Ate at Valbella for the first time tonight. I can't imagine I will eat there another time. Very odd dining experience. Took me right back to Italian fine dining in Manhattan in the 1980s...except the food isn't very good. Very large restaurant, nice enough setting, white tablecloth service and a veritable army of waiters. Just waiters. Only men. The only woman working was, BIZARRELY, the bathroom attendant inside a bathroom that is far too small and not nearly busy enough (AND it's 2022...???) to require an attendant. Poor woman was locked inside a freezing cold bathroom with no natural light for, presumably, the entire afternoon and evening. TURNING THE SINK ON AND OFF FOR EVERY PERSON WHO USED THE BATHROOM. Weird. But the whole place is weird. IMO. The owner is sauntering around, peering at tables, very dour. No smiles. No greetings. Just. Watching. The entire vibe is "Old School Restaurant." And I mean that in the worst possible way. I am a 54 year old woman who owns/operates/is the cook in my own little restaurant in Vermont. I've been around the restaurant industry. I know how it's always been done and that that is precisely what needs to change about the restaurant industry. Even so, I would have elevated Valbella to 4 stars if the food had been really good. It was not. It was extremely mediocre. There was a serious lack of skill both in the cooking/seasoning and plating evidenced by the food I ordered. Given the presumptuous setting and prices I was actually expecting much better. Also nothing on that menu is particularly "ambitious." Those dishes should all be easily executed at a very high level. They are not. Our dinner was a joint birthday celebration and it appeared there were quite a few other birthdays in the room. So I'm going to guess Valbella is a "celebration destination" in Greenwich. IMO they should hold out for better food for their celebrations. We were started out with a plate of sliced dried Italian sausage and chunks of Parmigiana Reggiano cheese. This was lovely. We were then served pan fried hot Italian peppers. Also, really good. Although some were so spicy they were practically inedible. (LOL) The bread on the table was FANTASTIC. I would be SHOCKED if it did not come directly from a bakery on Arthur Avenue in The Bronx. For my appetizer I ordered "Gamberi Scampi" with pesto risotto. The risotto was very good. Although I never would have identified anything in it as pesto. However it was very flavorful and the consistency was perfect. It was topped with four steamed shrimp. As in those shrimp had not a lick of seasoning on them at all. They'd just been steamed and then plopped on top of the risotto. Weird. "Gamberi" means "shrimp" in Italian. So "Gamberi Scampi" translates as Shrimp Scampi (which is shrimp sautéed in olive oil, butter and garlic) and that's what I thought I was getting. Served on top of risotto. Nope. I ordered the Caesar salad which was bizarrely served in a little cucumber coral with a lid of sliced cheese. Again. Weird. The salad was passable. Nothing to write home about. The presentation struck me as very sad. Like the kind of thing that would have passed for exciting plating in 1983. But it's 40 years on now...we don't have to be making cucumber corrals. For my entree I ordered Risotto Graziano: Cannaroli Rice served with shrimp, asparagus and truffle oil. Once again, some completely naked, steamed shrimp plopped on top of a plate of risotto. Only this risotto was not as good. Not cooked long enough, very loose and watery, although flavors were very nice, especially with the asparagus. For dessert I ordered the Tartufo. Skip this. It is a prepackaged, really average, not good dessert. I didn't finish anything I was served. And if you know me you KNOW that is WEIRD. Decaf latte was fine. You can spend this sort of money elsewhere and have an amazing meal. Actually with the sort of money you pay at Valbella you could get yourself TWO amazing meals at a place where someone knows how to cook. And you can even turn the sink on and off yourself when you go to the bathroom. Like wtf... read more