Valentinos Pasta and Wine - Ottawa (IL)

5 /5 April Zawlocki: An amazing atmosphere with equally amazing food! We had a chicken dish from the menu as well as a risotto special. We also had cannolis, for dessert. Highly recommend!!

5 /5 MCB: I don’t typically write reviews, but I’ve been to Valentino’s twice now, and both visits were great, so it felt like the right time to finally write a review! The pasta is unbelievably fresh and genuinely changed the way I think about pasta… It completely raised my standards. The appetizer menu is just as good; we had the spinach artichoke dip and the calamari, and both were delicious and generously portioned, just like our entrées. We sat at the bar, which turned out to be a wonderful experience. Our bartender (if I’m remembering correctly, her name was Bentley) was so kind, attentive, and welcoming. I really hope she gets to see this and knows how much my dad and I appreciated her excellent service. We’ll absolutely be back!

5 /5 Robert Van Drimmelen: I went during a rather busy time without a reservation and was seated quickly. Service was fine and without any issues. The bread board was fun and the bread was good, a nice way to start the meal. I enjoyed the food very much, but I’m guessing this is more traditional Italian rather than Italian-American. The ricotta in the Eggplant Parmesan was a little heavy for my taste, and both my friend and I felt his noodles in the Pomodoro Basilico were slightly undercooked, though I’m fairly sure that’s how they’re meant to be served. Flavors were excellent. The garlicky marinara sauce in the Pomodoro was delicious. Id love to try some other dishes. I believe I noted 3 vegetarian options on the menu, which was nice. I’ve seen other reviews mention that the acoustics or music can be too loud, but that wasn’t something I noticed at all. I kind of wish the meals came with a small side salad with a house dressing before the meal, and that bread was served with the main course instead of only at the beginning. That said, I realize I’m probably more used to Italian-American restaurants, so what I’ve grown used to may not be what this restaurant is aiming for. Overall, I had a great time. The food was delicious, and portions were excellent. It was a lot of fun, and I’ll definitely return.

5 /5 Brian Ban: Honestly wasnt sure what to expect going in. Having never been to this area you can tell that this is being revamped. As for valentinos, the service was exceptional! Atmosphere is a bit loud, but its not like its difficult to talk. Had 2 fantastic drinks at the bar and decided to for go our table and eat at the bar. The food, well I can tell you that you will not go home hungry! Hell I wont be hungry tomorrow theres that much! Started out with the burrata and prosciutto. We devoured that quickly! After I had the giambotta and the flavors melded together beautifully! After that for dessert we split a cheesecake....and after we finished it we ordered 1 to go! Ya its that good! When we got the bill.....it cost me a little bit more than portillos! I was extremely happy with everything about last night, I just wish I wasnt an hour and a half away from this place.