Review Gina's Italian Kitchen - Auckland

Had a office end of year catch up here. From booking until the event I contacted Gina's via email and got a prompt reply. The food was amazing and service super friendly and fast. Cannot recommend this place enough. Keep up the good work guys!!

One of our favorite restaurants in Auckland! Staff are so welcoming and lovely. Food is reasonably priced with generous potion. Let alone the food taste absolutely delicious! Definitely recommend 😊

Nice little restaurant located in the heart of Mt Eden, came here for dinner, so street parking is by chance. Tried several different dishes and tastes good. If you like Italian food this will be a great place to come and visit. Staffs are polite and friendly, seatings at the back is reasonably comfort. Definitely worth coming here for your next meal 😉👍👍

Enjoyed a yummy meal of pizza and polenta chips. The chips were a good size, plenty of them and the dip was a perfect accompaniment. Toscana pizza was delicious and all washed down with a beautiful red. A table nearby had Tirumisu for desert, we were too full but plan to come back and leave room as it looked amazing.

I ordered the pizza caprese with chilli flakes and my friend ordered a garlic bread! The pizza caprese is essentially a Margherita pizza with fresh mozerella, basil leaves and olive oil! I’ve had Margherita’s at a lot of places but Gina’s has to be the best I’ve had! It’s incredible how much flavour was packed into such a simple pizza (I think the chilli flakes also played its part). Definitely rate 10/10! On other hand, the garlic bread was so unique, I have never had anything like it before. The garlic bread was essentially wood fired bread with dried herbs and garlic. It was exceptional, it was not oily or saucy as you would expect your average garlic bread to be. It was crunchy and had just the right amount of oil to not leave the bread so dry in your mouth. But… the best part is when you take a bite and the flavours explode in your mouth. 10/10! Will definitely be ordering again! Super cheap compared to other shops but is also generally reasonably priced!

Food was incredible and came out very quickly! Service was amazing and very welcoming. Definitely will be going back! My partner and I loved the braised lamb penne pasta and mozzarella bread 10/10 recommend!!

One of my favourite places as a treat! Location is super handy with parking on side streets. Price is reasonable, the food comes out SUPER fresh, I would say it’s pretty authentic. They have most definitely aced all the flavours for their pizzas/ pastas. Staff are so approachable. The garden outside makes you feel so special especially with the blankets that are provided on your seat. I will keep coming back and recommend this place to anyone looking for Italian food.

Loved the burrata board and arrabiatta pasta! Quick service and so yummy!

Best Italian Cuisine in Auckland. Second visit in one week and can't get enough. Highly recommend 👌

Very nice food and lovely place. Recommend the pizza! They have a great garden area at the back as well.

Was looking forward to a great meal and atmosphere however that is not what you will get at Gina’s. Went with a hens group and left really disappointed. The customer service was poor and borderline rude. We hoped that the food would redeem the absence of good customer service - we were wrong. Food was sloppy, our starters were dry, the gnocchi was underwhelming and bland. The only thing that saved the set menu meal was the tiramisu which I wouldn’t be surprised if it is brought in instead of being made in-house. If you’re looking to book for a hens night or birthday, don’t bother with the topless waiter. Also be careful, we were charged for tequila shots which the topless waiter made some of our group members take. We were under the impression these shots were part of our group package payment but were only told at the end of the night by one of the very rude waitress’s they had to be paid for and weren’t part of our package. Would not recommend this place at all.

I just died and went to heaven I have never left a review before at a restaurant. I don't have Facebook so I am writing this from my wife's account. Let me set the scene............. We have been traveling today from Rotorua having walked all day from tourist attraction to tourist attraction. we then arrive in Auckland at our Hotel at about 7:30 PM. We then walked another km up Symonds Street to Gina's, into a 20 knot headwind with the rain. We were seated immediately and offered the menu, just by chance I asked if there was a special tonight and was informed that there was a pork belly special with the mushroom sauce potatoes and salad. I ordered the pork belly and then from the time it hit the table I was completely oblivious to anything else that happened until I'd finished the plate. I advised the waitress to let the chef know that all I wanted to do was lick the plate. And 52 years old I have cooked many pork roasts, slow cooked pork bellies and consider myself somewhat of an expert, but this poor belly that I ate this evening was to die for. Thanks very much, Sean

Bought a grabone for four - took my elderly mum and celebrated last night in NZ with visiting relative from Chile. Was a great night out. Loved the buzzy atmosphere, the briefly wild Italian moments, such as when the lights went out and the kitchen burst in flames 🔥 The food was yummy too. We all had different dishes three from the grabone menu and one had pork belly for an extra $10. Recommend the arancini for entre & the tiramisu for dessert. Watch out for expensive wine though!!!

Amazing dinner tonight thanks. Took the extended family out for Miss 11's birthday because she wanted "the best spaghetti and meatballs" � for her bday treat. Not only did Gina's deliver on this front, but all 10 other meals (pizza, pasta and veal) were met with rave reviews. The staff were fantastic and the birthday song at the end really capped off a great night. Thanks team, we had a blast and will be back soon

To Joyce, Alex and the staff, Just wanted to say a huge Thank you to you both and your awesome staff for a fantastic Saturday night. We all thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality your guys showed towards our Bride-to-be, myself and our ladies. Thank you for looking after our large group of ladies, no doubt everyone enjoyed their night and I cannot thank you enough! Huge Shout to the guys Marco, Andre and the boys for entertaining our ladies also to Patrick and the boys behind the bar and not forgetting Alex for being a fantastic Host. Can't wait to come back again!

