Review Valentines Licensed Buffet Restaurant - Manukau

was so worth the money compared to Happy days 🥴🙄🤦‍♀️ this is lunch so many choices im so happy i brought my girls here its a big ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me desserts also i will be coming back 💕

I take my 89-year old aunt monthly (out from her care home) to Valentine's Manukau. She love the extra service she receive, the variety of food, and special seating so she can access food with her walker, and don't want to go to any other restaurant...and the cheaper price for gold card holders. Thank you very much.

Went for a family dinner on a Tuesday evening. A couple of my workmates had said it wasn't very good but I found the food very nice and the guy working that evening was very efficient and had excellent customer service skills. To be honest, I didn't have very high expectations for Valentines, based not only on my colleagues review, but also remembering the food from my last Valentines visit a few years ago. I was pleasantly surprised! Also, the toilets were clean so that was a plus. There is also plenty of parking there. So, thanks Valentines in Manukau - I will return!

Had my sister inlaws graduation celebration party tonight we all had a great time duty manager Gurminder was awesome she's so lovely and friendly great service. I'm from Napier and I'm going back with a great news. Thank you Valentines Manukau for having us tonight. We will come back again. Also the staff were amazing too. God bless

Excellent customer service, Good venue and plentiful quality food. Excellent experience. Thanks again

Absolutely grateful to Valentines Manukau and therefore the manager, chef and serving staff! If you are looking for great food, welcoming staff and easy bookings do yourself a favour and give Avi a call & book here. We had a booking for 150 guests & they surpassed our expectations. Thanks Avi & your team, for making our occasion special.

Exceptional service and delicious seafood chowder. Overall experience, highly recommended to dine here. They have chocolate fountain too😍 It is my first time dining here and I'm highly impressed. Thank you to the staff, keep up the good work. Will definitely come back.

Valentines was so amazing, had went there for my birthday. & once I stepped in the doors it was amazing the waitress who was serving me and my family was so lovely and kind, I honestly give her five out five for her customer service🙂. Love the food, nice and fresh. The hot food was so delicious, the salads and the chowder was so yummy. I honestly would recommend going there, ik different people have there own point of views and reviews on the restaurant but there is always room for improvement and honestly they showed it tonite😊. It was good for us to go there tonight because we enjoyed it so much we would come back anytime. So yeeahhhh hope you guys go to Manukau Valentines🤟.

Food was amazing and staff was very friendly. Special thanks to Gurminder kaur! She was very helpful. Now the price per person is $34.

Best buffet for families with a wide selection of fresh seafood, meat, vegetables, hot and cold dishes. Various dessert and ice cream was plentiful The raw fish with coconut cream (oka) was so fresh and the lamb shanks etc fell off the bones. Everything was top notch and great value for money. I was visiting and treated my family to a delicious array of dishes at a very reasonable price.

went with family for lunch,food ok ,just the usual,but love the atmosphere, and service.

We paid $75 for two Adults on Sunday 21 June 2020 so the advertised prices on Zomato are not correct. So $60 for the meals and $15 for a carafe of Diet Coke which was not what we asked for - we wanted two glasses not a whole carafe. Beware of that trick! The protein was warmish chicken, ham, and mussels were everywhere, It’s a good place to go if you’re starving and are not fussy with what you eat. In the salad bar one of the salads was just a Dinner plate of hand ripped iceberg lettuce. They were understaffed with one waitress clearing tables for over 60 people. One table next to us stayed messy for over 45 minutes, so don’t expect cleanliness during feeding time At the trough, it’s smash and run.

Unsure what to say other than meat is dry,food placement was quite confusing (hopefully it's been changed) overall not my cup of tea

This is the WORST place me and my family have EVER eaten at the food was awful!! The ham smelt off, mussels were off, and my kids found a moth in the dessert. I do not recommend this place to anybody we paid to much for crap food😡

I rang to book 16 seats for Friday and had told the person that it was for my grand daughters birthday and he had explained that the birthday girl is for free. The last time my family was at Valentines was 9 years ago and the problem with this place was the food it was burnt and they were too slow to refill like 30-45 mins and myself and the family didn't go back. My son and his family turned up first and was told that there wasn't any bookings under my name or a 20th birthday?? I asked my son to take a seat and I'm not faraway at this stage it was a last minute booking as we had tried everywhere for a big group I should of checked the reviews because honestly everything that the customers had complained about was true there there wasn't enough food at all and they didn't refill fast enough I had to have dessert first and it was very disappointing as well, the ice cream machine my poor niece there was a bug that came out with this and I had to hide it from her and explain to the parents that the machine was broken and no more Ice Cream. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone you will waste paying $38.90 dinner all up my family group there was 24 of us and lucky that there was A LOT of seats empty. there was another group and they said that they booked 23 seats because they are from overseas and its near to their accommodation and they were also  disappointed. the young waitresses they kept our tables clear great service there. The female toilets were stink like there was something stench in there and the toilets looked like they needed a good clean.  Honestly I was very disappointed and I had my family attend my grand child's 20th birthday what a waste of money, salads not much of a variety just like the seafood oysters one serving of 20 oysters to cater for maybe 100 people (no refill) hot food refill 30-45 mins and one time all hot plates had no food I waited with a few people for 10-15 mins only to have 2 hot dishes and all up it was quite tasteless and burnt, cheese and crackers hmmm crackers were soft?? oh and  I heard them say to some other customer that they had run out of ice cream 6:45 pm. Please I've heard it all before if they end up saying this we were short staff....................come on. NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my rating would of been 0

Selection was mediocre, "hot food" was cold by the time we got back to the table, and meat was dry. Not worth the money as only dessert was edible. Given a 2 because staff were nice, that's about the only thing, the place is not welcoming at all could do with a good clean

Took the family out for dinner tonight. Staff was friendly but the food was not worth it. Meat was so dry. The place felt so stuffy. A bit more space would be nice to move around the place. Really wouldn't recommend this place. The restaurant could do with a lot of cleaning especially the tables and chairs that were sticky the set up did not feel welcoming at all. Been to other Valentine's in Auckland. Sorry to say but this had to be the worst.

