Review Minos Pizza Restaurant - Auckland Central

OMG seriously the best pizza we’ve eaten. I ordered a gluten free minos special with pineapple as an extra, it is so fully loaded - just the way I like and the gluten free base is delicious. My husband ordered Mexican and my daughter had Hawaiian. Thank you for being an amazing local pizzeria, and going beyond our expectations. We LOVE LOVE LOVE your pizza.

Fantastic experience at Minos. Great service with attentive staff. My pizza was delicious, fresh and light with a crispy base that didn't leave me feeling heavy. Great spot for a date or evening meal with friends and family.

We enjoyed a night dining in Mid-week, where we shared a Proscuitto Pizza and both ordered the Lasagne. Decent portions, amazing flavour and an Italian Beer on tap called Menabrea. Will be back!

Absolutely amazing! We wanted to support a small business rather than a chain pizza place. We were so impressed!!! The pizza was so fresh. Lots of toppings. Great value for money. Will defiantly be going back! Awesome job guys.

Best pizzas by far, always good! Full of quality toppings! Even the kids can't wait to grab a slice

This place has the best pizzas in Auckland. Sam and Jayden are the best!

Great light delightful food. Great young guys make great pizza and pasta

The Funghi pizza is amazing. Best pizza in Howick by far 👌

This place is well worth stamping your passport and coming out too. The pizza is great and loaded with toppings. Feeling lazy - get up to this place for a feed. It’s always excellent and Bradly (the manager) is a total spunk.

I/we have just finished two pizzas from Mino’s. I picked up, they were ready on time and they were incredible!! Generous toppings and a perfectly crispy base. I will definitely be back.

Our first time here and so impressed. Loved the cosy atmosphere. The staff are excellent and ever so friendly. It goes a long way in making it a welcoming place. Didn't eat much, but whatever we ate and drank, was superb. Excellent quality and value for money. Will definitely be back. Keep up the good work guys and thank you for a great experience.

Good Pizzas with enough choice. Has Gluten Free choice (not always, so do ask). Special with shrimp is very, very good! Quattro stagioni and Smoked Chicken are brilliant. Enjoy taking pizza to the beach for a sundown meal a Cockle Bay. It's so good!

Small, quiet, great pizzas. They do have other options but can really recommend the pizzas. All for of us had different pizzas and there were no complaints from anyone. I had the vegetarian pizza it was great. Service was friendly and food arrived quickly. Will definitely return.

Wow if I could give this place lower than 1 star I would... I had never tried Minos and the reviews looked pretty good.. Ordered Uber eats and wow what we received I wouldn't even consider pizza!! There was literally a sprinkling of cheese and the thinnest, hardest crust I have ever eaten. It's not like these guys are cheap either.. We paid around $60.00 for 2 pizza' and delivery.. Honestly so disappointed and will never be be ordering from here again.

We're regulars here - it's consistently excellent. Great service, very friendly staff, and with top-quality ingredients used - no cost skimping here. And it's worth going just for the recently introduced dessert platter! <br/><br/>Reasonably priced - you'd pay double for this quality in the city - if you could even bother going all that way anymore.<br/><br/>Pretty popular now, so it'll pay to book, although their takeaway option is a good alternative.

Pasta had no sauce or flavour and “seasonal vegetables” are teeny tiny carrots, beans and broccoli .

First-time diner in this place. Really loved the cosy dine-in area set-up: gingham tablecloths and indoor plant decor. Our server was very pleasant. Food was decent. We enjoyed the vegetarian pizza. However, I was greatly disappointed by their tiramisu as I am 99.9% sure it was store-bought (I have bought a tray from Countdown before and one of my friends saw the packaging it came in whilst it was being prepared) and the serving time took so long. Looked great on the plate though and with the good deal we had using Zomato Gold, I would not have minded too much had it not been for one of the staff members (without missing a beat) claiming that all their food is handmade when we enquired about the tiramisu on our way out. That was probabaly the biggest let-down of the whole experience. I would still go back to try their pasta and other pizza offerings though.

Sometimes you just can't be bothered travelling all the way into the city to eat at some pretentious, overpriced 'fine dining' establishment. So I can thoroughly recommend you just go to Minos. It's really well priced with a great atmosphere and great desserts. And there is enough variety on the menu so that you never feel you need to have the same things.

