Delicious food, great service, beautiful evening ambiance. Everything looked so good it was hard to decide so we'll definitely be returning to try everything else on the menu! The mussels were out but the oysters were very good, the shrimp was the best, the tar tar was perfection, the smashed artichoke was the best side dish but guessing from what we saw you couldn't go wrong between any of them. I love gin and the local gin they use for their cocktails was delicious.Wheelchair accessibility: No steps to get inside to the first set of tables
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Baguette, Spanish Sashimi, Bar Tartare
Natalie F.
Valentina used to be one of my favorite local restaurants since we moved to Cardiff in (deep COVID) 2020. Their modern European style menu always was great, and the patio ambiance was a must. We had a few lackluster experiences probably about 9 months ago where we were not sat where we made our reservation then had loud dinners with parents on the street which was not the move. Anywho, fast forward to last night - wow, have things turned around! Much more Spanish focused dishes, we tried so many (all recommended by our waiter who was amazing) and LOVED them all. Will bring friends and family back, so many more dishes we were excited to try!
Scott King
I love the variety of small plates to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Thin Pork Cutlet with Lemon Caper Sauce, Bar Tomaquet Con Iberico
Erik A
Had the most wonderful evening here! As a cook myself, I took a week long culinary tour of Southern California and had the most wonderful evening…and would have come back for lunch if I wasn’t running late to the airport. Everything was delightful. Excellent tapas menu with lots of diverse things to try and to share.—each exceptional! Their wine menu was on point and our service was next level. This place is a must for me, and am excited to go back soon!
Absolute Gem in North County. Love this for a European-ish feel (at the bar). Deliciously unique food options with great wine pairings and an over-all treat to experience.
Stevens Family
Valentina is, in a word, civilized. The food is tasty and a good value. My favorites were the patatas bravas and oysters. The wine program is superb, nothing boring on the menu and not so long as to induce vertigo. The service is prompt, friendly, and courteous. This would be an ideal place for a date night, its a good mix of classy and funky. Going here would make the dullest person take on a sheen of personality.Also the basque cake is wicked good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Frites, Basque Cake, Bar Tomaquet Con Iberico
Viola Wang
Cool candle holders!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Octopus, Fried Thin Pork Cutlet with Lemon Caper Sauce, Chipirones a La Plancha
GlobalTravelers
Valentina has such a nice vibe. The lighting is perfect. It's dimly lit, making it feel so comfortable and cozy. The food was outstanding. The place has a nice energy. It's a true neighborhood gem. It's like hanging out at a friend's place. Lovely all the way around.
Valentina was hands down the best meal my family has had in awhile. We were impressed with everything we ordered. We thought it couldn't get any better and then it continued to get better. I highly recommend this cozy restaurant for anyone. Great date night spot! We had the mussels, shishito peppers, and the potatoes (amazing), along with bread for our appetizers. Then we shared the sea bass entree and steak entree for our main course. Paired great with red and white wine! Overall a 10/10
Justine W.
Loved this place! The food was amazing and so flavorful, the staff was excellent, and the night we went the place was nice and quiet. Perfect for a romantic dinner
The food was quite delicious - serving sizes ample for sharing. We had a few small plates and three entrees for four of us and left satisfied, but not full. Sauces are great on all of the dishes.
NoraG
Our evening was amazing. The food was all delicious, every bite. The only thing was my girlfriends wine by glass we're kinda skimpy. Our waitress was was on top of everything. Can't wait to come back again. It never disappoints.
Dwayne
We love Valentina for dinner but wanted to try it for brunch. It was just as delicious, well planned and well executed as dinner. The Gambas paired with the Paella Rice and the Savory Dutch Baby were my favorites, but everything was tasty
Pranjali Sharma
Located right off the 101, this is a cute, chic-casual restaurant with a spacy and low lit feel. It could be perfect for date night, dinner with friends or to celebrate important occasions. Parking is located along the road. They have a strict 2 hour time limitation policy, which made no sense to us because the restaurant was 3/4 empty while we were there. The server was nice and was able to guide us through the menu and our drink choices in depth.I got the Riesling which was pretty good. My friend tried a bunch of different wines before she settled on the Albarino, which was close to a Sauvignon Blanc.For food, we got a bunch of different tapas plates. The corn and coriander soup was a Chef's kiss. Warm, flavorful without being too punchy, like a warm summer night's hug. The patatas bravas were different from what I expected them to look like, but they were pretty tasty. The Codorniz was a nice little surprise - Spanish quail presented as one would a chicken wing. The tamarind sauce was a little salty which made it harder to finish this quickly. But, overall, I enjoyed the meat a lot. It was also falling off the bone pretty easily, which is what I like my wings to be like. The Tomaquet con Iberico was a bruschetta presentation of Iberian ham on tomato bread. Personally, I would've liked more than just ham and bread.They have an interesting menu and I'll be back to try some more options. I do wish they remove the 2 hour dining limit. The server coming back to keep us moving the menu felt rushed. I understand having this rule for a bigger group, but doesn't make sense for 2 people looking to have an easy, relaxed dinner.