Had lunch on Saturday, food lacking flavour, not replenished at 1pm, that is when we arrived, service good, plates cleared regularly.<br/>Meatballs, only 6 left ,were off, as were the potatoes, the kumara rock hard, could not eat them.<br/>Only best food was the BBQ pork, mini spring rolls and the desserts.<br/>First and last time to  dine here.<br/>I would give this Valentines a  -2 if there was such a mark.<br/>Would NOT return!! Never been to a restaurant in N.Z. where I had to prepay first for a meal.

Had my 21st at Valentines. Been here a few times & definitely enjoyed it but during my 21st was the worse experience. Food was cold & bland. Valentines need to step up their game. Won't be returning.

Never going back what a waist of money. Not a lot of variety and the food was bland. Couldn’t eat anymore, just got up and left. 👎 wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. Such a shame use to be really good but their standards have just dropped.<br/>

Took family out for dinner and I must say we were Very disappointed, would not recommend this place to anyone else, food is very bland or dry lacking taste, a few variety but was not appealing nor interesting, pre pay as you go which explains half the problem as it was overly priced for what’s on offer, sorry not sorry

Not recommended<br/><br/>"Can Dee" must be a "Ringer", this is not true of our visit.<br/><br/>Definitely not up to the past Valentines. Prepay as you go in and I can see why. Food was rather a bland basic taste, with no hint of you returning. There was a variety of foods, but they did not seem attractive. I would not advise going there for an entertaining meal.<br/><br/>Previous reviews are definitely on the money as far as returning go - don't go, waste of effort. Go for a takeaway elsewhere.

Just a "HUGE" Thank you VM for your staff and the service you provide, friendly and clean. I was not expecting it. Yet you made our Father's Day Occasion very memorable. The food was spot on, the venue clean and surprised to mention, very packed with other diners, laughing, smiling and enjoying themselves as much as we did. Awesome, we will return soon

Staff are friendly and besides the greasy glass all over the entance it was clean, and thats where the positives end . Food was bad, half of the dishes were cold, the soup was a gluggy gelatenous bowl of sugar , the deserts were dry, the custard was curdled, the icecream had freezer burn. We will never ever eat at valentines again.

Don't go there would not recommend to anyone, food is tasteless over cooked not a good a variety of anything. Comment must be longer how can you comment further about food that is not nice at all.

Had dinner here Easter sunday as we've dinned w valentines Pakuranga before. <br/>Wasn't packed and a little dark with the lighting when we walked in. This is our first time experience with this resturant.<br/>Service at front counter was good although we nearly changed our minds when he quoted us for x2.<br/>Honestly the food we had has the worse ever. Not even as close to the food that we have had at Pakuranga resturant. The fries were stale, mash was gluggy and the pork had some sort of sauce that made it taste off. The only thing I enjoyed was the crackers w cheese and salmon. Even the salads and desert didnt look appealing. I seriously wanted my money back because it was not worth 1 cent. The waitress also collected our wasted plates late which pilled up because we were trying to taste something we could swallow. Dont waste your money here, if i could give it no stars I really would!<br/><br/>

Paid $79.00 Omg food was by far the worst i had ever tasted, horrible to be very honest. Not one thing i had to eat even tasted as it should have, and also the guy at the counter needs to wear some spray or something couldn’t smell my food everytime you walked pass our table. Will most definitley not be eating there ever again! This place doesn’t even deserve a 1.0.<br/>

Biggest shit hole iv every taken someone to dinner. Happy I will never come here again <br/>Bugs flying around. Feels like I'm dining at the otata markets<br/>Totally disgusted

Tried everything... It was so dry even the fruit,custard was lumpy with water running through it, meats we're dry, seafood dry, vegetables dry and hard, soup was appalling, salads were stale, mussels were shrivelled and dry with the beards still in, raw fish was disgusting....alllll dry....all food was like it had bn in fridge overnight then reheated and sitting back out on the serving benches, all day...never would I ever go again!!! Service 10/10 the barmaid/receptionist/waitress was lovely.place needs a major revamp chefs needs the sack!!! 0/10 for food

This place has gone to the pits! Food was below average, dry rice clumped together, meat that looked and tasted like it was leftovers mixed into gravy, bits of cones mixed into the ice cream, could go on and on. Service was average however hostess was chatting on mobile phone whilst replacing cutlery which was unprofessional. Won't be returning or recommending to anyone.

an unforgettable experience. after reading the bad reviews, not sure to take the risk to have dinner there. so glad we did give it a go. a family of  7 had dinner there, everyone was happy as. the staff, a maori lady and a chinese guy were very helpful and polite, the meats were yummy, i loved the steamed bread so much and kids loved the desserts. the restaurant is reasonable clean. it would be better if they have a kid area. definitely will be back soon

Please note this review is from a visit just before Christmas.<br/><br/>For $33.90 per person to eat as much as you like isn't bad I guess. <br/><br/>The food is average, well below average actually. <br/><br/>I went a couple of times and only once was there oysters available at dinner time, never any tiger prawns as the "menu" mentions! <br/>The place is in serious need of a makeover! <br/>The toilets were disgusting! <br/>My shoes were sticking to the floor like the floor had never been moped! <br/>Let's just say I threw those shoes in the rubbish! <br/><br/>I can't stand going out to eat and people letting there children run wild and scream! It's unpleasant! While I understand it's a family restaurant and kids do certain things, as a member of the public, I'd appreciate a parent to tend to their child's needs and wants instead of ordering them around like slaves or completely ignoring them, while they stuff their faces! <br/><br/>Every time has been an unpleasant time!<br/><br/>Food 2.1/5 - Service 4.5/5 - Hygiene 1.4:'<br/>

