Valentino's Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Waikato

We were looking for a place for dinner and was able to get a table here when we arrived around 2030. I think it did help that we called ahead and they let us know that the last order was going to be around 2030. We arrived and was seated and given a bit of time to look through the menu. They had quite a lot of Italian dishes and also had a few specials board scattered around the restaurant. I went with the duck livers followed by the lamb with balsamic. I quite liked the duck livers but didn't get a full hit of the marsala sauce. The bread soaked up the delicious sauce so which made it super tasty. I quite liked the lamb but the balasmic didn't have much rosemary or garlic flavour to it. The chips were what you'd expect at a fish and chip shop. I was able to try the bolognese and I wasn't a fan of the flavour. It was nice but different from what I expected. I really liked the saltimbocca. It was juicy, salty and really tasty. The special roast veggie ravioli in butter sage sauce was nice but I did find the pasta a bit on the firm side. The service was friendly, even though we were there quite late. The decor of the restaurant was also quite interesting with lots of interesting knick-knacks. There was also an area with walls covered in postcards. A nice restaurant in...

Great bread.

Decided to go to Turangi for dinner as it was half an hour closer than Taupo (from where we were staying) I really wish we drove the extra 30 minutes into Taupo. Although the bread (well priced at $10 for a large serving) was delicious and ample in serving, we found the menu very minimal, the food was not up to restraunt standards, I feel you could get better results out of a jar from the supermarket. Not one to complain or negatively impact a business usually but just wanting to put the suggestion out there for future patrons that maybe they reconsider their choice of dining. The pasta was bland, we had the carbonara and the bolagnese, both were lacking in sauce. The carbonara was not creamy, it was pasta with parsley and bacon stirred through. The bolagnese was pasta with boiled mince stirred through it. The service was poor, long waiting times (pre warned which was fair enough) portion sizes huge, but for the taste and price I would not reccomend eating here. Apart from all of that I can’t stress enough, great bread.

Also restraunt needs a major makeover as it is...

Last minute what to have for dinner, Valentino's it is. We really enjoyed the quint Italian restaurant setting of simplicity, just like in Italy Rome my comparison. Meals not take long at all. No reservation made, thankfully had available tables. We ordered the Steak wrapped with bacon and mushroom sauce, cooked perfect to our liking. The Lamb so tender was delicious. And the kids meal Spaghetti bolognese and side bowl of fries went a treat our daughter loved it, couldn't finish it all and was able to bring home for after snack. Starters Shrimp cocktails yummy, salad fresh and just the right amount of dressing for our likings. Dessert the Valentino Special, and Chocolate Fudge, enjoyed every little bit of it! And the recommendation of wine to compliment our meals was spot on. The service was excellent. Thank you for our enjoyable family dinner night out. Just what...