Recently I headed down to Chiswick to check out the newly opened branch of Valentina Fine Foods, an Italian delicatessen and restaurant set on the common there. The original branch was founded in East Sheen in 1991 by two Italian farming families from Saint Elia Fiumerapido, Italy. Now run by third generation family members, the business has 7 branches across South West London selling traditional Italian goods in the deli, and serving recipe dishes in the restaurant apparently handed down through the families.
The store is set out beautifully. It is fronted by a royal blue lit sign that faces a leafy common and a deli filled with shelf after shelf of dry goods and an extensive fresh counter. There are countless types of good looking dry pasta, as well as fresh ravioli and tortellini, hanging salami and sausages from every rafter, sauces, olives, panettone, and lots and lots of cheese. Pottering through the produce makes for a merry half an hour.
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The restaurant menu is traditional, set out in the Italian menu structure of antipasti, primi piatti, secondi, contorni and dolce (starters, pasta course, meat/fish course, sides and sweets). There’s a whole raft of pizzas too, prepared fresh in the wood burning pizza stove at the back of the restaurant. It’s all priced somewhat midrange; pasta and pizza comes in at just over £10, with meat and fish around £12-18. The Puglia olives we started with were spectacular; green, firm and salty, drenched in great olive oil. We also nibbled on some Parmesan, aged for 2 years and accompanied by lovely little crisp breads. The pasta was also excellent; the linguine with langoustine and cherry tomatoes came al dente, with big pieces of langoustine and clam trapping the fresh tomato sauce.
I also tried the gnocchi with gorgonzola and walnuts. You can’t really beat soft little pillows of potato dumpling, drenched in salty, creamy blue cheese sauce; I was always going to love it. The service is pretty casual; all the waiters and waitresses are Italian and got terribly excited when my dining companion nattered to them in Italian.
In summary; this is a reliable place for good, fresh Italian food. The deli is a fun place to potter and had an impressive number of products you won’t find in a supermarket. Of course, you won’t be paying supermarket prices for them but for authenticity and range in a charming setting, it’s a sure pick.
http://www.valentinafinefoods.com/
Chiswick Branch:
75 Upper Richmond Rd, London SW15 2SR
020 8877 9906
Other branches: Sheen, Putney, SevenOaks, Notting Hill, Weybridge, Reigate.
Thank very much for helping me.