Valens Restaurant

Came here for Winterlicious for it’s appealing and cheap dinner menu — although you get a lot in terms of portion sizing, the quality isn’t the best.
They started with giving us some bread with oil and balsamic vinegar, but the bread was quite heavy and would have been better warm.
I chose the mussels, steak and crème brûlée for my dinner.
The mussels could have been cooked a bit longer, but the sauce was good and had hints of Asian spices.
The steak was good too — my only problem was the lack of consistency. Three of us asked for medium steaks and only one was a true medium, the others were well done and medium rare.
The biggest issue was the crème brûlée. Although it’s an extremely generous portion, it tasted more like curdled eggs while the barely carmelized top didn’t pass the crack test.
I really want to like Valens; the menu was promising but the delivery was lack luster.

Came here for Winterlicious with 9 other friends and everyone enjoyed it. Food portions are bigger than most places and tasted good as well. Staff was nice and food came out at reasonable times. Favorite dish I tried were the mussels and the steak. Least favorite was the veal which was too sour and dry. I got the Chocolate banana cake with vanilla ice cream which tasted good but was a bite too sweet. Would like to come back again for more steak and mussels :)

We went to Valens for Winterlicious. Although we made our reservations a month in advance they made us wait at the door (where it was absolutely freezing) for quite sometime till they figured out the seating arrangement. Once seated, we couldn’t even take our coats off. Felt like we were seated in a refrigerator, the heating was on low. I looked around the restaurant and everyone was bundled up and shivering. Finally someone complained I think, so they turned the heat up.
For starters we ordered mussels and carpaccio. Mussels were good, but the bread they gave us to soak up the broth was stale and cold. The carpaccio was a little chewy, very average. For the main course we wanted to order the lamb shank but they only had one left. So I ordered the veal, my cousins ordered the steak, seafood fettuccini and one lamb shank. Thank the lord for that because the lamb shank turned out to be the worst of the lot. It had a strong smell and wasn’t close to melting off the bones. My veal was ok but the mashed potatoes were heavy and clumped up like glue.
Turned off by the main course, we were quite skeptical about the dessert. However that turned out to be the best part of the meal. We ordered the crème brûlée and the banana cake. The crème brûlée was delicious and the portion was large (not in the usual sized ramekin). The banana cake was moist and flavourful. I could actually taste the real banana pieces.
Overall I’d say if the dessert wasn’t good I think I’d give this place a rating of 1 star. But the dessert made an impact on me so based on that I’m giving it a two.

A Winterlicious choice made by a friend and I unwittingly went along with it.
We arrived around 7pm to a very quiet dining room and after receiving menus, it still took about 10 – 15 min. before the one server came for our food order
We ordered the mussels appetizer, strip loin and seafood pasta mains and crème brûlée desserts.
The mussels arrived first and were a very hearty size. The sauce was delish, off to a decent start despite the slower service.
Mains were also a generous size. I had ordered my strip loin as medium rare but it definitely came well done. For such a thin piece of meat, medium rare would have been difficult. I found my main to be quite heavy on the salt content on the meat and mashed potatoes/​veggie accompaniment.
Dessert was most impressive… crème brûlée served in a soup bowl, not in its standard ramekin size. Nice way to finish off the meal.
Service throughout was an issue here… there was only one server for 6 – 7 tables. She spent a lot of time fixing menus in the back, rather than helping customers. We arrived at 7pm and didn’t leave until 9pm! I don’t think it was a meal that needed TWO hours!
I’m not a big ‘Licious fan to begin with and I always have lowered expectations. I was hoping to be wrong about Valens and disappointed that it wasn’t better. Also note that they have a reg. prix fixe menu outside of ‘Licious events.

4.5÷5 but this place deserves better reviews so I have rounded up to ⁵⁄₅.
I had the $ 25 prix fixe menu. The curry mussels starter taste wise was about a ⁷⁄₁₀ however the portion was huge; I received about 30 mussels. My friend said his ceasar salad was great.
The lamb shank was a massive portion and it came out piping hot. The sauce was great, the side veggies and potatoes were standard fare. 8.5÷10.
The banana chocolate cake was great and the portion was about what I would expect for a $ 25 prix fixe menu. 8.5÷10
Overall the food was a solid four stars however the value for money and portion sizes are excellent. The server was friendly although she appeared a bit absent minded.
I would definitely recommend.

Great food for vegetarians ans meat eaters. Could be a little pricey for students but the prix fixe menu is a great option. Wait staff are very professional and good humored.

Had the prix fixe dinner with a friend. We got the mussels, steak, butter chicken, crème brûlée, and some macha ice cream. We found the broth for the mussels was too salty but other than that, the food was delicious and portion sizes were on point. Great service as well.

Great service! I loved the marinara muscles, my husband preferred the curry ones… Both the pasta and the steak were fantastic! Great fixed-​price menu option. Love the neighborhood and the ambience, what a fantastic evening.

