Valbella

“In the heart of the meat packing district, I found Valbella to be unassuming from the outside with all the glitter on the inside.”

“Elva was so outstanding at helping me plan and was happy to answer my one million questions about every detail.”

“Sonny and Onder are rare finds with their old school hospitality!”

Valbella

Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes

Price range.

$$$$ Price range Above $61

8 reviews

  1. The restaurant is located in the meatpacking district which is a very lively and fun district to be in at night with all the bars and restaurants in the neighborhood.

    The service here was ok, for the price tag and the atmosphere that it creates, the level of service is on par with expectation.

    Antipasto Freddo – This was supposed to be a portion for 2 and we had a party of 5 but the waiter was able to portion is nicely with 2 orders for 5 people. The combination was pretty good but there was perhaps too much vegetables and the appetiser does fill you up pretty fast.

    Fried Calamari – Yummy!! Loved it.

    Chilean Sea Bass – cant remember the exact ingredients in this one since it was a daily special. (i think there was some chick pea, some puree, and some vegetables with a roasted tomato)  the fish was nicely cooked and i definitely did enjoy this dish. However, the portion was too large. I'm not sure if this was because the appetiser really filled me up or the fish slice was too large.

    Napoleon  dessert – Highly recommended. Loved the crispness of the crust and the almond silvers. We hard to order this before the main course was served since they take 45min to make this. It was very light, and large enough to serve 5 people.

    Chocolate souffle – It was decent but not very special. Also a little too sweet imo.

    Would probably not come back again since there are so many restaurants in the neighborhood to check out. The quality of food is undoubtedly good. But for the price tag, I'd expect a lot more to match up, and it just isnt there yet.

  2. Grand Italian restaurant in the Meatpacking District, white linens, old-school service staff whereby you may be waited on and served by 4-5 guys, all in formal attire.  The staff makes you feel like a long-lost friend from the moment you're greeted by the hostess. I've eaten here twice, equally impressed both times.  

    Food choices: a large variety of Italian options, most everything tastes extremely fresh; pasta seems to be made in-house, or at least fresh-made daily outside; excellent bread, gratis; large portions of all entrees; and grandiose presentation of just about everything makes dinner a special occasion whether it was intended to be or not.

    This can be a romantic spot, but you must have the right table as it can and does get loud.  The second time here was with a group of 8-10 colleagues and the staff was as accommodating as could be, even arranging a special seating area upstairs at the last moment in order to have us drink and dine with them.  We were treated like royalty and again, food, drink, service all 4-5 stars.

    Very expensive dinner, easy to spend 75-100. per person, if not more, but worth every dollar if you can spare it.  I'd eat here again just to relive a great dining experience.

  3. Skip this place given how many amazing places there are in NYC with great food. the restaurant is a bit too loud. All of the dishes were mediocre (short rib pasta was especially lackluster, tomato within the salad was tasteless. The lamb was the only solid dish). The only redeeming feature was the extensive wine list and the map of wine regions around the globe within the wine encyclopedia that Valbella offers. I wished that they would have paid the same attention to food as to wine.

    Service was spotty. Given how loud the place was, one really needed to wave a while before getting someone's attention.

  4. This place is definitely worth exploring. With Scarpetta and other places in the area getting much attention from name recognition, valbella is no push over.

    Came here on a Wednesday evening and was greeted with exceptional service and knowledge of the menu. The restaurant is extremely nice and had a nice open layout. While there weren't too many people dining when I came, this would be a good place for group dinners.

    I had the penne alla vodka and it was delicious. Penne sauce was very good and wasn't overly salty and as some tend to be. Everything mixed very well and it was an overall enjoyable dish. They also have a good red wine selection which is obviously perfect for meals like these.

    I really liked this place and will definitely come back again to try more.

  5. My husband and I had such a wonderful experience at Valbella.  He had visited with colleagues for a work dinner, and wanted to take me because he enjoyed it so much.  From the moment you walk in you are made to feel at home, everyone is so friendly!  The service was some of the best I have experienced, as another Yelper below said, it's as if they instinctively know you need something, always checking to make sure everything is good and refills of your water glass etc, without being overbearing.  As a former server I truly appreciate the caliber of service offered here!

    The food was really great, I had a veal dish (the special that night)  and my husband had pasta (his was decidedly better than mine but mine was still very good).  I must also mention that the cocktails there were perfection- I don't often get a perfect French Martini but these guys did it right!  My husband's Manhattan was also perfect, and he is very picky when it comes to his Manhattans.

    On top of everything else, the atmosphere is very homey and arranged so that you feel you are in an intimate setting even though there are tons of other people around.  I LOVED this place, as other Yelpers have also mentioned, would give it 5 stars but it is VERY expensive.  Be ready to splurge!

  6. Pastas are better then their proteins.  My steak was overcooked and dry.  The wines are pretty good.  Pretty pricey place, but was lucky enough to eat here for free for a business dinner.  The space is adequate, doesnt feel cramped.  Their waiters are awesome.  Decor is on the nicer end.

  7. I'm from Milan (that's in Northern Italy), so I can't really get down with a place that pretends to have North Italian cuisine and all they have is stuffed beef. Guys, if you don't have a clue, just say so. No need to try to be something you're not. Having said that, food is ok here, even though it's over-priced for what you get.

  8. Came here for a work event.  The decor is meat packing district.  The staff is excellent!  They were all very attentive and gave excellent recommendations.  The mini-burger slider was delicious.  The main dishes were ok but the dessert…. If you only get one thing at this restaurant, it should be the chocolate souffle.  Mmm!!!

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Monday, 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Tuesday, 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Wednesday, 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Thursday, 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Friday, 12:00 pm - 12:00 am
Saturday, 5:00 pm - 12:00 am