Review Andres - Auckland Central

Julia Zhou

Had such a lovely dinner at Gusto. Service was great, all waiters very accommodating. We had the pork fat potatos, gnocchi and beef cheeks. The warm chocolate pudding is well worth the wait!

Sinae Yang

We stayed at the grand by sky city it was very easy location for us as we woke up and headed down to level 3 in the same building. Friendly service and nice ambience and their spread was amazing. There were continental options to hot cooked options, plenty of fruit, too. There were plenty of breakfast meat and salmon as well as hot cooked options i.e scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, baked beans and tomatoes. What I liked about the kitchen was that they cook pancakes to your order and eggs to your liking so they are served straight as they cooked. (I regret that we didn’t try their omelet since we were too full but apparently it’s good). There are so many options on their buffet so we ended not ordering extras from the kitchen. Not only that, all their foods were all scrumptious with quality not just filling in the gaps/options to their spread of the buffet. Not to mention their patries, man, they were the best by far for me. I have been to many artisan bakeries where they claim theirs is the best in town, but these were the best by far for me; not too crunchy or crispy. They were so fresh and full of flavours. I highly recommend their buffet breakfast.

Muthumal Perera

We stayed at the Sky City Grand and had the buffet breakfast here at the Gusto on 3 occasions. Great selection from egg, bacon, sausage hot breakfast to continental breakfast, pastries, fruits, self serving tea and coffee. Try the omelette which the chef will make to your order. Buffet breakfast is $40 and you can also get barista coffee for an extra cost. Open for breakfast at 7 am daily, great staff and nice and easy location while staying at the Sky City Grand.

Deanna

Decided to try this restaurant for home made pasta dishes. Tried 2 different pastas: one with pumpkin and another one with spicy pork sausage (induja). You can definitely tell that pasta was made in the house. It was very good. We liked it. We also tried chocolate pudding for dessert. However, it was more like a chocolate lava cake with all the gooeyness. Staff was very accommodating and welcoming.

Natasha Pezic

We went to the Gusto last night and had the best time! The food was just beautiful and the service was great. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. I believe her name was Riki. I had the Beef Cheek and it was the best meal I’ve had in a long time. My partner got the Spaghetti and really enjoyed the house made pasta. We will definitely be back!

Kevin Marquez

The food here was excellent. Everything is meant to be shared so you can order a few things to try. From the antipasti menu we had the ricotta with honey and pine nuts along with the garlic focaccia (this comes out in a cardboard box resembling a take away pizza box which we thought was a little strange for presentation, not to mention wasteful) , the baked eggplant which was sooo good, the mushroom gnocchi which was also divine, the fish main and the side of broccoli with baked ricotta. We ordered a nice bottle of red wine to go along with it and it was a very enjoyable meal. The service was pretty good oh and their popular popcorn Semi-Freddo is a MUST so leave room for dessert

Andrei Diomidov

If you are looking for delicious pasta - this is the place. Located on the ground floor of Skycity hotel, I first thought that it would be like a bar at the reception, but when you have been sites at the table, you completely forget that there is a busy hotel just behind the bar wall. The atmosphere is superb, it’s super quite, warm and comfortable, no loud parties or anything, you can comfortable speak with you lived one at the other end of the table. Wine list is quite big, and food menu is enormous. We decided to try the pasta, as they hand made it themselves as soon as you have made the order. It was superb, I had the one with the duck and my wife had the risotto - and it was the beat pasta a we’ve had in Auckland. We are definitely coming back for more.

Ruby Heleno

We really enjoyed the dinner here, especially the pasta. Conveniently located in the Aerospace City. The food is medium in size but delicious! The staff work attentively and the environment is comfortable. It is recommended to book during peak hours and weekends.

L

Beautiful atmosphere. Nice staffs. Great dishes. Baked eggplants parmigiana was great! It is the best dish for us. Mushroom ricotta gnocci is nice too. Definitely will go back again.

