Review Farina - Auckland Central

Solid as per usual. Courgette flowers as a special were very good. Crispy and packed with mozzarella and ricotta. Pizza with the white anchovies was great yet again. Love the pizza dough they use. Thin and has just the right amount of colour on it to add to the flavour.

One of the best Italian restaurant we've ever been! We are a south American couple (Argentina & Brazil), we went to Farina to celebrate my husband's birthday and we had a perfect night! The restaurant is in one of the best neighborhoods to go out on a Saturday night (Ponsonby), the atmosphere of the place is great! We highly recommend eating by the kitchen so you'll get to see how they're able to deliver the best service! The respect and perfection from the chef is so good to see and we want to stand out the organization and cleanliness of Mario! Our night was also pretty funny thanks to Ash! Quality food 10/10! Thanks Farina for this unforgettable dinner, we'll be back!

One of the best places for Italian in Auckland. Classic rustic Italian food, beautiful flavours, great Italian wine selection. There's so many things to enjoy about Farina's - the attentive staff, delicious food and comfortable atmosphere. Ongoing reviews from different things we have eaten when dining at Farina: We loved the flounder, clam linguine and crab ravioli. The fish stew was superb. So much flavour and copious ammounts of snapper, octopus, prawns and tuatua (clams). Hapuka wings and clams - delicious flavours and beautiful fish. Get some extra bread to mop up the sauce with. My friend had the Beef Lasagna which he loved. The Chianti is a great Italian red. Goes with pretty much everything on the menu. Totally worth getting at least one bottle for the table. Finished with the delicious classic Italian dessert Tiramisu. Another night of exceptional food and service.

Amazing dinner at Farina! This is one of our favourite places in Auckland and the go-to restaurant to meet friends and colleagues. Cozy vibes and great food. Last time we went there were 6 of us and we had a feast. I strongly recommend the meatballs and the gnocchi. This time we had a fantastic stew and delicious pizzas (we went for the burrata with truffle and the vegetarian one - both of them recommend 100%!). Parmigiana is also a must. I would honestly order everything in the menu. We went for a pinot noir and some of us had their classic espresso martini 👌 And of course, tiramisu to close a gorgeous meal ❤️

First time trying for dinner on a Friday night- simple meal of pizza, drinks and dessert. Had the Vesuvio and it was so simple but the most delicious Italian pizza I’ve tried in New Zealand! The base was thin and light but wasn’t falling apart. I loved that you could fold the slices and the toppings remained. The crust wasn’t doughy as it was also light and the perfect crisp. I was persuaded by the most cheerful staff who was taking care of our table the whole time, to try their espresso martini and I was so glad I did! Espresso martinis are so good when made right but could be so terrible and I have to say, out of many espresso martinis I have tried in akl restaurants, here has been the best! The amount of foam at the top and the creaminess it added, the taste of the coffee bean smelt and tasted delicious with the perfect amount and mix of martini. THE DESSERT. Oh my. We actually tried their tiramisu dessert on Uber eats first and my partner and I fell in love with it but hadn’t tried anything else. I’m extremely lactose but I inhaled a lot of lactose pills just so I could indulge in their tiramisu and fondente al cioccolato. Chefs kiss! Can’t wait to explore the rest of the menu! I also enjoyed the atmosphere and the interior design looked so fun. Small space but utilised very well. I thought they made very well good use of table and bar spacing and was able to fit a lot in but it didn’t feel crowded. Nice place for families and date night!

Excellent food. Made with love and care. Friendly staff and atmosphere. The octopus was cooked perfectly.

Wow! Wow! Wow! It's doesn't get more authentic than Farina if you're in the mood for some southern Italian food. Fresh and thoughtful ingredients. I can not fault anything on their menu. They have a great wine selection of local and Italian imports of key varieties that will keep your pallet suitably entertained. Staff of friendly and the overall vibe is great.

Beautiful restaurant and some of the best customer service I have ever had. You could tell the staff were genuinely happy to be there. Also great food! I had the gnocchi and it was the best gnocchi I had of my life. definitely will be back for more. Great portions as well for value of money. My partner and I only had an entree and a main each, and both left feeling very full and satisfied.

Came with friends the other night and wasn't disappointed! We definitely pigged out and ordered a lot - see photos - and did not have any regrets whatsoever. The risotto of the day was chock-full of flavourful, fresh clams and was the highlight - and I normally detest risotto! The only complaint from my mates was that the pizza was a bit too salty, although I didn't think so at all. Would absolutely bring mates here again, the wait staff made the wait for food barely noticeable too 👌

Farina is a truly delightful Italian dining spot where authenticity meets ambience in Ponsonby. I started my meal with the Crudo appetizer, raw fish with citrus salad, which tantalized my palate with its freshness. The standout, however, was the Linguine – a symphony of flavors that perfectly balanced the briny clams with the silkiness of the pasta. For pizza lovers, the Boscaiola is a must-try, generously topped with mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. The service deserves a special mention, with a nod to Ash, who's not only attentive and friendly but also shares a love for korean culture. Looking forward to my next visit to Farina!

This is a nice Italian place tucked away on the corner of Ponsonby Road. The atmosphere is a busy but intimate and intentionally decorated space. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable, the food was very good.

Spent my Partner and I's anniversary here, as well as more recently my Birthday, and I couldn't recommend it more. Family Friendly, with some of the most magnificently hospitable staff, the food is divine, with authentic flavors, whether it's pasta or pizza you're after, everything on the menu is a treat.

Great little place with a wonderful atmosphere, staff who make you feel like a member of the family, and food that makes you wish the lights were a tiny bit dimmer so you could get away with running a sly finger over the plate to make that flavour last just a few seconds longer. Good meals that make you feel stuffed, staff that make you feel good about having made the choice to become stuffed, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you plan to get back and get stuffed again as soon as possible

surprise! surprise! surprise! The chef is very daring and innovative(I think), because it was the first time I ate a whole fish in a western restaurant. The taste is fresh and tender. Everything is so perfect. The raw fish salad was also handled very well. Very interesting combination of ingredients, full of Mediterranean flavor, let the taste buds taste the rich layers and textures of different ingredients. The design of the restaurant is very cozy, the service is very warm, and it makes people feel like there is a warm wind from southern Italy.

Stumbled upon this place as part of our bar hopping experience and couldn't be happier. Fantastic pizzas, and the drinks were great. The bartender was knowledgeable and gave us great insight. Would definitely come back again for a proper dinner.

Wonderful night at Farina. Food and drinks were authentic. I love Salsiccia the best. We knocked a glass down accidentally and the staff came immediately with tissues and made us not that embarrassed. They were friendly and helpful. Grazie!! Will come back when travel here again :)

I feel guilty for waiting this long to try this INCREDIBLE restaurant! The service stands out as the best I have ever experienced. If you are lucky enough to have Ash serve you then you are in for a treat... he is amazing. The food is sensational and faultless. I am already planning to return... OFTEN!!! Thank you Farina, you rock!

A great place to get your authentic Italian fix. Easily the best Duck dish - ‘the duck ravioli’, great wood fired pizzas and amazing deserts. The Cannolo is one of the best in Auckland.

I give my reviews on comparison with similar priced restaurants. While this isn't in my top restaurants list, it's an excellent choice in Ponsonby for a mid-end dining experience. <br/>I would recommend the pizzas and drinks.

Came to Farina for my sister’s birthday dinner and had an amazing experience! The calamari was fantastic, as were this wood fired pizzas and pasta. Staff are very friendly and accommodating, lovely service. Even got to watch a very talented artist paint a new mural on the outside wall. Will definitely be back!

Have dined at farina a few times but the last couple of times were EXCEPTIONALLY POOR in terms of service hence giving the feedback after 2 separate occasions receiving poor service. Dined in November 19 for a birthday and was just rushed the whole night. We were constantly asked if we had finished our meals even though there was still food left. After finishing, we were asked if we wanted dessert and we said no. Not long after, our waiter brought the bill to the table without asking us if we wanted it, making us feel unwelcomed and rushed. And shortly after, we were asked to vacate tables to sit in the bar as another party was coming (none of this being communicated to us until they wanted to move us). Just really left a bad taste to the whole dining experience.<br/><br/>Dined again in Jan 20 (as a couple). Service was ok/average (so a bit of an improvement to last time). So no big issues until coming to pay the bill and trying to use my zomato gold i was told that i couldn't use it because 2 out of the 3 main dishes we ordered were not covered on zomato gold. I thought hey that's fair enough because i never told them about using zomato gold until i went up to pay (so no dramas).<br/>We then decided why not have a free dessert on the house, seeing 1 of the mains we ordered qualified for zomato gold.<br/>After finishing dessert, it unfortunately hit past 10pm and farina was 'closed' on the zomato app, so i couldn't redeem my 1+1. Long story short, they knew that we had only ordered dessert when showing them zomato gold and just because it went was 10pm, meaning i could no longer unlock the offer on the app even though i showed it to them before, they decided to go ahead and charge us for the dessert :(<br/>Honestly just very poor customer service! Won't be returning to Farina's for a long time or maybe ever.

