very happy experience in your resteraunt at lunchtime today. Beautiful spagetti pomodoro, waiters were so accommodating, atmosphere was warm and friendly. Makes eating out a special treat .

This place is amazing! my kids absolutely love coming here, the staff are fabulous and the food is fantastic!! especially the lasagne, its small and out of the way, you really have to try it, you wont be disappointed!

Lovely staff, food was amazing, the only reason I gave a 4 star and not a 5 star is because we ordered a drink twice and still didn't get it, we just gave up in the end. Other than that, very good just a bit more attention on what the customers are ordering :)

Based on a two course- Pre theatre lunch at 17:30. Staff were Brilliant, Polite and helpful. Booked for a group of 14, all food arrived together. Tasty Italian menu to choose from on the evening we attended. Very welcoming experience again. We will return on this experience.

What a wonderful place. It's getting difficult to have a good, honest, family run restaraunt experience in Cardiff City these days. There are only a small handful of places left who serve this sort of experience and atmosphere. I can't believe it's taken me until now to visit Valentino's but I'm so glad I did. The service was excellent, and the staff and owners are so accommodating. Thank you all for a wonderful experience.

Amazing experience: the service, the food, the wine and the coffee were excellent!!! We really enjoyed it!

We were rather late for our booking but the staff were very accommodating. Lovely food. Will definitely be visiting again when in Cardiff

What an excellent afternoon we had yesterday, Pierro the owner was outstanding to us he recommended the most beautiful Italian rose wine along with helping us to decide what to eat as everything looked so delicious and he was spot on, it is certainly the best Italian in Cardiff we cannot recommend this enough, we haven't stopped talking about how amazing it was from the staff to the ambiance, the food and wine, thankyou for a making us 4 girls special we forgot where we were it was just like being in an authentic restaurant in Italy

A group visit - the food overall was absolutely delicious, with the exception of the mushroom bruschetta that came out cold and was then reheated so that the salad was also warm. The service was abysmal - forgetting to bring cutlery out for certain courses, forgetting glasses of wine, forgetting coffees, forgetting desserts - we were constantly left waiting for things we'd ordered, including one cheese board when we'd ordered two and one had arrived. It felt like an absolute shambles, as if staff had forgotten we were there, and weren't checking in on us at all. The complimentary limoncinos at the end were a nice gesture, but it failed to make up for the poor service throughout the night. We overheard others at an adjacent table also having issues. Please sort this out and your restaurant will be a lovely little spot!

Had the best Italian meal I have ever had, tasted amazing and the staff were friendly and welcoming. Would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Absolutely wicked little restaurant. I called ahead as we were on the later side and wanted to check for tables and was told one was available, we showed up ten minutes later and the server immediately asked if I was the one that called and the excellent service continued from there, our initial waiter seemed a little new maybe and we had to work with them a little bit but the more experienced server started to take over and he was just excellent. The food is also second to very few, the carbonara was representative of the quality you'd expect in Italy. Overall a wonderful experience with a cosy vibe.

Service was horrible, Food was good Would not recommend unless you have a spare 2 hours to wait for your food to come.

Outside of Italy. This was the best Italian food I have eaten. Great cosy atmosphere and lovely staff. What more could you ask of a place to eat.

My wife and I ate here twice during our visit. The food and service are authentic and amazing; cannot recommend highly enough. The food was cooked to perfection and the wine list is amazing. It's a few blocks from the "main" area, but so very worth the walk.

My son and I visited Valentino’s in Cardiff, before the Wales v Barbarians match at the Principality Stadium. The welcome, service and ambience were superb. We shall not hesitate to visit Valentino’s again on match day. Well worth a visit.

Couldn't fault the food or service but always room for improvement 😉 Thursday evening so it only us and a family in there. Facilities need a facelift though, damp and rot in the toilets, visible leaks and generally felt unclean.

Another wonderful visit to this fabulous Sardinian Restaurant. Food never fails to deliver and the staff are great and the service second to none. We will back again for sure

Good place for a pre-international pizza.

Probably one of the best meals we've had its way in the top 5 absolutely delicious..lovely staff and atmosphere would highly recommend and visit again ..

Great lunch at amazing price, food excellent and great service

Very good Italian, well worth a visit in Cardiff. Very happy and helpful staff and good food to boot.