Kelv

Eaten here a couple of times. This time I had the parpadelle which was amazing. The garlic pizza was also really tasty. Also had the orange mocktail which was super yum. The staff here are always friendly and the smell and look of all the dishes is amazing. The staff can also reccomend great dishes for shared meals.

Jazzy

One of Auckland’s best restaurants. Food is always cooked to perfection. The Sardinia pasta and Nutella Bombalini are incredible (you can’t go wrong!). Service is good, but be prepared to spend at least 2 hours at dinner, as they space out your meals with time for conversation and to enjoy the company you are with😊🙌🏻

Liam Gubb

This spot is amazing! Gusto at the grand is one of Auckland CBD's best-hidden gems. Coffee and food are both exceptional! Operating out of Auckland's Grand hotel, this place is my go to to get some work done and meet people in a stunning, friendly and relaxed environments

Jordan Lee

Disappointed by the dry pork belly but the staff more than made up for this with their attentive service and dessert on the house. I can never begrudge an establishment that treats their customers with such respect. Beautiful place to start a night on the town.

Reza MDI

A nice place to have dinner with your special friend. Staff are professional and friendly, the food quality I experienced was A+. Car parks are available. Close to the downtown.

Yasheeka Bertram

We were strangely the only customers on a Saturday afternoon. The service was fast. Sadly they don't do the canoli anymore. The ricotta and pizza bread is delicious. Although I'm not sure about serving it in a pizza box when dining in.

Gerardo Caballero

Today I bring my little one to a "Pizza making class for kids" while waiting I had a glass of wine and pasta, the service is amazing so kind so fast, the class was marvellous so many attention to details so fun, my girl had a great time. The pasta was amazing full of flavour, freshly done, and the dessert out of this world, I really enjoyed, was an amazing experience. Highly recommended

Clare Proctor

Dined here with my family, for the first time, for my birthday. We all thoroughly enjoyed everything. Food was delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive. We will be back.

DREAMS4U lisa.johnson

Food was tasty; staff fast and friendly; a bit hurried though. It is ala cart menu so your bill can add up quickly and there are no accompaniments with your entree. Very tasty though and will be back.

Best Reviewer

Worst place i have ever been. Owner is racist. Also waiter is racist.

Victor Goh

There are two really bad reviews in google maps's review - The owner is a racist, he has treated one of women who had worked here and from Asia with violent and abusive language, discrimination. She has got traumatized from him till now. She still tries to let people know what has happened to them - (Quote) Bad service from the waiter. Our family (2adults,1child and 1 baby)had lunch there.I ask why we can’t seat in an larger empty table.He said that was for 5 persons.Fine.Three europeans sit there after we ordered our meals, but their meals were served before us. I ask why.The waiter said the scotch filet my boy ordered take longer to been cooked to well done.Accept.I asked is that the reason the other two meals waited to been severed with the Scotch Filet.He said our restaurant is not like a Chinese restaurant...It seems he know Chinese restaurant more than me,a Chinese! The meals the three Europeans ordered are exactly the same with us. The waiter said they booked the table for five persons,but there was no reserved label as other table, and only three guests sit there when we leave. We had spend happy time there for several times, and I even brought my mum to the restaurant. We all served very well,the boss even give my boy a little toy as gift. It’s really a shame that turn out to be so terrible experience today. I don’t think anything wrong with the chef.I told the waiter it’s just his attitude to react.He reply it’s you!

Vanessa Gao

I came here for the first time with my coworkers for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The staff were helpful and friendly while the interior was clean and welcoming. We were a group of five people while everyone ordered the $20 lunch special with two platters of garlic bread and a plate of wedges. The food was well presented and in good portions. The biggest surprised was that each dish had a pear made of mashed potato. They definitely get marks for creativity. I had ordered the lamb goulash which was tender and easy to eat with a lovely sauce. My orange juice was well presented with a slice of orange in a glass. The wedges although pricey were deliciously soft and fluffy. The added cheese made it even better. Overall a lovely experience and definitely will be back for more.

