Trattoria Valona

I stumbled upon this hidden pocket of pasta because someone else’s scallop risotto review looked amazing and I was craving something new and Italian. Loved the grilled octopus… and it comes with basil pesto?? I try grilled octopus at almost every Italian restaurant that has it, and I was impressed with the texture/flavor/aroma and the really nice plating. Also ended up getting the scallop risotto and the scallops were awesome - not HUGE but really tender and plump/bouncy.. so hard to get that texture. Rice mixed with asparagus had great mix of bite and creaminess. My plate looked pretty similar to the other reviewer’s so I appreciated their consistency. Loved the quaint but unique decor. Sucks that I didn’t find out about this place until 6 months after moving to the area?? People need to review this place more to get the word out because it’s in a modest strip and easy to miss. Portions were middle of the road, not huge but perfect for me. (Prices reflect quality a little more than quantity, so I couldn’t gorge myself on everything like my Friday garbage can stomach would have done.) I also plan to try out a bunch of their other dishes soon. Agree with others it could be a cute/decent date night choice. Try it.

Update in 2024: I returned and had what I think is in the top three best dishes I’ve ever had in my life… I had the fiocchi di Pere which was a straight up work of flavor art lol the sweet pear with the creamy fontina cheese sauce and with the walnuts for a crunch ooof 🧑‍🍳 💋 I am already trying to see how soon I can come again. Also we finished off with caramel marscapone cheesecake made in house that was creamy smooth and perfect bit of sweet. Cozy and warm atmosphere, byob, and the food is delicious. My parmesean scallop risotto reminded me of back when I tried it in an Italy and it was outstanding and packed with flavor. I enjoyed my time here tonight, the small dining room makes it more personal, and the owner/or manager came to check in with our meal at the end of the night which was genuine. I highly recommend for a date night or night out to dinner.

Dining at this place with former executive chef I am delivering this message from him to you and his opinion is that Leon’s passion for service, describing beautiful specials of the evening, his o owl edge of service and how to take care of customers deserve most stars and 5 is way below! The place is charming and warm. Calming atmosphere with beautiful music on background. Leon and his team provided us with exceptional dining experience. Food well prepared, seasoned as authentic Italian should be. We are pleased and definitely coming back! P.S. Grilled octopus is must have!!! Best ever! Enjoy.

A truly delicious meal that was on par with those I have eaten in Italy. The Signature salad with burrata and pears was excellent, and the Fiochi di Pere, with truffle sauce...fresh made pockets of wonderful. The only small downside - no alcohol license, and the owner was very apologetic when I asked about wines by the glass, so remember to BYOB.

Always a great experience! Food is great! Staff is great! Especially Gabby! She is very sweet, thoughtful & knowledgeable. The owners always come greet us & make us feel very welcome. I always get the chicken parm & my wife tried the lamb chops this time. We both loved our meals. We’ll definitely be back for sure!

Found this little gem while looking for places to take my mom mom for dinner. Fey was a very professional, composed captain who made us feel welcome, and the food is the real deal. Burrata is fire, Lamb with Risso special was amazing. BYOB what's not to love. Also, a gentlemen who I assume is the owner and / or manager was there helping his server and touching tables all night. It was a great sign and appreciated.

The food was amazing and the service was top notch. Very welcoming atmosphere and the owners are so friendly and inviting. They care so much about your experience. Their gnocchi dish was one of the best I’ve ever had. Will go back again and try more!

Really enjoyed our meal here today. Food was delicious. Emily was a fantastic server!!!! We’ll be back!

Loved trying this spot! BYOB🍷 Their shrimp scampi special was out of this world. Staff was so friendly and kind. I forgot my purse on the way out and the waitress ran out to our car with it!

The food was spectacular! The service was even better! People are super friendly and kind. Split two entrees and both were fantastic. The Risotto with scallops and the seafood ravioli special were both excellent. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area!

Always an amazing meal, my husband says this is the best veal chop he’s ever had! Definitely a hidden neighborhood gem to try. We love that it’s byob and the restaurant is spotless. Family owned and operated everything is made from scratch with love you can truly tell. One of our favorite places to go!

Wonderful Easter dinner! My family was delighted with the apps, especially the Brie with figs, and lobster arancini. Dinner and desserts were superb!!! The scallops and risotto were out of this world!!! So glad my family had their Easter dinner at Trattoria Valona!

Where can I start?!? I LOVE this authentic, hidden gem in Hatboro. The atmosphere is simply elegant and very “homey”. I was immediately greeted by the wonderful waitresses with a smile. I came here with my best friend and ordered bruschetta, beets and arugula salad, and burrata plate as our appetizers. The food was so fresh and you could definitely tell the staff takes the time to prepare each plate. For entrees we shared penne alla vodka and their special of the day which was gnocchi with a creamy Gorgonzola sauce. The portions are perfect and filling, exactly like an authentic Italian restaurant. The owners also took the time to greet us and ask us about our dinner which shows how much they care to please their customers! Definitely 10/10!!!