Great night we had for my friend’s hens night! We had Kirk as our waiter and did a great job entertaining our table of 17 ladies � The games were really fun and the food was so tasty and filling! The tiramisu was sooo yummy too! Thanks Joyce and the team for a memorable night! �

Wow! What an amazing team! We emailed our orders in advance as we had to leave quickly and the team was incredible with fast communication and service! The food was delicious, filling and the mango panna cotta allo yoghurt was heaven on a plate. Thanks for going the extra mile for us - definitely coming back :)

What a place of poor service and unprofessional managers. The price is way too high for the quality and quantity of the dishes. By the way if there is no one knows how to make coffee then don’t even offer it to costumers.

Not the best experience. Saw the waiter picking his nose, staff were very ho hum, with very little enthusiasm, is kicking cutlery along the ground standard practice? had the worse table in history. Entrée was very average! after asking were the mains were as we think they had forgotten us, they were rushed steak was blue tuna was over cooked sides were shocking. Took them back had to wait another half hour for chef if he was to re-cook mains, mains came back ate two mouth fulls took the free bottle of wine and left after paying $25 for two glasses of wine. Two and half hours of my life I'll never get back. Zero outta 5.

So hard to find a decent, authentic Italian restaurant in Auckland, but Gina's is one of them! Feels just like the pizzeria's you'd come across in Italy and the food was great! Decent helpings too! We'll be back again, and soon!

Went for lunch today with table of 13 and was berated by the rude female server for not hearing her when she brought the food to the table . Terrible service with terrible attitude from her . Won't be going back

Been there twice before and really enjoy this place. However things went down on the third visit. The food was under seasoning even undercook. The gap between entree and main was too long - half an hour . Staff is friendly but need to communicate with each other more . Hope you guys gonna back to A game soon .

Excellent place!!! very good Italian restaurant and with very good attention, 100% recommended

We enjoyed the food until we got accused of bringing in two bottles for corkage when we only had one the entire night and didn't even finish it. It was horrible to be accused of lying. One waitress even said "there were two bottles on the table, we are not stupid". That just made us felt like liars. Our waiter who took care of us the entire night didn't even remember we only had one bottle...he said he found two bottles on our table and that's it..."how is he supposed to remember"! To be accused and be given sly comments was not nice. We paid for our meal because we are good people but did not deserve to be treated like this. I recorded the arguments on my camera.

Used to be one of my favorite places to go (before they moved site), however the last couple of times we went, service was mediocre at best, didn’t feel like the waiter cared or wanted to be there (or us to be there). Food was still better than most other Italian places, but a couple of dishes were heavily spiced with herbs. I was ok with it but one of my gust of the table said she couldn’t taste anything but herbs. Will be back again for the food sometime.

Best Italian food I've ever had in my damn life! I didn't think gnocci or pizza could taste like home I've never known. I feel like I know so much about the care and dedication to the food by the efforts made from these amazing chefs and lovely staff. Every future celebration will be here.

Absolutely fantastic!<br/>Im definitely going to come here again. Good service, great ambience and some good ole delicious italian food.<br/>The food was amazing. It came out on time, had amazing flavour, and great portion sizes too. Came with a large group and the waitresses were patient and very hospitable!<br/>The ambience was great too. The decor and the staff who speak italian amongst each other really make you think you're in Italy hahah. I will definitely come here again. Kudos to the chef/cook.

Well everyone speaks Italian here so I guess you can't really question the authenticity of it! The food was pretty decent but a tad overpriced for Auckland. However, the Tiramisu was delicious and the staff were a really friendly bunch. They completely forgot about my drink, but they got the other stuff right. Overall a good place but I'm not sure on the value : food ratio.

Food was decent, nothing special, but enough to make us full. The service however was awful. We were a group of 6, and as we were paying, we noticed we were charged for an extra drink, she contested it, saying 'I know very well what you ordered' and as we were leaving she called us "fucking animals' under her breath. She said it in Italian, but my mother is Italian, and we speak it at home. Obviously she had no idea I understood but I will never return there. What was supposed to be a fun night out with friends was ruined, and left a bad taste in our mouths.

Food is bland and overpriced. Cream pasta literally tasted like cream and pasta - I don't know if they added anything else. The pizza was under cooked and sprinkled with italian seasoning - the italian seasoning was over powering and ruined the flavor of the undercooked ingredients. The garlic bread is littered with so much italian seasoning you also can't taste anything else. I've always wanted to try this place, and now I regret it. Countdown jar pasta sauce is tastier, and dominos pizza is better.

I’ve tried a lot of pizza and pasta in Italy from the cheap ones to the gourmet ones and the difference on price doesn’t really dictate the flavour and texture, what I noticed is that the €5.00 pizza is not really that far from the €50.00 pizza. I think Italians just know how to make them hence everywhere you go the chance for it to be crappy is minimal, most of them were excellent.