False advertsing with Zomato Gold. We showed our waitress our unlocked zomato gold right at the beginning of your meal and were only told at the end that the gold only worked if dishes were more than $35 each which its NOT said anywhere in the terms and conditions, NOT on the menu part of the zomato information and we weren’t even told by our waitress. Horrible experience

The guanciale pizza was by far the tastiest out of the three dishes we ordered. I do not recommend the spaghetti alla cetara as we thought it was way too salty. The duck tortelloni was bland but had interesting side flavour thanks to the sweetness of the pomegranate (like). I like the decor of the restaurant and that there was an outside area (but next to a parking lot and bins). Service was good, attentive, a bit on the slow side as we waited half an hour.<br/><br/>***Please note Zomato Gold users: This restaurant recently changed their Zomato Gold policy. You will need to spend minimum $35pp in order to get the free dish. This is unlike other restaurants which is normally buy 1 get 1 equal or less value dish for free. Currently this is not clearly advertised.

Another great night at Farina. The service was top notch as usual and the food was super tasty. I really enjoyed the cauliflower dish, and thought that adding some kind of sauce to it could be a nice touch.

Great service, food came out really fast and was delicious! Only thing was that the arancini could have been a bit hotter but otherwise it was very yummy:)

The pizza was good. But the service was utterly atrocious. The MD was exceedingly rude to us upon arrival, and we were not shown any attention after the initial altercation. Save your money, don't go here.

We went here because it was on zomato gold and it looked nice, we asked if there were any gluten free options on the menu and the person at the bar said yes. Then when we came to order the waiter didn’t seem very interested in discussing if something was gf (he also didn’t know what it was - might be helpful for future customers) and was very hard to communicate with. We tried to get water for ages but it was really hard to get hold of anyone. They were busy but not crazy busy. The Meals came and they were ok, tasted good but nothing out of this world. When it came time to pay, we were told that the zomato gold only applies to meals over $35, which would have been difficult as all of the menu items were around the $29 mark. Really awkward and uncomfortable and we will not be returning.

Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious! Eggplant parmigiana, garlic pizza bread, burrata pizza, boscaiola (perfect for those who aren’t big blue cheese eaters) tiramisu. I’ve been raving about it all morning! Lovely staff who didn’t mind hangry girls 😂 I’ll definitely be back... often.

Best pizza ever. Order the guanciale!

From the food to service everythings absolutely amazing. We ordered the mushroom guanciale pizza, clam pasta and crudo with yellow fine tuna. Hands down one of the best pizzas in Auckland. Will definitely be paying them another visit!

We ordered the parma pizza and the spaghetti. The pizza came out very fast and was one of the best pizzas I have ever had. The spaghetti was not tomato based, which was quite surprising, however the flavours were rich and delicious. It's hard to explain in words how good the food was here, and even harder to go back to 'normal' pizza. The service was also excellent, and it was nice that the whole kitchen is in view of the diners. I would recommend booking as the restaurant gets very full.

They have the best pork belly bun ever 👍 Restaurant is set up is nice and cool. Friendly customer service 🖤

Some of the best pizza I’ve had in Auckland - reminded me of the pizza in Naples with the sourdough base! The mushroom & truffle was my favourite! The arancini & croquettes were also spot on! I also had the fiera cocktail and it was delicious and so pretty! Such a good deal also w/ Zomato gold!

Seeing a few unjustified (bad) reviews for this restaurant, I felt that there’s a need to provide my opinion as a lover for good food as well. Having spent significant time in Italy I must say the food at Farina is impressively authentic, and well made, especially in this region. It does takes guts to stick to the roots, in a foreign region where most people may not understand their food. <br/><br/>Pizzas are meant for single person only, not because the restaurant made it purposely too small to share. Pasta may be drenched in olive oil because that’s how it is, not because the chef can’t cook. Also, real carbonara does not contain cream, if you want cream with your carbonara, please look elsewhere..<br/><br/>The ingredients used are of extremely high quality and the service reflects the energy and charm of the Italian people. Never disappointed in any of our visits. Please keep up the amazing work!

We had a great feed here a couple of weeks ago. A group of 6 of us really enjoy our pizzas and entrees. The service was very friendly and attentive. The food was full of flavour with fresh ingredients.

Best Italian food I’ve had to date! We started off with the garlic pizza bread and arancini balls, for our mains we had the Margherita pizza and veal gnocchi. Every single dish was so delicious and flavourful, would totally come back for more plus I got to take advantage of my Zomato gold membership here!

10/10 - so delicious! Tasted like Italy

Sooooooooo delicious.

🍕 Margherita pizza tour location #4: Farina, Ponsonby.<br/><br/>We got to make use of our Zomato Gold membership here! We ordered a Margherita pizza, potato gnocchi, garlic pizza bread and arancini.<br/><br/>The Margherita pizza was awesome. Soft and airy, with crunch in the right places. Flavours were great and nothing lacked.<br/><br/>We also ordered the garlic pizza bread, arancini and potato gnocchi. The garlic pizza bread was a great little appetiser with rosemary and that wood fire taste! The arancini balls were crunchy, creamy, cheesy balls of goodness served with a tomato sauce that helped cut through the richness. And last but not least the potato gnocchi with veal. Another great dish with soft, tender veal, fresh gremolata and delectable potato dumplings. Very good meal overall.<br/><br/>The restaurant itself was nice. Plenty of seating and some interesting decor. Especially the little mouse mural which Amelia paid special attention to 🐀! The staff were friendly, especially the lady who tried to get Amelia to talk 😂<br/><br/>Overall it was a great experience. We would definitely be going back there for the Margherita again and try a few other things available on the main.<br/><br/>Dined with Sueshi 😊

We saw the reviews and decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, the food just average, the clam pasta looks good but doesn’t taste good, it is just too too salty!!! The Japanese waitress is very nice and friendly 👍🏻 unfortunately the lady manager was not. 👎🏻. Don’t think I will visit agin, which is disappointed, because my favourite cuisine is Italian....

The service was great and friendly. We loved the pizza so much but other dishes were not good compared to the prices. The pasta with clams was super super salty and that was all it has. I would go back for pizza but nothing else.

I didn’t notice the restaurant at all because it looked just so simple and normal from outsides. However, the inside ambience gave me a second thought. It is small but a cozy one with a big pizza-making oven at the corner. It is interesting watching chefs putting our pizza into the oven and making stuffs tbh. We ordered the beef balls but they tasted more like lambs so I had to skip it. Pizza was good and quite a small portion for two to share.

Service was friendly and attentive. Food was very nice. Highlight was definitely the veal that came with a blue cheese sauce.

A real gem of an Italian restaurant in the heart of Ponsonby, if you want authentic Italian pizza, I suggest you pay this place a visit.<br/>⁣<br/>𝐁𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚 𝐏𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐚- This was hands down one of the best and most authentic-tasting pizzas I’ve tried in Auckland this far. It was made with that classic Italian super thin base with the bubbly crust which is just how I like my pizza. The only disadvantage to this is you get a lot of crust and not a huge amount of toppings. However, the toppings that were there were simply divine. The combination of mushrooms, Gorgonzola, mozzarella, spinach, pine nuts and my one true love, truffle oil, was quite simply a combination made in heaven. 9.5/10⁣<br/>⁣<br/>𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨- This was the only main vegetarian option on the menu that wasn’t a pizza which was rather disappointing as I really was craving a nice bowl of pasta. The risotto was overall very average. It wasn’t terrible- it contained a nice assortment of mushrooms and had a decent amount of flavour. But the rice was a little too al-dente for my liking and there was just no wow factor to the dish. It was also a pretty small portion for the price. Overall 7/10<br/>

Came to the place cuz we saw the good rating. Then it turns out it was an awful idea. We waited one hour for the pizza, then we asked why it takes so long, they said oh, sorry it was severed to a wrong table. Then it takes TWO minutes to get the burned pizza ready. Just can’t believe a 29 dollar pizza worth to wait that long and taste that burned. Dominos can do much better. Good way to ruin a nice Friday night. Never come back.

