Valens Restaurants Inc

Small restaurant, good food and gets quite busy for lunch. The server seemed grumpy or maybe it was just me lol.

Valens is a cozy family owned business. They serve high class food in a more casual environment.
The intimate atmosphere encourages connection between patrons and their large menu selection means there's something for everyone.
The food is always cooked with care as they have been doing for over 20 years.
Affordable prices, good food, large portions. And did I mention they have brunch?
Severely under rated restaurant in my opinion

The quality of the food at this restaurant is outstanding! The value might be the best in the city! The carrot ginger soup and mushrooms were delicious, and the rack of lamb was amazing. Very friendly service and nice atmosphere here.

Had a steak which was grilled to perfection and the creme brulee was delish and light and not too sweet. Great value for the quality of food, will definitely return for more food soon!

The food is okay, is not great but it’s fine. The service is BAD, I have been in this restaurant 3 times and the 3 times the service was terrible, the staff treat you as if you were stupid, like if they don’t even care about your experience there. I won’t recommend this place unless you’re close and really hungry.

Sorry, but our experience wasn't good. We had to continually ask for some napkins as only one per person was being provided after initial ask. Since my napkin was soaked in some unknown liquid, I wanted to obtain some napkins, again was provided with one. The pepper was served without even an excused permission over my own dinner plate. FYI, you should bring the plate forward so this distasteful move can be avoided.
Then there was the food. Where do I start. First of all the temp of the food was lookwarm, and all the veggies on everyone's plate (of course with different dishes), seem to come from the same place- overboiled, bland veggie pot (there were only 3 types of veggies served for everyone, carrot, brocolli and zuccini & or green bean). The gravy was the last draw for me, as I'm sorry to say, it resembled something from outer space that didnt belong with food. It was extremely sweet and distastefully lacking in flavour, was this supposedly italian cusine?
Pl improve or change your cusine type, ty.

This is my go-to place when I am downtown or at the Art Gallery of Ontario. They have an extensive, interesting Mediterranean menu, eclectic art, a lovely small patio, and all the servers have been charming, helpful, and professional. Great meat pasta, salads, risotto. Homemade Tiramisa and Creme Brulee! Anyone I've taken from out of town loves it as well. It's affordable, too. The 3 course prix-fixe is such a great deal.

Generally don't write a bad review. New server was nervous and made some mistakes that were somewhat forgivable. Experienced server did bare minimum to help even though it wasn't busy. Kitchen staff took an hour and a half to send app/entree/desert on a prix fix menu. The redeeming high quality food was great. I'll be thinking twice when I go out next time.

Cute little place in baldwin village that ive passed by a few times.their prix fixe was soo cheap so me and my partner decided to come in to try it! The food is definitely a 'you get what you pay for' situation.for the appetizer, i have to say the mussels in the curry sauce were delicious and i would go back just for them, but my partner's caesar salad seemed to have no dressing at all.or very minimum?

for our main courses we had the salmon and chicken parm pasta.the vegetables that came with the food were a little bland, and my salmon had a ton of peppercorn on it.our dessert was delicious though and i loved the tiramisu.service was okay, i think they were all a bit new/inexperienced but they were super friendly.i think a bit more guidance is needed.overall i would come back to try their wine menu and have the mussels again lol:)

Had a great experience at Valens restaurant. I got the pesto pasta and bruschetta. Food was tasty and reasonable, service was great

Food-4.5/5
Service-5/5
Value for money- 5/5

I had a negative experience with the customer service at this establishment. When I called to make a reservation, the person who answered the phone was unhelpful and rude. They informed me that the restaurant was busy and could not speak to me, and their tone was quite unpleasant. I recommend that the owner consider replacing this staff member, as their behavior is likely to deter potential customers from making reservations

Lovely server but the kitchen is not flexible regarding a simple substitution. Some restaurants charge nothing for gluten free options for celiac pasta and others charge. This one charges. The fish was overcooked and would have benefited with a more generous amount of sauce. The coffee was good and generous however the overall impression was a lack of generousity and so a three star rating.

So very nice! The panini was good and the mixed green salad amount was very fulfilling. A great meal!

