Viva La Valentino

Ristorante Da Valentino Moves to Turf City

Wednesday, 22 Aug 2012

And thankfully it hasn’t lost any of its charm.

Don’t be alarmed. The external surrounds look polar opposite to the quaint neighbourhood retreat of its former Rifle Range Road location, but hold off your judgment and step inside.

Once there, we are pleased to say that all the rustic Italian romance of the restaurant we’ve come to love has remained. There are exposed brick walls, arched entrances, dark wooden panels and quaint circular booths Valentino refers to as “caves”.

Certainly the space is huge – but it works. There is more room between the tables now, there is a designated bar area and an entrance lounge in case you make the mistake of forgetting to book.

La famiglia is still there (except now Mama has her own separate kitchen for making her delicious specials) and the menu has remained the same. In fact, the number of seats has decreased, so there’s no danger of anything becoming mass market.

Actually, many of the changes are for the better – there is a kitchen garden, outdoor seating, and parking is no longer an issue.

But there is one problem from the old premises that we wish had changed – the popularity. One month into opening and Valentino’s is still booked out every night – so plan ahead and reserve a seat now.

Ristorante Da Valentino, #01-19, 200 Turf Club Rd., 6462 0555, open Tue-Sun 12-3pm, 6-10pm