Loved dining here! The staff were so accommodating and super helpful with deciding what to order. The pasta was delicious and flavours were amazing. Highly recommend

Food was amazing! We shared two pizzas and a pasta, all of which were flavourful. Only downside was that the crust was a little chewy. Staff were friendly and happy to explain their extensive menu options for people unfamiliar with Italian cuisine :)

Great food. Loved the Diavola pizza. Sardines in oil with toast was a great starter. Great conversation with the duty manager. Will definitely visit again.

Great pizzas, probably the best in Auckland! Good service and the food came pretty quickly after we ordered them. The restaurant had great decor which really exuded Italy. Would come back here.

This is a very nice Italian restaurant and we really enjoyed our dining experience here. The services was excellent, all the staff were very attentive, empty plates were removed from our table instantly. The food was delicious especially the Truffle Oil Risotto and Truffle Oil Chips. For people who loves truffle oil dishes as much as us then you must visit this restaurant before they change their menu. They are on Zomato Gold which is a bonus.<br/>General Tip: Must make a booking if you are going visit as they are always busy.

Incredible pizza, options for everyone! Super busy, fun atmosphere! The staff were so friendly and attentive, and the place had a really nice vibe to it. I will 100% be going back.

Absolutely incredible food at this Italian restaurant. Farina is consistent with there service and taste, the Margherita pizza is a must, my partner and I think it’s one of the best pizzas you can find in Auckland. Also, the gnocchi is worth mentioning, super creamy and cooked to perfection, the staff are super friendly and are always making sure you are enjoying your experience :) we are lucky it’s only a 10 minute walk from home!

Great service, attentive waitstaff and delicious food. The octopus was divine! While we couldn't get a table, waitstaff regularly checked in on us to make sure were okay. Would highly recommend.

I went to this place with a group of about 10 people for a friend's birthday dinner. We ordered a few appetizers and oven fired pizzas.<br/><br/>Atmosphere: 3/4<br/>There is no on site parking, have to park on street. The place is casual and can cater for small and large groups. The place is good for fairly large group meet ups.<br/><br/>Food: 3/4<br/>The place is known for oven fired pizzas. So if you go, you have to try their pizza.<br/><br/>Service: 4/4<br/>The waiteress we had at our table was genuinely nice and accommodating.<br/><br/>Cost: 2/4<br/>For what you pay, I reckon the price is a bit too much. The pizza price ranges from $24 - $32.<br/><br/>Recomend to anyone who is looking for a place to cater a large group.

The food was amazing and so was the service. Highly recommend and will definitely be back. Always make a booking though as this place always looks busy.

The food was amazing, and the staffs were super friendly. Im definitely coming back. I would like to try desserts next time as recommended by staffs. Thank you :)

A nice ambience Italian restaurant with a good selection on the menu , all dishes are nice and ingredients are very fresh , my favourite will have to be the smoked beef carpaccio!<br/>

Visited this place last night, couldn't rate it higher! We ordered the house bread with olive oil, prosciutto & mozarella croquettes, carpaccio with rocket, the ragu of the day and the veal schnitzel.<br/><br/>Everything was incredible, highlights for were definitely the carpaccio and the veal schnitzel (I haven't been able to find this dish anywhere else in Auckland!).<br/><br/>Because of Zomato Gold, food and drinks (had a few glasses of wine and a spritz) the entire bill only came up to $110! It felt we were ripping them off.<br/><br/>The service was fantastic, in particular the gentleman at the door and the other guy who bravely faced the chefs after my partner asked for tomato sauce... Can't wait to go back and try more of the menu.

Great wood fire pizza and very friendly service. We used our zomato gold and got 1+1 on food here and it's really worth it.<br/>We enjoyed our dining experience here and would recommend people who are craving for Italian pizza to give it a try!

Staff were really friendly, food and drinks were amazing, why didn’t we try Farina sooner instead of going to all the other overly hyped up Italian restaurants on K’road? We started off with wine and cocktail. Cocktails here pack a punch, if you know what I mean, so a little went a long way and we sure got our money’s worth. When our appetizers came out, we were in shock, a good one though. They were massive! Despite the large portions, there’s no compromise on quality here! The beef carpaccio was so smoky and had such a great texture, topped with a generous shaving of grated cheese. The burrata top-up of Parma ham was unbelievable as well, we would have surely paid more buying it off the shelf in the supermarkets. The veal schnitzel was so crispy yet tender. And the special of the day, lamb ragu was so light and fresh and completed not what we would have expected of a ragu. The meal was made better because we could use Zomato gold on our orders, and got 1 for 1 on our food (use my code “ILOV3237” if you wanna purchase the membership at a discount)! We will definitely be back again, at least for desserts since we forgot to leave some room for it.

Had dinner here last night, was so stoked and looking forward to it after seeing all the photos, went in knowing exactly what I wanted but what came out was most definitely not what I wanted. The risotto was under cooked and waitress was very nice and took it back for it to cooked a little bit more but it was still underdone. Underdone risotto is quite possibly one of the worst things to eat. At that point I was just so hungry I just wanted to eat whatever was in front of me but disappointed over the overall dish.

Great authentic Italian food. The energy of the staff is great and we always feel well looked after. I would recommend Farina to everyone!!!

Great pizza, great service.<br/>We had Burrata pizza.<br/>Light dough, balanced flavour.<br/>Service was attentive and friendly.<br/>Highly recommended. A must<br/>

Nice location and friendly helpful staff but the food need a bit improvement. In general its good but compared to the price it does not satisfy. And seriously $11,- for a sparkling water of a brand you can get at Countdown for $1,79?

Second time at Farina thanks to zomato gold ⭐️ The Woodfire oven pizzas there are amazing, and of course I had to get one with truffle oil 😍 it came out SO fragrant and cheesy, was definitely a winner! My only complaint about the pizza was that the crust was slightly too thin, so with more time it would fall apart when picked up 😅 understandable that they’re meant to be thin, but they should still hold their structure! The calzone was good, but I think I miss the old New York calzones that are stuffed with ricotta 😂 this one however was still delicious and came with a fair amount of ricotta amongst meat fillings ☺️ overall loved the food, but when we ordered ginger ales we were given beers so service could do with a bit of improvement 😂 still loved it though and was a great experience

The pizza served here is incredible - the best I have ever had. Now I am not saying I am any sort of pizza connoisseur, however I have had a lot of pizza from many different places (NYC, London, LA, Naples, Australia etc..) however I still have not tasted better than this. The secret? I think it is their passata - the flavour is amazing. The quality of the ingredients used is also first class, this is rustic Itatlian cooking at its best. We normally get a pizza and a pasta and the quality is always the best - this place is quite literally faultless. Oh, they also do a fantastic G&T!! Keep up the good work

Used Zomato Gold 1+1 on food at Farina and it was super delish! Pizza dough was nice and soft like a naan bread :) Must come back to try their tiramisu next time!!

The service is excellent. However food was actually alright - authentic but too salty and overpowering. We ordered the black ink spaghetti and white based pizza.

We visited this place for lunch today with our 2 years old. The staff serving us was so thoughtful by giving us a seat on the couch area and giving our toddler colouring pencils and paper to play with. We ordered a pizza and a pork ragu. Both are so delicious and their service is so fast. When we finished she also offered us some breads to finish off the sauces from the pork ragu! Delicious! Highly recommended! And we will be back.!

Waiting for a table was awkward as the bar staff could serve or communicate that we had to wait for a FOH.<br/>Ordered the Boscaiola pizza ($29) topping slipped off the front of the pizza slice, gorganozola was super tasty and the crust - middle just needed to be cooked more. <br/>Got the Ragu of the day - Rabbit ($29)<br/>Rabbit was delish but the noodles were not cooked properly - still partially raw in the middle. Told the waiter who said it was al dente... al dente my a**. it was chewy and floury. Chef said it was suppose to be like that. When you picked up the noodles it was still stiff - not impressed. <br/>Tirimasu was good though. <br/>We have Zomato gold BUT as the ragu was a special (although to the menu???) we couldn’t use that as the second meal so got the tirimasu free.<br/>No problems really but i won’t be rushing back anytime soon

Great venue and buzzing. Squid ink pasta was too salty. Pizza was on point and wonderful to eat. Would go back for the pizza. Great friendly staff.

