This place was amazing! Waitress was very kind and service was great. My boyfriend and I shared the steak and the Santa Cruz pizza. The steak was phenomenal, the pizza was pretty good I think in my in my personal taste I may not try prosciutto on pizza again however, that is a matter of opinion. Overall amazing and a nice romantic setting. read more

I had rose pasta, yet I didn't really notice the flavor of rose sauce (maybe I didn't pay much attention?) The portion size is very large. Servers are nice and friendly! Not many people on a workday noon (1pm -ish) read more

Valens Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This place is a cute small little restuarant hidden in the neighbourhood. The staff is super friendly. The inside is quite small so it can get a little too cramped. They have an outside sitting area. I got their escargot as my appetizer and it was made with cream of mushroom. The pieces were tender and so flavourful. We then got the tiger shrimp risotto and lamb shank. The risotto had lots of shrimp, figs, walnut, and squash. It came out so fresh and yummy. The ingredients gave it an amazing texture. My mom said the lamb was good but it could be braised a little longer. None the less the flavour was still good. Overall, the portions were huge, staff were friendly and tendative, and food came out hot. I definitely recommend making reservations if you come in a group of 2 or more. read more

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Been here twice, and had a pleasant experience both times. The first time I tried their prix fixe lunch menu and ordered a Caesar salad, chicken parmigiana, and cheesecake. The Caesar salad was absolutely delicious and was a very generous portion. I believe the dressing is made in-house, and was very tasty. The chicken parmigiana lacked some flavor, but still good. Cheesecake was a standard store-bought slice, but delicious nonetheless. For $23, it was very worth it. My only complaint was that the advertised price for some of their items were not the actual price. On their board outside the prix fixe lunch was priced at $20, with mimosas priced at $3/each. When my friend and I got the bills, the prix fixe was $23, and mimosas were $4/each. The waitress had said that there was an increase in price, and they just forgot to change the board outside (which sounded sketchy but whatever). My second time there I ordered a pizza. Very decent size, but the flavor wasn't as good as I had hoped. Overall it's a decent restaurant if you're interested in trying something new! read more

We came for summerlicious and food was amazing! Service was also great...they kept filling our water glasses pretty often and were kind...the only annoying part was a couple of flies..but overall big portions, great food and service! read more

I knew I had to try this place right after I saw that the former restaurant "Gateways of India" closed down and signs for "Valens - opening soon" were put up. They had been opened for less than a week when I walked in for a meal. I'm a big fan of the general feel of Baldwin Village restaurants and had high hopes for this. Upon entering it's easy to spot that this meal was not going to be cheap, the place looks very nice and clean, not too large, Italian-like wall deco and a fully stocked bar at the end of the dining space. Now to their menu, they have a big selection of food from all sorts of cuisine types! You can start off with a Hungarian soup, Italian appetizers and end up with Indian, Chinese, Italian or something off their salads/wraps and grill options! I'm always a little hesitant to be too excited by the large variety and this time I didn't feel any different. I went with their Soup of the day a beef goulash (the only soup option they have, also the cheapest appetizer item at $5) and their Shanghai Kung Pao noodle dish (both pictured) for $15. Most menu items were on the range of $14 - $19 I have to say that I was not overly impressed with either item. They were both good, but I was expecting more, and the main dish was in a bath of sauce. Very filling though I might add! For being in a street that provides good food at a reasonable cost, Valens really needed to be great for it to stand out for me. But at the same time, Baldwin is full of restaurants stuck on just one type of cuisine, so a new joint that has a bit of everything (no sushi, but that's not a bad thing since it's Baldwin) might be just what Baldwin Village needs for those indecisive read more

Wow finally a place that offers quality food at a great price! Came here for winterlicious 2017 and was not disappointed! For $18 the portions were gigantic. Great fried spicy chicken ravioli as an app. For the entree I had the seafood fusilli which came with a half tail lobster, salmon and a generous amount of mussels (10 or 12). I was stuffed but chose the lemon tart. Service was very good because it's such a small restaurant. It's cozy, and cute. The only downfall is street parking but that's expected. Will definitely be back for summerlicious. Hopefully they have a patio. They also have everyday prefixed menus which is very promising as well. read more

Lovely cosy spot with a very generous $33 summer menu (3 courses). Waitress was just wonderful - attentive despite being alone (her partner didn't show up for dinner service) and it was busy with a full house. Food was great. Thoroughly enjoyed my smoked salmon crostini, surf and turf and lava cake. read more