We had a Fiorentina pizza for sharing. The base was crispy & the taste was good.  I had veal medallions (Vitello al limone) while my friends had the Scotch fillet with prawns topped with mushrooms. All mains came with roast potatoes & green salad. They were all in good portions & cooked nicely. The sangria was rich & special.<br/>P.S. Gina's deserves to have a higher average rating if Zomato uses the old rating system.<br/>(Food - 4/5; Service - 3.5/5; Ambience - 3/5)<br/>Visited on 13 January 2019

Nice, welcoming, attentive waitstaff, average food. Mediocre decor with the red and white polka dot table cloths. The young lady server would come to our table to check on how we were and if we enjoyed the food several times so superb customer service. The portion size for the pizza was large! However, the flavors were slightly lacking unfortunately. Though we ordered the pizza with Gorgonzola on it which I had no idea was blue cheese! Funny surprise! The pasta was alright too. Great portion, fettuccini type noodles but the prawns made the sauce have a murky taste. Also ordered the tiramisu. I don't really have a sweet tooth but I enjoyed this desert. It wasn't overly sweet and the coffee bitterness balanced it out nicely. Desert portion was a good size for two people to share! Chips were soggy and seemed undercooked on the inside, would've liked to try the polenta chips instead.

Food: 8.5/10<br/>Service: 9/10<br/>Ambience: 8/10<br/><br/>Overall: 8.5/10<br/><br/><br/>Absolutely delicious food, especially the scotch fillet steak. Ambience was dreamy and really gave an Italian mood. Really enjoyed the friendly staff and definitely returning some time soon. Thank you for the amazing experience! 😊

our first dining in auckland was such beautiful but yet there was something weird.<br/>the italian girl and another waiter were so friendly and the girl was even active.<br/>the prawn pasta was different from any other one i’ve had, with a good magical flavor in the cream. the grilled scallops were REALLY FRESH.<br/>but the portion was definitely on the small side. and why’s there a surcharge of almost 15% on a normal saturday night pls?

Gina's used to be a favourite, but it has changed dramatically over the past couple of months. The red and white checkered table-clothes that made Gina's so recognizable are gone. It now looks cold and drab and boring, identical to dozens of other forgettable places. <br/>And the staff are so different. They used to be warm and friendly. On my previous two visits my wife and I were approached by a very grumpy old lady with white hair we had never seen before, and for lack of a better word, bullied into ordering new dishes that she insisted were "real Italian dishes". Not wanting to be rude, we went with what she decided for us, and were disappointed. The last visit, my wife hadn't finished her plate, and the same old woman came back and acted thoroughly offended there was food left on the plate and grabbed it up muttering something, and walked off in a huff. We had planned to stay for dinner and drinks as usual, but decided to leave after such an unpleasant experience. We won't be returning. Go elsewhere for your Italian food people. The once great Gina's is great no more...

awful service, the food is totally not worth the price, very unprofessional management, doesn’t know how to interrupt with customers. Will not ever go back again.

I don't understand the low rating for Gina's. I have been here a handful of times and every time, it has been great. The polenta chips are served with this cheesy white sauce (not 100% sure what it is) and are impeccable. The serving sizes are huge so definitely prepare for that. My only critique is that I always tend miss out on the Caprese salad as they've "sold out" of mozzarella.

Me and my boyfriend came here for dinner, seating is so cramped I could not get into my seat without kindly asking the lady behind me to scoot in. Didn't have to wait long for our overpriced pasta, and it wasn't inedible but was nothing amazing especially for the price. Tiramisu was good and had a decent portion which fed both of us. Could probably find better priced Italian food easily.

We've been to there for dinner a couple of times. The first time was a very good experience. Hot yummy food in a cold winter night. However the last visit was average. We probably will go back again.

Have been a few times there. Thought it would be better but every time there is a disapointment. Sauces look like they are from the tin, pasta from the packet and everything is so terrible. Been with friends, they say never ever again and would not recommend to anyone.

‘Twas but a week ago, when my family and I chose to partake of the culinary delights we had heard were available at Ginas Italian Kitchen. Psalms of praise had we heard of Gina’s Italian Kitchen, but alas, our excitement dissipated rapidly into frustration and turmoil. Peckishness turned into hunger, and hunger turned into an insatiable ravenousness. Now, I do not use these terms without due care, as had our meals been satisfying to the extent where our hearts and minds were saturated by the exquisite nature of gourmet Italian fare, then the wait of over an hour would have been nothing more than titillating foreplay, however this was not the case. <br/><br/>A wide variety of items was ordered by myself and those with me; from pizzas to pastas, to salads and everything in between. Surely one of those items must have been acceptable, I hear you asking yourself... Well unfortunately for our party, and Gina’s Italian Kitchen, the simple answer is, no. <br/>No to the overpriced salad which came without feta as advertised. No to the pumpkin ravioli that tasted of no more than dishwater and crushed dreams. No to the chicken ravioli that required so much salt to be palatable that instead of Al Dente we ended up with Al Dead Sea. No to the multiple pizzas that would have been more at home on the $5 menu at your local Pizza Hut. No to the chicken parmigiana. So drowned (in what I can only assume was canned tomatoes) was it, that the answer to why did the chicken cross the road must be ‘to outrun the crimson tidal wave of mediocrity.’ No to the uninspired spaghetti pastas that were as dull as their prices were extortionate. <br/><br/>There is no need for Gina’s reputation to have the standing that it does. There is no need for Gina’s to rob their patrons of their hard-earned money. There is no need for Gina’s. <br/><br/>

First time dining at Gina’s and had a terrible experience. The pasta was soggy and bland, and the waiter tried to put the blame on us after taking down the wrong dish. We ended up having to share 3 mains between 4 people with the wrong drink orders as well. Would not dine there again.