Absolutely amazing food! Every single plate was fabulous. Such a nice comfortable vibe.

This caprese salad is delicious. Thank you Trattoria Valona. Chicken marsala. Shrimp Scampi.

Pizzas and their appetizers are authentic and delicious. As great as the food is, we keep coming back for the desserts! Very excited to start making this a regular destination.

Delicious Italian cuisine. The owners are very attentive and detail oriented. The brie pastry and limoncello cake are exquiste personal pastries from the chef's own kitchen. Looking forward to the next visit to try the branzino.

Always a wonderful experience! Excellent food! Great service. Gabby is THE best, & the owners greet every table every time! This is our new spot!

We have been here a few times and every meal has been wonderful! Tonight I had the lamb chops and they were delicious. The service was outstanding & the atmosphere is very pleasant. I definitely would recommend this place.

DELICIOUS! Got the fried calamari and artichoke special as appetizers, and the veal Marsala and lamb chops. The food is prepared extremely well and the service is great, in a very nice atmosphere. Highly recommend!

First time in Trattoria Valona for dinner. The restaurant was packed with people and I can see why! The atmosphere was wonderful, food was delicious and staff was friendly and efficient. Our waitress, Livia , was spectacular. I loved that the owners came around to the tables and spoke with patrons. Felt homey and comfortable, like you’re in a small local restaurant somewhere in Europe. We had grilled octopus, citrus salad and lamb. Everything was delicious, flavorful and nicely portioned. We also very much enjoyed the home made tiramisu- absolutely delicious! Thank you for a wonderful dinner!

We had our daughter’s first birthday party at Trattoria Valona and it was better than we expected. The owner was accommodating to the menu that we wanted to serve our guests The food was delicious and all of our guests raved about it. Also, the servers were attentive and went above and beyond to ensure that our guests had a great dining experience. Trattoria Valona was the perfect place to have our daughter’s birthday and we would go again for lunch or dinner.

Small cozy restaurant. It was empty when we got there at 6pm on a Sunday night. But the food was good, freshly cooked, portions on a smaller size. Our server was very friendly and suggested main courses for us. I would come back again. A little pricey.

Wow… what a great find.. we (party of 4) were looking for an Italian restaurant in the area that we have not already been to.. we originally were planning to try someone else.. but heard about Trattoria Valona at the last minute from one of our cousins who loved it. We were not disappointed. The food and service were both outstanding. Our server was (Gabby I believe).. very nice and full of energy. She did a great job in taking our orders, double checking that everyone was happy. Also, there was a gentleman (I’m assuming he was the owner) made a point to say hello when we arrived and also wish us well when we left. Trattoria Valona will definitely be on our list for the future.

It has a wide menu. The food and service was pretty good. I ate a delicious branzino with vegetables.

We ate here almost 2 years ago and I have been dreaming of going back ever since to have the Lobster Gnocchi. It did not disappoint as takeout tonight, even after a very long buildup. The Valona salad was also great and the parmesan truffle fries had just the right amount of truffle that my husband and toddler enjoyed them, without being overwhelming (as truffle can easily be). I highly recommend this hidden gem!

Trattoria Valona truly sets the standard for what a family-owned restaurant should be. From the moment you walk in, you can feel the pride, tradition, and care that go into every detail. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the service is attentive without being intrusive, and the food is nothing short of exceptional. Every dish tastes like it’s been prepared with intention and love—fresh ingredients, perfectly balanced flavors, and recipes that clearly honor authentic Italian roots. You can tell this is a place where quality matters and where the owners are personally invested in delivering an outstanding experience to every guest. If you’re looking for incredible food, genuine hospitality, and a restaurant that consistently delivers on all fronts, Trattoria Valona does not disappoint. This is the kind of place you return to again and again—and confidently recommend to everyone you know.

So many places can get five stars in one aspect or the other. This beautiful restaurant soundly earns five stars in every category. I had three Fiocchi di pere. I was nervous because I’d never had anything like it before. Once I tried it it was like time slowed, as I savored the dish. It was my daughter’s 10th birthday. She tried arancini for the first time, and absolutely loved it. I only feel bad for anytime she has it anywhere else. Jade and every server, with other diners, sang happy birthday for my little girl. This place is a home meal on a night out. So comforting. So joyful. Most importantly, so delicious.

Expensive for a BYOB. Pay cash for a discount. Very good food and service. Nice new dining room. Semi open kitchen. The kitchen and servers are fast! We went from appetizers to dessert and out the door in an hour. Large portion sizes. This is actually a slight criticism, because we would prefer smaller portions that would allow us to have a separate pasta course. We had grilled salmon with citrus salsa and parmesan polenta, and a grouper with shrimp special, served over risotto. Both were good, though my partner thought the salmon was a bit dry. I would happily order the grouper special again; the fish tased fresh and was nicely flaky. We also had the lobster gnocchi, which has received some rave reviews here, but I thought was just okay. For appetizers we had a Eggplant Rollatini special, and grilled octopus. Both of these dishes were fantastic. The red sauce served with the eggplant was simple and slightly sweet. I was reaching for the bread to mop up every last bit. The octopus was tender, and presentation was very nice. Dessert was some kind of chocolate brownie cake (made here!), and presented nicely. Bread and oil flavored with dry herbs are brought out to each table. The oil was not great; bread was average. Overall, this is one of the better quality Italian restaurants in the area. Worth another visit.