A great place to go with awesome food<br/>So busy you need to plan ahead if you want take away pizza at a certain time .<br/>Pizzas are so full of toppings and thin based.<br/>Have not been to the restaurant side but am looking forward to experiencing that side of the restaurant

Sunday night and didn't feel like cooking. Husband had the moussaka and I had a pizza. Both very tasty. The cannelloni has to be pre-ordered- next time I will have that!- BYO an advantage. Pleasant obliging waiting staff. Our first visit in 4 years but the dine in part has been done up.<br/>Will return soon.

Beautiful pizzas and equally awesome food! I love the humble atmosphere of Minos and the staff are always a pleasure to deal with. A great staple in the Howick community.

First time trying Minos last night. OMG had the Quattro Stagioni the flavours were amazing! Can't wait to eat my way through the rest of the menu

Very disappointed! Minos pizza was legendary, beautiful crust lots of topping! And great flavour! Unfortunately the new owner who was taught by the original owner for several months before retiring has NOT kept the recipe the same! It is now like a lot of other penny pinching pizza establishments! 27 years of loyalty lost! You know what to do! Just do it! We will try again in 3-6 months and see!

We have been there a few of times now and have never been disappointed.<br/>There is a good variety of dishes besides pizza. My favorite is the Moussaka. And of course the real Italian Gelato for dessert. A nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Clean & tidy, too.<br/>It's very popular, so be patient if you go the same time as everyone else - but the end result is definitely well worth waiting for - and there is a good selection of drinks to help you wait.<br/>And being local, it sure beats driving miles to find a decent place.

We have been here many times before over the years and had good service but on our last visit had to wait almost 2 hours for our pizzas. Sorry but this will be our last visit to this once great local pizzeria. The ridiculous wait was bad enough but the excuses and false promises was inexcusable...hearing the pizzas were 5 minutes away several times over the long wait became very tiresome. When we finally got the pizzas they were ok but not worth the wait.<br/><br/>

Haven't been here since they changed owners and was pleasantly surprised! Really good pizzas, great staff and nice atmosphere. Feels just like it used to just with a wider range of menu items. Will definitely be coming back!

Had a fabulous dinner there last night. The quality of pizza has improved since the new owner has taken over, and they very really good before then already. We had a pizza bread for starters with a prawn cocktail and Greek salad to share. The salad was lovely with the right amount of dressing. We shared 3 large pizza amongst 5 of us and that was plenty. Great service too. Recommend to book if you want to dine in.

What's happened Minos!!<br/>I was concerned when the new owners took over, but they started out great but over time things started to change, less toppings, burnt bases to name a few. Tonight we got our normal pizza like we have for the past 17+ years and what a disappointment.... not alot of toppings, the base was way to thin and hard, overlooked or soft and chewy.<br/>Its usually a fight to get a piece or two in my house but tonight there's still half a pizza left and nobody want's any more.<br/>After 17+ years very sad to say.. No more Minos pizza for us. 😢😔😭

One of the underrated Pizza place in Auckland<br/>Minos gives you quality pizza at a reasonable price<br/>Their pizza is naturally made and you can see it being done after you ordered<br/>They are also generous in putting many toppings on your pizza! <br/>My favorite is Bacon, Hawaiian, and Quatro Stagione<br/>In  the Photo is Minos special<br/>Give it a try folks!

I cannot fault Minos both for their amazing food and their fast, friendly service. I've been going for years and have always had a great experience and their pizzas are the best I've ever had. Keep doing what you're doing Minos! You do our community proud!

The pizza we ordered was totally overcooked. The base was touch and burnt the cheese was burnt into the base, and yet, the person who removed it from the pizza oven to put it into the box did NOT see. You must be joking. Sorry Minos, you have just lost a client.

Great little pizza place!  The new owners have done a great job and make fantastic pizza.<br/>Love their take away.  The bases are perfect and the toppings generous.  The little restaurant out the back is also great.  Excellent greek salad which goes so well with their pizza.  Bit of a tradionalist when it comes to pizza so we stick with the tried and true pizza toppings.