Really enjoy my lunch and exprience at Farina. Helpful staff and wonderful food! The pizza is the best! Reasonable price and good quality!!<br/>Recommended!!! ❤️

Went to Farina in the silly season and had a wonderful night out. Sardine’s, a house special, were an ideal starter. Well balanced flavours of lemon and garlic with crusty bread. Divine. We were a table of four . Three of us had pizzas, very authentic. Cannoli were like being back in Napoli.<br/>Will continue to go back for the superb food and service. Bellissimo

Time flies, Baby Kirsty’s dad is another year older.  Today, our family celebrated Jin’s birthday at Farina, an Italian restaurant in Ponsonby. The restaurant is very cozily decorated and the lady staff was very nice and friendly.  We ordered a few dishes to share.  The girls had a few cocktails but I am old fashioned (no drinks for me during lunch unless it is Christmas) and had my regular cappuccino.

Wanted to try this place for ages, unfortunately It was a let down. The decor definitely has an Italian feel to it. We ordered two pizzas and two small beers, came to $75. Crazy!<br/>One salsiccia and One diavola, was not blown away! Toppings were sparse and needed salt

Good atmosphere with nice service! Very into this place! I love their pork bun and Crudo, raw market fish, it taste delicious and unique! I did came here quite often, also recommended the pizza and pasta!!!

Disappointed ..... Entrees were pleasing but when the mains came one of our party who had Tuna found it over cooked , a tasteless mushy main . No flavour . Tua Tua spaghetti dish swimming in oil and again lacking in flavour . Three of our party were told chef had cooked duck pasta dish , not the ricotta and spinach ordered . Luckily the party was in a benevolent mood and accepted the dish he had cooked ...but it was again underwhelming .....coffees took too long .....

Had dinner here tonight after it was recommended to me by one of my work colleague. The place is quite small but popular. Table arrangement means you will be sharing tables with other customers. Bar table is quite tight. There’s only one lady placing orders for everyone but she was good on her job. Food wise I have to say is not for everyone as the flavour is quite strong. Spaghetti had a strong after taste and the garlic pizza bread can be better. Overall Farina is worth a try but I prefer another Italian restaurant down the road. Just my personal preference though.

I just love this place for food. It has not just good Italian food but the passion behind it. The pizza bases are top notch and the starters offer a variety of flavours and textures. I find it difficult to fault this place and I love the set up and style of the place . <br/>If you want Italian this the place to go

Had an excellent pizza from here recently but it was uberdelivered and cold by the time it reached us. Must dine in and order off the full menu. I'm sure it'll be great!

We ordered Pizza on UberEats and was a little bit disappointed to be honest. The base was very soggy which made it hard to eat and a bit messy. The taste itself was nice but the texture of the pizza was not good at all. Probably much better to just have it there.

The Margherita pizza is dope, the daily pasta is amazing( at least today’s is amazing).<br/>Eventually, you guys will never know how wonderful is the espresso until you have one.<br/><br/>Hello, My new favorite Italian restaurant in Auckland.

The waitress had a bad attitude and just seemed to either dislike people or her job or perhaps both. In one instance she launched into a tirade at our friend after he inquired about the lager prices whilst deciding what to order. <br/>She then went on to give us angry looks whenever she walked past our table making us feel quite uncomfortable during the meal. <br/>Won't be back to pay to be mistreated again.

Best pizza in Auckland. Especially the buratta, so creamy. The crust is perfect, nice and crispy and charred on the rim and delicious and soft in the centre. And their espresso is the perfect end to the meal.

Recently came here with 6 others. The service was excellent. Flawless and with a good sense of humour. Cocktails were very good. Most of the party had pasta dishes that looked great and they all said tastes divine.<br/> I went for a margarita pizza. It was disappointing and I should have spoken up. It was raw. I could have eaten the middle with a spoon. When It was placed in front of me the topping was very runny. I left it to cool in the hope it would set a bit but I didn't.<br/> So I cut into it and the middle was just raw dough. I should have spoken up and asked for bit longer in the oven but I'm crap at it. I see other people rave about the pizza so I'm sure it wasn't a regular occurrence.

The service was amazing! The waitress constantly checked on us and she was really nice too! We ordered the golfo pizza and it did take awhile to come out, approximately 40 minutes. It was pretty busy at the time and the waitress did check on the pizza a few times. Pizza was pretty tasty. We then had the spaghetti and the vitello alla milanese, which came out very quickly, so that was good. The vitello alla milanese was a bit under seasoned but apart from that, it was fine. The spaghetti was alright, nothing really special about it. The best part of the night was the tiramisu, totally recommend trying it.

the pizza is ok ... not great ... the dough is really good but the toppings are a bit average and u sadly mine was soggy :( my boyfriends calzone was oj but not great...also the price of thier soft drinks and poor selection of beer was disappointing. I paid $6 for a diet coke and it came in a small glass rammed with 90% ice....for $6 I expect more than that! yeah I wouldn't go back. <br/>.

Service was personal, attentive and servers were responsive to my nut and peanut allergy. Add on the delicious pizza and Cheese platter- made a successful date night :)

My whole fam loves this place. The staff are super friendly and the food is prime 👌🏽 one of the best woodfired pizzas in Auckland hands down. Would recommend to families/groups of friends keen for Italian for lunch or dinner!

Lovely pizzas all round, however one of my party's gnocchi was a little below average- quite chewy and bland. Atmosphere was alright, and the service started well but really chilled off toward the end of our meal and we were put off ordering dessert and decided to head up the road instead.

Every single dish was delicious!<br/>The depth of flavour and freshness were outstanding I truly enjoyed the meals.<br/>The pizza dough and the pasta were the key element to enhance dishes.<br/>Also they had excellent Italian wine collections which satisfy wine lovers <br/>I love to go back again & again 😊<br/>

Just went to this fabulous restaurant with my partner tonight and was so impressed. The service was absolutely fantastic, we were seen to immediately and was constantly taken care of. The servers were all friendly and hospitable even though they were very busy for a Wednesday night. The food was incredible, my personal favourite was the eggplant parmigiana and my partner had an amazing duck tortellini. Our desserts were creamy, sweet and the flavour balance great. All in all it was a great night and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic Italian meal.

Casual village Italian with a touch of glamour. <br/>Farina hosted our friends birthday dinner on Thursday evening and did not disappoint. <br/>Having arrived at the busy bar we waited to be served for a little longer than we would have preferred but it was clear the bartender was busy serving table orders - a simple glance in our direction to acknowledge our presence would have immediately made us feel more attended to. <br/>Our evening from that moment was wonderful. Our table was laid, our waitress was patient and informative for amour large group and suggested we share some nibbles whilst we waited to order - this left us feeling relaxed. <br/>The wine was great, service was speedy and when the food landed the presentation was excellent. <br/>I had the beef carpaccio which was drizzled in truffle oil and fresh Parmesan - totally divine. <br/>Friends shared pizzas and breads which all received high praise. <br/>One small note was the risotto could have been hotter because as it landed the temperature was lukewarm - though taste and texture was superb. <br/>This little place is an awesome place to host an impromptu informal evening for two or more. <br/>We'll certainly return! <br/>

Exelent food...taste like authentic Italian home made food. 👍🥗👍🥗 Nice pleasant atmosphere and very friendly staff. They have best beef carpaco in Auckland.

Nothing soothes the soul like authentic Italian cuisine. There are far too many fakes in this city. But Farina doesn't disappoint. The pizza is always a favorite but the veal with tuna cream is outstanding. <br/>The dining area is kind of tight and underwhelming but who cares with food like this. <br/>Keep up the good work.

The staff were very nice and always had a smile on their face and the food was amazing! Came out the restaurant with a full and very satisfied tummy!

There's not a lot of things in life better than a wholesome Italian meal with friends, that's a fact 😎. The crew headed on down to Farina on a Friday night and we were definitely impressed with the food 😍. Everything we received was of the highest quality, you could really taste the ingredients and their origin. The pizza is great but the pasta - out of this world! As a pasta fiend, I was extremely happy. Unfortunately, while the food was amazing it didn't really make up for the lack or organization and service 😣. We had a table booked for 10 but when we arrived, the table set for us only had 8 seats... I felt really bad for the ladies they made us squeeze in next to! The service was lacking, especially around the seating issue. I will say though that in general the waiters were lovely and you could see that they enjoyed their jobs! Overall I would come back but maybe without a booking to save the hassle 🤔

We came here after staff meeting, definitely recommend booking in advance as the place was fully packed on a Friday night.<br/><br/>I was really excited to try this place as I have heard great things about their 1 meter long pizzas :) However we were disappointed to be informed that due to their new oven, the 1 meter pizzas are no longer offered except at Toto's in town :( Still, service was great, and the staff serving us has a good sense of humour. <br/><br/>The food took awhile to arrive, but when they finally came they were absolutely gorgeous. I do not normally enjoy thin pizza bases, however these ones are very well made - soft & chewy but crispy on the outer edge just like they make in Italy. They are also loaded with Ingredients. We ordered 3 pizzas to share. Everyone enjoyed the seafood one which had whole clam shells on it. I personally preferred the one with mixed mushroom, spinach, and cream cheese - amazing combination. For the classic margarita, I would recommend spending the extra money to add mozzarella buffalo as the tomato paste and basil are quite strong on their own. Definitely one of the more authentic pizzas in Auckland.<br/><br/>For pasta, the cannelloni was the only vegetarian one. It was quite rich and delicious, though the serving size was quite small and more like an entree. The stewed lamb with tagliolini pasta was another favourite dish, with big chunks of meat and a very hearty gravy. <br/><br/>The desserts were beautiful presented, though the serving sizes were also tiny. Other than that and wishing they had more vegetarian options for pasta, we had a lovely evening. There's nothing about this place that quite says 'wow', but it is definitely good enough to come back for a second time.