Nice place.Friendly staff.<br/>Great pizza.<br/><br/>And by great, I mean:<br/> * good dough, light and crispy<br/> * good seasoning<br/> * good ingredients on top of it<br/><br/>Pizza is not rocket science, and I'm a bit traditional on this, so it works for me.<br/><br/>I can't really say anything else as that's literally  order a different pizza every time I visit.

Went here with GrabOne voucher. Garlic bread wasn't anything special.. Very very salty. We both got ravioli.. Looked like it had come out of a can. If it had come out of a can, from a shop it would of tasted better. Cocktails were a rip off at $14 for 1/4 of a glass. We don't think 🤔 the cooks in the kitchen we're worried about Italian authenticy.<br/>No photos.. Sorry. Was not worth taking any pictures.

Such a charming place, but the food was so below expectations.<br/><br/>The polenta was soggy, the bolognese sauce wasn't good and the meatballs, well, didn't eben taste like meat.<br/><br/>Only thing that wasn't a total disappointment was the parmiggiana, but it doesn't mean it was good. the sauce didnt taste fresh and it didn't have that crispy skin.<br/><br/>

We had a grab one voucher & had booked once before for a Friday night online which was confirmed for 8.30 stayed that was the only time available so we waited for an hour & when we turned up the kitchen was closing & we were turned away. So we booked again last night, Turned up, they had a table, the hostess was quite abrupt & sped us through from sitting to ordering. I was soo looking forward to Veal Marsala, every time iv had it, it’s been amazing so I ordered it & my partner ordered the gnocchi lamb ragu, well it took no time at all to come out but what a disappointment. The ‘medallions of veal were tough & chewy & drowned in a gluggy potent cheese sauce, I could detect no hint of Marsala at all & it was so cheesy I could only eat a couple of mouthfuls. Toms ragu was equally as disappointing, the gnocchi was slimy & the ragu was more like a watered down tomato stock that someone was too heavy handed adding the mixed herbs, couldn’t find more than a shred of lamb in it. Our booking was for 8 & we left at 8.30.

Prices and names of meals are included in the photos. <br/><br/>Customer Service - Average. They came and asked if we need anything when the meal came but we had to ask them for more water, a doggy bag and if we can order dessert. Just thanked me when I paid, no asking how the food was or ‘have a good night’ (you know those fake ones that staff usually do with the fake smiles? Yeah none of that. Now I kind of wish I did receive that fake smile, fake wishing me well 🤔)<br/><br/>Ambiance- Definitely for date nights. I would prefer it if they adjusted the seating arrangements according to the type of customers that come in. I came in with partner and two kids and they sandwiched us between two tables so every time I turned left or right I was breathing down my neighbours neck. Would’ve preferred a larger space especially with impatient kiddies.<br/><br/>Food - The steak meal was actually my top pick, next was the pizza and following, the pasta. Chips were buttery and yummy, the steak cooked perfectly and the simple dressing on the salad gave it a perfect ending. The pizza was delicious I would only recommend that they fill the topping to the edge, as it kind of stopped half way (especially if you are paying 25 bucks for it) the pasta was different but in a good way and it was huge (definitely worth the price on that massive bugger). Had a good amount of chicken and it came with about three prawns. Had tiramisu at the end but is not as great as the reviews hyped it up to be. Found the caffeine very powerful I had to gulp down a glass of water after. Would defs come back for the steak though only on a special occasion as the pricing is pretty expensive.<br/>

Had a pleasant early dinner here over the long weekend. Service was quick and efficient and my lamb gnocchi was hearty with lots of pieces of lamb in it. Nothing mind blowing or too different to what you could make at home but it was filling and both the pasta and pizza came out in record time. Mojito was good for a hot day but tasted quite weak.

