Clemente’s At Val’s

Great food, great service. $ 40 for the family meal can’t be beat. Had leftovers for another meal

Malfetti, ravioli, gnocchi all in one container. GENIUS! I love the taste and the lady put so much shredded parmesean cheese in it. It also comes with a side of bread, which was a lot of pieces too. Dip the bread in the sauce and it feels like I’m in an Italian pasta commercial floating on clouds. I’m speechless so ⁵⁄₅ forsure. Whenever I’m in Napa, I’ll definitely go here.

In the short period of time we were in Napa for my work conference, my husband and I bookmarked one too many places to eat. Thus, in order to make an attempt to eat at multiple places, we created this intricate plan where we were going to stop at a couple of restaurants ordering what we believe to be the most appetizing item they have. So here we are at Clemente’s At Vals for their Milfata (sp?)
First off, this place is located in a liquor store! Yes, you heard me right. The best hole in the wall place you can find in Napa. My husband and I shared the large Milfata and it did not disappoint. The BEST meal we had in Napa at the cheapest price ($ 10!). Seriously, forgo the fancy dining and the 4 dollar sign restaurants and just head over here to buy your food. The only downside of this joint is that there was no where to sit and eat your food (liquor store remember) so we ended up eating in the car and on a hot day in Napa, this is not ideal lol. Either way, we will be back next time we are in town!

It was like 3.5 stars.
The service was excellent.
We had ravioli w marinara sauce, malatya e meat sauce and risotto we mushroom.
Everything was good but nothing special. It was a tad too salty for me.

I stumbled by Clemente’s last weekend when I was waiting for a table at the place next door. My friend wanted to buy some wine so we went into the store on the corner. It’s literally a small counter when you walk in the door. No tables, takeout only. I was greeted by an amazing smell that reminded me of my little Italian grandmother’s kitchen, but even better! I made a quick decision to stop in and get takeout after brunch. I ordered the malfatti and the meatballs. I smashed up the meatballs and served them over spaghetti squash and fresh mozzarella, all brown and bubbly with the malfatti on the side. It was so delicious!
Plus the family that owns the place is just lovely. You can tell they really take pride in their food. I will definitely be back next time I’m in Napa!

So if you haven’t tried the ravioli and malfati here… You are missing out!!! Best in town.
Probably best in state.

Great little family owned restaurant. Friendliest owners and family. Delicious we ordered 3 dozens of each pasta. Ravioli malfatti and gnocchi. Glad we found this inexpensive delicious little gem of a spot.

What a find! Thank you Unilocal It was our last dinner in Napa after a week long stay. Needless to say we really needed a place that was budget friendly but we wanted a good meal too and not fast food.
First off, Clemente’s is in Val’s liquor store so when searching for it we passed it by bc we were looking for a restaurant. Inside is the counter to order food for takeout only. We hadnt realized this either but they took care of us with containers and utensils to go — most people bring in their own servingware or cooking pots! We met what seemed like 3 generations of the family — all kind and friendly.
We ordered a salad, ravioli and malfatti. Malfatti was new to us and really good — their sauce is awesome! It was plenty for the 2 of us — oh, since Napa has parks everywhere we found one a couple of blocks away and ate there. Great meal and a fun story to share — priceless!

This was the best experience we’ve had so far in Napa Valley. I got to meet father and daughter, the friendliest people! They even let us come in the kitchen and snap a pic!
We had the gnocchi, malfatti, ravioli, and meatballs. The gnocchi was my favorite, so super creamy and delicious! I have nothing bad to say about the food or the family running the joint.

This was our favorite place in Napa for homemade Italian food. Take out only. Try some of the unusual dishes on the menu. You won’t be let down, I promise.

Just tried this place today with my mom and sister and we will definitely be back! We got the risotto, malfatti and the nonnos chicken sandwich. Everything was SO good, we all had some of each.
The sandwich was my favorite with mushroom sauce and chicken. The place is inside a liquor store but well worth the stop. It’s so nice to have great Italian take out. We found our new go to stop in Napa!