Horrible, I also gave this restaurant the benefit of the doubt - never again!<br/><br/> FOOD QUALITY<br/>Roasted pork, lamb and veges were awesome! Cooked well, great flavour. However, that was it. Mashed potato was a gooey mess, garlic bread hard like rock, pasta overcooked and looked unappetising. The GREEN salad leaves were brown, not just slightly brown but full-on stale brown. Ice-cream trolley was good, good mix of flavours. No whipped cream on, or anywhere near, the Pavlova. Caramel slice and choc brownie had the texture of an old biscuit. Overall, food scores 1/10 - not good enough at all.<br/><br/>PRICE<br/>$21.90 for lunch last Tues 10th Jan. Rip-off - the quality of the food isn't worth it.<br/><br/>CLEANLINESS<br/>1. Still had food remnants on some of the forks. Had to rummage through the container to get a clean fork! 2. Toilet wasn't clean. We were the 2nd couple to arrive for lunch - got there at 11:58am. Went to the bathroom and there was excrement on one seat. <br/>3. Overall, place seemed relatively clean & tidy.<br/><br/>PARKING<br/>Some in front, and other spaces around the restaurant as well. Some off-site parking too. Not too bad.

After reading the poor review and giving this establishment the 'benefit of the doubt', well this establishment lived up to the POOR reviews. Booked in with a group of 10 adults and 11 children for a 5th Birthday celebration. The food was not presented very well and tasted just as bad. Our kids are not fussy but ended up eating just the hot chips and ice cream. It was both shocking and sad to see the selection of seafood being served poorly. We had to wait for trays to be refilled, baring in mind theres a time limited on the dinner sitting. I have a sweet tooth and enjoy a good rich and luxurious dessert - there wasn't one!! VERY DISAPPOINTING! The premise could do with an up-do including the carpark. I have visited Mt Eden, Pakuranga (when it was opened) and Takapuna - Manukau needs improvements compared to these branches. :'-( I definately would not recommend this place for the food, experience or value for money. But then lost 'points' when a kitchen staff member was seen pushing a shopping trolley of produce and meat through the carpark into kitchen via front door. Only thing this place has going for it are friendly and helpful. Valentine Manukau, please make improvements.

Just the worst the food is stale the seafood is most definitely not fresh when things run out they are not re stocked and the service is shit

It has been a while since I have been to any Valentines restaurant, decided to go to the Manukau Valentines. The selection and quality of food were poor! Most of the food was disgusting, pasta that looked like it had been sitting there for hours. Food wasn't being supervised and kids were dipping fingers in and tasting things. From what I could eat, food tasted like it had been sitting there for hours. Very poor.

It has been a while since I have been to any Valentines restaurant, decided to go to the Manukau Valentines for dinner on a tues night. We were greeted by staff had a bit of a mix up on payments but were shown to our table. Was so hungry could not wait to see what they had for buffet. Everything went down hill from there, the selection and quality of food were poor! Most of the food was disgusting, pasta that looked like alfredo was tasteless like you were eating pasta in water, they had fish that looked like it was in a creamy sauce tasted like egg whites nothing like fish, fried fish that was almost burnt (My 12 yr old eats anything and is never fussy but if he says everything was yuck then it was yuck!) and oh let' not forget the dessert bar! It was empty! It took 10mins before 1 platter of disgustingly hard brownies or whatever it was that came out, nothing had signs to let you know what they were and when asked if any desserts would be refilled the lady asks me which one am I after...???? I have no idea what you have as there are no signs!! then a bowl of trifle came out and it was quarter full with no cream on top and then there was a pavlova that had NO CREAM!! who does that to a pavlova?! salads were almost empty and looked very dry.  Until they stop cutting corners on their food and service my family and I will gladly return.

We went for lunch. The service was excellent. The food was delicious. We loved the roast meat and fish and chips. The lemon cheesecake was really nice. We will be back.

Average food. Hate the desserts and salads, they always look and taste old. The carvery station is okay but would be better if there were more choices and better flavored options. Love how they have ice cream now and the soft serve is out, and also love the everlasting hot chocolates! I'd go again but it is quite expensive for what it is! Good staff though :)

Food was average at best lacking flavor, over cooked and dry the meat looked like an old leather boot, long wait to order drinks and so far over prices the money it cost for two people and drinks would be far better spend elsewhere. Only redeeming factor was the staff were polite and friendly...

I would not recommend Manukau Valentines to anyone, it gives the Valentines brand a bad bad name. There is a big big difference between the other Valentines restaurant and l have eaten at a few throughout New Zealand and Manukau branch has to be the worse!! The seafood was not fresh, whilst the meat was dry as if it was reheated and put into gravy. Over priced, over crowded, food grade should E. l wish l had read the reviews for this place before l made a booking would've saved a few upset tummies!!! I'm only giving it 1.0 but that's because I had to rate it close down the place.

27 March 2016 - 12noon to 2pm: What a terrible restaurant. Overpriced, overcrowded, poor quality of food where I had a sore tummy, coffee and tea horrible, sittings not good no air condition, no privacy, car parks limited. The waiter that served us hygiene and presentation very bad. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

decent place. for around 34$ a person, not a bad deal. asked for some items and they topped up when it z almost empty. lot cleaner and maintained much better from years ago from the old place... might visit again soon u guys

In my honest opinion, if i may. The food was not what I was expecting, not at all quality but more like quantity. Less food was showed cased! The seafood was very warm indeed, not my cup of tea. And then to charge us $31.90 for each individual was just a waste of my money because your food deserved a charge of $6.00 at least . We were better of grabbing a meal at KFC!! Never going back to valentines awful experience but great staff. Definitely need to up your game, I'd prefer happy days. <br/>

Omg! It was so lovely at VALENTINES. I went today for brunch, my daughters 20th brunch... the food was so lovely.. the host was AWESOME!!! Best ever... I enjoyed it... my kids loved it.. best upgrade ever.. the old way...I didn't like, upstairs/down stairs... this one wow!!! 10 out of 10... I'm going there again!