I DON’T RECOMMEND THIS PLACE AT ALL! We went for a hens night and it is the first and last time I will go to Gina’s. The customer service was absolutely appalling, especially from one of the female waiter’s who was so rude! We entered and were seated in a corner booked for 15 people which was quite a tight squeeze. As we sat down the waitress told us to pay immediately which I was fine with but the way she spoke to us was so abrupt and rude. The food was average. The starters of calamari and polenta fries were dry. I ordered the gnocchi, only had 3 bites and couldn’t stomach anymore. It was so bland and there were only 3 tiny pieces of lamb in my meal ‘lamb ragu gnocchi’. All the girls on our table barely ate their main meals and feedback from most of them was, none of them enjoyed their meal, especially since we all paid $75 and could have gone to another Italian eatery for a cheaper and better food. <br/>The tiramisu for dessert was probably the only thing that was nice enough to finish. <br/><br/>We had the package with a topless male waiter who created dares throughout the night. Some of the dares involved shots and it was only at the end of our meal when we were ready to leave the female waitress said we had unpaid tequila shots. Our group was confused as no one had ordered shots but were then told that the shots in the dares our topless waiter gave to members of the group were not part of the set menu group package and had to be paid separately. Our topless waiter was giving out shots Willy nilly and we should have been told that these shots had to be paid for and weren’t part of set menu group package. On top of that, they added 3 glasses of wine to our tab which none of our group ordered and we were told that we had to pay for it. In the end the organiser of the hens night has to pay for 10 shots we didn’t order which apparently came to a total of $80ish. Absolutely disgusting and I would highly suggest you be careful and make sure they don’t add anything to your bill. <br/><br/>Their staff need to take hospitality service classes, especially the female waitress that served us. <br/>Also don’t bother with the topless male waiter, he doesn’t really do anything other than top your water and force you to buy shots.

Thanks so much to the fantastic staff at Gina's. I had my 50th there last week. It was an awesome night. 46 guests and 5 children all had a great night. Food was delicious. Special dietary needs met no problem. Service fast and friendly. Couldn't have been better.

Firstly, I loved the vibe of this place. Such a friendly and warm service. We had the spaghetti allo Scorpio (the prawns and mussels were so fresh and beautifully done), primavera Bianca pizza (sosososo generous with the toppings), some salad sides and a tiramisu for desert (best.tiramisu.ever). Thanks for the wonderful meal :)

Gina's kitchen is a pathetic place.<br/><br/>We paid $53 for two small servings of old, frozen and reheated, tasteless and cheap ravioli pastas (if it costed us $5 each, I would have not complained, as then the price would have justified the quality).<br/><br/>The staff that served us was not knowledgeable of what they are doing and pathetically pretended to be Italian.<br/><br/>The only reason why I would give this place any stars at all, is for the great old school gangsta music they played. It somehow saved the dinner.

I loved the intimate and romantic ambience of this place, definitely suitable for date nights.<br/><br/>Service was friendly and and the food arrived promptly. The serving sizes were decent. I enjoyed my fettuccine as it had a good amount of seafood in it, and the chicken was tender. However, the white wine cream sauce could definitely be a lot stronger.<br/><br/>My sister's pollo ravioli was flavourful, however I felt like the pasta was not overly fresh and tasted slightly undercooked. My sister liked how it had a chewy bite to them though, so I guess that was just personal preference.<br/><br/>All in all, a nice meal was had. There was nothing special, but definitely not a bad place to visit if you were craving Italian food.

Went to celebrate my birthday here and I must say I made the correct choice.<br/>Food is great we ordered pizzas and garlic bread, had an excellent service from the staff. Will surely recommend everyone.<br/>Had a great time!!

The food has got better. The staff is ok. Wish the pizza had some ommph. Its a bit too dark towards the back. Need brighter lighting. Lunch about $25. Pizza and beer. Good for a group.

Unfortunately, the food was not fresh at all and the salmon pasta ravioli looks prepared days ago and frozen and then taken out to re-heat. Looking at the steam/heat of the ravioli pasta when served, I could tell the dish was microwaved. Soggy tomatoes on the dish confirmed this practice. <br/><br/>Same goes to the creme brulee - the first scoop confirmed this was microwaved heated and not freshly prepared. The brulee was not solid enough to be called a brulee, rather turned out to be mushy - basically just eating liquid. <br/><br/>The Tiramisu looks brought from outside, not in-house made. <br/><br/>Food just ain't fresh here at Gina's.

Been here three times and every time as good as the last, very impressed with the care the team took with my 9 year old and making my wife’s birthday dinner fun and entertaining. Excellent food, excellent service and value for money 10/10.

Great authentic Italian restaurant with Italian staff! Been here a couple of times now. Last time me and my boyfriend went on a grab one deal, often have one up so worth looking out for.. 3 course meal for $59. The pizza and pastas are amazing, great for takeaway also and it's slightly cheaper too :)

My boyfriend loves this little place, I think it's just ok. Italian is my favourite so i've been to a LOT of Italian restaurants. We had Calamari and beef meatballs to start which was nice followed by pasta but i can't quite remember which ones, I guess this says a lot for the food. Don't get me wrong there was absolutely nothing wrong with the food at all, it just didn't impress me. For dessert we had a plate with a little bit of everything but I was too full up by this point. Wine was delicious and service was great! Atmosphere is also great.

Ordered Tiramisu through menu log so I didn't have to dine in. The tiramisu was much bigger portion than I anticipated, they used real alcohol in it and it tasted great.

Good food, great atmosphere! Lovely dessert, I felt the homemade pasta, I feel really impressed. Very fun and welcoming customer service. We had a really good night, definitely recommend friends and family to try. Especially on the birthday😉

The pork belly dish is under season and potato is undercook . The entree look like a mess . The flavour must gone down since the last time we dine here. Everything needs more salt

We had a good night at Gina's Italian Kitchen. We liked the warm and cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. The service was prompt, and the waiter gave us good recommendations on the food. We had excellent wine. The food was good, though it could have used a little more Italian authenticity. Overall good experience.

