Valentina (Chiswick)

• The new location in Chiswick has only been open a few weeks but was at full capacity for lunch
• The air was filled with the rich smells of parmesan and salty hams
• The interior is relatively opulent with deep brown leathers and sparkling glasses
• The bread was served with a simple dip of fruity olive oil
• Confusingly the bottom of the bowl was black leading me to believe that it was balsamic vinegar
• Starters we chose a beautiful cheese fondue dish with truffled toast and asparagus very fancy
• Alex chose a stunning belly pork dish with cannellini bean stew
• The chess fondue was exceptionally rich which worked well with the earthy
• The asparagus was cut into chunks and could have been more prominent for a fresher feel
• So soft in texture with a salty sweet flavour that is just completely irresistible
• The accompanying beans were also soft but with a touch of bite in a fresh
• Luckily after about 10 minutes (Alex was nearly finished by this point)
• The issue lay with the staff's inability to understand me
• If you are running a restaurant in the UK it is paramount that you understand English
• This issue came up again at dessert when I was trying to explain my nut allergy
• This highlights how important understanding English is if I had been given a dish with nuts in because of a lost in translation situation
• The saltiness of the ham worked really well with the fruity pears
• The dressing of the leaves was dry good and not at all overwhelming
• Alex chose a pasta dish with a beautiful wild boar ragu
• As an Italian I was quite impressed
• I had the seafood linguini that came in a plate that was generously filled with shellfish
• With a deli stocked with Italian goodies
• Further in is the dining area that gives a nice casual atmosphere
• The cuisine was my choice and I made the husband give in to it
• Convincing yourself there is no place for a tenth oil jar in the kitchen
• The reason I have rated Valentina with a 4 is for the brilliant service
• The staff have a familiar ring with a warm but not over friendly attitude
• Seating could do with more attention and warmth
• That left me with a rather over creamy tiramisu

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