Went for birthday celebration tonight.<br/>Place was clean and well set out but the food was the biggest disappointment!<br/>Most dishes lacked flavour -supposed roast pork swimming in gravy, roast beef was dry, only the ham locked appetising but then was fatty.<br/>The so called extensive seafood range was a total farce. No salmon, some prawns and shrimp salad in tiny bowls - lucky if you get one as they were slow to top up. Battered fish looked really oily but if you love raw oysters then this is the place for you. <br/>For $33.90 per head it was a bit expensive for the food available.

The Valentines are a very popular franchise, and they seem to open up everywhere -good for you. The food is quite overpriced, and the customer service was mildly rude. The food was quite bland, and there are much better options else where. My partner and I aren't coming back.

This restaurant gets really busy during the weekends. I find it a bit overpriced for the quality and range of food. There aren't a lot of options compared to other buffets i've been to and the food isn't that great either. I haven't been back ever since my first time sorry.

After trying to find a good place to have dinner and not being able to find a park, we bumped into Valentines, which had parks so we went in for a look.  We were unsure as to whether we'd dine there or not but were greeted with politeness and told to go and check out the food before we decided on dining, which was good. After seeing the selection it was a win as we didn't know what we felt like eating, but after having our fill on butter chicken, roast beef and an assortment of roast veges, oysters, raw fish and desserts galore I would recommend to everyone.  Hoping the bad reviews were just over exaggerated, maybe we just hit a good day. Would love to take the kids next time and see if the standard is still good :) Only bad thing was one of our glasses was a bit dirty...

Food was good but not for the price did however liked that you could dine in for free on your birthday the staff was good but didn't like it when she told me the time limit as i already new and it felt like i had to rush and eat so that is why im giving a 2.5 Also however they have got the best desert area so far venue spacious looks ok.

My niece took me there for dinner as a last minute thing. Honestly, if I had known she was going to take me there, I would've suggested a cheaper option like BK!! But because she looked so happy to be taking me out, I bit my tongue and enjoyed her company. On that note: Warning!!!! Do not ever dine here. Overall experience, pricing, food, service, decor, food stations, cutlery, crockery, the bar, location, entrance, seating, everything; absolutely disgusting. This place needs to be shut down!!!

The first night we went there would be the last time ever. It was an awful experience. The food was yuck, the oysters were off, and the mixed drink was $9.50 for a vodka n sprite, which turned out to be just sprite! We got there and trays of food was empty, and we waited 10 minutes for them to refill but didn't! Never going to Valentines Manukau again, ever!

Disgrace , enough said. Feeling sick from the lunch, should have listened to my gut before I ate thier shit they call food. Agree with all the comments regarding this shotty outfit... Shut the rip off artists down! Never again

Literally the worst restaurant ever, friendly service yes but the quality and cleanliness of the place absolutely disgusting. We were put at a table today that smelt like someone had pissed on the floor. The seafood smelt rancid, the trays of food weren't topped up, the dishes were dirty, I could honestly go on and on. My mother inlaw has food poisoning from today and I feel so terrible that I took them to this place. Valentines manukau seriously needs to be shut down

Sorry to do this valentines BUT you have CHANGED so much since i last remember! This place is sad. It doesnt live up to everybodys expectations anymore! The venue suks, the food is too basic the ice cream even tastes abit off??? Wtf went wrong with you guys? No more oysters is the only reason my partner wont go there but yea totally sadd yous hv downgraded heaps 😞

Great memories of getting treated at Valentines as a kid, however it is now something I wouldn't pay for. Maybe a slow middle-of-the-day results in a few dishes being a bit stale, but when I can't get teeth through garlic bread that's a cause for concern.

I ate here about 3 weeks ago...Despite what many people say, I really enjoyed my lunch here. Friendly customer service and such a reasonable price. I enjoyed the afternoon out, loved the food, especially the Butter chicken, Mashed potato and desert. Its is hygienic and classy.I think people are a bit too fussy, the price is fairly reasonable and affordable for many, customers need to lower their expectations, the quality is what you get because of its affordable price, you aren't walking into a Billion dollar resort. I actually think this a great restaurant and food quality exceeds its pricing by a mile, thats just my opinion. Looking forward to lunch here again whenever I land a day off, going to be great to be back, hopefully soon

Would not recommend this restaurant.  Husband and I thought we would go for a dinner as they used to be nice a few years back.  The food was frozen on the seafood station, shrimp cocktail was more frozen than the ice cream.  Food was bland, and didn't taste fresh at all.  Pork belly was so hard you couldn't chew it.  Only dish enjoyable was the rice pudding with ice cream.  They did not have a variety of food as advertised and thought it was a waste of money.  Ended up with upset stomach from the food available.