Stopped by for dinner and was able to get a table without booking. It was busy but we didn't have to wait too long to order. Went for the special gnocchi but they were out so went with the veal marsala instead. <br/><br/>Started with the aranchini and they were really nice. Crispy and creamy. The veal marsala was alright. I loved the sauce but thought that the crumb over the veal was quite soggy. The garlic bread was also burnt at the bottom. The food wasn't bad though.

Loved the service the staff were so friendly and welcoming the food came out quickly and was delicious it's really a wonderful atmosphere will definitely be back !

I came here for my birthday dinner with friends. The place was really busy. I ordered Aranchini for starter, Seafood spagetti for the main,  The sauce could been less soupy but really enjoyed it and good amount of Prawns, calamari and mussles. Everyone enjoyed a dinner and had a great time.

Came here for a friend's birthday and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The dining space was a tad cramped for the 10 of us but we still enjoyed ourselves.<br/><br/>We got the set menu with an entree, main and dessert. Portions were decent and the food was well seasoned. The pastas were lathered in a good amount of sauce. <br/><br/>The veal was tender and salads were nicely dressed. The breads were ok. Desserts were in the smaller size.<br/><br/>We loved the service. The waiters were very entertaining and attentive. Friendly and flirtatious. We all had a great dinner.

I order takeaway from Gina's quite often. They have really good pizzas. Their pasta are really good as well. It's a bit crowded but they're is no need to book a table if you just want to have dinner for two.

Recently we were invited by First Table to trial their service and we immediately loved the idea behind it. As the old saying goes, ‘The Early Bird Catches the Worm,’ First Table allows you to catch the Early Bird dinner deals at a host of restaurants. The concept and website is simple and easy to use. Simply sign up to First Table at ,choose the restaurant you’d like to go to, pay $10 to book a First Table and you’ll get 50 % off your entire food bill for 2 to 4 diners.It’s a great initiative and there are restaurants all over New Zealand to choose from with more restaurants joining all the time! And who doesn’t love dining early and beating the crowds? We know we do!

Not the best experience. Saw the waiter picking his nose, staff were very ho hum, with very little enthusiasm, is kicking cutlery along the ground standard practice? had the worse table in history. Entrée was very average! after asking were the mains were as we think they had forgotten us, they were rushed steak was blue tuna was over cooked sides were shocking. Took them back had to wait another half hour for chef if he was to re-cook mains, mains came back ate two mouth fulls took the free bottle of wine and left after paying $25 for two glasses of wine. Two and half hours of my life I'll never get back. Zero outta 5.

Ever since I moved to Auckland I have been looking for an authentic Italian restaurant. So glad I found this place! The lasagna was delicious, as was the tiramisu. We'll definitely be back!

My boyfriend and I can't stop coming back to this local gem! We have probably dined here 10 times and the friendly, welcoming staff never disappoint. We love the ambience and casual nature of the restaurant. Would definitely recommend for someone having a hens night so you can see what goes on for the special lady or birthday person! To be honest I have had differing experiences with the food. The calamari is nothing special and I have experienced mistakes with my order 2 or 3 times. However, all the pizzas and tiramisu are to die for!

Had really nice time with my boyfriend:) the food was all delicious and it was relaxing, happy atmosphere. I had porkbelly dish which was soft and crispy with mushrooms and taramisu for dessert.

This is my special place where I'm consistently given the best service, the most delicious food from entree to desert and coffee.. Not to mention the cocktails and choice of beer and wine.. I was introduced to Gina's Italian restaurant in Auckland about four years ago and have always been so impressed each visit.. Whatever occasion or just for great food.. I'm so glad this place exist. <br/><br/>

Best Italian place in town!!<br/><br/>Awesome staff and service, so friendly and super fast!<br/><br/>So much food to choose from, and everything is made from scratch. My favourite main has got to be the ravioli con pollo, but I'm always torn between having that and trying something new because I'm never disappointed.<br/><br/>For starters, i love the Pizza bread with caramelised onion & gorgonzola<br/> cheese, and the Caprese Salad, but everything is good! And desserts, can't go past the Tiramisu, yuuuuuummy!<br/><br/>100% recommend a visit!

What a wonderful restaurant . Good service . The food was very tasty ... very good atmosphere and good place for the party .. it is very popular restaurant

Terrible customer service. Not like it used to be when the place was smaller. They really should invest in some customer service training for their staff.

Came here for lunch. Very disappointing - the toppings are minimal to none. I guess that's why they provide olive oil and vinegar so that people can use them as your toppings. The pizzas are priced $13 ~ 14 and are sized enough for one person. Not recommended.

Went for my Sisters Bday, had a great time!!<br/>We got a grabone voucher, and the ratio of food for money, lets say it was money well spent.<br/>Highly recommended and will be returning again.

Highly Recommended. Food was great!!!!<br/>Our waiter was charming and professional, making sure we well looked after.<br/>Thank you.