I have been going to Minos since I was a teenager and I love the place. The pizzas are Devine and my particular favourite is the fungi. The pastas are great too. And the staff are just lovely. I highly recommend Minos. ❤️<br/>

We have been eating here for over 17 years and counting.<br/>The new owners have settled in nicely & the quality has remained excellent. <br/>Their pizzas are awesome. Laden with toppings on handmade bases!<br/>Our personal favourites are the minos special & hawaiian. Yum!<br/>I have a soft spot for the spaghetti marinara & our teens like the lasagnes when we dine in.<br/>The thing we all agree on is that the garlic pizza bread is the bomb! Cheesy, garlicky deliciousness!!<br/>The only thing we'd like to see changed In the future, would be a shift to free range meats, even if the prices of the pizzas increased. <br/>Keep up the good work!

Absolutely the best Pizza in East Auckland!! Your pizza bases are so fresh and to die for. You never disappoint us Minos 😁😍<br/>Kays and Jon ☺<br/> classic margarita AL day!<br/>#5star #minospizza #margarita

I used to love minos, they are a little more expensive than most places, but have excellent options and great pizzas. However I have been massively disappointed with both the quality and service I received lately after finding a long hair in one of our pizzas. I called to let the owner know about the hair (which isn't a huge deal, these things happen). She apologised and offered us a replacement for the following night. <br/>However when I went to pick up the replacement pizza, they had made a small (we originally bought two large pizzas, costing over $50) so this was disappointing. And the guy serving me was rude and basically threw the pizza down in the counter at me. <br/>Really unimpressed and will not be coming back after this service. Such a shame because the food can be great! But service and being cheap has let them down.

I've eaten here before. Gave them a four out of five but last night we went back and it was terrible. No chilli on my Mexican pizza and when I asked for more to put it on myself I was told there was none. The rather rude and obnoxious waitress tried to give me Tabasco. My partner ordered the satay pizza and it was terrible. <br/><br/>Don't think we will be back.

Brillant pizza best I have had I go there ahead of any others <br/>My wife loved the pizza from here as it is like the Olds days best in nz really

Great pizza, lasagne, caneloni and all over pleasant experience dealing with the staff. Our local authentic Italian pizza place. We love it!

Dined in here with a group of friends. It's certainly not the fanciest place to dine in at. regardless, they make awesome pizzas. A good place to grab take out.<br/><br/>

Amazing pizzas ,super friendly owners, relaxed....what more can you say we love going there and will and will keep going back again and again! Love your work team!

I drive from the North Shore to Howick these pizzas are so good! By far the best I have ever had! The owners are there to greet you as you enter (making the pizzas themselves!) and are real hard cases which is great. Obviously based on some of the reviews some people do not share their humor which is fine, but I don't think they would mean to be offensive.

Went there for the first time about a week ago about 6:30. Walked into the waiting area and before I could even say anything, an older man whom I can only presume is one of the owners, leaned over the counter and very abruptly told me "if you want a pizza you're going to have to wait 45 minutes so we'd rather not". After my eye brows returned from the top of my head I asked him to repeat as I wasn't quite sure I had heard right (out of disbelief mostly). He said it's going to take 45 minutes to an hour to make a pizza. I said that's OK I don't mind waiting, to which he replied, "well you might not mind but we do". A older lady whom I can only presume was one of the other owners laughed and nodded in agreement. Gobsmacked I turned and left. Appalling first impression. I don't care how good the food might be (or not, I'll never know), get some lessons in manners and customer service. I've read many other reviews on here and this is a common theme. After leaving I called a lovely other Italian restaurant in Farm Cove that were happy to make what turned out to be two amazing restaurant quality gourmet takeaway pizzas in 15 minutes, and they were so friendly. So word of advise for Mino's pizza - Get more organised, and try to smile.

Good pizzas with big toppings

Back again last night to our favourite Italian in East Auckland.  Pizza's again up to their usual high standard.  Really like the availability of half and half fillings on some of their pizzas, a couple can sample a variety of tastes at one sitting.  Their cannelloni and pizza bread is always good too. Again our hosts were  good fun with a bit of banter on the way in and out.  Great eating at good prices.