Tasty Italian food with good presentation. 5 star food but not overly expensive. Will be back.

We ate here (Feb 7) for winterlicious after a horrible experience at a restaurant across the street (Feb 4). The atmosphere was quaint and comfortable. The staff were outstanding/attentive and the food was delicious! I wore a cream dress, promptly getting tomato sauce on it from my lamb shank. The servers rushed to get something to prevent the stain from setting. The only downside, they didn’t have the Amarone wine we were looking to enjoy, but the ripasso did just fine. Thank you to the crew at Valens, from front of house to back!

Went to Valens for dinner with co-workers a week ago. Food was fresh, tasty and delicious! Restaurant space is cozy and ambience is nice. The staff are friendly and very professional! They even accommodated several birthday surprises. Overall, a great experience and I definitely recommend. Only caveat currently is to check in advance if they are only doing a price fixed menu the day/evening of your visit. Looking forward to trying their wider menu in the future.

Delicious! Good value for what you pay (especially the mussels appetizer), and friendly-enough staff. The restaurant is quite small but intimate, and the service moved at a moderate pace. Overall, would go again for the prix-fixe menu!

This little Italian restaurant is a little jewel on Baldwin Street in Toronto. I am a frequent patron at Valens and yesterday I hosted my graduation party there. The staff had worked with me for over a month to orchestrate and fine-tune this event and they truly proved their excellence. The event was a knockout, with delicious food, impeccable service, and attention to little details as the evening rolled out: the perfect timing of the toasts, smooth billing, and attention to our party's many preferences. I highly recommend Valens for a good time out for all occasions!

Great restaurant! Very friendly staff, great ambiance, great food! Highly recommend - please go!:)

Nous avons été agréablement surpris par l’excellence de ce restaurant. Tant par le personnel accueillant que par la qualité des mets proposés. Nous sommes une famille de 5 avec 3 enfants et chacun a aimé son plat. Angelica dès notre arrivée était très attentionnée et bienveillante. Son service est impeccable. Je recommande vivement ce restaurant pour vos diverses occasions!

The prix fixe lunch is a great deal here. You get a very filling 3-course meal for under $30 with a range of options to choose from.

Of course it's not gourmet Italian, but I'm not going to nitpick at this price point. My seafood linguine was full of clam and shrimp! It was tasty and satisfying. The sweet potato soup was a little pedestrian, but I didn't mind it. The hazelnut chocolate tarfuto dessert was pretty much just ice cream.good ice cream!

Overall, great bang for your buck. Service was kinda slow so make sure you have ample time to spare.

I highly recommend Valens for any and all occasions. The food is outstanding, the service great and the prices are wonderful.

Mussels were unevenly cooked. The poor waitress was by herself so wasn’t able to even have time to ask us how our meal was. Wine was good.

I heard really good reviews from friends about Valens so I decided to visit this past weekend and I'm glad I did. The food was to die for and so fresh! The servers and management were so welcoming. The restaurant itself is so cozy. If you want amazing food and amazing service I would definitely recommend visiting. I will be back for sure! Thanks for the great experience!

I had a Salmon and soup and tiramisu as part of the pre-fixed price menu. Good food good service, very reasonable price. Nice and cozy

Cozy place with great choices of food and beverage. The service is very nice and prices are quite reasonable. Went there randomly in the neighborhood and was not disappointed. The place has a good old school vibe.

Amazing little restaurant worth the detour! The lamb flank is to die for. Melts in the mouth! Everything was perfect! Will definitely be back!

Some of the absolute best food I've had in a long time. The caprese salad was good and i highly recommend the veal chop and the molten chocolate lava cake for dessert.

It’s equivalent to school cafeteria food. The sauce is watery and tastes like it’s from a can. Would not recommend, especially for the price point.

My partner and I love this place and recently had the most amazing meal! It's small and cozy and has the perfect intimate ambiance for a date night. We cannot get enough of this place. The servers are attentive and welcoming and the pasta is to die for. We try a different dish every time we go and I can't pick a favourite. If you are looking for a fantastic meal, this is the place to go!

Stumbled upon Valens while exploring Baldwin Village. The environment was great, and the food was delicious. Will be back to try more!