My partner had been here several times and had good meals and a fun time. Our arrival was mixed with us being turned away from a preferred table only to be told it was available after sitting elsewhere. The restaurant was not well heated but was otherwise comfortable and the waiting staff attentive. My partner ordered a diet coke and it was confirmed that they had diet coke. However a coke zero arrived. No diet coke.....hmmmm ! I had a Peroni beer from the tap and that was excellent.<br/><br/>The menu is hardly exciting with the usual fare of pizzas, veal, some pasta, antipasta etc, but frankly only one type of ravioli and no cannelloni or tortelli ?<br/><br/>We had time constraints and aren't big eaters so ordered pizza bread (caramalised onion and gorgonzola) which she liked but I found too strongly flavoured. <br/><br/>She ordered spaghetti meatballs and I the calamari risotto 'with peas' (?). <br/><br/>The meatballs looked appetizing and were satisfactory but nothing to rave about and not as good as we could make at home. <br/><br/>My calamari was quite simply, AWFUL !!!! White sludge best describes it. The calamari was nicely cooked and tender, but the rice was awash in an indescribable sauce with about a dozen peas floating in it. It not only looked terrible, but had no flavour whatsoever and for the first time in my life I added salt to a dish in a restaurant to attempt to give some flavour. I cannot describe how tasteless, visibly unappealing, and awful the dish was.<br/><br/>We did not risk dessert and left, $78 poorer (glass of house pino gris after my beer) and will not return.

Amazing authentic Italian food. Staff are very friendly and inviting. Beautiful ambience inside. I recommend this place to whoever appreciates good pizza and pasta.

A perfect Italian place! So went along with three friends of mine and ordered a pizza bread glazed with garlic and butter, calamari, and a margarita pizza 🍕. The food was delicious but did not hit my taste buds, as I have had better Italian food. Apart from food we ordered a pint of Beer and Cherry Makeover Mocktail ( The cherries were quite sour ). It is easy on pocket as the total bill for four of us was just 60$.

We went during a work week and ordered from the lunch menu.. There were five of us and we decided to order difference dishes to try them all.. We ordered two pizzas - one Alibaba (which had soo nice flavours) and Puttanesca pizza (this too had nice flavours but was a bit spicy). We also got the prawn risotto which was a quite large portion, a Penne con Pollo pasta and a calamari.. The food was absolutely lovely and we enjoyed every bit of it.. It was also a good combination of the different dishes.. For dessert we got a panna cotta and a tiramisu (this was quite large large could be shared easily).. Would definitely go again!

Fantastic pizza! Cheerful chef gave me valuable knowledge about aging the pizza base a few days to let the yeast ferment properly. So no bloating for me either! Happy customer

We went here for dinner with a grabone voucher. The place is not inviting at all from the outside but the interior is very italian and lively. First time to dine here. We were warmly greeted. The staffs were very friendy, helpful and attentive. We've ordered Gnocci ramona, Roast pork belly with mushroom and pizza margherita (kids meal).<br/><br/>The Gnocci ramona is quite bland but easily fix with salt and pepper on the side 😉. The Gnocci is fluffy and al dente. Its quit filling so I only managed to finish half of my plate. This costs $25.<br/><br/>The Roast pork belly is juicy and well seasoned. My husband really enjoyed it. The roast pork only comes with mushroom and some potatoes on the side. This one costs $26 and needed to pay extra $3 for the salad - quite overpriced to be honest, the portion of the meat is small as well.<br/><br/>My kid ordered the pizza margherita. The pizza is tasty. I dont mind paying $13.50 for this one as we all enjoyed it. Its quite a big portion for a kids meal.<br/><br/>Overall the food is average. The service however is excellent 5/5 for that! 👍🏻

A work colleague was kind enough to gift us their Grab One voucher, so we had dinner @ G's last night (Fri night). We'd booked for 8pm but arrived early and because the restaurant wasn't fully booked we were lucky enough to be seated earlier.<br/><br/>The staff are really helpful and friendly and the menu's diverse. We both opted for pasta dishes, a spaghetti w. clams and chicken and fettuccine dish. We also got some garlic bread. Our meals were nice and tasty and G's is in a nice big space, although, our table was up a couple of steps which made us feel like we were sitting on a stage. Wouldn't mind going back w. a big group.

It used to be the Auckland's place for Italian when they had their original small restaurant. The place was always fun and their staff knew how to entertain but since it moved to a much larger place I think it has lost its shine. Food is average now.

Whats happened to this place, it use to be a cool, vibrant hard to get into place, now... no need to book just come in, that tells a story.  It was empty on a Thursday night.<br/>Food was OK, nothing to complain about but nothing special either, service was OK as well.<br/>About 9pm we got the distinct feeling they wanted us to leave as they wanted to go home.... really at 9pm?<br/>My main issue is when I come to pay, I had purchased a 1-day Voucher for $100, and yep I didn't read the fine print, I was suppose to have 4 people, it was just me and a date.  My fault, not a big problem, but the way the lady just throw a sheet of paper at with with the conditions on it and a big sigh, as if to say 'another stupid customer that didn't read the fine print.....'.  <br/>Here's the thing, if so many of your customers are making that mistake, how bouts you make it more obvious!<br/>It left a real bad taste in my mouth, I said 'Good way to lose a customer'; She just shrugged her shoulders.  I wont be going back on principal.