I went to this restauraunt a few weeks ago on a Saturday. Had the best pizza I had eaten in a long time, I had fantastic service from a lovely young man. Will definitely be returning. Had a great atmosphere and beautiful food. Thanks will return soon

I have been to Mino's a few times now and they never disappoint - hands down the best pizza I have ever had! I love it. My partner and I went on Saturday night and they were so busy with Pizza orders, but they were still polite and lovely and apologized for the wait. 10/10 without a doubt!

I have been to Minos Pizza twice. On my first outing with my girlfriend, we were welcomed in and were seated down, the staff were lovely and we were totally catered for. Waiting for our pizzas, we both noticed that the place inside was quite crammed in, the surroundings were very old, we could tell because the fan was covered in dust.. As our pizzas arrived, they were not too bad, Some pieces of ham tasted very off, but we both managed to eat the majority of the thing. After we thought we would go there again because it is cheap, friendly and better than a commercial pizza company. This happened a long time ago. When the two of us decided to visit Minos again, in the last week, we were not greeted and left waiting for a uncomfortable amount of time. When we were greeted, it was in the most blunt and rude way possible, there was no 'welcome how could I help you?' Just a 'what'. As I asked for a seat, the owner said were full, as I turned to look at the disgusting seating area, it was empty, and the only other people were eating take away. I asked when will we be able to get a seat, the obnoxious wife said not tonight, were too busy. At this time the two of us were utterly stunned to how rude they were! We did not eat there. I have read over the reviews and most of them say the owners are rude, the place is utterly gross and they are not friendly with kids. We are both 18 as we look young, and this would probably be the reason we were turned away. If I were to ever dine at minos pizza again, I would need the owner to actually embrace customer service and be grateful that people are willing to dine at their horrible take away. Secondly be willing to take any customers, no matter what their age, be respectful of families. Actually use fresh ingredients that taste good in their pizzas so it can be edible, not having to remove the thick inch of rotten ham and what knows, and finally, clean the seating area. If you want to be successful in Howick you should clean where your customers eat! I actually wonder what your health rating is! Now I expect a filthy reply from the owner, just like all of the other negative comments, but before you post that, actually think about what the negative reviews have said, and make changes! To people wanting to dine at Minos Pizza, I would say not until everything thing is changed, even read all the reviews and see the owners rude comments to paying customers, and you will see how rude he is, visit another restaurant in Howick where the people are willing to work for your money, because Minos Pizza, is not the place to go.

I went to dinner with a group there. The restaurant was dirty, old, dingy and cramped. I ordered a half lasagna for $10. The dish was of takeaway standard. When we came to leave the owner said that he had divided the bill up evenly and that everyone owed $18. I said that as I was not informed of this at the start of the meal I would be paying what I owed. He asked where I could go out for dinner for $18 and that he hoped that I would never come back again. That sort of rudeness does not get an answer from me but the answer would have been many places that are cleaner and more presentable. Wish granted!

The pizza here is great. I would have to say this pizza is better then pizza hut and domino's because unlike the cheese on those big companies pizzas, I could actually taste the cheese and each individual ingredient in the pizza. The staff was great and friendly and always had a smile on their face even when they were delivering the pizza to our car. I love this restaurant and would recommend it to everyone I know. Solid 5/5

This guy simply knows and loves what he does!!!!<br/><br/>Authentic Food!!!<br/><br/>Awesome pizzas, pastas, etc :) <br/><br/>Love this place!!!!<br/><br/>Tip: If the phone's busy, don't try more than 2 times, just call in, you won't be disappointed :)

Best pizza's in town. <br/>Order, pickup and enjoy, owners are always happy to help. I just love the fact that you can see your pizza being made by the owner, not just a mass produced cardboard base. We have been ordering from Minos for the last 5 years and have never been disappointed.

My partner and I visited Minos Pizza last night and we had the best time - Laughing at the state of the place! It was filthy dirty and over tired. Nothing like any restaurant in Italy or The Greek Islands I have visited and that’s a lot! The fans were thick with dirt as were other surfaces including the horrible pictures that were scattered mishap all over the place. The walls are LONG overdue for a paint. The chalk board which was above our table had two spider nests along the bottom edge of its frame at our eye level. Mate - give the place a clean, elbow grease costs nothing!<br/>My Pizza was disgusting! I only ate one full slice and then scrapped off the ham, cheese and pineapple slop that covered it to an inch thick. When the waitress asked if I wanted to take the rest home, I laughed, NO! I’m not saying it was, but the ham tasted like reconstituted meat full of brine. The Pineapple was so sweet, it tasted as though it came from a tin of Pineapple in syrup. A Big Yuck. My partner's pizza toppings were also salty or briney. Just wasn’t fresh at all. The base of the pizza was quite good. But all in all, I would rather eat spam on toast, in my garage! <br/>The waitress was very nice, but forgot our salad which was the least of their problems.

