Review Valentines Hamilton - Hamilton

I went on friday for my birthday (the 31/8 but went the day after bc i was working the previous day) loved the dishes and esp seafood was my fav :) always friendly staff hope they bring back the lunch time one too mum and i always went to that one often ! love how they have steaks now :) would love to see also maybe some scallops or miss the seafood mornay in shell those wrere amazing !!! def plan another trip there

Was a great family night, food catered for everyone's tastebuds. Great for children with additional needs also. Family Friendly service. We left with full tummies and thankful hearts. Will go again.

While the other reviews are valid, this restaurant is amazing. Of course the food is not Michelin star quality but on they're website they advertise themselves as a family business which they are. The food is of good quality and good taste with enough variety for everyone in the family of all ages. The staff were quick to refill any empty dishes or assist you in finding cutlery. The lady we had was incredibly kind when she greeted us and continuously checked up on us and cleared our table. While I understand the price might not be for everyone the amount of work that the chef has done and the cleanliness of the restaurant far justify the costs. It's a great experience with great staff and great atmosphere. Highly recommend as a place to create or re-experience a nostalgic childhood.

Beautiful atmosphere 👌 and the food was perfect! I loved the endless oysters that kept appearing 🦪😍 The customer service were friendly. I highly recommend this place 🍖🍗🥩🥗🫕🥣🍱🍜🦀🦞🦐🍩🍪🍬🍫🍦☕🥂🍽💖

Dined here a few times. The staff was welcoming. The food was fine from my perspective there were plenty of options. Quality was fine it was fresh and tasty. It is unfortunately to see all the bad reviews here I feel what I had was fine.

It was nice some of the food was dry we did go in l8 about 8pm other than that it has changed alot since it use to be over by the hamilton court house

We had a farewell to attend at the Hamilton Valentines. After reading all the reviews i was worried. We had 2 Adults 4x 13 Year olds and 1x 11 Year old. $298 for us! The food was good, everything there catered to all the kids and adults. The deserts were good.

Excellent place for eating out . A++++highly recommended

Good customer service excellent table service,, plenty fresh food.

Good customer service excellent table service,, plenty fresh food.

Always lovely, the owners are so cool & friendly, the chef is amazing, their food has improved. Love it everytime we go there

If you are thinking of going don't. Maybe it was the seafood im not sure but going home and being violently sick.... vomiting is an indication of the quality. I could say more but enough has been said. Don't do it!

Enjoy coming here as it’s one of the few all you can eat buffets available in Hamilton. Food is quite standard but not bad, all you can eat makes up for it so I’ll definitely be back!

Long way to go guys.... you need to up your game big time. Something as simple as boiled rice and broccoli being sub standard is a serious issue to think about....I can’t mention one single dish that felt like it was freshly cooked. I don’t think I will go back ever again.<br/>Although The staff seemed really good, very accommodative...<br/><br/>

My review is rated one only because of the friendly hostess working. The food was bland at best. Went for dinner. The oysters were tiny and hardly got refilled. The prawns were pretty much what I ate most of. The seafood chowder was lumpy and tasted disgusting. The teriyaki salmon tasted like it was refrigerated and not fresh. The raw fish was ok. The hot food dishes weren't great at all. My mum couldn't eat much as she said all dishes were horrible. The desserts were the only high point. We did not come here for desserts only though. It was definitely NOT VALUE FOR MONEY AT ALL!!!! Please find somewhere else to eat. You don't want to be highly disappointed like we were. Believe me. Take your $34 somewhere else, you'll thank me later!!

Valentines used to be excellent overall when on the corner opposite the court house, but since it has moved and has been under new management many times, food and service have been through more downs then ups. I do like the desserts buffet, and appreciate the ice-cream bar. Great music though!!

Great quality food and very impressed! Staff were very nice and friendly too. Definitely deserves a higher overall rating than what it has. Would recommend to others!

I must say this quite possibly could be the worst restaurant I have ever been too. Most of if not all of the food is tasteless and overcooked, they couldn't even cook something as simple as rice right. If you pay $27.90 for a meal, you expect $27.90 worth of quality food yet I left there more than unsatisfied and hungry. You'd think that a restaurant that uses some store bought things like corn chips and bread rolls would be good? Right? Well not valentines. They managed to leave the corn chips uncovered so they were very stale and covered in flies. The best thing about the restaurant is the coffee machine and that's really saying something. Honestly I'm not going back there again and would not recommend this place at all.

