Valentines Buffet Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in North Island

Came for the Mother’s Day special and although it was extremely busy that night and a bit chaotic and they had trouble keeping food stocked - we didn’t even get some of the specialty items added for Mother’s Day at all, the food we did get was still quite enjoyable and we were keen to try again on another night when it wouldnt be so busy. I recently booked for a large group booking for my husbands birthday, which was a middle of the week Wednesday night. I specifically asked them on the phone if we could be seated at one or two long tables and not spread over multiple tables (like we were on Mother’s Day which was fine). I was told we could book the two longer tables at the end in the corner of the restaurant (I knew where this was) and was happy with this. When we arrived, they got very flustered over having a large group making different payments (was only 4 separate families paying so 4 separate payments made - something I also confirmed over the phone we would be doing and made sure was ok) but they seemed to make it a lot of of a difficult process than it needed to be. Something I feel like they could come up with a better strategy to make the payment process quicker and easier. This took a long time and held everyone else up waiting to pay as they had me write a list of everyone in our group and who was paying for who. When it was finally time to be seated they took us to the middle of the resturant spread out over 3 or 4 small tables - when I questioned why and mentioned we had specifically requested and been told we would be on “those” tables I was told “sorry those tables are booked out” to which I replied “I’m aware, because I booked them”. My husband then went and spoke to management and they agreed to move us (I’d also like to add that we didn’t notice any other large group come in while we were there). The food was enjoyable, some things a bit dry but overall as a whole we all enjoyed it. The layout is absolutely horrible. Plates and cutlery are below the food so you have to wait behind people to be able to get a plate and then bend down quite low to get them - especially in the dessert area where there is always a crowd of kids so you can be waiting for a while just to grab a plate because they’re all standing around the chocolate fountain in front of them. The hot plate station has food bays right in front of it so you have to line up to order, move back so others can get food then try reach past them to grab your food once it’s done. Not very convenient and easy to navigate all round. Overall, we probably would go back for the food but probably more so as a couple, not in a group setting. Layout sucks and customer service could do...

I came here with Family and friends for Lunch on Saturday saw the reviews prior before we came and thought it can’t be that bad and thought I’d give Rotorua Valentines the benefit of the doubt and taste and see for myself. I’m just going to get straight into it.

Where do I start the hot the meatballs were lurk warm and the sauce was bitter sour it was just awful I was hoping that something would standout to me with wow factor and amazing to look at but nothing did. The only thing that looked good at the time was the hot batch of crumbled fish bites they had just refilled in the trays and maybe the nuggets. Which is really not what I came here for I could’ve went to Mac Donald’s for that. Never less it get worst. The salads were all boring like nothing spectacular that popped out needless to say. The marinated mussels were tiny small and weren’t shelled properly as I Crunched hard on just shell very sore. My daughter went up to get her 2nd plate with one of our guest and lined up beside the garlic bread and rolls and while waiting in line our guest from overseas said to my daughter there’s something crawling on the floor my daughter said where she was like pls no pls don’t be what I think it is?? and sure enough it was a heavily pregnant cockroach just casual walking across the floor while they were patiently waiting in line for pizza and garlic bread At the time they didn’t think about taking a picture of it as this just freaked them out put them off eating at anything it made them nausea and sick to there stomach. By the time she has told me we were pretty much done eating. It was the worst feeling ever.

Please do not go to Rotorua Valentines, My Husband and I spent $690 as a group with family and friends from aboard. Very disappointing and embarrassing least to say. Rotorua Valentines please get your Restaurant fumigated I think you need to rebuild the place. Walking to your your restaurant from the back car park was the 1st sign right there for me. The side of your building already looked demolished like it had been hit from bulldozer idk.. Rebuild modernise your restaurant Upgrade this way you might be able to regain back your RESPECT, DIGNITY, TRUST and Most Importantly LOYALTY TO YOUR CUSTOMER. Regards Most grunted...

My family and I were very disappointed with the overall dining experience. There was a noticeable lack of meat selection, and the meat that was offered was cold. The ham had an unpleasant, gooey texture, and even the garlic bread, which appeared freshly made, was cold.

The selection overall felt minimal. The noodles were soggy and unappetizing, and the dessert station was bare, with undercooked pavlova that was raw inside. There was no ice cream, no slices, and the only type of cake was mini mud cakes that were rock hard. The salad station was also underwhelming, with very few options available.

Recommendations

For the Main Dishes Expand Meat Selection: Offer a greater variety of meats, such as pork roasts, lamb and chixke , to appeal to a wider audience. Serve Food at Proper Temperatures: Ensure hot dishes, including meat and bread, are served warm/hot using better warming equipment or processes. Improve Meat Quality: Address texture issues, such as the gooey texture of the ham, to enhance its appeal. Fix Noodle Preparation: Ensure noodles are cooked to the right texture, avoiding sogginess.

For the Desserts Perfect the Pavlova: Ensure pavlova is cooked thoroughly. Review the recipe or adjust the baking process if needed. Increase Dessert Variety: Include more options like slices, cheesecakes, or fruit tarts to cater to different preferences. Introduce Ice Cream: Adding an ice cream station with toppings could elevate the dessert experience. Ensure Freshness of Cakes: Verify that all desserts, including cakes, are fresh, soft, and enjoyable to eat.

For the Salad Station Broaden Salad Choices: Add creative salads like Greek salad, pasta salad, or quinoa salad to provide variety and cater to different dietary preferences.

General Improvements Enhance Presentation: Make the buffet setup more visually appealing to create a better first impression. Regular Quality Checks: Assign staff to monitor and replenish food stations regularly to ensure freshness and availability.

By addressing these concerns and implementing the recommendations, the dining experience could significantly improve and leave a lasting positive impression on customers.

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