Elliot Lewington

Great start to the evening when greeted by name as we walked in and shown straight to our table. Food was great (Recommend the eye fillet) and good service throughout the night and well priced. 5/5

Staceyonzomato

Overrated on google. Left after a starter of oysters and a glass of wine. The sav was fine but the oysters were warm and seasoned with ice cubes in attempts to cool them down. I have a pet peeve for waiters who don’t know the fish of the day or how it’ll be served, and that happened too.

Candidreview@gastronomy

This Restaurant people know their mistakes I just asked them to realise those mistakes and change them before you got defamed by people experience and reviews.

Little Borneo Girl

Came here through a friend’s recommendation. The ambience was excellent. This was the site of a previous French restaurant. Food was just ok. We had a lamb and eye fillet as our mains. My eye fillet was cooked just right and was tender and juicy however the gravy was a bit salty even though I tend to love salty food. My friend’s lamb’s gravy was a bit salty too. We may still cannot me back though it won’t be amongst my favourite restaurant. Good for socialising as I do not think it would get too crowded or noisy.

THINEATER🍔🌮🌭🍗🍻🥃🍨

I think amazing food by the restaurant tasted like dammm nothing negative feel like home food everything have completely pure tasted I thought visit again and again

John BENS

Just had a most unpleasant lunch, service was slow and the owner was rude, curt and was everything a host should not be. Salads by the look of it was from last night and the mains small and tasteless Would not go back

Scott

One of the strongest but great tasting coffees I have had in a while. Perfect spot, great inside and chilled environment Service was perfect

Col Short

One of the better restaurants in Auckland - the food is a high standard and the wine to choose from is wide and varied. Fresh , quality food that uses local and NZ produce. All at a price that will not break the credit card. We have been to 149 several times over the past few months and always the standard of food is consistently high. Friendly wait staff and a chef that takes pride in his work - always ready to great his clients and make you feel welcome. Just a nice place to go and eat - do yourself a favour and try the Sunday lunch - particularly the steak or the fish. Looking forward to going again soon.

Ming Wu

Great value food and excellent service very polite and attentive. Had the $20 lunch which include break, a main and a drink. We also ordered some Bluff oysters. Would definitely return again.

Rachel Lau

Great food for $20 lunch! Lamb rump is delicious!! The lunch also includes juice, garlic bread and salad, what a great deal! Also tried beef goulash and it was tasty too :-)

Kim Thompson

This is our go-to lunch place at least once a week - the staff are amazing and great for a laugh (yet still professional). The lunch deal of $20 for garlic bread, salad, wine (or house drink) and a main meal is perfect - always know what to expect. Split payment is a breeze making it even more ideal for group lunches!

James

Work dinner with 3 others. The food was pretty good, everyone enjoyed their mains, I had the fish of the day and I had no complaints. The service was good, the right amount of attention. The issue was noise, while we were eating two large groups came in and with their volume of conversation it became almost impossible to hear our own conversation. Sound dampening would be a good idea at 149.

Sylvia Howieson

Had a delicious lunch here yesterday. Great food, fabulous and funny staff and probably the best wine I've drank for a long while. Well worth a visit.

Dyana Metson

Bit limited on the menu compared to some of the other areas but that might have just been because we went on valentines day so I think it was a specially prepared menu. Was not disappointed I had an amazingly cooked duck dish, you cant get much better than it was here. Highly recommend.

Sam Smith

I have been here many times!! Very well priced and so close to the Parnell business district. Christmas time is best as for $30 you et bread main dessert and a drink (juice wine or beer) amazing customer service every time and great with group payments!