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 creme brulee 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...creme brulee 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. read more

My brother and I ended up on Baldwin after not being able to decide on a place for dinner. We stopped to check out the menu at Valens and ended up deciding to try it (he'd eaten there once before and said it was good). We came in just before 7 on a Saturday and the restaurant was empty. Like other reviewers noted, it was rather empty for the entire time we were there. One other table came in about 10 minutes after we arrived and another came in just as we were having dessert. We both ended up going for the Prix-Fixe menu. I had the California Salad to start, which was a rather nice beginning to my meal. A little bit too much of the fairly sweet pomegranate dressing on a pretty plain salad but it was good just the same. I ended up having the rack of lamb as my main, which was excellent! The lamb was cooked very well, nice crispy and flavorful outside. A very cute little tower of mashed potatoes, plenty of super yum gravy and a nice mix of vegetables on the side. The main was one of those meals that makes you stop in the middle of eating and go "wow". I was really impressed with my meal. I was afraid I wouldn't be hungry enough for dessert but the portion was just right. My brother had the paella and I got the chance to try some and it was fantastic as well. Great flavor, some good heat to it as well and a really fresh taste. He noted that he'd had paella at a place in the city that was known for the paella and his meal at Valens was way better. For dessert I ended up going with creme brulee and it was pretty good. Not the best I've ever had but I liked how it was served, in a fairly wide bowl, giving a good ratio of sugar to creme. My main issue with it was that it wasn't a consistent temperature throughout. Part of it was rather warm and then it got cold again towards the middle. Odd... We got very good service, the one server that was working had a good balance, not too intrusive but she didn't disappear for long periods of time either. I had a cocktail and my brother had two glasses of wine and our bill came to around $75 total. Not bad for a nice meal out with drinks. I'd definitely come back here, especially for a date (as Vivek suggests) or with people who may have varying tastes as the menu seems to have quite a bit on it. I did like how nice and quiet it was and how there was no sense of being rushed AT ALL. The excellent service and the lamb pushed this review to a four for me. read more

We made reservations and came here with a few friends from work for lunch. We had our table waiting for us and although the service was slow considering they were very busy in there, it was worth the wait! Big portions, great tasting food, great price! I had the spicy chicken ravioli appetizer (which wasn't warm or hot but it was tasty), the lamb shank main (sauce was delicious, fresh vegetables were great and lamb fell off bone easily)and the lava cake with ice cream (which was nice and warm and delicious). A few of the girls at the table ordered the seafood fusilli which they all loved. The risotto was also very good I heard and the salads they ordered to start was good too. All 5 of us loved our 3 course meal and would return for sure! read more

Servers and staff are friendly and nice. Beyond that I don't know how this place is still running? Save your $ and go to some of the better options along the street! Baldwin village is dotted with so many mediocre joints thanks to readily available business. read more

This is a pretty generous rating considering the experience. I came here for summerlicious lunch on a Sunday and called in to make a reservation beforehand. When my friend got to the restaurant they said they hadn't received my reservation and sat him at the worst table pretty much right by the kitchen in the back. When I got there I looked at the table and decided nope not happening and asked them to move us to a different table because I had made a reservation beforehand and they lost it, which they did agree to after. The escargot starter was a great first impression but the main lamb shank and smoked salmon quiche were not a good followup. The lamb shank tasted like it was soaked in ketchup and the side of mashed potatoes it came with tasted like it came out of a flour packet. The smoked salmon we thought would be a piece of fish but it was actually a quiche as that part was written in tiny font at the very end on the menu. For dessert the creme brulee and tiramisu were also nothing to write home about. Would not come back here again unless all the Italian places around baldwin suddenly closed down. read more

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Arrived shortly after 5:00pm on a Wednesday evening. Patio had room for 6 tables and we were lucky to grab one in the sunlight so we could enjoy the warm weather. We each ordered the Valens burger ($12). The meat was very tender and it was accompanied by a large side salad (or fries if you choose). Service was friendly, but we did find that it took a while for the food to come out. Maybe not the first choice on Baldwin St. but overall good patio space and wide selection of menu items. read more

We went to Valen's today because it is a place close by and we had always had good experiences there, but today we were very upset because in addition to the delay in bringing us the desserts, the waitress wanted to charge us for a coffee that we had not consumed and that apparently another table had not paid. We claimed her and she removed it from the bill she bring us, however she added that value to the total she put in the POS machine when we were going to pay. Incredible how she brazenly robbed us. Be aware of that. read more