Good food but I am quite unhappy with the hygiene standard Minos Pizza present. The man behind the counter took my money and without washing his hands he began to make my pizza. I know that accepting money, using the cash register, then accepting someone elses money, then using the cash register again, then making pizza without washing your hands is quite unhygienic. I still ate the pizza though and it tasted good but MINOS PIZZA if I ever come back to give you my business - can you please make my pizza with clean hands!

We have been going to Minos for about 25 years.Pizzas are just the best and they have never let us down.Have even taken the kids,family and friends there. Paul an Diane have always welcomed us all.Moved away from Howick 10 years ago and still miss the place.We come down twice a year and still love it.Of course the owners can be busy at times and maybe are unable to greet you as you are the only people in the world.Maybe some people should have a good look at themselves and realise that,yes you do have to book a table at most restaurants and that live does not revolve around them!Thanks Monios for the great pizzas !!Always :)

I visited Minos Pizza for the first time when I moved into Mellons Bay Howick nearly 3 years ago. I made a conscious decision not to take offense when I was ignored by the owner and his wife as I stood at the counter for a good 10mins after saying hello to them with no reply. It was around 6.30 and the place was quite empty with the exception of a couple seated. I had my two beautiful children with me aged 8 and 14 and politely asked if we could be seated. The answer was a blunt NO! It was my sons birthday and it was his wish to be there so I asked for an explanation, the male owner responded rudely " because we don't have the time to clean up after you and your mess but you can takeaway! I was shocked as I know I did not present any form of behaviour that would provoke this sort of response. Their looks towards my children and I were snobby. My children and I were made to feel uncomfortable and less than human by the owners of Minos Pizza so I don't recommend this place at all. Parents with precious children keep your children out of harms way and don't take them there, being provoked into feeling less than human was an awful experience - especially for my son on his birthday.

good food, and good staff, besdies the actual owners. The husband and wife are rude, the woman is unfriendly and never cares to say welcome or offer any help. The male owner is obnoxious, and I too have been in there while a family came in and he was being rude to them without them acting out of line. It appears to be a family restuarant, as most in Howick. But they do not like kids, and that stuns me, especially when they are not misbehaving. Basically he is rude and unfriendly, and although the whole kid rule doesn't apply to me, watching him warn his customers that give him the money to run his place is utterly rude, and I have never seen anything like it. Instead he should be warning the family, when and IF the children are actually out of line. The prices are reasonable, but I would only go back if I had to, the rudeness of the owners is enough to put me off.

We have dined at this restaurant for many years.<br/>The food is great and the customer service is prompt.<br/>This Italian/ Mediterranean restaurant must also be the cheapest in Auckland.<br/>In conclusion it is my opinion, that if your last meal on this earth was had at Minos; you will die a happy person!

Minos has been my favourite pizza restaurant for over 20 years. It is small, intimate and they make terrific pizza. I must admit I prefer it when there are no noisy children in the restaurant because it is so small and children often don't know how to keep conversation levels low. Having said that we have been going there as a family since our girls were small (but always well behaved) and it is also their favourite pizza restaurant. Keep up the good work Paul!

I have just read some of the reviews, and can only speak as we have found. We have eaten in Minos many times as a family .... which includes 2 sons. The staff are always friendly and very welcoming of our children. Our boys are polite and are always rewarded for their good manners with a lollipop at the end of the meal. As for the food, it can't be beaten! We have lived in many countries and have been lucky enough to have eaten in many good restaurants. Minos definitely rates among the best. Thanks for a great dining experience!

We actually were in the resturant on Friday night and saw the young children, they were noisy! One of the Children did run out to where the Pizzas were made, the owner was justified in asking if the Children were going to stay seated? If they hadn't left we would have gone! We had a lovely night as did all the others.