TinaS

A lovely place to sit outdoor in a summer day like this. The ambience of restaurant comes across lively. The service was great and love the jokes the waiter cracked!! We ordered seafood chowder and few tasting platers to share as entree - WOW the prawns were good, meatballs were full of flavour and so were the roasted peppers. My husband decided to try the lambs brains as a novelty dish, and it was very nice. I asked for medium-rare steak but it came as medium which is a slightly disappointment but nevertheless cooked well. They also had a good selection of wine.

Priyanka Victor

I came here with a friend for dinner and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The service was perfect to the 'T'. The waiter actually let my friend taste test a couple of wines to see which would suit her best and she really loved it. I ordered the 9 hour braised eye fillet wrapped in bacon which was tender and cooked perfectly whilst my friend ordered the king salmon which also was cooked well. For desert we had the chocolate mousse with pistachio and ice cream and though the mousse was more like whipped cream for my liking, the ice cream was simply amazing! I recommend this place for a quiet night out after a long week. The ambience is lovely (at least where we sat) and the bill was decent for the amount we had ordered :)

Louise Woods

Working in Parnell I love lunching at The Parnell. $20 is outstanding value, not only for the quality of food- where you have a choice of upto 4/5 mains of fresh fish daily, or different cuts of meat, or pasta but you receive a glass of wine (chardonnay, sav, rose, pinot gris, red...etc) and a side salad, and garlic bread to accompany with the meal. The staff are slick, not over bearing, prompt and very knowledgeable not to mention welcoming with a huge sense of humour. The decor of the restaurant is modern, clean and seems to always be busy, either lunch or dinner where I have had both. Which is a good sign! WE have followed Brian and his team through several restaurants throughout Auckland where we keep coming back for great food, great value and great service and we always leave with a smile on our dial! We will see you again very soon!

Daniel

Ate here for lunch and ordered the lunch special. Food was nice and good value. By the time we went to pay the waiter was very rude and obnoxious. He even tried to refuse to provide us a tax receipt which I believe is illegal. After some negotiation the waiter finally gave us our receipt. To make matters worse, 90 minutes after eating here my colleague began throwing up and spent the next 4 hours sick in the bathroom. Avoid this place at all costs

Cindy Ong

The Parnell is a very nice restaurant mainly because of its' owner, Brian. He is very entertaining especially to his little guests. He makes my little ones so happy everytime they visit. Good job Brian! Right on the Parnell Road, plenty of road side car parks, easy to find as it is next to Movenpick ice cream. The interior of the restaurant is clean and tidy. We have tried the steak, fish. They are fantastic! I love their steak so much! If you prefer cheaper meal, go during lunch, similar food served with salad, dessert only cost $20 per set. As for children, they have kid menu. My son loves their mini burgers. Kid meals come with salad, main, dessert. For a family of 4, we spend about $90 per meal. My children were pampered by Brian! He brought my kids to the kitchen, he scooped ice cream in the bowl, he asked my children to stop him when they felt enough of chocolate sauce in their bowl when he was pouring it. After that, he scooped 2 spoons full of jelly beans to the bowl. Next he brought them back to the table, he surprised them by pouring the colourful colour balls to their ice cream bowls and asked them to shout for stop as well! My children have never had such kind of treatment before! They just loved it! After the meal, Brian brought my kids to the back of the restaurant, let them choose their favourite tattoo, he then transferred the tattoo to the kids hands. Make them feel that they were Brian's special guests!

Pablo Andres Retamales Carreno

It is our first time to have lunch at this restaurant. The lunch set menu offers really good price. The staff provided excellent service. The owner of the restaurant even took time to take our kids to the kitchen to prepare their ice creram. Then both my kids were given some toys to take home with them. Overall, we had a very lovely dining experience. we would definitely go back again!!