Great little Italian spot… being of Italian descent I am ashamed to say that I had never had Malfatti but was delicious… this place is a gem… definitely a must if you’re in the area… the people are exceptionally nice and the food is fantastic… I will be back…

Veal scallopini on bread… Delicious
Malfatti and ravioli served in a legendary meat sauce.
Used to eat here as a kid some thirty years ago. It was a family favorite then and it is now going to be a regular visit to me as an adult.
I don’t get to napa enough but this will be another big reason to travel out here.

The home of Malfatti, in Napa Valley.
Amazing people, met the whole family! Equally amazing food.
I could probably live on bread and their sauce alone, even if I didn’t have to.
Stop by for lunch, take out for dinner.
Stashed away in Val’s Liquor store, Clemente’s is one of those hidden gems you have to know to find (you can also google it).
Family owned and operated.
With friendly greetings and farewells.
I will be stopping by again to try more of their amazing Italian food!

Clemente’s is about as mom-​and-​pop hole in the wall as you can get. Don’t go expecting highly refined, nouveau cuisine here; instead, expect hearty, stick-​to-​your-​ribs, tasty Italian food prepared by a sweet, friendly family and one of the best meal values in the Napa valley — or anywhere for that matter!
While I agree with other reviewers wishing that the ravioli/​malfatti had an al dente texture to break up the overall mushiness, it’s still a tasty dish, especially with that great, hearty meat sauce! All that for $ 4.50 per dozen? Shut up and take my money!
I’ve also tried the veal scallopini which was super tender, tasty (if a tad salty), and full of mushroom goodness. Hopefully next time I go back, they’ll still have their risotto and sweet breads available!
As an added bonus, it’s always heartwarming to watch grandpa Clemente hustling in the kitchen and how the entire family comes over to greet and/​or hug some regular customers… that’s amore!

Clemente is the sweetest old man I’ve met so far. Not to mention that his cooking speaks for itself! I would describe Clemente’s At Val’s as the definition of a «diamond in the rough.» It’s difficult to find, but once it’s found, it shall be cherished for forever.
CAV is a small little hole in a liquor store called Val’s. All you have to do is order what you want to go and pay it up front at the cash register. Since there’s no dine-​in seating provided, I recommend using their food as an opportunity to soak up the beautiful California sun for a picnic date with some wine. Maybe even eat that delicious food inside your car if you feel like you’re on the go!
After my boyfriend Brian raved how awesome this hidden gem Italian restaurant was, I became more excited to experience the infamous malfatti and ravioli! First things first, do BRING YOUR OWN CONTAINER. If you bring it, the food itself is legit cheap and you don’t have to pay the extra fee to grab one of their paper containers which runs about $ 0.45 to maybe $ 2. Save your money and bring your own container! Not only are you keeping your wallet full and happy, you’re also doing yourself a favor by protecting Mother Nature’s tree babies.
As for the food, O.M.G. The meat sauce Clemente made is rich and savory with all the spices and tomatoes mixed together. Did I mention that the ravioli he makes is done by hand at his family ran kitchen? Pretty awesome right? The aroma of the pasta and watching the family cook their specialty dishes entices me. Not to mention their ravioli and malfatti altogether is hearty and great for a broke college student like myself.
On a short note, do check this place out! It’s definitely worth giving a try! Just remember that there’s a two hour limit on the street parking, and if you’re lucky, you might even find a private lot to park your car in!