Joined a couple of friends here as they are local and come here all the time and had told us how good it was.  Great if you're happy with sharing big tables with others (which we are).  Food was very good although I didn't read the menu properly so was surprised when we got the sardines and they weren't hot - still tasty however.  Had a few amazing items from the menu, and a couple of average ones which we wouldn't bother trying again - a case of the item reading very well on the menu but not quite delivering.  Good service however, and a great gin and tonic to begin with.  Happy to go back and take the kids next time.

Want a decent pizza takeaway? This is it!<br/><br/>Great pizza, great tasting, like Archie's but slightly more premium. <br/><br/>Only downside is the lack of parking in ponsonby, and the price for pizza at $20-$30 each. But with Quality comes he price.<br/><br/>Service: 5/5 (water while you wait)<br/>Food Quality: 5/5<br/>Food Quantity: 5/5<br/>Environment: 4/5<br/>Price: $30pp

I went to Farina last night and absolutely loved the food. Home-made gnocchi which was so delicious I was savouring every mouthful <br/>Raddichio salad which was super fresh, with the most divine dressing. <br/>My daughter had margarita pizza - she's a pizza connoisseur! and devoured it very happily. Staff were fabulous- can't wait to go back 👍😋💕

Great food as long as you don't mind the wait. Everyone is awesome and the pizza is exceptional. Service is either excellent or very average depending on who you get.

What a lovely place! The people here are soooo friendly. We were looked after very well. Our glasses were never empty coz the staff were very attentive and helpful! Always making sure we're okay and happy. Everything just feels very genuine and intimate. The food... my gosh don't get me started! They're ahmaziiingggg! The toasted bread and sardines were to die for. The beef carpaccio so beautiful and tasty. What a way to start the evening. Then comes the smoked kahawai, goat ragu, scallops... my goodness all these flavour were just dancing in my mouth. Tiramisu was just a perfect way to end the evening. So beautiful... Thank you so much Team... will be back for some more 😊

Food : <br/>2/5 (pizza soggy)<br/><br/>Service: <br/>called in to reserve - on arrival told table not ready and ended up on bar seats. Expected a seat in a restaurant other wise would of gone to a bar to get bar food.<br/>Waiter could have less suggestive.<br/><br/>Experience: <br/>Overall - ok, wouldn't recommend though if your hungry <br/><br/>

Come here with my boss,great service the waiter was real good funny as hell too 😜,a lot of people talk up the pizza and they weren't wrong wow pizza so good and the fish I had Hapuka you can never go wrong with it,great place chefs a talkative aswell real cool to interact with them,will be back with my fiancée 🤓

This place gets really busy so we had to wait a while. The food was deffs worth the wait tho, especially the pizza with Gorgonzola and their new ravioli was completely demolished in minutes.

We've been to Farina several times and I've now decided to review this restaurant. Last night we ordered the octopus and pumpkin salad as entrees. Delicious!!! We can taste the fresh octopus with slightly lemony dressing. Shaved pumpkins are crunchy, slightly spicy and chopped mints. <br/>For mains, we ordered Frasella pizza and duck tortelloni. The Frasella pizza is not like your traditional pizza. It came on the table with fresh cherry tomatoes, olive oil, mozzarella cheese and rockets. The pizza base was cruchy and it tasted great with all the goodies on top. Tortelloni was great too. The sauce with mushrooms was thick but full of flavour. I was craving for more! Would go back to try other pasta dishes.

Taste buds ahoy! If you are a fan of seafood pasta, highly recommending Spaghettini Vongole. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly with a well balanced white wine sauce, and nevertheless with a generous amount of clamps. Definitely dish for the night.<br/><br/>Spiedini del Giorno the half metre skewer of the day was beef, lamb and sausages served on top of diced potatoes and onion. This was a little over cooked, it was not a strong dish comparing to Agnello.

I booked a table for 2 on Fri night. When we got there, they just sat us down behind the line of walk ins waiting for a table. If you dont do bookings, then just let people know about it on the phone. Dont just pretend to have a reserved seating for them. <br/><br/>They sat us at the kitchen/bar bench area, the harsh green light made it hard to distinguish what we were eating. You eat wih your eyes too and it just ruins the presentation of the well plated dishes and the dining experience. <br/><br/>We tried the pork porchetta bun, the lamb ribs and also the del moro pizza. The bun and ribs were quite fatty, not quite my cup of tea but the meat was well cooked. The pizza dough was great, definitely met our expectations. <br/><br/>I think overall just an ok experience, probably more to do with where they sat us (even though we booked a table) and our choice of dishes. <br/><br/>I would recommend to come in a group of 4 or more to avoid sitting under that green light.

Amazing service,let alone one of the BEST pizzas ever! <br/><br/>We picked "del moro" (with prosciutto and parmigiano) and "calzone" (folded pizza with cheese and hot salame). Oh, and the porchetta bun to start with, wow I would have had another 5! Tiramisu' a bit small but just perfect.<br/>Maybe prosciutto instead of hot salame in the calzone would have been better, but that could be personal taste :)  <br/>If one thing, the price of the wine (chianti) seemed a bit high, but again, I guess imported wines tend to be.<br/><br/>Ok, let us brag again about the service a little. Ash, the guy who took care of us was chatty, friendly, attentive and we had an absolute great laugh with him :)

Outstanding italian food! Been there already quite a few times and their antipasti are simply amazing, their pizzas are literally the same as if you travel to Naples to get one and their desserts are decadent! I celebrated my birthday there and couldn't be happier!

Just had a night out with my gf here. And it was perfect. The food was good, great environment and the service was great. Had the duck pasta and I would highly recommend it.

Can't get any better than this. Food was delicious. Can't find better Italian in the States, especially for the price. Staff is killer, as well.<br/>Split the antipasto, diavolo pizza, tortellini and tiramisu and affogato with a buddy. Have never been more content after a meal.<br/>Carlos- you're the man. Thank you to all the staff for a great experience and even Berger meal <br/>A must stop no matter how much time you have in Auckland.

Really authentic Italian restaurant. We ordered eggplant ravioli, crab ravioli and duck tortellini. Really delish! And the pana cotta was really good, the sourness & sweetness was well balanced. Will try the pizzas next time. Highly recommend!

Visited this weekend and had dinner with friends. In the past have always experienced very good service but waited over 45 mins for food and wasn't full or busy restaurant at the time, with a small apology once our food has been put down. Delicious pizza and pasta.

My great-food-demanding cousin was up for a few days so we decided to try Farina on a friend's recommendation. Boy, is that friend worth keeping!<br/>We entered on a lazy Monday with zero expectations and they recommended the best dishes. We had three sharing plates to start with (pork belly, prosciutto-wrapped bocconcini, cauliflower salad); a duck ravioli to share; and a tiramisu to end. We would have kept ordering if we didn't have a massive dinner to go to. <br/>The food was excellent and more Italian than Baduzzi which is more Italian American. Prices are also much more reasonable. <br/>Service was good and unobtrusive. Can't wait to bring hubby for a date night; the ninjas for lasagna and pizza; and the girls for a few giggly wines.

Could not have asked for a better meal here. As a nutella-holic, the Nutella Calzone was absolutely heavenly and was the icing on the cake to what was a wonderful evening at Farina.The ambience here was lovely, a small, quaint place with a little bit of an eclectic feel to it. We were 4 people, ordered a number of the snacks and he half metre skewer of the day which was a lovely lamb and pork sausage. The lamb was a little bit over cooked and chewy, but the pork sausage was delicious. The hit from the snacks was Bocconcini and the Porchetta, the winning dish taste 2014. The second dessert we ordered was the pannacotta which was the second dessert that we ordered was a little bit of a disappointment given how delicious the calzone was. Overall a lovely night and will definitely be going back for the calzone.