This would have to be the worse restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life, and cannot understand why the decision was ever made to go there; the food standard was appalling; hot dishes were few and far between, and only luke warm (too many Asian dishes) and the cold dishes were warm and not chilled. The staff were super embarrassed because the owners did not know what they were doing. ( like a number of failed eating facilities in this country that have been taken over by immigrants who think they can cut corners and cook western cuisine that will satisfy a New Zealanders' palette    It was dirty the floors were filthy and the so were the toilets.  Very typical to a low grade restaurant in Hong Kong.  Hand written signs on food reminiscent of a Chinese take away with poor English; the photos on this site are NOTHING like what was available; <br/>the whole dinning experience was disgusting  <br/>What has happened to the franchise? are they all like this?????? if they are, stay away.

Ugh. I'll preface this by saying that I'm familiar with the Valentines franchise in general and I was okay with the other branches that I visited. I know they're more about variety and family fun than about quality of food, so I visited this branch with that perspective in mind.<br/><br/>That being said, this place was terrible even by Valentines standards. The price was on par with the North Shore branch but the quality wasn't even in the same ballpark. It was incredibly messy, I'm amazed it passed the hygiene inspections. I don't think the buffet counters were tidied up at all at any point during the entire dinner service. The ice cream counter looked like a whirlwind had gone through it, there was melted ice cream on the floor and the condiment table had more sprinkles outside the bowls than inside them. The other counters were only marginally better. <br/><br/>Signs were either nonexistent, toppled over, or plain wrong, so you had to guess what food was what. There were mussels with bright, almost fluorescent yellow sauce on them. Very little edible variety and many dishes were bland, overdone, or just odd-tasting. Steak and sausages were burnt and the grill was unattended the entire time we were there. <br/><br/>I can think of two good things to say about them - the waitress was reasonably friendly albeit a little absent-minded, and the pavlova and turkey was okay. So we made the most of our evening, but even then I cannot possibly rate them any higher than this in good conscience. This would not even have been worth $15/head, let alone the $35/head price tag.<br/><br/>Valentines, please try and improve this branch. It gives you a bad name.

Well what can I say,my sister has pretty much said everything,we had a great experience for lunch, and the young ladies (staff)was Fantastic,BIG THUMBS UP Ladies👍!! Great food great service with a smil☺ and a shout out📣📣 and thank you too the chefs for delivering a nice variety of scrumptious food. So me and my sisters will be back and other members of the family and friends as well, keep up the great work guys and again Thank yous!!!

My sisters and I recently had lunch here. $22.90 per person on a Saturday and all you can eat. I suggested to my sisters Valentines as My workmates and I were happy with the first dining experience here. So after we searched every other dining options in Hamilton - What we were looking for was a stress free dining experience with no waiting time for a table, a pleasant customer service, convenience of access to food, the range of fresh quality dishes of food, clean tables and a price within our budget. Hamilton Valentines offered everything on our list and more. <br/>On arrival we were taken to our table straight away and close to the food so there was no long walk carrying our plates back to our table. Within a few minutes an nice chilled bottle of water was served to the table.The range of hot food, salads, seafood, dressings,spices and deserts were of quality, freshness and flavour. We had the beautiful girls clearing our table of dirty plates so we could refresh our taste buds with a plate of the gorgeous range of cold salads and seafood dishes then finally the deserts. <br/>When I ordered our drinks @ the bar I was able to go straight back to my table and have our drinks served to us. <br/>We noticed how busy the girls were within the time we were dining and it was quite full on for them that day with children everywhere and a few crowds of families but all the staff were just so pleasant and efficient it was obvious they put there customers first and to me great customer service is a must in dining.<br/>I'd like to acknowledge the Chef and cooks behind the food - Fantastic fresh quality and flavours. Nice one and thank you! To the wonderful young women staff who worked so hard that afternoon continuously - Without you's we wouldn't have had the fantastic dining experience my sisters and I did on Saturday - Superb you all deserve a pay rise and a night out on the boss 👍🏼 On behalf of my sisters and I - Thank You to all the Chef, Cooks, Kitchen Hand and Front Staff young ladies for a Superb Dining experience! We will be back and will definitely recommend Hamilton Valentines to all our friends,families and work colleagues!<br/><br/>Downsides : The wallpaper and design is a cheap look and really does not fit with the name.