Talk about a hidden gem!
This place is quite literally hidden inside of a liquor store and if you didn’t know what you were looking for you would easily miss it.
To start off you order from the take-​out window then go to the liquor store’s cash register to pay for your meal, then take your receipt back to the take-​out window to pick up your order.
FYI, pay with cash if you can, as you will get charged a fee by the liquor store to pay with card, and if you would like to save a few more cents you can bring your own container for the food as they will charge you an additional fee to use their disposable containers.
Personally I love that you have to pay at the register of the liquor store instead of the take-​out window, being that the people who handle the food do not have to handle the cash, nice touch!
Clemente’s is a no-​frills place offering amazing Italian food at a more than reasonable price, I ordered a dozen pieces of ravioli for a dirt cheap price of $ 4.50, it came piping hot and fresh, drowning in a rich and flavorful homemade meat sauce, and was topped with a thick layer of Parmesan cheese. Although I still had 11 pieces of ravioli left, after my first bite of the ravioli I immediately regretted that I only ordered one dozen and should have opted for the two dozen piece order… Even though I only tried one item on their menu, with one bite I could tell how much they cared about the food that they stand behind and how the pasta and its filling and the meat sauce that it came with was laboriously and thoughtfully made from scratch.
Now when I say «no-​frills» I mean it, there is no dine-​in seating and not even a table to sit on outside, so you would pretty much have to go home to enjoy your meal unless you’re like my friend and I who couldn’t wait so we feasted like animals the second we got into my car. But don’t let the no-​frills scare you, the family behind the counter are more than extremely helpful and seem to care a whole lot about their customers. I would definitely recommend this to all family and friends visiting Napa and who don’t want to pay Napa prices for incredible Italian food and service.

What you read is true. I was almost shocked at how close the reviews were to the real experience here.
Only stopped in to get the malfatti to go on the way out of Napa so I can’t go the full five stars yet but the food is definitely what I would consider better then its peers in this genre.
The malfatti is delicious. Stick to your ribs gnocchi type dish but with mouth watering red sauce that is better then most I’ve ever had.
What really propels their reputation however is the service. You can sense that every bite of their offerings intertwine with their very soul and its this level of pride and love that is exactly what sets them apart.

The moment I stepped into the liquor store, I saw the opening to the kitchen. Weird location. The very personable owner greeted us. I asked if there were any seats or tables, he apologized and said no. It’s okay, we still ordered since they seemed quite authentic. I got the veal sandwich and my Bf got the meatball sandwich. For sides, a dozen ravioli and a Greek salad for one.
We bought drinks in the liquor store since we had to pay at that register and then turn the itemized receipt back to the kitchen when we picked up our food (lol, it’s a process). Got the food in a box tray and set out driving to a park but instead stopped in downtown since there were some nice outdoor tables.
Was a lovely lunch. The veal sandwich was really good, veal in mushroom sauce, a bit saucy so I recommend asking them to cut it in half for you. And request extra napkins. The meatball sandwich was good but nothing extraordinary. The small bites of raviolis were just okay, a bit too soft n mushy, though the sauce was yummy. Greek salad was excellent.
The little fried twists they comped us were ridiculously good. Reminds me of a Viet treat.
I like how they made our food. I watched them, they did everything with such care. I love that.

How do you know a new customer at this Italian hole in the wall? They walk by the front door, look in, walk around the outside of the building to the sign in the back, scratch their heads, walk back into the liquor store feeling stupid.
That’s exactly what I did one cool November afternoon, but Boy was I glad to find the place. This isn’t a «Hole In The Wall», but rather a «Hole in the Wall of a Liquor Store»! Literally!
Yes it’s «IN» a liquor store, just past the wine racks and across from the scotch. If you peek inside the service window you’ll see the whole family working diligently to whip up Italian dishes.
Tip — Note that everything is served in «to go» containers, but you can save money by bringing your aluminum trays back or just bringing in your own containers.
Tip2 — Ask any of the family members about the story behind the restaurant and be prepared to be entertained.
The food is fresh made pastas and sauces and comes out piping hot. Our order of Malfatti was super rich and covered with a snow cap of Parmesan cheese. It is Italian comfort food which is why I enjoyed it on this cool day, but my dining companion considered it to be a bit too rich.
What I like best about this place is how affordable it is! The value is tough to beat.
Pro Tip — If you’re heading to Napa Film Festival, and are going to a theater that allows food, grab a couple of containers of Italian food from Clement’s and chow down as you watch a film. So much better than popcorn.