My friends and I enjoyed every single thing we ordered on the menu! From the drinks to the steaks and pastas, to the lava cake! Even the salad (Mista salad) was amazing! The service was also exceptional. Valens Restaurant is definitely worth the visit, and a re-visit, and then yet another visit , and then more! read more

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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... read more

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. read more

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. read more

Valens Restaurant - Lamb shank - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Came here for Winterlicious lunch and was NOT impressed. First of all, we made a reservation but still had to wait about 20mins. It was cold and we had a large party so we awkwardly waited by the door and felt like we were in the way of everyone. If the food was good, I would rate them higher despite the wait, but unfortunately, the food was poor to average. Beet Carpaccio - Pretty good, probably the best thing I had there for the whole meal, slightly cooked beets which were not too soft topped with argula and shaved parmesan. Overall pretty nice. Lamb shank - visually it looked pretty good but when you dig in the lamb was tough! Everyone who ordered this had a tough time eating it, needs to be cooked longer. The lamb shank came with chunky vegetables and roasted potatoes, all of which were SEVERELY UNDER-COOKED, the potatoes and veggies were hard still. How does a professional restaurant not know how to cook veggies and potatoes???? These under-cooked sides were also served with my friend's trout dish. Trout - as mentioned before, served with under-cooked potatoes and vegetables and was overcooked, but has a nice caramelized layer so was not a complete fail. Cheesecake - your average grocery store bakery cheesecake, nothing to write home about. Overall, service was ok, the servers were prompt and polite, although I had ordered Risotto orginally as my main and they got me lamb shank, a person from our group had ordered the risotto as well, and he got his, and visually the lamb shank looked better than the risotto so I opted to keep the lamb shank (mistake). The risotto from what I saw and heard was average, a bit overcooked, and the seafood they promise in the description is very limited in the dish. read more

First impression of valens is they try are a busy summer location due to their great patio spot along Baldwin. Super packed for Summerlicious patrons. The service was very quick and courteous, though we felt a bit rushed. Food arrivals could have been timed better as all the courses were brought out while we were still working on the previous dish. I'm not sure if these issues are common, but I'm pretty sure this was primarily due to the Summerlicious crowd. The food itself was good, starter of a simple salad with walnuts and cranberries. The main was broiled salmon with roasted peppers and potatoes. Ended off with a simple strawberry panna cotta. The dessert was the only let down of the meal as it was more syrup than strawberry and the panna cotta itself came off as being Pre packaged rather than freshly made that being said the first two courses were delicious (well presented/prepared). Unsure if i would go again but I would not avoid either. read more

I came here for a Winterlicious and had a really solid experience. It's a a homey, comfortable spot if you're looking a home-style meal, huge portions and a decent price. I got the lamb shank from the winterlicious menu and would recommend it again to anyone. It was tender and flavourful and just what you need on a cold winter night. I went in thinking it would be mediocre, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the dishes and combined with the price and portion size, I would give it a 4/5 and would definitely recommend it to someone if they're looking for a cozy spot. read more

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. read more

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. read more

Valens Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Had the prix fixe dinner with a friend. We got the mussels, steak, butter chicken, creme brulee, 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. read more

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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 creme 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 creme 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! read more

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 creme brulee and the banana cake. The creme brulee 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. read more

Just had lunch The tomato soup was great The fish of the day was amazing Very nice service read more

3.5/5 We worked up an appetite after spending the afternoon at AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). Took a gander in the cafe and Frank's restaurant, but nothing there peaked our interest. Me being vaguely familiar with Baldwin street and the restaurants they have to offer, we decided to walk there. We stumbled upon this restaurant, looked at their Winterlicious menu and it sounded good, so we got in. It's a quaint place and it was somewhat busy. I was worried they wouldn't be able to take my girlfriend and I because we didn't book a reservation, especially it being Winterlicious. We were greeted by a male waiter, who asked if we booked a res, I said No, and he said to wait for a couple minutes to see what he can do. Shortly thereafter, he seated us at a two top. The table was placed by the coffee station, close to the bar. We didn't mind at all. We were just grateful they were able to seat us. I got the Soup of The Day, which was a wild mushroom soup. The plate wasn't anything special to look at, presentation-wise, but the taste was outstanding. I wanted a second bowl! For the main course, I got the Veal Osso Buco. Which was served with roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables. Veal was tender, potatoes and vegetables were nicely seasoned. I've never tried Osso Buco before, so this was my first time trying it. I heard good things about it, but just never had the chance to try it until now. It was good. The bone marrow is what I loved most about it. For dessert, I got the Mocha Tartufo. I was disappointed with this dish, because it didn't taste much like mocha and there was coconut. I like coconut, but I wish it specified that. My girlfriend got the Warm White Chocolate Lava Cake with vanilla ice cream and she loved it. I should've got that instead. I'm rating this a 3.5/5 because the sauce I had with the Osso Buco was the same exact sauce as the main dish my girlfriend got, which was the Lamb Shank. You would think for two different dishes, they'd have their own distinct sauce. And the Tartufo was below average. Other than that, the experience, friendly service, and food were great! read more

