Singapore boasts many Italian restaurants which planners can book for corporate events, but few are as enchanting as Valentino’s, which now has more MICE options. By Raini Hamdi
Stepping into this restaurant, your group will likely be pleasantly surprised by the real feel of Italy it emanates, and will soon forget they are in Singapore. Ristorante de Valentino has been around for nearly a decade, but moved to a new and larger location last year. It spared no effort in creating the look and feel of a warm, inviting home in an Italian countryside, yet one that is in keeping with the times. Authenticity, excellent classic Italian food and the all-embracing charm of the Valentino family – chef/founder Valtulina, his papa, mama, sister and brother-in-law – make up the concoction that makes a gathering here an enchanting experience.
MICE application
I love the long private dining room with its stone-clad walls, family photos, paintings, flowers and fittings from Italy. I can imagine a corporate group quickly bonding over lunch or dinner here. The room accommodates 55 pax and can be divided into two separate rooms for smaller groups.
If you have a bigger group, the main dining area seats 95 pax and an alfresco area seats another 30 pax. Like the private dining room, the main dining, though large, looks cosy, intimate and quintessentially Italian, with imported Italian bricks on some walls and Italian paraphernalia placed at nooks and corners. During my dinner, I was super comfortable – there was no air-con draft on my food, or on me, which happens all too often. I learnt that the AC units were placed on the floor in various locations, instead of on the ceiling as in many restaurants. To me, these are the details that show Valentino’s passion for the business and the extent it cares for guests.
The alfresco area lets your group dine amid nature, with lots of potted plants, plants on trellises and sounds of chirping birds and trickling water from a small fountain.
Car launches can be done at Valentino’s as doors from the alfresco section can be opened to let the car into the main dining area.
F&B concept
The F&B concept is classic Italian, enhanced by Chef Valentino’s confident approach, creativity, a bit of Mama’s influence no doubt, and the use of fresh and seasonal ingredients imported from Italy. My penne with veal ragout, and osso buco using Mama’s recipe, were delicious.
Planners can choose from the extensive a la carte menu or set menus, or tailor a menu to suit clients’ F&B requirements.
Valentino’s also boasts a beautiful wine cellar featuring specially selected wines from north to south Italy, in half-bottles to magnums and at a wide range of prices. But I do find the wine prices to be a little on the high side.
Service and ambience
Beyond their charisma, the family are at heart real cooks and hosts, which is why they have such a loyal following. The crew is loyal too and has imbibed the affable manners and natural ways of the family. These are ways that make you smile, relax and feel you’re dining at an old friend’s place rather than a commercial restaurant.
Contacts
200 Turf Club Road #01-19 Singapore 287994
Email: ristvale@singnet.com.sg; website: www.ristorante-da-valentino.com
Opening hours
12.00-14.30 (last order)
18.00-22.30 (last order)
