Valvona & Crolla Caffe Bar

S Jackon/T williams (25 August 2008)

My partner and I were booked for a show at the fringe so I thought I would take her for a nice lunch at one of the oldest established Italian deli restaurants in Edinburgh, having heard about it a few times over the years, but what a disappointment and total rip off. It’s not cheap as far as lunches go but obviously becoming complacent and assuming their reputation will allow them to get away with anything. A starter of crostini arrived with four slices of cold, inexpensive baguette with some kind of tasteless chick pea mixture on one, half an inch slice of tomato on the other and some mozzarella which thankfully was the real thing, three small slices of what looked and tasted like low-cost pepperoni and the smallest sliver of ‘cooked to death’ tuna topped off with half dead rocket salad, which was unpicked of the heavy stalk and devoid of any form of dressing. I could go on but it would take so long that I may miss lunch at another place where the serve the best pizza.

Rosemary Macdonald (14 August 2007)

It was over-priced, under-used, clinical surroundings in the restaurant. The dinner was expensive for what it was. The sweets were run of the mill but very small portions. Altogether it was a great disappointment. You find much better Italian food at the far end of George Street.