Valanni Restaurant, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Restaurant Details

Food:

The remarkably unprofessional Manager almost ruined our experience at Valanni on this past Saturday. We were told his name is Mike/Michael Duffy. When we arrived for our reservation, our table wasn't available - that it was being cleared - and we were sent to the bar. About 20 minutes later, we asked about how long more it would take for our table to be set. Mr. Duffy pretty much ignored the question and moved on to whatever else he was dealing with. At this point the hostess had been nice and the bartender was great so we decided to stay and see how long more it would take. However before we were seated we had the opportunity to explain to Mr. Duffy how we felt dismissed earlier. His reaction was unlike anything I have seen from a hospitality professional. His ability to listen is lacking - he really doesn't care about the guest perspective and went so far as to say that just because we were the customer doesn't give us special rights. He became aggressive, argumentative and belligerent. At this point we were going to leave but after he stormed off, the bartender convinced us to stay for dinner. We were hesitant but we stayed. Our server - like the bartender - was wonderful and the food was very good. Normally when you have a successful restaurant, it's because of good leadership and a good product. In this case, it's a case of employees talking customers out of leaving because of the unprofessional manager. Normally, if I have an issue with a restaurant I would have no problem asking to speak with the manager but when the manager is the issue - who do you ask for? I don't think we'd be in a hurry to go back but we were grateful for a great bartender, a nice server and good food.

Food:

Great food. A real surprise. Tapas were amazing. The staff has great team work. I would come back again soon.

Food:

I'm sure the food is great but I will never be returning to find out.

I came with a group of 7 for brunch on Sunday. We ordered a round of mimosas(25 for a bottle) and a pitcher of bloody marys. After we put our food order in, we asked for another bottle of champagne. The waiter came back to tell us that there was none left and the manager said we can get the next level up for $55. We asked to speak to the manager thinking he should work with us since this was their fault. The manager (Michael) came over and said there was nothing he could do - if we wanted mimosas, we would have to pay for the $55 bottle as this was "not a menu item". We picked this place based on the mimosa and bloody mary deal clearly visible ON THE MENU. He then walked away midconversation which really was the icing on the cake for me. He came back and started laughing about it and said we were demanding things from him and acting as if we were his boss. He compared the scenario to running out of bacon and said "no one gives discounts for that type of thing". Well I sure as hell wouldn't pay the price of lobster when I was expecting bacon. Michael also sarcasticly offered the option of running to the liquor store to get us a cheap bottle of champagne. We paid for the first round of drinks and decided to leave (without our food) as the manager Michael said "go ahead, complain about me. It won't affect my job".

This is by far the worst customer service experience I have ever had. Not only did he not want to discount/work with us for something that was their fault, but also was extremely rude during the entire conversation. The hostess and waiter Reese were awesome - I would have stayed if it was not for the way the manager treated us.

Do not go here - if you read the other reviews, it seems this is a common occurance with the manager, Michael. He should not work in customer service.

Food:

I was at Valanni yesterday for brunch with 6 girlfriends and have to honestly say it was the worst restaurant experience we have ever had. We made a reservation and chose to come here specifically because of the "build your own mimosas" listed on the menu. When ordering our second bottle of champagne for the group we were informed that they had run out of champagne. While we were disappointed, we understood that things like this happen in this business. However, it was how we were treated by the general manager, Michael, that caused us to actually get up and leave without even eating our food. Michael told us he could not accommodate us in any way for this mishap besides giving us the next best champagne for $55 (which is $30 over the original champagne price). Having worked in the restaurant business, it is my understanding that any good business and good manager would try to accommodate the customers as best as they could to guarantee a good experience. Michael did the opposite. He was very rude to us, made snarky remarks, laughed at us and even walked away from our table as we were trying to have a mature conversation about the situation. He completely ruined our experience for us and did not act in a way a manager should act much less how an adult should act. Needless to say, none of us will be returning to Valanni in the future.

Food:

The service was absolutely horrible, My coworker and I waited for 15 mins before someone actually came to the table. When the waiter decided to show up he never said hello, nor did he tell us his name. He says, let me get you some water and came back to realize we had not received glasses yet. It truly saddens me because I've been coming to this place for over 10 years and felt like it was a great establishment I guess I have to always be in work clothing to get good service here.