Wow! What can I say? I didn't realise this place had moved onto Victoria Street and was under new management! The quality of the food was tenfold better than last time we dined at the old place, a really good selection of both mains and deserts. The staff were super friendly and really attentive. Well done to the new management, they've really turned this place around!

Its a buffet. Eat all you can. But the food is not great at all.. The cost is average but the food just really isnt good.. Its watery and tasteless.. It messy and just not a good time at all..

Worst place to eat 10/10 do not recommend. Didn't have a good selection of food for the amount you pay. At least the staff were nice so that's a bonus I guess. Don't waste your money.

What a joke! I went here one evening with my boyfriend and instantly regretted it. I think $65 is way to steep for this kind of quality. It had a really dirty/filthy vibe to it. The whole time I was hoping I wasn't going to get food poisoning lol.

The worse place in Hamilton to eat. The food was old and very loud music but they did turn it down a little when asked to. I would never go there again or reccommend it to anyone. But had nice staff.

Went here for lunch one saturday,went with no expectations knowing its a smogasboard & the food is pumped outta the kitchen in bulk. Left there feeling satisfied,yes the food isnt 5 star quality but it was still good & of course a huge varity & you get value for money.<br/> Would be happy to eat there again.

Yumm Yumm Yummy

Dined on Monday the 21st, for dinner for my partners birthday. food was good and I noticed the chefs topping up regularly. Good range of food catered for kids and adults. Only problem was a lack of cutlery on a few occasions. Surprised to see only one young waitress having to care for a full restaurant on a busy night like this. she did a great job doing most of the work herself and our table was cleared frequently. <br/><br/>Would dine again only maybe for lunch on a slow day for a slightly more quiet setting.

Went to Valentines for dinner tonight, and was really disappointed with our meal. First of all, our drinks menu was filthy! It had crap all over the back of it. Where do I start with the food? My husband loves mussels, and a few of his were so dried up and small in their shell. The beef meat was dry and not eatable and the spring rolls were soggy. The battered fish was broken up and soggy as anything. In fact most of the food looked like it had been sitting there for hours! We usually go to Valentines when we go out for dinner, and the last time we went a year ago, it was ok, what has happened?! That was the last time we dine at Valentines. Sad....<br/>Trying to find some positives. Nice and friendly staff, and the seafood mousse was pretty good. Dessert was pretty good, and we were glad to see the ice cream machine back.

Visited valentines on 18/02/14 for lunch, was very impressed with the changes made to the selection of food on offer now since visiting mid last year!<br/>The staff were inviting and friendly, the chef was very helpful as my partner has allergies and was well aware of what ingredients were in which foods.<br/>I will just leave a tip for the future and that is that the table/booth where we sat, did not have suitable lighting and the netting on the salads made it hard to full your plate while holding it, but over all best experience so far as we will be back on my birthday.<br/>Awesome improvements have been made!

Very pleasantly surprised at not only the fantastic service we received but also the variety and great taste of all the food. In comparison to our last experience at the old Valentines, our experience this time round was the polar opposite to our bad experience at the old one. Waiters were friendly and fast with their customer service and I thought I would try things I haven't tried before and everything I tried was delicious so I will definitely be recommending Valentines to people I know.

Great Service!!! Friendly Staff who actually listen to our request to be seated near the food and not by the door . Asked if we had been before and what drinks we would like . Prompt service and even exchange our bottomless glasses for clean ones !!! service with a smile . Will definitely be going there again for lunch and dinner again !!!!

Yesterday 14/01/2014, we took a party of 22 adults and 10 children to this restaurant. I am vegetarian, but we were all equally impressed with the high quality and variety of food provided. We are not Valentine's people, as the food had been pretty awful in the past. Under this new management, we were very pleased with everything as it was very fresh and cooked to perfection, absolutely delicious. It was my 60th Birthday, so it was important to me that everyone enjoyed themselves and we did, we had a fantastic time. We will not hesitate to return should the opportunity arise.