The food there tastes like a week old and is not really friendly people there either .Disgusted that they have a B grade and have moved to a lower class (downgrade) although they are pretty reasonable with the prices would not mind going back if things changed for the better! <br/>

Went there at lunch time with my wife. There was barely nothing to eat considering the price, and customer service was poor. Also, the desserts tasted as if they bought frozen ones and just served it... Won't go there again... Now im thinking if other valentines are like this too...<br/>

Not really a fan of valentines at all, food is bland but great service just dislike the food especially dessert

Table of 9 dined at this restaurant on 29th August<br/><br/>For whatever ridiculous price we all paid per person, it WAS NOT worth it. <br/><br/>When I asked the male staff member a question, he lacked the knowledge. Mate you work there, you should be trained in all areas of the restaurant.<br/><br/>If I could give a 1/2 star rating, I would! But 1 is the minimum so here I go<br/>Roast beef was overcooked, the beans tasted rank, the chef does not know how to do ceviche properly and when I walked past the fried rice, the mixed veg in it was wrinkly, no wonder I was put of. Think the only nice thing that I got from the hot buffet was the peas, at least they were cooked just right.<br/>My partner said the butter chicken sauce came out of a tin or jar, it is not hard to make butter chicken from scratch!!!<br/><br/>As for dessert, I could tell everything was delivered in and not made onsite, the only reason I went to the dessert section was to get rid of the yuck after taste dinner left. My niece and nephew said certain items tasted odd.<br/><br/>Fix your soft serve ice cream machine, put a bit more love and care into the food and train your chefs to make quality food for a low cost-it can be done.<br/><br/>I would not recommended this restaurant to anyone!! <br/>PS: even my sister and the other people I dined with said the food was crap and would not come back

The reviews are shocking. I very much enjoyed our last Dinner at Valentine's which was at the new premises. People are so quick to write up bad reviews. And i bet the people with nothing nice to say are the one's that go there ALOT and make Family bookings there for almost every occasion The service we received that evening was AMAZING. The young lady at reception was all Smiles and that Gentleman by the name of Christo (if I remember correctly) was an absolute pleasure. He made sure we were ok the whole evening. The food was Great and well worth the money I say,:) Going back there tonight actually. EXCITED!

I am surprised at the reviews this place has been given.<br/>They have shifted into new premises and I feel many of these reviews were before the move. I would have said the same comments when they were in the old place.<br/>However, since moving I have been twice, and both times had a great time. The food was lovely, clean and warm, would like to see children's prices lowered a bit, as our 7 year old once again dined on ice cream and cake. Most kids under say 10 or 11 eat hardly anything. Am going today either lunch or dinner.<br/>Love the place. Don't let the comments put you off, it's a good place for friends and family to dine.<br/>Anne Freeman Manurewa.

Bad food is all I can say, seafood chowder was very salty and runny, rolls to go with it were hard as rock. Raw fish was salty as and so soft like a slithering eel I didn't eat it. Heaps of foods were not topped up when we arrived at 7pm that was the food we had to eat even if it had been sitting there for hours. I missed out on veges and roast potatoes white rice and sushi was finished by 7.15 I got full on salads and trying to eat the beef and ham that was so chewy. I used to enjoy dining here when the old Valentines was there, now this experience with the food was appalling, it was my son's 21st when we dined there but none of the kids complained and that's all that mattered but us adults did complain about everything to ourselves that is. So the first and the last for the new Valentines I'll be taking my husband to a different restaurant for his fiftieth. We spent $300 on our meals and $100 on drinks, what a waste of money I should have made a family barbie instead it would have been more satisfying and value for money.

I went with my family last night for dinner at the new Manukau Valentines and to my surprise the food was not bad at all, it was great, service wise was great and we all had a great time. <br/>Thanks for the great experience.

I went to dinner with my family, at Valentines Manukau.....I hesitated about going there ; only because of the reviews I read...anyway I am not one for pressure and being lead by others opinions; We went....and I am glad we did....We all found it welcoming, staff were great (head waiter) food wasn't spectacular but range was good and tasty....dessert was nice A grade...loved the bread pud and ice cream was yum....Would dine there again....Overall it was a wonderful night.

Went for dinner with my family, both myself and my daughter have worked in the food industry and this would have to be the worst dining experience ever...will never go back...I haven't been to Valentines for a few years but thought may as well give it a go seen it had moved to the new premises and was advertised as upgraded...Big fail... glasses were old and stained, all the food was cold, pasta looked like glue, the meat had dried up and was stone cold, when I asked if they could heat up the veg the (I take it duty manager) said that if they did that then they would go soggy..wtf. And people say Happy Days is bad....Valentines Manukau was bad years ago and is still bad now...Restaurant should just close down....pre-paid $108 dollars just to have McDonald's on the way home..even the sprite was flat.....bad restaurant, bad food, bad service...

It was so uncomfortable and unorganised. Food was quite good though but as a company it is lacking. We went for lunch and it was so hot!!! There was no window in sight so we asked them to turn the air con and they said they didn't have any. So most of my group didn't eat much as we couldn't Handle the heat!! The waitresses really need to work on their customer service skills as well.

UPDATED REVIEW: August 2018. Unfortunately this place has gone downhill again since my last review, terrible place eek.<br/>November 2013: Thought I'd do an updated review because Valentines Manukau has moved to a new location and the food is great, unlike the Valentines in the old location which I had been to and the food really was as bad as the reviews here say.<br/>Went there for dinner tonight 11/11/2013 and it was great. They run on a prepay basis so you pay upfront before your meal. The seafood was juicy and delicious although there were no oysters they had sliced smoked salmon yummy. The hot food was delicious the pork belly and brisket in particular was the best. I would definitely go back there again.