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Came here with a friend for a late Sunday afternoon lunch. The food took quite a long time to come out, but when it did, it definitely hit the spot. I ordered the lamb shank, which had ample tomato sauce and tasted delicious. My friend, who ordered the caesar salad, was quite pleased with her meal as well. I also observed many interesting offerings on the menu that I wouldn't mind trying on subsequent trips. read more

My boyfriend and I had been to Valen's before for Summerlicious and Winterlicious and had thought well of the food there so we decided to check it out again last night, not having been there in a long while. Our server Angelica was really sweet and polite, and took care of all five tables of diners on her own. Rather than a creamy wine sauce, I asked if my seafood linguini could be cooked not creamy and the chef/owner acceded to my request and did an amazing job at it. It tasted awesome with garlic and possibly olive oil , with lots of mussels on the plate. My boyfriend's pasta dish was great too, and so were our appetizers of bruschetta (served on well-toasted crostini!) and roasted pear salad...and our desserts of a tiramisu (one of the best in town!)and raspberry sorbet. We left the restaurant with a very good impression and with plans to go back to it again very soon! read more

Stumbled here for lunch after some post apartment hunting exhaustion. Sat on the patio outside. Server and staff were SUPER friendly, attentive and welcoming. I had a greek salad. My meal was fresh and light and perfectly portioned for lunch. DEFINITELY will return for a dinner service sometime soon. read more

3/5. Went for winterlicious. Beet salad and Brie option make great apps. Braised lamb shank was cold and lacked flavour and veggies were undercooked. Dessert options were amazing. Not bad for $15. Get the pasta dishes if you go. read more

Visited for dinner one evening while on travels in Toronto. Fairly "classic" Italian menu; well prepared risotto, pasta and fish. Sad part is the waitress belongs in a different profession and the manager was not on premises for redress. Overall experience was tarnished by the poor service--no water refills, "how's your food", no contact at all--incredible, really, given the compact space of this restaurant and the numerous times she passed by the table. read more

Came here for Summerlicious. Good start with escargot, terrible risotto entree (all the flavors clashed and the dish came out too sweet in the end), and okay tiramisu. Husband had lamb that was decent. Most servers were friendly but one server was rude. Refused to seat us inside, and when it began raining on us, asked if we were staying. Not, "Would you like to move to another table?" Literally, "Are you staying?" read more

This is not a good restaurant service. It has very slow and she said wait for a bit during the middle of our ordering. She walked away and not coming back for a long time. At least, she served all the tables and delivered all other customers' food then came back to us. read more

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 creme brulee). The presentation was nice, but the taste was meh. I liked the creme brulee 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. read more

Very high cost for food that is prepared very cheaply. We ordered a risotto and what came was more like a congee. The ingredients were not fresh. We also ordered a pasta dish and I believe the sauce was from a can. Everything seemed very cheap. read more

I was there for brunch the first day it opened and I wasn't disappointed, but neither was it anything special. Their brunch menu save for their eggs benedict is served all week long. The second time I went there with a group of friends, and everyone loved it. The cocktails are decently priced (7$), and their chocolate lava cake is to die for. A friend said their steak burger was a bit too fatty, another friend said the grilled salmon was delicious, the fries that come with their burgers are yummy, and I loved the rose sauce on my pasta. The service is great and very friendly. Valens isn't anything spectacular, but it's a great spot for a variety of different choices at a decent price. I will definitely be going again. read more

Do not come here with a large group of people. They can't handle it. We made reservations for a large group for lunch and we all had to wait over an hour for our food. All I ordered was an omlette aka. Spanish Frittata and after waiting an hour, guess what? It sucked! My mind is blown. How can a lame omlette take over an hour? There are so many better places to choose from on Baldwin that I doubt I will be back here anytime soon. read more