Booked a table but upon arrival it wasn't ready (no problem), but sat my family including my grandmother in coldest waiting part of the bar with no update or service for the next half hour.<br/><br/>After this long we moved to a different part of bar and checked in with our waiter, to be told they were 'just wiping the table for us'. 20 minutes later we checked in again, finally seated an hour and ten minutes later, with a quick apology 'for the wait time'. <br/><br/>Upon asking for another wine the waiter rolled his eyes at me! We then were given a new waitress who was lovely and the food was delicious. However after voicing our concerns a couple of times over the night (coupled with saying how great our final waitress and food was) there was no care and we felt like plebs who had come in from the street not worthy of service here. <br/><br/>We could have taken my grandmother anywhere else had we been told up front about the time/not lied to when we were checking in, or at least offered some bread or starters. We understand Friday nights are busy but you simply cannot treat people like this it was so rude and an awful experience.

Very nice place , the food spectacular because I see in the kitchen the chef was Italian so he knew about the Italian dishes.<br/>For sure I will come back with some friends

Amazing food & friendly staff. What more could you ask for?<br/><br/>We were seated right at the back in our tiny little corner away from everyone but the attentive staff made sure they never forgot about us. <br/><br/>Anything with duck is always amazing and that's what we ordered. We were craving for more!<br/><br/>Had the half a meter skewer, it was sooo good! Definitely recommend everyone to try this! The meat was cooked to perfection and came with mashed potato with it. The sauce was just perfect!<br/><br/>Definitely recommend this restaurant!<br/><br/>

We felt like wood-fire pizza for dinner so we came here to try it.... Service was friendly and we got our food quickly... Great place to come with a group.. Although the long tables are abit close together as it's hard for the waitresses to walk down without bumping you ... Pizza bases are nice... We also tried the crab tortellini... It was ok. Probably shouldn't let staff? stand where they make the pizzas as he was talking at the bench over all the open bowls of prepared food...

Came for a birthday dinner. We were seated around the back where there are a few large tables which we shared with another group.<br/><br/>The staff were really helpful and really nice. We were able to order drinks before being seated while we waited for the rest of our party.<br/><br/>The first thing I notice on the way to the table was the huge, roast pork roll on the counter which we were told was for the porcetta snack.<br/><br/>Started with gralic bread and the octopus, both of which went well together. Had the crab ravioli for the main and it was just a huge packet of pasta encapsulating crab meat. The salsa that went with it was just right since it didn't overpower the crab. Went for the hot burger for dessert but they had run out so had to go with the nutella pizza instead. It was alright since it was also stuffed with nutella, but more of a calzone.<br/><br/>Really nice place that know what they are doing. Give it a go if you enjoy simple, delicious meals.

I've come here a couple of times. I've had the ravioli and the seafood risotto.<br/>The ravioli dish was very poor quantity given the $25+ price. The seafood risotto however was one of the best risottos I've ever had. I don't know what flavours or sauces they added in there, but it really hit the spot!<br/>I was only ever given a fork for my meals here, which I found a little inconvenient for my dishes. I think they should also provide you with spoons too.<br/>It's a pretty good atmosphere in here. It's interesting to see the chefs cooking in the kitchen behind the counter. And you can see them cooking the pizzas in the woodfried oven at the back of the restaurant too.<br/>A good place to take your friends on an evening - but a bit pricey for a regular lunch.

I came here for a friends birthday the other night, about 15 of us attended and I must say the service was really bad, the waiter was rude and impatient towards everyone at the table. I ordered a pizza which was nice, the dough was nice and fresh but however due to that experience of the service we all couldn't enjoy the atmosphere as much as we wanted to.

Ahhhhh..the real deal here! Had an awesome night on Monday evening, the place was heaving with punters and despite a 40 mins wait to be seated (we started on a bottle of red at the bar..) we were eventually seated on the bench seats overlooking the kitchen station (recommend this), which provided great theatre for the night...the dishes which the chefs conjured up made our mouth water and senses go into overdrive, so when finally our porcetta "buns" arrived (as starters) we devoured them...after reading previous reviews, I had to try the duck tortellini and my mate had another pasta dish (with spicy fennel sausage); bang on flavours, a minor quibble, maybe the tortellini could've done with another minute..(a little to al dente?). To finish, the limoncello custard for me and tiramisu for him (again tasty) plus coffees...well, first visit here and will definitely be back, super keen to try the rest of the menu. Good chatty service, great buzzy vibe and reasonable value for $ I thought...get here if you haven't already!

Had a lovely meal here last night which beats most of the other local established Italian places around town. Have always wanted to visit this place and the wait was definitely worth it. Walked up to the front door with no reservations on a Saturday evening and was surprise that we were accommodated with a seat quite quickly.<br/><br/>The cocktails set the evening and dining experience off well with refreshing start.<br/><br/>The starters of porcheta bun and arancini were the just the start of a fantastic meal. The bun, nicely toasted with oozing cheese and the succulent pork made the dish extremely moreish. The arancini was crisp on the outside with well cooked tomato risotto ball with an excellent rose sauce which made us want more.<br/><br/>Mains were the duck tortelloni, cooked al dente, deliciously stuffed with the duck and covered with the excellent sauce which was just the right portion size. The sauce with the truffle oil complimented the pasta extremely well. The other pasta dish the casarecce was punchy and pack full of flavour. The fennel sausage was an excellent addition to the dish dotted all over the dish which made the meal and entertaining hunt for morsels of delight when I did get a mouthful of one.<br/><br/>The dessert of tortino oozing chocolate centre which didn't disappoint when paired up with the green apple sorbet that added a level of freshness to the dish. Unfortunately they ran out of the panna cotta desert, but the lemoncello custard cake made up for that disappointment. Light and fluffy sponge interspersed with custard and cream was heaven in a jar<br/><br/>The food coupled with the buzz of atmosphere in the place and the friendly and attentive staff and jovial owner made this one of the best Italian meals that we have had in New Zealand and brought back memories of summer evenings in Italy.... Definitely one to return to and the Italian restaurant to take others to. Top marks and keep it up!

So much goodness! Always on point, great service and knowledgable staff. Will be back for sure.<br/>

Farina is another Italian gem that is authentic to its food and can give Gusto a good run for its money. <br/><br/>Starting off with the aracini. It is well crumbed, the rice not too sticky and burying a cheesy mozzarella treat. The rose sauce, with tomato and roasted capsicum undertone, is a surprise and adds another layer of richness to the dish. <br/><br/>The prosciutto is of great quality. Silky thin goodness that is not too salty and goes perfectly with the pillowy soft, seasalt crusted, baked Parma bread. I can eat that all day. <br/><br/>The confit sardines is a classic Italian dish but is an acquired taste and probably more suited when you have a mish mash of other taster dishes.<br/><br/>The agnello came highly recommended. Apparently it won 2015 dish of the year or something along those lines. It is a very rich but too salty dish. The charcoal lamb just falls off the bone and is very delicious. The leanest of the meat is paired with the Prosciutto it came with which gives you the richness that you get with cuts of meat that has a layer of fat that goes with it. Smart. The peas are so fresh and true to flavour it seems you've just picked it off the garden. It is an essential component of this to balance the saltiness of the dish. But otherwise a yummy dish to have. <br/><br/>But we did prefer the rabbit ragu tiagliatelle (ragu of the day) which was our other main. The hand made pasta was wonderfully done and that sauce was addictive and comforting. Again very rich and seasoned just right. All you would want on a cold rainy day. <br/><br/>The ambience is bustling and nothing beats having to listen to the beautiful Italian accent floating around the place and when they take your order of course to make you believe you could just be in Italy.