My husband and I went on christmas day, as I was working during the day and we both did not want to cook.<br/>The food was average and was a good selection of salads and puddings. The main meal foods were average with some of the meats being dry. There was no roast pumpkin like advertised. The music was a little too loud to have a decent conversation. The waitresses were really friendly and the decor was nice. I am unsure as to if I would go back as there are alot of places to choose from these days.

The food was pretty average. I won't say I can make better at home. I guess I got my moneys worth since it's a buffet and I was very hungry.

My sister visited from Tauranga and I took her and her husband to Valentines last weekend. I was a bit hesitant because I had had a bad experience with the old Valentines restaurant.<br/>I was so pleased to see there is a big change.<br/>The service was excellent, the wine cheap, the food wholesome and plenty of it.<br/>What I was pleased to NOT see was ice cream and whipped cream and other fattening foods out.<br/>I got the impression that the manager is following a health food plan for his customers.<br/>My gold card was accepted and we had a really nice time. I will be going again.

Went for lunch today. The waitresses were most efficient and working hard. The Manager, Quinton, was very friendly and we found the food good with a nice selection. The place was clean and the decor pleasant. Loved the Basil/Tomato soup.

In the 1990s/early 2000s our family had very enjoyable dinners at the old Valentine's restaurant - also at Memory Lane restaurant (where Valentine's have now moved to). <br/><br/>Visited Valentine's for Christmas dinner - the waitresses were friendly and efficient, but the food was very disappointing compared to Valentine's many years ago. We will not be eating there again. Even the music was too loud. For the price of $69.95 for Christmas dinner, it wasn't worth it.

Thank you Valentines for your staffs hospitality they are very nice. I have fond memories of Valentines in the past and but now it has or is losing its momentum, perhaps passion over the years, expecially from Hamilton. You can do well Valentines if you put a bit more effort in your food preparation. You must have lazy food technicians. Do you taste the food before you serve. Saturday 30/11/13 was a prime example. The pumpkin soup was terrible, it tasted like it was made out of a packet. The seafood chowder was made out of the packet and seafood put into the mix. The pasta was dry and hard because it must have been under those lights for more than an hour. None of the food had been turned to stay heated evenly. Have you ever tried your own cooking yourself? Taste and presentation is the most important part to a restaurant along with cleaniliness &amp; hygiene. Sure you had staff working and very friendly. Are they paid the minimum wage so you get minimum service, they should be paid more for customer service. The icecream serve was just ice, my grandchildren love icecream ... they ignored that one .. did you notice that most of the food were wasted..why...because it tasted so bland. The rawfish was frozen. Maybe the restaurant need someone like Peter Gordon to show you. Your Manager needs to to be ship shaped themselves ... <br/>Please Valentines you are a family restaurant, bring the family back again, bring life back into the food, put more passion in your food even though its the same as all Valentines. You only need to put out a fresh tray every hour, not refill the same dish. Your restaurant was fill Saturday, you can double or triple that if you're happy... I recommend you up the food presentation and taste, apart from that I commend you making the move from Clarence street to Victoria. You are in the right place. Happy families, happy returnies ..

There were some positive points about eating here. The salads were fresh, and the seafood chowder was okay. Other than that it is a bit of a worry.<br/>The roast meat looked as if it has been there for days under the heat lamp.<br/>The mussels had their beards in them and to my horror the raw fish salad consisted of a foul tasting cheap fish, that was frozen!<br/>The dessert bar was passable, would appeal to kids but clearly all out o packet mixes <br/>The manager,( I presume), a big chap, would be better suited as a bouncer outside a seedy club, no people skills whatsoever. He just sort of lurked behind the bar. The waitress was quite efficient.<br/>I don't know who is out the back cooking food, but cannot believe they are trained chefs. Be warned.

