Valentino Restaurant

• Cuisine(s): Italian, Pizza, Wine Bar
  Hours: Mon-Sat 5pm-10:30pm, Fri 11:30am-3pm
  Price: $$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Business Dining, Catering, Private Party, Takeout
  Serving: Dinner, Lunch
  Alcohol: Full bar
• Reservations: Accepted
  Parking: Street, Valet

Description

Valentino has long been L.A.ąs ultimate special-occasion Italian restaurant, a bells-and-whistles place where you reserve a table weeks in advance. But it turns out that even Valentino wants to be not just admired, but loved. Its V-vin Bar is a little awkwardly situated within the restaurant, and the grouping of bar tables and sleek bar carts looks a little like what your wealthy uncle tried to do when he set up a pub in the basement of his mansion. Still, the food, sleek Italian small plates mostly, is great. And if you're going to hang out at a wine bar, you might as well head toward one that takes its wine seriously, and although the prices aren't particularly low, the by-the-glass list often includes things like Aldo Conterno Barolo, barrique-aged Altero Brunello, and Dunn "Howell Mountain" cabernet to sip with your giant salumi plate, vintages that aren't exactly on the list at Bodega.