Valentien's - Bakersfield

I 've kept trying because I long for a fine dining experience. Nice atmosphere food quality is good, but portions are ridiculously small (7 mussels as a dinner entrée for $15...please and service is always spotty. Money 's not a problem for me when it comes to food, but I want to walk away satisfied. Two lunches and one dinner is enough. I 'm calling it quits! (The prior owner 's food was better! .

A Bistro style gourmet dining experience not like any other in Bakersfield.

My wife and I ate at this restaurant based on a newspaper review that rated it the most romantic in Bakersfield. While it was excellent, the atmosphere did not live up to that billing. The lights were too bright and the service was spotty. However, the food was excellent except that the crispy quail wasn 't crispy at all. Even there, the taste was great as was the presentation. The wine list is very good, but our server didn 't seem to know squat about wine service. She didn 't offer me a taste of the first bottle we bought before filling our glasses. Valentien 's has a very good selection of wines in the 1/2 bottle. We love this. I know we spent more for 2 of the1/2 bottles than we would for a single bottle, and we were able to better pair the wines with the food. Kudos to Valentien 's for doing this. The service issues were that the salad took forever to appear and with one had she took away the salad as we finished and with the other hand delivered the main course. Also, we had the Flat Iron Steak and she never asked how we wanted it cooked. Luckily it came medium rare just as we wanted. We will go back again for sure. I hope the next visit finds the lights dimmed a bit and the service improved. Nonetheless, we would still recommend it for a great night out.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Bakersfield. It offers an upscale dining experience that's perfect for a night out or a special occasion. While I find the entrée menu a bit limited, you can always trust that the options available are excellent. I've been there twice and each time I've ordered the steak tartare and seared scallops, along with the black bean appetizer. The grilled bread and quail egg served with the tartare are delicious, and the seared scallops are incredibly tender and buttery. During the summer, they had an incredible heirloom tomato caprese salad with balsamic reduction that was simply to die for. The quality of the food and the presentation rivals some of the finer dining experiences I've had in larger cities (having lived in Seattle and San Francisco prior to moving here). In comparison, the portion sizes and prices are a fantastic value! I do agree with other reviews that the restaurant's atmosphere could use some improvement, but I truly believe the culinary experience makes it worth a visit.

Outstanding! Finally, we have fine dining in Bakersfield. This restaurant sets the standard for all others in the area. It rivals establishments in New York and San Francisco. The wine selection is exceptional as well.