Was walking by in the rain on a Sunday and decided to stop in and try it.
Definitely one of the better decisions I’ve made!!!
Had the lunch special which was a 3 course meal.
Lentil soup for starter, pork loin for main and crème brûlée for dessert.
Sister had the salad, with banana chips and the lobster penne and cheesecake for dessert.
Huge portions! All of it was Absolutely delicious.
The crème brûlée was beyond expectations and actually made me have a moment.
The restaurant is small and cozy and the music selection was a nice mix of interesting non lyric beats. The waiter was quiet the food was quick.
I definitely will be back to try more and give their extensive martini list a go!

Stopped here for brunch. We ordered asparagus and goat cheese omelette and California eggs benedict. The food was just okay, acceptable, but nothing spectacular. The smoked salmon on eggs Benedict was a bit frozen. However, the side of potatoes and salad were pretty good. Would come back only if in the area.

Came for winterlicious. Food was good quality and delicious, the mussels came in a large proportion too. There was one waiter and he did a might fine job checking in with everyone. He greeted us immediately when we came in and nothing was delayed. Will come back :)

Went for winterlicious with a reservation for 10 people. They made us wait for a table, but couldn’t get one together to fit us all so they split up the group. There was another group of 10 they seated together so was pretty peeved about that.
Food was decent though — especially for $ 25. Three course meal, huge portions. Left feeling quite full. Would recommend for winterlicious.
There are just a couple of details that keep this place from being better than it is. Besides not having the foresight to actually hold a reservation for a table, they also forgot to bring utensils and I had to ask multiple times, and their steak knives are duller than their butter knives.

I was passing by and looked at their Sunday lunch special. They have half lobster tail and shrimp pasta, in addition to delicious salad for$ 15. I didn’t finish reading the menu. The food food was delicious more than what I expected from this little place. The music and service was excellent. Best decision ever. Very happy.

Went for lunch with a small group of friends on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and took a chance on this place — best decision of the weekend!
They have a prix fixe lunch menu for $ 15 for 3 course meal. You would think that the menu options would be very sparse but we were delighted they had quite a bit of selection for the apps, entrees and dessert (average of 3 options per course).
I had the baby spinach salad tossed with roasted walnuts, banana chips, goat cheese and the divine dressing of which name I can’t recall, but it was one of the tastiest salads I have had in a while — and I am not even a salad person.
For the main, I opted for the chicken parmigiana with fettuccine and it was delicious. The chicken was slightly on the dry side, but that was forgiven as soon as I tasted the delicious tomato sauce it came with. My bf got the pork loins with mashed potatoes and bok choy, but liked mine much better.
For dessert, I got the strawberry cheesecake (other choices were vanilla ice cream and crème brûlée). The presentation was nice, but the taste was meh. I liked the crème brûlée better and will be getting it next time.
The feel of this place is very cozy, it’s small so ideal for a quiet date and they play relaxing music that slightly touches on lounge music but not yet there. It also doesn’t stand out much since it’s nestled in along the strip of other restaurants in the area so make sure to look for it.
Can’t wait to come back to this place again and try the items on the brunch menu.

I was heading into my usual go-​to restaurant, when I spotted this nearby restaurant, serving nice-​smelling food to customers on their patio. I did a U-​turn and checked out their menu out in front. I went inside, to ask if their gnocchi (potato dumplings) was made on the premises — and confirmed that it was. Mmm… nothing like fresh gnocchi…
I ordered take-​out. Cutlery was similar to that of a fast-​food joint, all sealed up in a plastic bag.
The food itself was o.k. I wondered if their cream sauce was the right base, for their tricoloured fresh gnocchi. Maybe a marinara, or other light tomato base sauce would better suit this dish.
Came with a side salad, with some nice dressing.
I remember the meal including some garlic bread, and asked the waitress if she could confirm that it’d be included for take out. Some warmed up bread was, but it wasn’t garlic bread. Just a slice of warmed up toasted bread.
Service was generally good, but I wondered if my main server (it was her first day at Valens that day), was offended that I didn’t tip since I was ordering take out?
She seemed decided distant after I gave her the bill. Otherwise, she started off warm, chatty.
Wait-​time for the food was reasonable.
Sure, I’d try this place out again. At some point, if it worked out that way.
It’s not my regular hotspot, but perhaps I’ll land there on impulse again sometime.
Lunchtime was busy, btw…

Popular even on this slushy day, Valens is a smallish italianish mid-​price restaurant that seems to be a go-​to for nearby hospital and healthcare staff. We had a sumptuous prix fixe lunch ($ 22) that pleased all around. We sampled salads, soup, pasta, butter chicken, lamb chops and cheesecake; all get thumbs up.
I’ll come back.

