Valentines Hornby - Hornby

I've had lunch at Valentine's, Hornby, Christchurch on 2 occasions in the past 2 weeks. The photo I've uploaded is from last Friday. Hubby & I hadn't been here for quite some time before then. If you're planning to come here, I'd recommend coming early as there is very limited parking on site. Alternatively, there is 180 minutes parking a short walk away. Friendly customer service on arrival. We hadn't booked any table but that wasn't a problem. The waitress we had on both Friday's was the best waitress ever - friendly, accommodating, cleared dishes away promptly & she had a good sense of humour. She provided the best waiting service we've had in a long time. A good variety of food to accommodate for all tastes e.g. meats, salads, seafood chowder, soups, cheese board, desserts, large chocolate fountain, ice cream machine, soft drinks, tea & coffee etc. All of our meal selections were really nicely cooked. The only exception was the lemon chicken which was overcooked & dry. So pretty darn good for only one dish (to not be good) out of well over 20 different dishes that we tried. Compliments to the chef & team - you all did a fantastic job!!! It was good to see that they had a chef frequently topping up & checking all the dishes. The chefs were nicely presented in their chef uniforms. The restaurant was kept nice and tidy with the waiter & waitress circulating on a regular basis to clear dishes, top up water & check that everything's ok with customers. One major thing that I would ask Management to consider is the seating arrangements. The tables are placed way too close to each other. Customers are crammed in like sardines and you almost feel like you're part of another tables conversation, because you're sitting so close to one another. If it's not so busy, perhaps space your customer's out by placing them at every second table so there's a gap between tables. When you're really busy open up into the other room/s which I think you may use for conferences/private functions. If they're not in use, then why not make them available to your customers. It would definitely make for a better overall dining experience. Overall we had a really good dining experience at Valentine's. We thought it was a bargain for $26 per person for lunch, especially with the wide variety of choices. We'll definitely be going back! (but not 3 weeks in a row lol ?). Thanks Valentine's, Hornby.

Loved it!!!!? Is worth it for lunch. 5 stars if u like buffet with a relaxed atmosphere. The food is good quality and although not soo many options, the quality and atmosphere make up for it.

It was a cozy restaurant with good choice of foods. Great desert options However, I had better experiences in other buffet restaurants with lower price. A little pricy and the salad bar could be better. Not a great place for vegetarians.

We had a dinner on ANZAC DAY. Staffs are very friendly and good service. We enjoyed our food and l will invite our friends when we come back again. Highly recommend it. Thank you to all Valentines staffs ?

Food was very good, lots to choose from, staff were all polite and great service. The reason for 3 stars is due to pricing and advertising of their alcohol and the fact the staff appear to be trained incorrectly on how to serve it. EG: drinks menu states spirits are served as a double for $9.50, now a standard spirit drink is 30 ml (refer to Alcohol.org.nz) so a double should be 60 ml, my husband was driving he ordered a single (30ml) spirit scotch and coke. We discussed the drinks with the barmaid who also took our payment and she stated that at Valentines a double is 30ml and 15ml is a single, cool drinking even less before driving, but on checking the bill we were charged at the advertised double price. Now Valentines and other hospitality places may say what's the fuss, to me it is not good practice to charge full price on something that you ordered to be half a drink but as we found it was only 15ml/half a nip and to advertise the spirits as doubles when they are not.

We were there for our anniversary dinner date. The venue and smorgasbord style of dining suited our date as we had to go out to another event and we were able to set a time to finish as there was no waiting for ordered food to be cooked. Our lovely waitresses were very friendly and helpful and the food selection was excellent. There was a wide range of dishes, from soups and entrees, through salads and cold vegetables, to hot dishes, and a selection of foods that the chefs would cook on the spot. There was a selection of roast meats in the carvers, all sorts of delicious pots of cooked dishes, and the dessert table was mouth- watering, and did not disappoint. Thank you to our waitresses for making our evening more enjoyable. Though a little pricey for us oldies, the food and service were, in my opinion, worth every cent!

Great atmosphere child friendly, great meal and dessert, lovely server's, wonderful staff.

Absolutely lovely! Strongly recommend this buffet. We had a lovely mean and all the food was great. The ribs and the chicken bites definitely need improvement but overall we had a great time and most certainly will be going again!