Understated elegant Italian style right here on P Rd will wow any amateur diner passing by looking for quality service and beautiful food. This place is so understated that I was never sure exactly where on P Rd it was, however when you get inside it just reeks quality with Italian style steel and tiling decoration. Of course the whole experience is made much more enjoyable by the energetic and vibrant team, special thanks to the lovely Diletta and Alessandra who provided flawless service! One of my companions didn't appreciate the style of food, seems like traditional Italian has gone out of favour a bit on P Rd with Asian taking more of a dominance, however presentation was exemplary and I am keen to come back and try the Tiramisu.... :-)

Always enjoyed a good toto's pizza delivered so was excited to finally try out some other Italian food in their new restaurant, which overall had some good highs and few low lights.<br/><br/>We were greeted and seated by friendly staff. Recommendations were given when asked. <br/><br/>For starters, we got the bread with mozzarella, Italian sashimi (swordfish!) and sardines. They were all delicious especially those sardines! I wasn't sure what to expect as I haven't eaten sardines since I was a kid, and I was pleasantly surprised. If you like fish as salt, this is a great one! so many more on the menu that sounded amazing.<br/><br/>For mains, I was excited about pasta. Highlights, my friends ordered the crab ravioli which had delicious flavours but there seems to be a strong seafood smell (for me). But for those who like blue cheese, the gnocchi was yum with truffle oil!!! <br/>Lowlights, Me being a noodle lover, I went for my usual spaghetti vongole. Unfortunately, I felt my pasta was a bit on the overdone side and somehow the flavours were very bland. Definitely will not order this here again. <br/><br/>Dessert - definitely a highlight and glad it manage to end on a high note. We got the tiramisu and panna cotta which came in cute mason jars. They were both delicious!!!! <br/><br/>One thing I felt slightly offended from the service is when I asked for some Parmesan cheese. Staff questioned in a way that made me feel extra weird (even though I am slightly strange) because I wanted to put Parmesan in my spaghetti to add more flavour. <br/>Even though they did not initially provide me with a bowl for my clam shells, they were attentive enough to give me one at the end, and also a spoon when I tried drinking the sauce with my fork. <br/><br/>Ambience is loud but nice because it feels like you can express yourself without someone staring at you. There are lots of long tables inside for big groups. However, perhaps the tables may have been arranged too close to each other as the waitress kept having to squeeze through my friend and the other girl (who are back to back), lifting their legs to cross over the chairs, and my friend having to move every time they knock into her. Also, they need to cater for people who like to pay by cash as they didn't have sufficient change in hand.<br/><br/>Overall I had an okay experience. Will be back to try their other pastas as I'm a sucker for freshly made pasta. Maybe the tortellini or the tagliatelle? And all their other amazing sides! <br/><br/>

Best Italian food I've had in auckland.<br/>Very busy vibrant place . Inspite of being busy we were welcomed and attended right away.<br/>We got a table to share but was fine as we still had enough room !<br/>We started off with great home made bread and mixed olives. Had some really tasty salami.<br/>The 1/2 meter pizza was outstanding- the quality of pizza base, the mozzarella and roast chicken with caponata just perfect.<br/>We had risotto with porcini which was superb.<br/>The ravioli for mains was just too good.<br/>Our waitress was absolutely prompt in service and was very friendly , just made us feel at home.<br/>No room for dessert but won't miss it next time.

Enjoyed watching the guys at work, rolling the dough and cooking in the pizza oven. The margarita pizza was a nice little taste of what they have to offer and what can be expected from Farina's. It's nice to see the owners (Sergio) back there product and working hard in the kitchen. Can't wait to dine in at there restaurant for the full experience!

As the sun set on the day and the coolness rolled in, pizza was the next option on our food coma train. Was great fun to watch your pizza being made right in front of you and served folded up ready to eat. Hit all the right spots.

My partner and I visited Farina on a Sunday evening as we both felt like Pasta.<br/>We ordered the Duck Tortellini and she had the Crab Ravioli.  The dishes were bursting with flavor and colour, very delicately put together.  We shared a side of braised cauliflower which was a taste explosion.<br/><br/>The service was great, with regular check ups to see if drinks were needed and if we were enjoying the meals.<br/><br/>Would thoroughly recommend.

I am obsessed with pizza and had high hopes for farina. Last time I had the boscaiola which i didn't really like- due to the flavours- so this time I ordered the Margherita. It did not disappoint. Base was fluffy and crispy - done to perfection. I'll be back for the metre long 😂

Farina!! Affordable and tasty. Freshly made pasta, homemade marinated sardines. Portion sizes are great. Staff are friendly and welcoming. Which is nice for a ponsonby spot. This is a favourite spot of mine. I'm addicted to farina Xxx

Can't wait to try the epic food from Farina.<br/>Last year these guys won "best dish" @Taste of Auckland.<br/>I have no doubt it's gonna be a repeat.<br/>Enjoy<br/>

Good food , need to sharpen up on the service but again Ponsonby is always let down by it's crazy prices, why can't we get good old value for money -location location Sarah Forsyth #g7 very lovely Italian cuisine, standard pasta and meatballs

Loved the food - got 3 pizzas between 3 people and we were stuffed! Was really delicious but... the service was absolutely horrific (am only giving 3 stars because of the food!). <br/><br/>I booked online for a 7.30 booking - no issues there. We rock up at 7.30, after waiting around for like 10 minutes trying to catch someone's attention, we were told to wait at the bar. So we waited at the bar for another 10 minutes, before we were told it would be ANOTHER 10 minutes before we would get a table. We at 8pm, finally get to our table. Waitress doesn't come to get our order for another 15 minutes (considering we had already decided on our food while we were at the bar...) and when she does come, she treats me like I'm absolutely stupid for asking questions like "how many people does a standard pizza feed?" and "what's the deal with the metre long pizzas?" [what they're known for!]. I felt so humiliated talking to her. Food comes out really quickly and was delicious, but then we sit for another 15 minutes at the end trying to catch our waitress's attention so we can get doggy bag of our leftovers. Left at like 9.30, so unimpressed. If you want to get the pizza, get takeaway!! Such poor dine-in service, so disappointed.

Amazing metre long Toto's pizzas 🍕 The last Toto's Pizza I had was from Toto's... It didn't even compare to Farinas. Full of flavour, beautiful bases. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Peroni on tap 🍻 The

I went to Farina last week to celebrate a friend's birthday and we had a very nice dinner. <br/><br/>Service was really good and friendly, our waitress felt like part of our friend's group. The manager, who cashed us out, was as well very approachable and nice.<br/><br/>Most of my friends shared huge half a meter pizzas that looked great but I already had pizza for lunch so I had a seafood pasta. The pasta was very well cooked and nicely seasoned and seafood tasted fresh and delicious.<br/><br/>This is a great spot for groups and celebrations. We will be back!

Came here for Sunday lunch with my mum and sister, it was pretty quiet so we were seated right away and a waitress recommended some dishes. We had the calamari as an entree which was super light and yummy. Then I had the duck tortellini, I haven't liked duck the other times I've tried it but it was really good. Friendly service and good food.

Another good Italian Restaurant! Pizza, Pizza , Pizza ! Good service, clean and family friendly<br/>Sergio is well known for make the best Pizzas on Downtown at his iconic restaurant Toto. <br/>At Farina they have as well the Italian classics 👌 very well prepared and presented. Good selection of drinks. 😆🍷🍻🍹and delicious desserts. <br/>My partner Luis Cabrera ( also a Chef who lived in Italy fot 7 years ) Loved the Risotto and the Ravioli di Terra and the D'oro Pizza 🍕 I loved the Arancini and the Calabrese Pizza 😍. For desserts we got the classic Tiramisu and the Panna Cotta. 😋👌 <br/>

We had the best experience here! We were greeted and seated right away even though it was a busy Friday night. My partner was after something that wasn't on the menu and the waiter (or owner?) had a word to the chef and they prepared something off the menu- which was the best Cabonara we had ever tasted! I had pizza and it was amazing too! All round a great experience and we will definitely be back :)

Arrived and the place was absolutely packed for a Friday night. My friends and I came hearing about the metre long pizza. And we weren't dissapointed it was giant and for three girls we couldnt eat it all. Like I could not stop smiling when My metre long pollo came out. The crust was the best bit fluffy and perfect while the filling was a little average. The managers were so welcoming and kind while the waitress was quite mediocre, but it could of been the loud music that prevented proper interaction.

Farina is my Italy in Ponsonby!<br/>I absolutely love Italian cuisine..... Pasta, Pizza, antipasti... Give me all of it NOW!<br/>I found the staff to be very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and the make up of the authentic Italian dishes.<br/>Other than the amazing food, delicious drinks and Italian accents streaming from the beautiful staff, my experience here left me wanting to come back again and again and again.<br/>Ciao

Great atmosphere and service once we were seated. I had the duck tortellini with mushrooms and my partner had the seafood risotto which was generous with clams and squid. Excited to return again to try the pizzas and raviloli

Went to lunch here with a friend of mine. I like their take in yum-cha. You can order a few things to share which we did. We ordered 4 dishes arancini, squid, bread and a sausage dish. All were nice. I had the tiramisu which I found a tad too sweet and there wasn't much of a coffee flavour. My friend had the lemon tart which she said was really good.