Came after visiting AGO. Ordered the prix fix and was absolutely blown away. The quality was great and was very full after. Would recommend and will visit again!

Was looking for a spot to eat on Sunday afternoon and stumbled across valance. The server yelled at us to come inside in a rude tone. There were no people sitting inside and she acted as if we were a nuisance. Very awful service wouldn’t never eat here again!

Had lunch on the patio at Valens and it was wonderful.
The menu has a lot of great options; we had two pizzas - one with pears and arugula and the second with pepperoni and onions. We also ordered a ceasar salad. Everything was delicious and the prices are very reasonable.
It's in a cute location - the patio is small so make a reservation!
We will visit Valens again and I recommend it to anyone in the area looking for yummy Italian!

Wonderful cozy place with delicious food. Large portions.we way overestimated our abilities.) way to go!)

Went there for Winterlicuous. It was the one restaurants that had a large menu for a very reasonable price. It’s cozy but not too small that you’re packed in like sardines. It has a nice homey feel and the staff are all very nice and food was great.

One of the best Pri-Fix menu in the downtown Baldwin street area. If your not into those Izakaya's or Ramen noodles. You have the remaining Thai food or overpriced Wah Sing chinese restaurant. Then there is Omai but without there tasting menu due to corvid this italian fair is your next best bet to walking out full!

Small restaurant with big flavored food, participating restaurant part of Winterlicious 3 course meal for 33 dollars walked away very full and very happy.

Amazing experience! We decided to try this restaurant for Winterlicious and was not disappointed. Great quality

The staff was so rude. We made a reservation and got their on time. Since the space is tight we asked nicely if we can move to a space where in we could park our baby stroller. The staff said in a rude tone “sorry we don’t have space for the stroller”. We even made suggestions so that we can be accommodated but they said the stroller won’t fit and that all the tables were already reserved. Then after that we were completely ignored. They didn’t even apologize nor offer us with options. After waiting for a while me and my husband decided to leave. Bad service. I will definitely not come back to 5is nor recommend this restaurant to other people.

This place is worth trying. They have big portions for fair prices. Consistently well kept and with awesome vibes. Will come back again.

Amazing Italian on the quaint Baldwin Street. We went there for Winterlicious and everyone in our large group absolutely loved what they ordered. We ordered amd enjoyed Lamb Shank, Mussels, T-Bone Steak, Crème Brule, Apple Tart, Tortufo

We went here for winterlicious, the pei mussels on tomato soup was AMAZING! Would go back here again.

Even when there was a lot of spaces available, the waiter put me at the front of the door which was super cold due to the snowy weather. But then guide the next customer (no reservation) directly to the inside. The plates were not clean and it had stains as well as some sort of powder. It made a bounce back since the food was delicious overall. The bread served was lukewarm and I expected it to be a little more warm. Despite the overall food was great, however, the letdown of the service towards the customer really disappoints. The waiters constantly talks and laughs over the conversation of the customers. It affected my entire dining experience so all I can give is 3 stars.

Went here for winterlicious and the food tasted great and the portions were good as well. Would recommend calling in to book a reservation first as space is limited inside.

Cozy atmosphere, prompt service and quality food! The wait staff was attentive, but not pushy or hovering. The food is exactly what you might expect at a small Italian place. That is, good pasta, tasty salads and soups, varied desserts. At the very least, their Winterlicious menu is something worth trying out!

Great food and portions. Meats are cooked perfectly; lamb fell off the bone and steak was tender. Desserts are amazing. Atmosphere is quiet, relaxing, and intimate.

This little restaurant that's located on Baldwin is like a gem. The food tastes great and the price is not bad. However we do live far away so we don't get to come to Toronto often. We try to come here whenever we're in the city.

Wonderful food here. Very delicious! Great service as well. I have had lunch here for 3-4 times. Always good experience. I recomend their lamb shank, creme brulee.

Really great, the steak panini is great for lunch and the shrimp and lobster linguine has lots of the seafood in it. Great value. Pop can be flat, bit thats pretty common these days

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.

Just had Lunch at Valen's. All 3 of us had the fixed price Lunch menu for $23. Large starter Great size main course and tasty dessert. Great Value and very tasty. The service was excellent. Here is a picture of the lamb shank I had. I would highly recommend going to Valen's.