My family of 7 visited this restaurant tonight 8 November as it was my husband and son-in-law's birthdays today. On entering was told only one birthday person can have free meal, decided to stay anyway. On web page it states pricing $15-$25. On board states $31.90 adults and children different prices. Sat down ordered drinks, once they came passed drink down table not realizing tables were not level so glass tipped over, one was high than the other, looked around and another 4 areas were the same with 2 different tables. Went up to get food - soup was water with mashed carrot? cold, supposedly veggie soup; mushroom carbonara was cream with thin sliced mushroom no pasta? So this is not carbonara; seafood chowder smelled off so bypassed that one. Went to hot?? meals - food on sides of dishes was hard and stuck to dishes, not hot, rice was brown (no not brown rice) brown from been sitting too long, fish was disgusting tasted like mash potato with no salt, chow mein was reheat (if that's what it was); decided maybe cold salad was ok, but no! Prawns were off (thank god I stopped my 7yr old grandson from eating his), seafood salad was off - none of this was sitting on ice, restaurant was warm so of course seafood was off from the heat. Ham and beef slices was watery possibly from been cut beforehand and sitting in fridge for while; lettuce salad was wilted from been sitting in warm room, everything we tried was bland, tasted off so decided to try desserts - kids liked ice cream and sprinkles; I actually could handle the apple crumble with ice cream even though the custard had started turning; Mousse was hard on top, pavlova was off from the cream gone sour, NOTHING was on ice? Choc log was dry.. When we asked the waiter if they liked the food here they said it was better than the last place, I tend to disagree at least they had REAL mushroom soup, cold food was on ice, I liked the old valentines. I could carry on but getting tired from typing... Husband was given voucher to go back BUT NO WAY will he get me back there as decided to use restroom and just as was coming out had to rush back in to throw up my dinner that I tried to eat (think it mite have started from mushroom carbonara that I tried) but everything else followed as well that I had tried, NOT NICE. It was not late, 7pm on Friday, 2 other families in restaurant, wonder why so empty on Friday???? Lucky I was not a food critic as would certainly not have passed at all. Must say the 2 girls on bar and counter were helpful when drink oh sorry 2 drinks were spilled due to wrong tables together. Have nothing else positive to say about the place ...<br/><br/>UPDATE (29/11/2013):<br/>How strange after my comment about this awful restaurant, they have cunningly changed their prices hahaha. My family and I will never go anywhere near this restaurant again after our disgusting experience with the food .. no wonder there was no one else in there apart from two other families and they too left their food on their tables hardly touched …….

We visited the new look Valentines in Hamilton and were impressed. Where else can you get so many courses for the price.<br/>The food was delicious and if I was able to I would always buy my fish and chips there. Best I have ever tasted.<br/>Liked the touch of Italy as well.<br/>Overall my husband and I thought the quality and price of the food excellent.<br/>We will definitely be back.<br/>Patsy M

Recently visited for a birthday as a party of 12. On arrival we were greeted by cheerful staff who seated us at our table. We made our way to the buffet area and were very pleased with the menu selection. Everything was well presented which made the food very appetising and as expected well enjoyed by all. We bought glasses of soft drinks for $8 with UNLIMITED REFILLS and we got to keep the glass to take home <br/>Well done Valentines! Thank you for a lovely and memorable evening and will visit again in the near future

I was put off Valentines about 2 years ago when I went to the old place. Had told myself never EVER to go back again, but after learning about the changes and under new management, I thought we could try it again. Booked over the phone the day before we went for lunch. <br/>Was there about 11.45, the lady that serviced us was welcoming and friendly and everybody was smiling even though it got busy towards the end of my lunch. <br/>The food was hot and looked amazing and fresh. The butter chicken, sushi, pav and caramel slice were to die for and I couldn't help but have seconds, (some of the salads could have been refreshed but still made my own yummy salad). Huge selection!<br/>We will be returning for my birthday.. <br/>Major difference from the last place and will recommend to others...

Recently attended as part of a group of 12. We had been looking forward to visiting for a special event. The décor was pleasant and newly decorated. The table we had, had no lighting at all as the bulb had blown, so we had to have candles along the table to see. The whole place is very dark in colour and lighting. The food was mostly satisfying, however some foods were raw - like the pork ribs - still pink at the bone. The service staff were great and very quick to take away our plates etc. However Customer service and bar staff were rude and uninterested in our custom. The waitress's when cleaning off tables just wiped all the food crumbs onto the carpet and reset the tables, then walked through all the food they just put on the floor. That was disappointing to see as it would have been so easy to scoop up the crumbs and take them away. The carpet wont last long with rubbed in food all over it. Overall - completely disappointed. Overcharged at the end of the visit and no thanks from any staff for coming in. Wont be back at all.