Jane Nelson

A group of 10 of us dined here the meals are really good. I had the fish and my husband had the prawn kebab skewer. nothing was to much trouble for our hosts. The restaurant was busy the night we were there and everyone enjoyed the atmosphere. Great place to have a night out

RM

Went in on off-chance after being told by phone they were fully booked. Service wonderful and attentive. Noisy inside yes- thank goodness we were outside. The tapas of meatballs was just right to share. My fish was divine- 2 prawns...cod and lemon on asparagus. My husband's steak looked a bit grisly and could have been improved I felt by the addition of some colour eg carrot or a bean or two. However a great dinner out overall and the service and friendliness of the staff ( and the fish) would have us return again soon. Thanks for fitting us in and caring about our warmth !

Kate Taylor

I recently went to The Parnell restaurant with my Grandmother. The waiters, Shiva and Brian, took great care of any special needs we had (empty wine glasses) and offered fantastic suggestions for food and wine combinations. The meals were cooked to perfection and we both enjoyed our evening immensely. Looking forward to going back soon!

Blommaert Bart

Welcome home Brian and Errol, and thank you for bringing Shiva along for the ride. Your new restaurant “the parnell” is a tremendous asset to Parnell Village. Your new restaurant is immaculate, friendly, welcoming and cozy, all in one. Your menu is fantastic, with something for everyone, and most of all everything is delicious and superbly presented. Kiwi cuisine at it's best. As you might have guessed, you've become our new local… We'll spread the word far and wide. Wishing you great success, and see you soon, Bart and Therese the Ascot Parnell Boutique Bed and Breakfast

Ian Littleworth

What a fab night! This restaurant far exceeded our expectations. The service was friendly and professional from when we first entered. The food was great with a good selection on the menu without being overwhelmed with choices. We were last to leave the restaurant but staff were happy to wait for us and even came and chatted with us for quite awhile. If we are back in this area of Auckland this restaurant will be our first choice for eating out

Troy Norrie

I have been here 3 times now. Twice for dinner and once for lunch. The menu is varied and they have a great variety of dishes. The tapas are a great idea and good way of trying different flavours. I've tried the pork belly, steak, slow roasted lamb and fish for mains- all were sublime. The decor is modern and fresh. The service is good and the staff even went out of there way,on one visits, to make me something that wasn't on the menu. This is my new favourite Resturant.

Krissh

I have found a restaurant for overseas travellers who want to taste ‘Kiwi’ food. I can recommend to visit this foodie place.I was there on my recent holiday to New Zealand and was curious to taste local cuisine. I found The Parnell next to Oh Calcutta. I had the lunch special menu. That was amazing for the price of $20.00. I had the lamb shank. It was so good I had to ask the recipe. I also liked that it came with a glass of wine.The staff gave me a warm welcome and I would love to visit the restaurant again on my next visit to Auckland.I wont forget The Parnell. Congratulations.Happy Dining!!

Mandy Lewis

After a run of good but not wow restaurants, we found The Parnell. It is a new restaurant and the food is quite simply spectacular. You are warmly greeted and made to feel welcome. Attention to our every need was a feature of the night and this restaurant stands out for its service. It seemed too good to be true that the food would match up but it managed to surpass the service! After raptures about the peri peri prawn starter my partner had the steak and prawn dish which comes out on a unusual hanging kebab rack (lots of table discussion ensued). I ordered their home made bread and soup followed by the best duck I have eaten in forever. We shared the cheesecake and it is fair to say we were happily bursting when we left.

Jean HH

This place is fast becoming our favourite `local' - friendly staff, good service and excellent food. What more could you want? We've been three times recently - once with No.2 son to wish him a bon voyage before he scurried off to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei, secondly with friends just for midweek fun, and again today. If you haven't yet tried it I would urge you to do so. They do a lunch `special' for $20 which includes a glass of wine and there is a range of dishes to choose from such as Lamb Shanks, Pork Belly, Chicken Livers or Fish. In fact it's such good lunchtime value I intend to add it to my current food blog at JeanHendyHarrisWrites - you'll find parking quite easy, and it's certainly easy to find but I'm not going to reveal any more; you should go there!

