Located just footsteps from East Putney tube station, Valentina is a welcome new addition to Putney, bringing bar, restaurant and deli together.

The Venue
Entering Valentina is a bit like walking into foodie heaven – a shopfront filled with gourmet groceries and a deli that’s crammed with mouth-watering cheeses, olives and cured meats. Seating upstairs is for Valentina’s restaurant, while downstairs is the Spuntino Bar, which translates to little snack in Italian. Spuntino Bar is for casual dining, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Cured meats, garlic and dried chillies hang over diners’ heads while black and white movies films silently on a nearby flatscreen TV. Outdoor seating is also available, weather permitting.

The Atmosphere
While the name suggests a bar, Spuntino is actually more like a cafe, and the atmosphere reflects this with its laidback coffee crowd. Here you can grab a quick lunchtime bite with a friend or while away an afternoon reading the paper. The staff are informal but professional and helpful.

The Food
Valentina Spuntino is all about Italian-style tapas, so you can pick and mix a selection of dishes that are great for sharing. Dishes are priced at around £3.50 and the menu is divided into meat, fish and vegetables, so there are plenty of options to suit every taste.

Fish dishes include marinated belly of tuna, king prawns and anchovies. The calamari fritti are huge in size and are cooked perfectly in a batter that’s beautifully light and not at all greasy, however they could do with a bit of seasoning. Another fish dish worth trying is the moreish peperoncini ripieni. Served cold, the red baby peppers are stuffed with tuna and have a deliousiously tangy bite to them.

For meats, the grilled lamb cutlets are a divine choice. Juicy and tender, they come with two cutlets per serving and are lightly flavoured with rosemary and extra virgin olive oil. Veggie lovers will enjoy the oven-baked asparagus omelettes with a gorgonzola that flavours the dish nicely without overpowering it. The arancini Siciliano rice balls (although it’s more like a rice pyramid) are filled with crunchy pine nuts, peas and perhaps a little too much pesto, then covered in cheese and tomato sauce. Deli platters are also on the menu from £6.95 where you can get a selection of antipasto meats and cheeses.

Sweet tooths are certainly catered for with a selection of cakes and ice cream. The tiramisu is to die for. Served in a small coffee cup and covered in chocolate powder, delve inside to find some of the lightest sponge you’re ever likely to taste. If you prefer to end your meal with something of the savoury variety, try the cheese platter – a selection of four cheeses from the deli counter. Served with crackers and walnuts in honey, the cheeses vary from strong, hard cheeses to light and soft. Desserts are priced from £4.

The Drink
Coffee is the order of the day here, with latte, mocha and macchiato just some of the options available. The Valentina shop prides itself on its Italian wines, offering over 200 choose from. A small selection of house wines are on offer on the Spuntino menu, three reds, three whites and three roses, all priced very reasonably from £3.25 to £4.95 a a glass. The house red, a fruity, medium bodied wine from Montepulciano complements the tapas dishes quite nicely, but if you’d like another choice of wine you can choose from the bottles in the shop – you pay retail price plus a £3.95 charge to have it served at your table.

The Last Word
Spuntino Bar is a little taste of Italy’s cafe culture in Southwest London, where you can indulge in gourmet food without breaking the budget.

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