Visited Valentinos tonight. Super tasty food. Polite and attentive staff. All round greatness

Weekday dinner, food excellent.

Great food and fantastic service

Such a welcoming and wonderful place! The food is amazing!

Got the lunch offer only to be told when the staff started cooking that the main I got was not part of the offer. Got charged original prices for both starter and main. Bruschetta with mushrooms were fine. Simple but decent. Risotto with mushrooms were cooked with cream, and cheese served tableside. Honestly very disappointed. I had high hopes for the risotto given the price and choice of ingredients. Sadly technique is definitely lacking here.

Wow, we expected Lasagne to be superb as acclaimed a Italian Restaurant, The waiter spoke Italian as well as English, and basically the starters were wrong, ok no problem, ordered bread with starters but came with my pizza, well not good but ok, but the 3 lasagne was the last straw, there was no meat between the pasta, being polite we asked the tall dark haired waiter, excuse me are these vegan not meat lasagne, No it’s what you ordered, we’ll have a look no meat, after a look he replied oh well guess you were unlucky, Wow we were so gobsmacked we really could not believe our ears, and with that there was a excuse me from a lady 2 tables away that had a steak that was full of fat, and he told them, well that’s the cut of meat, mmmm sorry, None of us even had a drink offered and as so dumbstruck was charged full amount, after event we realised we really should have said well unlucky we’re not paying but was TBH really caught off guard. So if you go make sure you have your wits about you and don’t get scammed like us customers did 🙈

We enjoyed our dinner here at Valentino’s. We received great service and good food. We had the garlic bread, margarita pizza, tagliatelle ragu, and tagliatelle Alfredo, along with tiramisu, chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. Everything was tasty!

We came to celebrate my friend’s birthday, and the stuff, were very nice and friendly. This place is authentic Italian and this coming from an Italian. Best risotto ever. Definitely would recommend.

The Welsh Lamb Was Excellent. The Owner & Family are Very Helpful & Friendly. Wine List Has Good Selections to suit all of the well Presented Food from the Menu. Also Very Important Great Quality Coffee. Great place For Lunch. 👌

Loved this place for a pre Theatre dining. The staff were so friendly and we had an early bird two course menu. Scrumptious

Fantastic!!!!!! Small and cozy. Staff are brilliant. Nice...

Visited the restaurant for their Valentine’s Day menu. When we sat down the waiter told us that they were not offering this menu today despite on the website it saying from the 12th-14th, after insisting that I booked for it and the website said it was available today they gave us the set menu. The couple next to us said the exact same thing happened to them and they were offered the normal menu instead as a means to get us to spend more. Once we received the set menu the price on the menu was more than on the website that was ‘recently updated’. The food itself was nice nothing extraordinary and the portion sizes were on the smaller size. On the whole it wasn’t an amazing experience and I wouldn’t recommend.

Very busy, tasty food reasonably priced. Staff were under pressure but worked very well and the service was good. The owner/ manager was constantly at his staff shouting. Ok for me but not for them

First time visiting this lovely little restaurant, very homely feeling about the place, perfect for a romantic meal . Me and my girlfriend both went for the tagliatelle Alfredo with garlic bread and shared a stunning bottle of sauvingon blanc, staff are very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this little place of Italy 👍

Came here after the panto before heading home. We did book a table but as alot of people turned up at the same time as us the waiter just quickly put a table together by the kitchen. Quick and friendly service, great food, nice little place.

Excellent service and excellent food

Lovely staff, unfortunately, the meals we ordered (belly pork) were mediocre.The restrooms were not the cleanest and need updating.

We've been to Valentino's a few times now and the experience has been wonderful every single time. The food is incredible and the service is outstanding. The staff are so welcoming and friendly, they go above and beyond and they make you feel right at home. I can't recommend Valentino's enough, definitely one of the best restaurants in South Wales! Huge thank you to Amadeo and the team for always looking after us. Absolutely amazing!

It was a quiet afternoon so only a few in and one serving but the food was excellent.

Great lunch time meal with my friends

Excellent food , service and very pleasant professional staff .

Staff attentive and very pleasant. Made us feel welcome.

Excellent. The lunchtime/ per theatre 2 course menu is excellent value and just what we wanted. Will return

Fabulous pre theatre meal...service superb...highly recommend

What a great place ,food was exceptional so were the staff,made us very welcome we had our 18 month old grandson with us no problems definitely go there again