Valentino
Cuisine: European, Italian
Price Range: $$$
10Best Says
For over 40 years, Piero Selvaggio's award-winning Valentino has provided not only excellent Italian cuisine with a Sicilian bent, but also impeccable service and a vast wine list. The famed wine list... Read More
For over 40 years, Piero Selvaggio's award-winning Valentino has provided not only excellent Italian cuisine with a Sicilian bent, but also impeccable service and a vast wine list. The famed wine list has over 1200 choices, located in a cellar holding more than 100,000 bottles. Wines by the glass change every week, with thoughtful pairings designed to go with the restaurant's signature dishes and newer vegan or gluten-free choices. Try the grilled octopus with squid ink for your antipasti, then go on to a Sicilian orange salad, created from Selvaggio's memories of home. Don't miss the slow-cooked veal osso bucco or go lighter with a delicate Branzino grilled with capers, olives and tomatoes. And don't be surprised to see a famous Hollywood star at the adjoining table, for Valentino's remains an industry favorite decades after it opened its doors in West Los Angeles.
Address:
3115 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310-829-4313
Hours:
- Mon-Thu: 5pm-10pm
- Fri: 11:30am-2:30pm,; 5pm-10:30pm
- Sat: 5pm-10:30pm
EXPERT TIPS BY:
Jenny Peters
Los Angeles Local Expert
- Santa Monica's Best Restaurants, Italian: "For a quintessentially authentic Sicilian meal, as for the Peasant Spaghetti, a hearty, satisfying bowl of pasta mixed with basil, tomatoes, prosciutto and pancetta."
- Best for Santa Monica's Best Restaurants, Italian Because: Piero Selvaggio's award-winng landmark L.A. restaurant has been here since 1972; anyone who loves authentic Italian must eat here at least once in a lifetime.