We booked for a Friday night. 6 Adults, 2 teenagers and 5 kids (4-10). When booking we were told kids were no problem. When we arrived the first thing the owner said to us (after glaring as we walked in) was "you better keep those kids quite this is the first and last warning" I was quite stunned, and had to ask him to repeat what he had said in case I had heard wrong. Nope, I had heard correctly. He then proceeded to have a go at me for bringing kids in as it will affect his business. The kids had still not made a sound at this point. He was one of the most obnoxious people I have ever met. We promptly turned around and walked out. I would never set foot in this place again and would suggest any parents with kids look elswhere for a nice meal. There are plenty of places in Howick where you are welcome. This is not one of them

Best Mediterranean style restaurant that we have tried in Auckland. Excellent service, decor and cuisine. A small cafe style restaurant in keeping with so many found on the coast of Italy or Greece. Whenever visiting Auckland from Rotorua, we always look forward to visiting Minos for an authentic and delicious Mediterranean meal.

My family and I dine at Minos regularly and always receive the very best of service. Very friendly staff, always have a laugh with the owners. The food is fantastic and very reasonably priced. Whenever we have visitors from out of town we always take them to Minos and they are always suitably impressed.

well im 12 and when my dad told me about people saying the staff that work here are ufriendly to kids i was realy shocked .I like the staff they are so polight and friendly we are going there for pizza tonight it is our favourite place for pizza highly recomended!!!!

I was surprised that a pizza restaurant was cooking pizza in a conventional oven. I make my own pizza at home but chose to go to a restaurant for that proper pizza oven taste. The food was fair. My wife ordered a pizza which was topped so heavily in cheap ham, large chunks of pineapple and little mozzarella cheese. The owners (rather the owner's wife/partner) was so unfriendly that I would never set foot in this restaurant again.

This place is great for takeaways, because then you don't have to deal with the staff. Last time I dined in here, we were ignored for a good 10 minutes while we stood by the counter - with the owner (?) directly in front of us making pizzas. The restaurant was not busy at all, and it seemed as if we were inconveniencing them by being there for dinner. Once we were seated, the waitress seemed very standoff-ish and frustrated with us. Food was prompt and good, but the service really lets them down, incredibly unwelcoming. Would not dine in here ever again.

Simply the best pizza, fantastic service, and good pricing.<br/><br/>Highly recommended

my husband and i used to live in Howick and frequently had Minos pizza, friendly and fantastic is all i say , always a friendly welcome and the best pizza around , he and his wife have always been soo accommodating with us and our friends and even have made up a special pizzas for me on occasions!! we now live out of the area but travel in when we can to get that fantastic Minos pizza that we love!!!

The pizza here is the absolute best!!

I visited this restaurant one evening with my mother and 2 young children. There were no customers there as it was early - 5.30pm. The man behind the counter looked up at the children and ignored my mother and I for about 5 minutes. I finally asked if we could be seated and see a menu and he proceeded to make excuses as to why we couldn't be served - too busy, too many bookings - funny when the place was empty. The reason being that he didn't want the children in the restaurant - a very casual dining facility. It is by no means an up market dining facility. I was shocked at the reception we were given - incredibly unwelcoming. Very disappointing. I am unable to provide feedback on the food as we weren't given the opportunity to dine here. So if you have children I would not recommend Minos Pizza as this is NOT a family friendly restaurant.<br/><br/><br/>UPDATE (Oct 1 2010)<br/><br/>To the owner who responded to my review 2 years later…<br/>My point of mentioning that your establishment was far from upmarket was to emphasise the point that the restaurant should in fact be child friendly. Your demeanor was incredibly unwelcoming and you appeared to be inconvenienced by our presence as it took an uncomfortable length of time before you acknowledged us.<br/>It is apparent by the number of exclamation marks used in your response that you are irritated by my review. It is a shame you were unable to take the criticism as being constructive and make positive improvements. I am obviously not the only person who has concluded that the service at your pizzeria is hostile. I hope you will take this feedback on board in order to improve your service.

I have been coming to this place for years, its a icon in Howick. This place makes the freshest pizza's and they taste better than the ones we used to purchase on the Spanish steps in Roma. They have a great variety and are always friendly. Highly recommended.