4 Star overall rating above is generous. If I could have selected 3.5, I would have. BYOB Restaurant. Vibe - No nonsense, clean, smaller space w/ close quartered tables. Doing a fairly brisk business. Meat and Cheese Board App was just OK. Some of the cheese was cut too close to the rind and entire board was served too cold. Meats and cheeses should have been served at room temp. Caesar Salad - Simple and Very Good. Entrees: Daily Special - Grouper w/ Shrimp ($44) that was very good and decent portion. Daily Special - 20oz. Ribeye w/Crabmeat-Gorgonzola cream sauce, Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli Rabe. ($52) All very good but they should have mentioned that it was a bone-on ribeye and wasn’t really 20oz. Don’t think it was worth the $52 price. Tiramisu was good but not worth $10 Service OK but could do with some improvement. Even though it is a BYOB no one offered to open our bottle of wine. Good thing we had a bottle opener with us. You are required to order all your food at once. (Apps, salads, entrees,…) I requested to have the Gorgonzola sauce served on the side - that didn’t happen. Timing of the food arrival could also do with improvement. Our Salad and our Meat & Cheese board came out together.

Went with friends and was surprised they didn’t serve wine and had to BYO. Pesto pasta sauce was great. Chicken parm was good. Their dessert was GREAT!!

Definitely make a reservation for a Saturday night, or take your chances! They squeezed us in. The food was good and the service was great!

Pear Fiocchi were delish, desserts were good, would return

They charged $18 for this amount of spinach and grilled calamari. This is what I received tonight. It would not be as upsetting if I hadn’t ordered the same dish 4 weeks ago and gotten a portion much larger for the same selection and same price. So had I known it would be so drastically different in portion size, I wouldn’t have ordered it again as it’s an expensive and nice place. The food is delicious, but I can’t wrap my head around not being consistent with portions. So upset that we spent almost $20 on this

I’ll start by saying I’ve been here now 4 times since I’ve moved to the area and I have recommended to coworkers, family, and friends. The food truly is phenomenal and I can tell there’s extra love added with every dish. While the food is phenomenal, I have to admit that the owner does not always give welcoming vibes. He certainly picks and chooses his favorites. Each time I’ve been there (and I don’t require acknowledgment by no means), it seems the owner picks his favorite and speaks to them for long periods of times and returns back to his standard place. Last time I was there, it was during Christmas and the owner only focused his attention on one table while ignoring every other table. In my view, either greet every table or don’t greet any at all but it just seems out of touch to constantly ignore other every other patron except for one portion of a restaurant. Again, phenomenal food and really the above is more so the owner can be aware as he may not even notice his own actions don’t provide the most welcoming experience to every diner.

This was our first time going to this highly recommended place on google reviews. We ordered fried calamari and it was pretty good. Our server was thorough in her knowledge of the menu which was great! But our main entrees were a total disappointment. My Vodka penne with grilled chicken tasted like tomato sauce with overcooked penne and chicken had a fresh taste to it. My husband wasn’t pleased with his jumbo Shrimp and crab pasta as well, couldn’t find any bits of crab in the pasta. Overall paid $100 for our 2 entree and an appetizer.

Went for Christmas Eve. Server top notch. Calamari over breaded and over cooked. Cold mashed potatoes. Overall meal was disappointing.

I ordered pappardelle bolognese when it came it was not the pasta pictured on the app. I called the restaurant and told them what I ordered and what I got. After putting me on a brief hold, she informed me that they do not have that pasta. I told her this was our first and last time we will be ordering from them. They should have informed us that they do not have the pasta They need to change the picture .

I ordered take out from this place and the food was so disappointing. I ordered the chicken Marsala for $23 and got 1 dry piece of chicken and some lettuce on the side. I don’t know why this would be on the menu and why it would cost $23. My girlfriend got the crab gnocchi and the portion was small and again over priced. She said it was okay but not very flavorful. They gave me 2 garlic knots when I asked for extra bread. I recommend don’t waste your time and money hear. There’s a better Italian place right down the street.

This was an absolute disappointment , our server was the only good thing about this.Food had no flavor in it but had plenty dirty dishes for you to use . 36 dollars for lamb with nothing on it but parsley , waitress asked me how everything was and I was honest and she took my food after only a couple bites and they still charged us for it. First time in my life I’ve ever sent something back too at a resturaunt! I strongly recommend to avoid this place unless you want overpriced flavorless food.