OMG!!! I've never been so embarrassed to be a Kiwi. I read the reviews before I went to this restaurant tonight and it was the worst experience of my life (as a food critic it is my job to sample all areas of cuisine - both perfection and imperfection alike). <br/><br/>A party of German tourists walked out and there appeared to be an altercation at reception with a Samoan party. This restaurant does not advertise on their website that you need to pay up front and this was part of their qualm. <br/><br/>My party approached the reception desk and we gave our booking credentials. I was advised that there was a "pre pay" policy in place; one important thing to remember here is that you have a right to view the food first before paying and it is a credit to this branch that they honored that, however the layout of the food proved to be a little less appetizing than how it looked.<br/><br/>I chose the seafood as my entree. Mornay, salad, and some fish with olives. Mornay was dry and cracked around the edges which means it was not fresh. Salad, acceptable, sea weed salad was terrible and olives came out of a jar.<br/><br/>My main was awful meat soaked in gravy (all meat bar the carvery).<br/><br/>Desert was palatable but not the best; we were starved for choice. Do not touch the ice cream (from the machine), as in the reviews it is just awful!! it is true, it has NO taste at all.<br/><br/>Two of my party went for a cigarette after our meal, they indicated to the Reception staff that they were going outside for a cigarette. Upon their return to the restaurant, the bar tender who was at reception (the lovey little Chinese lady) barked to them "where is your stamp!!!" no stamp was given to them or the rest of our party!! we were not sure if we should have been stamped by the receptionist upon our arrival.<br/> <br/>Over all I would say this is the worst experience I have had from VALENTINES, I had no problem with the North Shore or the Pakuranga branches. I was one of the first to visit the Manukau Valentines branch when it opened in the late 80's early 90's I grew up in that era and then the Manukau branch opened in the early 90's; you could a liken it to the days of Hollywood glamor of the 50's to the stark rural reality of the 21st century, I leave it up to you to decide:))

Went to lunch at Valentine Manukau, the food was terrible, fish stale, chips cold, potatoes were uncooked and luke-warm, lettuce had brown stains on it should have taken off.<br/>Very poor selection . <br/>Bye Bye will not be back.<br/><br/>Does not deserve to have any stars

I just went for dinner with my husband and 3 year old daughter.<br/>Low class , does not deserve to be called a restaurant! Not much food to choose from, food was terrible, dried out, tasteless!!! Service was disgusting, desert was horrible dirty environment. Reception was not professional!!!<br/>Very expensive for the selection of food. my first and certainly the last time going! Does not deserve to have any stars! Low class dingy unprofessional dirty place!!! Never again!!<br/>Only four people running the place, the reception front desk, waiter all doing one job! Food display was horrible untidy and dirty, a real rip off!!! Food was cooked badly no taste! Desert was tasteless watered down not much selection at all!

Does not deserve to have any stars if you ask me. The food was terrible, it was dry and it didn't even have a lot of variety and presentation was just bad. Dessert taste like disgusting. I waited for the pudding for so long but when it did arrive it tasted like expired Christmas fruit cake, the custard had no taste whatsoever, it made my tongue itchy. To be honest it wasn't even custard, I think they put baby food (custard) and water it down. UGHH Not worth $32.90.

Should have noticed from the entrance it was not going to be decent at all!! The food was very messily displayed. Very expensive for the selection or rather non selection of food there. this is my first time here and certainly the last. People were all over the food and I think it was because they had to reach over for it. It was a busy day but yes the food was not worth what we paid and having to pay upfront? The dessert was very plain with no taste. The ice-cream tasted like old water and only had a bit to taste it and then left it. The interior and the way it was setup inside was very ugly, dirty and dusty! Just made me want to walk out! There was no service! We just had to guess whether we can go up or not. No one came around to ask us whether we wanted any drinks or whether we were ok. We got shown to a table the girl turns around "oh only three of you, you can sit here....... right next to the bar and I mean the table was right up against the bar with the glasses and noise right next to us!! So disgusted and embarrassed for you!

Went to Manukau Valentines for Mothers Day lunch yesterday a party of about 50 of us. A few of us had a few reservations about attending when we got the invite as had a few issues with the Pakuranga branch a few weeks ago and also attending a Graduation at Buffet King Manukau on 10/05/13, I was slowly losing my patience with these Buffet restaurants with the quality of poor service and food. Besides the smell that greeted us when we walked into the side function room, I was quietly surprised. While everyone went to queue for their lunch, I had time to have a look around. Notably missing was the actual seafood in the chowder, and the bread rolls which is one of my favourite but besides that. It didn't look too bad. Plenty of variety and the food looked fresh, and plenty of waiting staff. I wasn't expecting a masterpiece of fine dining with the $33 per head so besides a possible few improvements a lot of our party would have got their moneys worth. The kids especially enjoyed it. Still a lot of room for improvement but a lot better than what I had expected. Maybe its also the fact before my cousin paid our deposit, with a few sceptics in our family, she asked to check the place out and also advised them of the issues we had in the past with other buffets. Keep it up Manukau, if you can improve even further on your menu, service and possibly your decor, you could be raking in the crowds. Still yet to find a good buffet these days at a reasonable price that actually serves decent food!

Took my family to celebrate my girl's birthday and should have become suspicious when we had to pay upfront. If I had checked the selection of food and seen the state of place we would have walked straight out. We arrived 6.30pm yet food was dry, cheap and nasty with minimal selection. Obviously a change in ownership because only 4 people running the whole that has turned a family restaurant into a fast takeaway operation. The only good thing about the food was the chocolate cake that we brought in for the birthday. Disgusted and shocked and $140 wasted.<br/>Will never go back to Valentines again.

Hosted my graduation dinner here last night for a loud and energetic group of family and friends (kids too). Came away with a smile on my face and plenty of compliments on the food and service of staff. Staff were lovely, the food was worth what we paid for it, This is not the orbit in town and so we were not expecting the food to be either........ Great time had by all.. thanks.

Experience at Valentines Manukau was good, no problems, good food, cant complain, went home satisfied with a full belly. Staff were cool, friendly, all good. Hadnt been there for years, and although the standard has lowered abit, it was still all good.

So totally agree with all the previous reviews. Bad place guys.... This place should be closed down already. The food is disgusting, not worth the money you pay. Worst of all the bloody car park, we dined there two weeks ago (May 2012) and four of our family vehicles got broken into, took valuable stuff. Even got our kids car seat and boost seats - bloody lowlife punks!!! And, and the Police didn't want to know about it, cause it's not serious lol that the Police for you... karma will get you.