Made reservations here for Winterlicious with a friend for Saturday. It was only a few days before, so I was happy they fit us in. Sure seems like they messed up the reservations though, because when we got there they couldn’t find the reservation. Happily, they sat us anyway in the busy restaurant. I saw a party of 2 come in later and overheard that they had a reservation but there were no tables. Ours was a 4 top, so they ended up pulling the second table away so they could sit the other people. Another large group had come in afterward that were waiting for a long time before they got a table. They appeared annoyed after awhile so I’m guessing they also had a reservation and the restaurant screwed it up.
Despite being happy that they sat us, that happiness quickly dissipated as we waited way too long to get a drink or have our order taken. The waiters walked by and looked directly at our table and then would walk away. A couples times I saw them looking around the room to see if anyone needed anything, but they did not come over to take our order. I sure felt like we were more of a nuisance than anything. Someone finally came by and brought us water (after a table that had come in after us got their water, placed their order and got bread). We weren’t asked if we wanted something else to drink though — it was just a quick, drop off the water and leave. Quite awhile after that we finally placed our order.
I ordered the salad — it was good, but nothing spectacular. My friend got the soup and said it was really good, but only warm.
For the main I had been craving risotto and was going to get it and at the last second changed to the lamb. Boy was I ever disappointed. From looking at other people’s plates, the risotto didn’t look great, but probably better than the lamb. The lamb was way overcooked. The vegetables on the other hand were under cooked. I was trying to cut into one as well and it was so under cooked it flung out from under my knife and got sauce all over my new sweater. I was trying to dip my napkin into my water to get the stain out of my sweater. I saw some of the waiters looking at me, but did they offer assistance, some more water or napkin? Nope. Just ignored me.
Now with this awful review, some might be asking why I would give this place 2 stars. While I was not pleased with my experience, nor would I come here again, for the amount of food we got, the meal was only $ 15. More importantly though, the apple blossom dessert… that was the saving grace. After a quite awful meal, that apple blossom finished off the meal with a smile. It was nice and warm. The crust was delicious and the scoop of ice cream on top was perfect.

Situé dans le quartier sympathique de Baldwin Street avec ses cafés et restaurants, Valens est une enseigne qui propose un menu intéressant dans le style pseudo-​italien. Nous y sommes passés pendant Winterlicious et chaque plat fut préparé avec soin. Le carpaccio de betterave, certes original, n’était pas à la hauteur de ce qu’il aurait pu être. Le linguini aux fruits de mer était particulièrement apprécié par nos amis.
Le service était honnête et cordial. Quand nous avons demandé si tel ou tel plat valait le coup, notre serveur fut direct et honnête: «il y a mieux que le plat X». Merci !
Seul point d’agacement: pourquoi passer les tables avoisinantes à l’ammoniaque quand nous sommes encore attablés, certes nous avions fini de manger mais cette odeur agressive n’était pas la bienvenue ni par nous ni par ceux qui arrivaient…

Made reservations for Winterlicious, walked into Valens and we were seated promptly. The two servers working were incredibly friendly, helpful, fast and overall very pleasant. They would check up on us often and we were taken care of very well despite the restaurant filling up quickly throughout our meal. They were very knowledgeable about the menu and all the various components of the Prix Fixe options.
The appetizer was fresh and delightful, entrée was cooked to perfection and very tasty, and the dessert came out piping hot from the oven with a creamy delicious vanilla ice cream scoop! Ahh, it was all very lovely. We will definitely be visiting again soon.

I like the atmosphere (busy but not loud on a weekday evening) of Baldwin Street. Almost all restaurants along the street have patios. They are small but comfortable. Picked Valens because its $ 22 prix fix menu attracts me. I ordered the smoked chicken and sweet potato soup as appetizer, rack of lamb for main course and lava cake with whipped cream and vanilla ice-​cream for dessert. Ended up, I was very satisfied with my meal:
— Very affordable price.
— Very friendly and attentive service.
— Good food though the portion is way too big for me. The soup tasted good and was freshly made… very hot. The lamb meat is very tender. I have been craving for lava cake for a while and it did not disappoint me:)
I deducted one star because of the drink I ordered from the cocktail list. The Blue Hawaiian is a bit too sweet. The washroom located in the basement is clean and tidy but the deep stairsteps killed me while I was wearing high heels lol.

Valens Restaurant is a decent new (ish) (almost a year now, but new compared to the other Baldwin classics) restaurant with a variety of cuisines but an overall Italian feel.
I went here for dinner on a Saturday night, and the place was surprisingly absolutely empty! Have way through our meal, another group came in, but that was it. Because of that, I’m not sure how much longer Valens will last…
That being said, the food wasn’t bad at all. I started with a lobster dip (oo so delicious and unhealthy), and had the Rose Fusili as my main. We has a few people make minor changes to our meals (mine, shrimp instead of chicken, another, no mushrooms in the paella), and they were easily able to accommodate us. The prices for the place seemed about right, with the app being $ 10, and my main at $ 14.
The service and atmosphere was also quite nice, it looks like a nice, upscale place (without really high prices) and our servers were quite friendly and attentive.
Overall, this place is good, but nothing special. If you’re with an indesisive group with a large variety of tastes, it could be a great spot because it doesn’t really have a «focused» menu, or if you’re looking for a quiet place with no wait on a Saturday night. If you’re in the area, you could do worse than Valens!