Family of 5 called in on the way back from Rotorua last night and the first thing that hit me was the new look which is awesome. The range of food was extensive and good quality (especially the fresh steaks done to our liking as the highlight) and the service was outstanding. Great value for kids and the whole family, so will be going back for sure!

Went to Valentines , 19.06.13 with my partner and son, expecting a really nice dinner....BUT the meatballs ...some were cooked ..some raw in the centre... surimi was hard, not soft.. baby flys around in the air,while eating.Desserts were very nice my son enjoyed his night out.....and the drumsticks were amazing ...but my partner and I didn`t enjoy it as much...but we will come back again to give them a second chance.

After the last time I ate at Valentines in the old venue I swore I would never go back. I was told that not only had Valentines moved but was under new management, so decided to book for my birthday. Sooo glad I did and will defiantly be returning. The food is amazing. Highly recommend Valentines to everybody now Thank-you for an amazing evening meal. The service is wonderful to!!

Having been to the Valentines of old, I can honestly say I was not that keen to give it another go, but we were in Hamilton with the kids and so it seemed like a good option. The lights out the front were warm and inviting, as was the decor and lighting within. To say the Valentines brand of old has had an upgrade from it's previous incarnation is an understatement, it's much nicer and the range of food is wider.<br/>We enjoyed it there and it was nice to let the kids (10 &amp;11 years ) go and get their own food and make some health food choices, as well as the old favourites. The staff were friendly and clearly very busy (Thursday night) but that didn't stop them taking the time to make sure we were looked after. There was even a Magician going around table to table doing tricks etc. This is a family restaurant, with the emphasis on the family.

My family and I went there for lunch a couple of Thursdays ago thinking to treat our kids out so we could have a family day together. The food was frankly disgusting. I didn't expect the food to be that fantastic at the price but I expected food to at least look appetizing, have some healthy options, and all of it to be fresh. Cheeses on cheeseboard were brown and smelt off, our dried figs had mould and spider webs on it, every hot meal was swimming in grease and was all mush. I can see why they pushed the drink menus as there was only water to drink if you didn't buy a drink or alcohol, no juice, milk, nothing. Thank god there was a machine that had coffee. I think the first persons feed back either was a mate of the owner trying to hide the appalling, food and hygiene or he must be the owner trying to hype it up. Never will we go there again let alone any other so called family restaurant in Hamilton ever again. Being a head chef of 25 years I enjoy quality for money and usually I just don't go back to somewhere and tell others but because it was that bad and I felt that we had been ripped off for a dollar I have decided to speak out. Eating food bought from a supermarket deli in the park is better even if it is raining.

My friend Thomas and myself decided to go to valentines for lunch on Friday 3/05/2013.We were there about 11-45 and dinner had just been served up in the dishes. It was excellent. Nice and hot everything was fresh and the food was delicious. All the presentation of food ,plates and cutlery was presented nice and clean. The girls who were waiting on the tables were friendly and our dishes were cleared promptly, they did a great job...if you want to sit in a private place there are lots of little spaces in the restaurant that you can sit. It is spacious and clean the price is fine when compared to many of the other places in Hamilton. And some of them are pretty substandard. Great job chefs and staff and also management keep up the standard. Me and Thomas will be back and we have already told our mates as well.

My husband and I decided to try out the new Valentines in Hamilton, and will now never go back. For the price per person we left feeling ripped off. The food was either tasteless and fake or over cooked and tasted off. The only good comment I can make regarding the food is that it was hot. When we went up to serve ourselves dessert we were horrified to see the half melted ice cream presented in a bowl, plonked in a bile of ice with the handle of the serving spoon swimming in the half melted ice-cream. To top it off the drinks were expensive and the whole feel of the restaurant was more like a cafeteria, there was no feeling of privacy at your table as the next lot of diners were less than a half a metre away.