I agree with most comments on here. For a treat to my 16 yr old daughter , I sent her there for her birthday.<br/>The waitress was rude, the whole time she served us she rolled her eyes. Really where do you get the staff from.<br/>She didn't refill the water jug, she never let us know when we could get up and get the food. We stood up and down, too embarrassed to move. It was then she just walked over and goes 'oh yeah, you can go now'.<br/>I swear if it wasn't for the fact my girl gave me that 'don't !!mum..look' I would have up and slapped the arrogant little wench.<br/>Not only did she treat us like crap, she ruined the whole experience. I will never return or recommend anyone goes to Manukau Valentines again.<br/>I don't even want to give you a start either. You or Happy days must have the same staff.

Awful place, poor service, old decor, dirty and judging by the way food looks, it seems recycled. Service is poor, this chain store is tarnishing the Valentines brand, will not be coming back again, almost felt embarrassed - and we were the guests!

We went here for my husband's grandmother's birthday for dinner last Friday. <br/>The service was amazing, we were served by someone called Ellen, who friendly and polite. <br/>There was also another waiter, but I forgot his name. He was very efficient in clearing our plates and also spoke in a soft tone. <br/><br/>Food was the average buffet food..but its the service I received that made the night. <br/><br/>To be honest, from the reviews I read, I wasn't really looking forward to dining there at all, but I'm glad I went.

First of all i congratulate the chef and his staff for the hard work they put into the restaurant. I will always keep good times i have had there with me. I have worked in some of the grottiest kitchens of some of nz's top restauraunts, and have worked as a Chef De parte at the Hilton. Its not easy running any restaurant these days, and I would imagine more so in a very diversed cultural region like Manukau, you cant please everyone. Where prices for food these days is so expensive please dont take it out on the restaurant, its not their fault. But I say good luck guys and keep up with the hard work, your ok.

HOT FOOD: Most of the hot food are either deep fried, swimming in fat or just look fatty. <br/>COLD FOOD: Very bland, including the pasta &amp; seafood, its as if they just take it from the packet to the buffet. Oysters are bland. The Sushi is disgusting!<br/>Does the Chef purposely not add RICE VINEGAR?!<br/>Or does the Chef not know how to correctly make sushi?!<br/>DESERTS: Good selection - Love the Brandy snaps.<br/>SERVICE: Fast, but not very friendly. My advice stop hiring kids and hire people who actually have experience. <br/>LAYOUT: Disgusting. Tables so close together even with the dividers it doesn't help that you're still close enough to hear every ones conversations. A bit of consideration towards customers privacy would be great.<br/>PRICE: Not worth it !! I would rather stuff my belly with food that tastes good then stuff my belly just to get my moneys worth.<br/>OVERALL: QUALITY IN FOOD, SERVICE &amp; LAYOUT IS MUCH BETTER THAN QUANTITY, DON'T YOU THINK?<br/>Any fast food chain would sum up to this Restaurant.<br/><br/>UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO THE OWNER:<br/>1. In written form it sounds delicious but seeing/eating it is totally different.<br/>2. I came here 4 months ago and THERE WAS DEFINITELY SUSHI ON THE BUFFET just like there HAS been the last 7 years I've been going.I have eaten it myself. I can't see "guests" putting their own sushi on the buffet over a 7 year time frame.<br/>3. You took a few seats away yet it's still squashy...<br/>4. Have ALWAYS gone here for dinner. I pay full adult price. AND YES WE GOT OYSTERS.<br/>Sorry about the price mistake, please update your prices to $17.9/$28.9 !!

Will never ever dine at Valentines again, they have the most rudest staff members. <br/>We dined at the restaurant with my grandfather who is 82 years old, and needs a walking frame to support himself when he walks. Obviously it would make sense for someone else whose more able body to get up and serve his food which my aunty did, this is when the store manager came out, and told her, she wasn’t allowed to do this, and that its company policy everyone serves themselves, and basically that my granddad needs to get up and make his own food... on what planet is this ok? Obviously this idiot they have as a manager doesn’t have eyes, to see that he can’t stand in line to serve himself. (we were there for a wedding reception, so there were alot of people..ie there was a line) Not only that, but the manager also threaten to charge us for any food that we didn’t finish that was left on our plates. They suck! Really charging us for left over’s at a bloody buffet restaurant...CLASSY!! it was unfortunate that the wedding reception was held there as its such a classless restaurant I will be recommending our family members use the Greyhound restaurants for future fuctions. By the way, the food wasnt even worth what we paid! We could have got a better deal from the local takeaway! Never Again! 1 star is being too kind!

Went there for dinner for a friend's birthday on Sat. Felt it was not that bad as comments saying here, actually I think it was the best I have had in Valentines in years. The foods were fresh and yummy, the staff were friendly and polite, even the kitchen staff were very friendly and helpful.<br/><br/>The only thing it's not good was they needed to keep kids away from the desserts.

I totally agree with all the comments above. I went there with my husband for his birthday and it was the most disgusting, smelly, dirty restaurant I have been to in Auckland. The food was really bad, it had no taste and it looks like it has been sitting there for hours. To top it off, I ordered 2 x platters of oysters. When we got it, it had blood on every single one of them. I nearly vomit and ordered the waiter to take it away. She told me that she will be back but she never did. When my daughter went to check why was she taking long to take the oyster away, the waiter ask my daughter to return the oyster to her...wtf!! I will never go back there and I do not recommend this place to anyone. Unless you want to get killed by food poisoning let alone bacteria etc...

Went there lastnight for my nephews 1st birthday, i dont know if its the same chef but the food was quite taste less, buffet setup was weird there was more empty space on the food counter then there was food. And although i ate my moneys worth i have to say my nephews cake from the cheesecake factory was the best..... May have to think hard on the next visit. Oh &amp; lastly the chick at the counter tried to rip my kuzn off . WTF

Dont waste your time visiting this place. i have written to them before and its still the same.<br/><br/>I hope the restaurant gets to see these reviews.Does menumania send these to them? I hope so.<br/><br/>Close the place down.