Absolutely love this place. It's My total fave at the moment. It's everything that is good about Italian food - simple and delicious and generous. The menu, decor and service are all stylish but not fussy. Good wine choices. I really like Farina.

A great restaurant located in Ponsonby serving good Italian cuisine ranging from Italian salads, pizzas and pastas. Given the vast selections of pizzas, Farina I would say specialises in these. <br/><br/>I went there with the work crew and we smashed a few metre long pizzas (on top of our individual meals).<br/><br/>Good service, great food and priced well.<br/><br/>Rating out of 5 (5 being the highest):<br/>Food – 4<br/>Ambience – 4<br/>Presentation – 4<br/>Service – 4<br/>Environment – 4

Caught up with a few friends to try their metre long pizzas and we were made welcome by a very chatty, energetic and charming waitress. She was a great laugh and we enjoyed our experience so more thanks to her! Any restaurant should be so lucky to have her on staff. <br/><br/>We ordered 3 metre long pizzas and mixed them up as half an half so we could try more flavours. My absolute favourite was the champagne ham. It was just perfectly balanced with all the ingredients. In Italy the pizzas are more basic than what we are used to, relying on the flavours of the small amount of ingredients to shine through on their own and I felt like this place did it so well.<br/><br/>We had all ordered glasses of peroni to go with our dinner, after a long day of work it was a great combination of a good night out!

Amazing place with an awesome atmosphere, not to mention that all the dishes on their menu are both unseen in other restaurants which gives it points for originality, not to mention that all their food seems well worth dying for. Friendly and somewhat flirty staff too :D

Ate here for the first time two weeks ago took 50 mins for food to arrive and we only ordered ravioli beef and seafood food was quite sweet and bland and it was not that busy either. Service from waiter was great Food portions are very small kids size best to stick to the metre long pizzas if you wanna get full:)

Love love love the gnocchi! Best ever! Watching them cook your meal in front of you while sitting at the bar is a special treat too. Really authentic place

Since I've moved to Auckland, I've been lucky enough to go to the Taste of Auckland event. Both events, l tried the duck ravioli with truffle Sauce and l have always enjoyed it. So, Marianne and l both decided to research the restaurant and celebrate her finding a new job. We ordered Calamari, which came out light and crispy. Then we had the duck tortellini and the panuozzi. Soo good, the pasta is fresh and the sauce was heavenly. The porchetta was delightful, and the serving size was huge. We had peroni and a shandy. Oh I love the tiramisu! Service was top notch. I would definitely come back. Just make sure if you visit, you come hungry. :)

we have only been here once, and only for dessert and cocktails which were very good.  having lived in europe for the last 16 years we have no hesitation in saying this is a very authentic italian dining experience, which is greatly assisted by the fit out, the southern european waiting staff, and of course the food<br/><br/>this is the anti thesis of the ubiquitous italian 'knock-off' restaurant - no small effort has been spent on making your dining experience as authentic as possible with a good number of the ingredients imported from Italy the staff informed us<br/><br/>we will definitely return soon.  it is good, but come prepared to pay - don't go expecting it to be a cheap eat place. it isn't.  it is a quality dining experience and it needs to be paid for<br/><br/>do check your bill before you pay - I'm not suggesting any impropriety, just a bit careless<br/><br/>i can't see how you couldn't enjoy a night here; go.

Went here a couple of weeks ago on a Friday night. It was quite busy but we got a table straight away. The waiter (possibly the owner) had an awesome Italian accent and was very friendly and helpful. We ordered the potato croquettes, tagliatelle with ragu of the day (which was veal with a tomatoey sauce), the ravioli with meat of the day (beef with a rich buttery sage sauce) and a metre long D'oro pizza. The pasta was absolutely delicious, so silky smooth and the meat in the ravioli was so good (like slow-cooked beef, so unlike packet-bought filled pastas). We have had the pizza before and knew it would be delicious (which it was), and Toto's always have the most amazing bases. Definitely recommend getting the croquettes for a starter, so crunchy, cheesy and yum :)

My boyfriend and I Went to Farina for lunch on a lovely Saturday after reading good reviews on TripAdvisor. Upon arrival, we were quite surprised to see the place relatively empty and wasn't sure if we have made the right choice. However, when the food arrived (in a timely fashion, one after another but not too rushed), we were sure we picked a great spot! Started off with Arancini which was served no fuss but delicious. The coating was crumbly and warm. We then had bruschetta served with sardine, this was my favourite:) The bruschetta was crispy and went really well with the sardine (was it pickled? not very sure.) For the pasta, we went with angel hair spaghetti and clams. This was really yummy too! The pasta was hot and clams were given generously too. We then ended with Tiramisu for dessert and again no fault there, probably the best tiramisu I've tried so far.

Lovely fit out clean cut approach upon entering. Nice big bar area where you can pop yourself up and watch the chefs at work while sipping a Peroni on tap of course! We we went here last night for the first time and unfortunately for us it was really disappointing. Service was not efficient, it had no flow to the service experience. Would have been nice to have been all introduced to the menu making suggestions etc. on a number of occasions we had to prompt them for the basics, what the specials were, more drinks etc. our group said the food was average, I'm flavour although the meter long pizza looks the part! In saying that the desserts tasted and looked fab!! <br/>Let's hope they can fine tune so the service experience is far more on the ball!

I went there with some girlfriends for lunch, it was awesome. Very friendly staff and we were shown to a table immediately . The beautiful food came quickly and tasted amazing, Such a selection and all very yummy ….. I can't wait to go back , take more friends and try the dinner menu.

We went there, it was good. Napoli street food (small plates around $10) were good, pizza was fabulous, pasta was good.<br/><br/>Relaxed &amp; informal atmosphere, nice staff, very reasonable prices.

Authentic delicious italian fare served by charming attentive staff. This is a great addition to Ponsonby Road. Loved the Maitre'd .

Husband and I went to checkout Farina. Great food, great staff. Sat at the bar and watched the chefs who presented us with small samplings of lots of different dishes. Each one was great. Love this place and will be back with a group.

We went for lunch and had the yum ciao (on the waiters recommendation). There weren't very many dishes to choose from and they were small for the price. Most of them were cold dishes - caprese salad, seafood salad etc. which left me feeling unsatisfied on the chilly autumn day. <br/>The staff were rather unfriendly and unwelcoming. I won't be returning.

I had a beautiful dinner at Farina with my wife on a Friday night and the atmosphere was great and the food is so fresh. We tried the 1/2 metre long char grilled meat/seafood skewers,calamari, crocchette's and some great red wine. I thought it was a smart and relaxed place to dine at. We both thoroughly enjoyed the whole dining experience. I can't wait to return to try everything else on the menu, especially the cheese's, pizza's and desserts, YUMmmmeeeee. Perfect for people who appreciate excellent food.<br/><br/>Thanks guys!!!!

Had a great lunch here, Pizza &amp; 'yum ciao' was fantastic. Enjoyed the rolled pork &amp; deep fried arancini. Can see this place would go off at night time. A lot of great ideas on the menu &amp; the place looks amazing, modern Italian. Will be back with a group to have the metre long Pizza!

Went there for a lunch with a friend and we were both very dissapointed.... we had the "yum char" style tapas food. <br/>They come with a tray with some food and you choose plates you want to have. <br/>Service was really slow, only one waiter and their were making small porttion of food.<br/>First we waited to get the cold dishes about 4 different plates then the hot one took ages to come and they were only 2 plates to choose from... <br/>Slow service, not very tasty food and not cheap either.... <br/>4 tapas plates for $44 <br/>Maybe dinner time is better i dont know but will not go back again!

Great food, tried numerous dishes, loved the sardines, ravioli, tortellini and pumpkin risotto served in cute little pumpkin shells. Desserts awesome and some lovely cocktails. Next time will try the pizzas. Great looking kitchen and surroundings as well. Will be back, very authentic.

Went to Farina's tonight for the first time. Loved the decor with the bar along one side as you enter, also that you can sit at the bar and watch the chefs. We started with the Arancini which were perfectly coated and deep fried, could have been a little hotter though as the inside was luke warm inside. Then I had the Boacaiola pizza- mushroom, spinach, mozzarella and cream sauce. Was tasty but lacked a little something, perhaps more flavouring in the mushrooms? My friend had the duck tortelloni which she said was nice, came is a rich mushroom sauce and the duck inside the shells was so succulent. My other friend had the Ragu of the day- which was shredded pork spare rib, with tagliatelle. Again lovely pasta and the meat just melted in your mouth. We shared the radicchio salad which had lovely walnuts and Parmesan but we weren't huge fans of the creamy dressing.