Glenn Nummy

What an amazing restaurant, lovely atmosphere, excellent food, great service. We had the pork belly which was deliciously tender and the risotto and chicken skewer which was also amazing. Then we couldn't resist the toffee pudding which we shared unfortunately; next time I'll be getting one all for myself! Will definitely be back again.

Dee Whitby

Perfection! Delicious food, beautifully served with attentive service makes this restaurant top of our list in Auckland. We have been a number of times for lunch and dinner and we always go home having had a great experience. The menu has something for everyone and there are some fun dishes such as hanging skewers. The peri-peri prawns make you want to like the plate clean (make sure to ask for some of their amazing home made bread) and we love experimenting with the tasting plates. Hubby can't go past their their perfectly cooked steak and the sauce on my fish was so yummy I could have eaten it on its own! And then....... the desserts. No matter how full we are we simply cannot turn down the world's best brulee and cheesecake. Washed down with divine specialty coffee and you couldn't ask for more. Took guests their for a special celebration and they were thrilled with the pasta and the pork belly. Absolutely the best service we have experienced in Auckland. Well done, The Parnell. It's not often you find a restaurant that is perfect for a night of romance but also a great place to have fun with friends.

Kath Hay

Had a lovely lunch here today. The pork belly was scrumptious with caramelised apples and mustard cream sauce. Shiva the duty manager was attentive and friendly. Brian was as usual a wonderful host, and Errol the chef created masterpieces as always. The licorice brulee was AMAZING and the homemade licorice icecream that accompanied it almost outshone it! We have previously dined with them at Black Sugar and Acacia, and have never had a bad meal! Love the new location, it is bright and spacious and sparkling clean and new! Very highly recommended and well priced for pensioners.

Adele Nummy

My new favourite restaurant! Just go! You won't regret it. The service is always fantastic, they always go the extra mile to please, and remember customers and their preferences. I especially appreciate the way the make a fuss over my elderly parents and make their outing special. And the food......YUM! My husband loves the horrible stuff like livers and lambs brains and swears they do it the best. Personally I prefer the melt in your mouth pork belly (mustard cream sauce) , or the fresh juicy fish (lemon hollandaise) or the huge sticky lamb shank (red wine sauce). Every meal is finished with an amazing sauce which complements it perfectly. The desserts are amazing! Brulee my favourite, and the coffees are perfect. Lunch special is AMAZING. $20 inc glass of wine/beer/juice etc, but also a very reasonable choice for an evening meal with a BYO option @$7.50 a bottle. I don't think they've been open long, but I've already been 5 times and planning to go again next weekend! Addicted!

Charlene Stayte

We dined at The Parnell for lunch. The service was great, and the food was even better. For $20.00 you get garlic bread, choice of main with their special potato, salad and a juice, wine or beer. It is great value. I had the fish which was snapper, and my husband had the veal marsala with a mushroom sauce. It was delicious and beautifully presented, no one left hungry. The service is top of the line, Brian and Shiva always make sure you have a wonderful dining experience. Errol the head chef makes sure there is always something different to choose from by regularly adding different dishes to the menu. I have dined at The Parnell three times for lunch now. I would highly recommend The Parnell.

Rochelle

Being vegetarian it's hard to find a restaurant that can customise a dish for you and have incredible flavours that have u coming back for more. The Parnell caters for people that require gluten free and vegetarian dishes. I explained my situation and they delivered, and have done so for all the four occasions I have dined there! The vegetarian pasta is the BEST I've ever tried and I venture from The Shore just to have it. This place is awesome and not only is the food awesome but the service is spot on every time!! Today I dined there with my family and witnessed the cutest thing ever - a diner got up to leave and the Manager Shiva made his way over to her and put her coat on for her. They really go above and beyond at 'The Parnell'. My fave place to dine definitely, recommend to everyone!!