Stairs going up is very dangerous on a wet day however no mats of any sort were laid down. We were greeted by a very grumpy asian lady who changed her tune once i mentioned a table for 20. Tables and seats are crammed in which shows that they care more about the money than the customers. Food is disgusting. Vegies are all mushed and disguised with cheese sauce. They only serve roast ham no other meat. Dessert has been downgraded with only pavlova as the high light. no cheesecake and no imagination. $10 for a measly carafe of drink!I couldn’t believe we spent so much money there for that quality of food. As the floors were dirty etc was too scared to visit the toliets there. The only upside is the waiter who was very helpful but even this couldn’t change our minds about the place. We ended up grabbing kfc straight after as the family were still hungry! even 1 star is being very generous. we will never go back there. overpriced for poor quality.

Have worked in this place before which was before all these negative yet fair and agreeable reviews an I have to agree with the customers and all the comments about the entrance when walking in - that smell, sticky floors etc, I thought I was the only one. The food can definitely improved but I guess you have to blame the chef, the head chef was on to it but not that "other" one (yea u know who u are). I would also like to add that the waiter/tresses aren't qualified, they are hired straight out of high school just like McDonald's and Wendys so there goes the problem with that. Although there are a lot of downsides to this restaurant there is an upside - one day it will close down - with an exception if it improves (highly doubtful). So I'll give it a big fat 'F'.

I found Valentines in Pakuranga, the atmosphere very friendly, the mains and desserts, were good, the only problem I had was with the seafood, soooooooooooo bland, espeacially the oysters and shrimps, If you could get this right, you guys will be tops, this has not put me off coming there though, because you make up for it in your other food. I just avoid the seafood for now, I hope one day I can sing your praise’s about the seafood lol

Would be my First and Last time at Valentines in Manukau. This place was digusting, as soon as we got into the foyer, you could feel your shoes stick to the floor as if a drink had been spilt and was never mopped. The waiter showed us to our table to find it still had bits of food on the table. You'd expect the fork &amp; Knife to be professionally wrapped in a napkin, but it looked like it was just thrown onto the table. Plates had not been washed and bits of food from the previous person was stuck on it. Would not recommend this Restaurant to my friends and family. Totally not worth our money spent.

I dont think this place even rates for a star let alone half a star! Food was discusting, stale and looked like they just reheated dinner from last night, the salt and pepper shakers that we by chance opened and had stale gross pepper stuck to the sides and inside the cap, looked like it had been accumulating since they were filled. The waitresses had attitude problems when we asked if they could check on our drinks we ordered 30mins before they rolled their eyes and mumbled yeah....waited another 30mins till they actually came with drinks, bloody restaurant wasent even half full and they had the audacity to say it was busy, sent them back with their drinks - didnt want to pay for that rubbish service. WILL NEVER EVER SET FOOT IN THIS RESTAURANT AGAIN!

This restaurant either needs restructuring starting at the top. Bad service and poor moral poor food. Unless things change for the better I and others will give this place a wide birth. If this is not possible then the place should close its doors and stop ripping customers off.

i dined there on a date last month and couldnt believe how poor the whole experience was. we were given a table that was in a very busy area with people walking about on all sides of us, when we asked to move to a quieter area by the window where nobody was sitting the waitress rudly said that we could not moved because those tables were "probably " booked, however the rest of the night nobody sat there.we ordered our drinks, which didnt come after ten minutes, so i had to go and ask at the bar, and saw that our drinks were just sitting there on a tray. while eating 2 waitresses nearby were loading dishes onto a trolley and were talking about sex and laughing loudly, highly un-professional. the food was also a dissapointment, looked very old, and when i asked if more garlic bread would come out the chef said that they wouldnt be putting any out more since it was an hour to closing time! WTF!

My family and I had dined at valentines restaurant for a birthday celebration which we found the experience to be quite unpleasant and the level and lack of customer service from your restaurant staff to be very unsatisfactory and appalling.<br/><br/>We were waiting on dinner plates for 20 minutes; Minimal of plates, dessert bowls and cutlery; Tables were stacked with plates including our table that had not been cleared by staff for the duration of our time there. <br/><br/>The dinner plates were then received still wet, no apology given for having to wait on dinner plates. The attitude of the staff was not conveyed as being friendly, empathetic or helpful towards my family and I.<br/><br/>Towards or closer to the end of our evening, there were three members of staff conversing in social chat in another part of your restaurant, this was in full view of customers, totally unacceptable. <br/><br/>This was the worst experience I have ever had with a well known restaurant and would not recommend this to family, colleagues or friends.

Cost $28.95 per adult + $4.95 + the age of our kids (Fri evening). First thing we noticed on walking into the restaurant was an unpleasant smell. Huge variety of food - qualilty mostly poor. Seafood chowder was gluggy. Mushroom soup tasted of strong stock. Disposed both. Cauli in white sauce was blobby. Garlic bread ran out &amp; wasn't replaced. Seafood mornay in shells was gluggy. The freshly carved meat was good, though someone to slice it fell short. Salads were fair. Seafood was bland and watery. Had to put our used plates on a clean table next to us, as they were not cleared. Waitresses were friendly. 5 years was our last time here, and we revisited, wondering if it had changed. In our opinion its gotten worse. The kids liked the desert, but some of it looked rather old, some of it unlabelled, very boring desert menu actually. Overall it certainly was not worth the dollars spent. You can get a beautifully freshly cooked meal for less than that at Broncos or Genghys down the road. Valentines should either up their quality or reduce their price to reflect it. I would rather pay extra for qualilty food. Hey, will try in another 5 years.

worst buffet I've ever been too, food sucked and also the woman working at the counter was drinking alcohol. I do not recommend anyone to eat here.

Worst restaurant I've ever been to. Looks nice inside, but the food sucked.