Delicious food, great service, beautiful evening ambiance. Everything looked so good it was hard to decide so we'll definitely be returning to try everything else on the menu! The mussels were out but the oysters were very good, the shrimp was the best, the tar tar was perfection, the smashed artichoke was the best side dish but guessing from what we saw you couldn't go wrong between any of them. I love gin and the local gin they use for their cocktails was delicious.Wheelchair accessibility: No steps to get inside to the first set of tables
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Baguette, Spanish Sashimi, Bar Tartare
Valentina used to be one of my favorite local restaurants since we moved to Cardiff in (deep COVID) 2020. Their modern European style menu always was great, and the patio ambiance was a must. We had a few lackluster experiences probably about 9 months ago where we were not sat where we made our reservation then had loud dinners with parents on the street which was not the move. Anywho, fast forward to last night - wow, have things turned around! Much more Spanish focused dishes, we tried so many (all recommended by our waiter who was amazing) and LOVED them all. Will bring friends and family back, so many more dishes we were excited to try!
I love the variety of small plates to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Thin Pork Cutlet with Lemon Caper Sauce, Bar Tomaquet Con Iberico
Had the most wonderful evening here! As a cook myself, I took a week long culinary tour of Southern California and had the most wonderful evening…and would have come back for lunch if I wasn’t running late to the airport. Everything was delightful. Excellent tapas menu with lots of diverse things to try and to share.—each exceptional! Their wine menu was on point and our service was next level. This place is a must for me, and am excited to go back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Octopus, Fried Thin Pork Cutlet with Lemon Caper Sauce, Beef Tartare & Fries
Absolute Gem in North County. Love this for a European-ish feel (at the bar). Deliciously unique food options with great wine pairings and an over-all treat to experience.
Valentina is, in a word, civilized. The food is tasty and a good value. My favorites were the patatas bravas and oysters. The wine program is superb, nothing boring on the menu and not so long as to induce vertigo. The service is prompt, friendly, and courteous. This would be an ideal place for a date night, its a good mix of classy and funky. Going here would make the dullest person take on a sheen of personality.Also the basque cake is wicked good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Frites, Basque Cake, Bar Tomaquet Con Iberico
Cool candle holders!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Octopus, Fried Thin Pork Cutlet with Lemon Caper Sauce, Chipirones a La Plancha
Valentina has such a nice vibe. The lighting is perfect. It's dimly lit, making it feel so comfortable and cozy. The food was outstanding. The place has a nice energy. It's a true neighborhood gem. It's like hanging out at a friend's place. Lovely all the way around.
Valentina was hands down the best meal my family has had in awhile. We were impressed with everything we ordered. We thought it couldn't get any better and then it continued to get better. I highly recommend this cozy restaurant for anyone. Great date night spot! We had the mussels, shishito peppers, and the potatoes (amazing), along with bread for our appetizers. Then we shared the sea bass entree and steak entree for our main course. Paired great with red and white wine! Overall a 10/10
Loved this place! The food was amazing and so flavorful, the staff was excellent, and the night we went the place was nice and quiet. Perfect for a romantic dinner
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was quite delicious - serving sizes ample for sharing. We had a few small plates and three entrees for four of us and left satisfied, but not full. Sauces are great on all of the dishes.
Our evening was amazing. The food was all delicious, every bite. The only thing was my girlfriends wine by glass we're kinda skimpy. Our waitress was was on top of everything. Can't wait to come back again. It never disappoints.
We love Valentina for dinner but wanted to try it for brunch. It was just as delicious, well planned and well executed as dinner. The Gambas paired with the Paella Rice and the Savory Dutch Baby were my favorites, but everything was tasty
Located right off the 101, this is a cute, chic-casual restaurant with a spacy and low lit feel. It could be perfect for date night, dinner with friends or to celebrate important occasions. Parking is located along the road. They have a strict 2 hour time limitation policy, which made no sense to us because the restaurant was 3/4 empty while we were there. The server was nice and was able to guide us through the menu and our drink choices in depth.I got the Riesling which was pretty good. My friend tried a bunch of different wines before she settled on the Albarino, which was close to a Sauvignon Blanc.For food, we got a bunch of different tapas plates. The corn and coriander soup was a Chef's kiss. Warm, flavorful without being too punchy, like a warm summer night's hug. The patatas bravas were different from what I expected them to look like, but they were pretty tasty. The Codorniz was a nice little surprise - Spanish quail presented as one would a chicken wing. The tamarind sauce was a little salty which made it harder to finish this quickly. But, overall, I enjoyed the meat a lot. It was also falling off the bone pretty easily, which is what I like my wings to be like. The Tomaquet con Iberico was a bruschetta presentation of Iberian ham on tomato bread. Personally, I would've liked more than just ham and bread.They have an interesting menu and I'll be back to try some more options. I do wish they remove the 2 hour dining limit. The server coming back to keep us moving the menu felt rushed. I understand having this rule for a bigger group, but doesn't make sense for 2 people looking to have an easy, relaxed dinner.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Great dinner! Kimi is the best waitress - 10/10!