It's probably just as well that I didn't know this was part of an Italian restaurant chain in…read moreValencia because I would've dismissed it as Spain's answer to the Olive Garden. If they had offered free refills of Zuppa Toscana, I would've gotten suspicious. However, this turned out to be more satisfying than I expected as we were looking for a pasta dinner close to our hotel in the Sant Francesc neighborhood. They open at 7:30PM every evening for dinner.
Since we aren't Europeans used to dining late, we, of course, showed up right when they opened. Needless to say, we got a table right away. We decided to share the 12,9€ Ave Cesar (Caesar Salad), a pretty hearty mix of croutons, mixed greens, Grana Padano cheese, grilled chicken, and bacon, all tossed a tad too liberally in Caesar dressing (Photo 8). Honestly it was more entree than starter but a good enough segue way to our pasta plates.
Jamie ordered the 13,8€ Pappardelle al Ragu alla Bolognese, consisting of flat noodles tossed in a slow-cooked veal ragu (Photo 10). The sauce was a bit watery, but the pappardelle was nicely al dente. I went for the 15€ Ravioloni di Ossobucco, artfully assembled ravioli stuffed with veal ossobucco and caramelized onions, tossed in a creamy saffron sauce and topped with gremolata (Photo 9). A well-executed plate of pasta. Definitely not the Olive Garden.
FOOD - 4 stars...some hiccups but tasty Italian food for the most part
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...spacious...and I like the vintage American movie posters (Photo 5)
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...quietly efficient
TOTAL - 4 stars...a chain restaurant worth trying
RELATED - Exploring Valencia? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/cq2843aExq-