I have frequented this establishment off and on since it opened decades ago. Although quality has slightly diminished and prices have definitely risen over time, the food remains significantly above average overall. The Valentino salad is a meal in itself and there is a wide variety of very good desserts. The lasagna I had on this particular visit was a flavorful, decent sized portion. Service is generally fine, although there are two specific servers I always hope for because they are exceptional. I don't go out of my way to come here, but if I'm in the area, it's a regular stop.
I heard this place from a friend. They went there once but theynever went back and never will. I want to try anyway, so I went with a friend. We ordered Carbonara and it was too salty. They suggested we change it with another kind so we had lasagna. Aside from it's not tasty, the sauce they used is from the bottle. They should start making homemade sauces instead of using commercial ones. And they should lessen salt in their menu. No wonder it's an empty place.
I'm surprised by the bad reviews. Valentino's (in Westdale) has been our 'go-to' restaurant for a long time. The food here is fresh, and always tasty. The wait staff are always pleasant.
What I truly like about Valentino's is that they have multiple gluten-free options. The gluten-free pizza with the white & light toppings is delicious. If you're a vegetarian, they have lots of options too.
Their in-house vinaigrette is simple, but tasty.
I have been to Valentino's many times, and everytime I go, I usually enjoy it. I have noticed though that the service isn't as good as it used to be. This location has been in its present place for many years therefore, I assume they are doing well. Tonight was a birthday celebration and when we walked in, we were given a table right away, one that was wobbly and near the door. We then asked to be seated in a booth and were told we were able to. We ordered our appetizers and they took about 10 minutes, pretty long for a salad and calamari. The complimentary bread also took long, which came with our appetizers. I always thought the complementary items should come before the appetizers. Nevertheless, the calamari and salad were good. The server wasn't very friendly, she didn't introduce herself and seemed monotone. The pizza and panzerotti then came. The panzerotti was good, however, the pepperoni was somewhat salty. The pizza was good, but they didn't ask if we wanted ground bacon or sliced bacon, they automatically but on the ground bacon. Most pizza places I go to ask what type of bacon you want on your pizza. It was good meal, but the service does need work. The servers all look as though they don't want to be there, they are very monotone and don't bother to make small talk with the customers. I would be back for the food, but not for the service.
as usual when i get into hamilton or am craving a canneloni and brio lunch , i come here. today was a pleasant surprise , i had a very polite and enthusiastic waitress serve me. she was very delightful,as was my pasta, i still say the best sauce anywhere is to be found here! keep up the good work ,will be back again soon,also the patio is nice and quiet.
Overall bad experience. The service was poor, as well as the food. The antipasto was good, but I wish they gave you crusty Italian bread instead of their boring focaccia. The linguine carbonara I ordered as my main was overcooked and disgusting. A clumpy mess with no taste. They scrambled the egg which is meant to be barely cooked to make the sauce silky. Instead it was a chunky, gritty pile. My girlfriend had the gnocchi, which was very plain and tasteless. Dessert was decent.
Overcooked, dark and dense meatballs, over-fried, and cold calamari, luke-warm sauce, stale rice, sour, barely warm marinara mussels. Everything was wrong. I have eaten here dozens times before, and it's been slowly getting worse. So, that was my last time coming. There were 6 of us, and only one dish was well prepared -- panzarotti, everything else was completely ridiculous. And guess what, as a "gesture" they didn't charge us for the meatballs. Most of the food was left uneaten. The deserts were fine though.
I had a wonderful experience at Valentino’s located in Westdale earlier today. The service was phenomenal beginning with our server who was very prompt and enthusiastic.
I ordered a greek salad and a brio to drink. The salad was served with a side of warm breadsticks and just the right amount of crisp lettuce as well as my all time favourite feta cheese. It was fresh and delightful with an exquisite Italian style dressing. For our entrée we ordered the chicken parmesan dish, served with hot potatoes, peas, carrots and a small portion of penne, all which was extremely enjoyable. To finish off an already perfect meal, I ordered the Valentino’s Sicilian cannoli and a cappuccino which was definitely the icing on the cake.
All in all I had a terrific experience and recommend anyone who enjoys fine Italian cuisine to dine here. The service is awesome and the food is even better!
Julie
went for luch again yesterday and ordered the same thing i always have. brio and a order of cannelloni.i love this place it is the best gravy in the city! along with the fresh bread i leave satisfied and full ,what a great pasia lunch!
the food tasted unprofessional like cheap frozen dinners, i had a pasta dish that had sausage that tasted like it was expired, after finishing our 2 small glasses of coke we were brought a pitcher of coke without being asked, the lady just said that it was better then her doing refills all night, i thought this was ok untill i got the bill and saw we were charged for the pitcher and 2 glasses. very poor quality italian food
My family went to Valentino's for Mother's Day. We ordered a pizza, but when it came it was totally cold and dry. Later, when we said that we would pack it up we never got it. Another problem is that we were supposed to get garlic sticks with our pastas, but we never got them. Our waiter told us that they had no garlic sticks left, but we could plainly see other people getting them. In the end, they didn't even bring us the garlic sticks. My family will NEVER go there again.