Large servings of food but old and falling apart interior and sometimes prickly weight staff leave more desired from this brunch spot.

Excellent service, food portions were really huge, friendly staff. We went for a friends birthday compliments to the chef, all my friends loved all their dishes, everything was hot and had great flavor. We will be back

Great portions, amazing flavours, affordable prices for the set 3 course meal, great wine selections. Highly recommend.

I went to Valens for lunch. We had an amazing meal. The service was excellent. Waitress was very attentive and knowledge about menu. She even asked one meal to be catered to dietary needs. All members of my party enjoyed different meals and we were all very pleased. Food was cooked perfectly and had great flavour. Portions were very good also. Many people in the restaurant at the time which speaks for the reputation of the restaurant. Although it was almost completely full, service did not lack in any way. We were all very happy with our meal and experience at Valens. Will be back again.

The absolute bestest Prix Fixe menu, for lunch and dinner. Shout out to the chef for delicious fresh beautifully plated meals. Practucally everyone at my office have enjoyed the food at this establishment

Manager had a full blown argument with his employee with me in the restaurant. Not a good look to ream out your team members.in front of customers. #service101

The servers checked in and were pleasant. Tried the summerlicous menu. I enjoyed the apps way more. The chicken parm.pasta sauce felt more out of a jar

Had a great time here. The food was fantastic. We had the summerlicious menu choices. The waitress was great and friendly.

I went here for the summerlicious lunch with co-workers. I had the tilapia with mango-pineapple salsa with veggies over rice. I also had the sweet potato soup as appetizer and the tiramisu as dessert.
Let’s start with the appetizer, the sweet potato soup was absolutely delicious. Not too heavy and not too soupy, quite balanced and creamy. It was a pleasant surprise and it actually enhanced my appetite.
The entree was ok, could have been great, but just okay. The pan seared tilapia was nicely seared, not over cooked but in my opinion, severely under seasoned. Tilapia is one of the least savoury of fishes and needs to be uplifted by the chefs seasonings. Salt and black pepper just don’t cut it for me. The mango-pineapple salsa was perfect and sweet enough that it cuts through the initial fishy tilapia taste, but I could not help but detect a fishy after taste. A little cayenne pepper or garlic-onion powder goes a long way. And for the rice, just no effort at all. If you’re going to serve plain white rice, the sauce with the dish needs to balance it out and I do not consider the salsa as sauce.
My dessert choice of tiramisu was an absolute winner. My first time having it and I wasn’t disappointed. The coffee, whipped creamy filling (?), and lady fingers combination was well balanced. I enjoyed it.
I would most likely visit this restaurant again. The shrimp linguini looks promising

Good food, location, drinks specials. However, the service is terrible because of the blatant discrimination by the two servers who prioritized all the white tables even if they came way after us. Every table recieved bread except us, lol true story when we asked for ours she's like oh did you want more? Um. Seriously? Does it look like we ever had any? I will not get in the pettty details but the pretentiousness of the servers is unnecessary and ruins everything.

Great food! Had calamari and the sliders (juicy patty). Congambare for our pasta. Everything was good! Server was very nice and accommodating as well. Will be back for other items.

I recommend this place for its pasta and risotto selection. We went there on a Friday night around 7ish, the place wasnt busy so we had choice of seating. I had the linguini special with tiger shrimps and salmon, and it hit the spot perfectly. The bruschetta is good. I would not recommend the stuffed chicken though.

Wonderful little restaurant, that I wish I knew about earlier! Our waitress was amazing, and very fast. We ordered our drinks and before I decided what food to order, the drinks were on the table. Food was really, really good! Like the drinks it came to the table very fast, and it was made fresh, not waiting to be served. Cozy atmosphere, and nice setting. Good for a date night, or a good food night, either way it is definitely a place I will be returning to in the near future. Great job to all at Valens!

Last year the creme brulee in set lunch was delicious. This year the creme brulee was not good. Butternut squash soup was good; tilapia was ok.

Tried the lamb Shank and steak. They were great. Would recommend the three course fixed price lunch.