Valenti’s Ristorante | 203 E. Royalton Rd. (Route 82) | Broadview Heights, OH

Greetings, friends and thanks for stopping by. Do you mind if we stay local (at least for me) today? What do you say we check out Valenti’s Ristorante in Broadview Heights? My mom and I recently stopped by for happy hour. Let’s get to it.

Located in the Wellpointe retail plaza on the northeast corner of Broadview Road and Route 82, Valenti’s occupies the space formerly known as Bistro 82, and, before that, Oggi Ristorante. Let’s hope the third time is the charm for this space, because both Oggi and Bistro 82 called it quits.

Valenti’s features classic cocktails, a curated wine list and rustic Italian entrees, including pizza, fettucini alfredo and chicken marsala. Dinner prices range from $16 to $30. Desserts include gelato, tiramisu, sorbetto and cannoli.

The centerpiece of the restaurant is its lounge, an elegant U-shaped space with a piano key-themed bar top and baby grand piano. Intimate dining rooms surround both sides of the bar.

Now for the reason we’re all here—happy hour! Offered in the bar Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., Valenti’s has $2 domestic beers; $5 martinis, sparkling cocktails, house wines and appetizers; and $10 pizzas. My mom ordered a chocolate martini and arancini. I selected a glass of chardonnay and a margherita pizza. Bonus: Free bread, with an olive-based dipping sauce, is provided to diners.

High fives all around. Each item we ordered was tremendous. Creamy and decadent, the chocolate martini had the perfect amount of kick—nothing too strong but you knew you were drinking a cocktail. The chardonnay was crisp and refreshing. The arancini, accompanied by a delectable pomodoro sauce, featured a light—yet robust—breading with flavorful fillings. And let’s not forget about the pizza—it was delicious. Sizable and tasty, the margherita pizza featured fresh mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese and a sweet, savory sauce. Side note: The dough itself was superb … turns out that Valenti’s gets it from Ohio City Pasta.

In addition to happy hour, Valenti’s offers other specials throughout the week. These include all you can eat spaghetti on Mondays, bottomless sangria on Tuesdays, half-price bottles of wine on Wednesdays, BOGO drinks and appetizers for ladies on Thursdays and $5 Aperol spritzes on Saturdays.

The service at Valenti’s was excellent, as our bartender was knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. In fact, he even topped off our drinks—a very nice touch. Multiple employees interacted with us and asked if we needed anything.

Rating Scale & Verdict
🍷🍷=Average 🍷🍷🍷=Good 🍷🍷🍷🍷=Excellent

🍷🍷🍷🍷While not as expansive as other menus, Valenti’s happy hour is outstanding. What they do have, they do well. Cheap drinks, a classy atmosphere and quality Italian food—what’s not to like about that? See you in Broadview Heights. Cheers!