Went here with a Grabone voucher and ordered Gnocchi and a pizza, with Affogato for dessert. <br/><br/>Pizza and gnocchi were both super cheesey but the Affogato stole the show

Went to Gina's other a GrabOne voucher. We ordered the lasagne and a chicken, prawn and mushroom fettuccine. <br/><br/>The lasagne was pretty good, could have done with a little more sauce but the pasta itself was on point! Handmade and super fresh. <br/>The cream in the chicken pasta was far too sweet and the chicken was straight up nasty. The prawns however, were delicious and fresh. <br/><br/>The overall vibes of Gina's was great; heaps of Italians, singing and being all Italiany. Was good. <br/><br/>We were overcharged $3, but we'll let you keep that Gina's. If it weren't for the GrabOne voucher and in the event we were to pay full price, we'd be pretty disappointed. <br/><br/>Overall rating: meh<br/><br/>

I finally got try try this place, heard lots of good reviews from friends and family. We booked ahead as it was a special occasion. Being a long public weekend, fellow diners commented on how they had never seen it so quiet.<br/><br/>The hardest thing for all of us was choosing what to eat as there were several options worth exploring, and that was only the entrees. We ended up with a selection and shared amongst us. There was even a harder decision for mains, I was constantly changing my mind even with the waiter standing next to me after taking the others orders.<br/><br/>We all agreed that both the Entree's and Mains were very good. Not too filling, but overall you left the restaurant with full and content stomachs. The girls quite enjoyed their cocktails too.<br/><br/>For us in good ole South of Auckland, it was well worth the trip, I would gladly do it again quite soon, especially on a Saturday night when I hear that the staff put on a little entertainment show.<br/><br/>If you enjoy Italian food then this is a must, if you don't then you should try it.............<br/><br/>PS If you can get a table out back on a hot summer's evening, it's so more refreshing !!!

This is my aunt's FAVOURITE. She's a regular and they know her by name. But whether it's your first or hundred and first time at Ginas, you'll be greeted with the same wonderful Italian warmth. My personal favourite is the gnocchi but I'm slowly working g my way through the menu much to my waistline's disappointment. <br/><br/>Note: if you're gonna drop by during peak hours you'll be hard pressed to get a table straight away. Get a drink and chill out - be sure to tell them it's your birthday and it will aaaalllllllllll be worth it ;)

We came here for dinner. The staff was very nice and welcoming, however the food unfortunately was disappointing. We had gnocchi and sea food pasta. They were ok, but too plain in taste. The pasta sauce was watery and there was barely any chicken and mushrooms. It would be a nice meal for $15, but not at $25. All the couples that we saw there looked quite disappointed. And the mains they had were small. The desserts however looked great, but we didn't try them.

Came here for dinner with my boyfriend on New Year's Eve. It was very busy and we didn't have a reservation but they managed to find us a small table at the back (this place is a lot larger than it looks from the outside). I ordered chicken and spinach ravioli and my boyfriend had the lamb gnocchi. Mine was good but his was particularly delicious. The only issue is the portion sizes, for a $25 main you expect a lot more food than we got, and we both left hungry. You definitely need to order more than one course. <br/>I would come back, but only if I got a grabone voucher - it's not worth paying full price.

Went here with a group of friends. <br/><br/>Ups - The decor was lovely. Most staff were lovely. Meals came out quickly. Pork belly, little pastry things they put on your table when you get there and Polpette do maiale were all amazing! Great value for money. <br/><br/>Downs - there was a dog running around the courtyard under the tables when we got there. This was owned by someone working at the restaurant. I don't run a restaurant but that's yuck. They put shut it in in an area adjacent to the courtyard. Ravioli con pollo - the sauce was the nicest part of this dish, the ravioli was bland, the filling tasted like nothing. The menu said chicken, spinach and ricotta, it barely tasted like spinach. For me, what I love about creme brûlée is the top and the crack when you hit it. The flavour of the caramelised sugar and custard together is Amazing! The top was burnt in the middle and the strawberries piled on top were overripe. These things ruined the entire creme brûlée. One of my friends asked to add something to her dish and one of the waitresses told her it would be disgusting, continually, about 4 times. Loudly. I know Italians are loud, but do you have to tell at your customers telling them no it's disgusting over and over? <br/><br/>I would definitely not go back. <br/><br/>

We had a Grabone Voucher for &40 and spent an extra $220 for 4 diners.<br/>Service was surly from the woman, we got told off for two people not coming cause we had booked for 6, it wasn't busy that night, we saw 7 other tables occupied during the night.<br/>The male waiter was good. <br/>Food was a waste of time all us us felt the meat in each dish was sparse for the $ charged.<br/>Lasagna was only warm, not hot and feast enjoyed because of that, it took long enough to get it too!<br/>Risotto was slated by its diner.<br/>Don't want your money, there are better friendlier Italian restaurants around Auckland.<br/>Portofino in Parnell is great!<br/>La Porchetta serves better food than here.<br/>This was the second time we have dined here over 2 years. We were reticent after the 1st time to visit again as that experience was also substandard, and though maybe they had a bad night, but two bad nights = never coming here again, my $260 will be going elsewhere.<br/>We will never return here.

We came to Gina's a while back for dinner and were greeted warmly on arrival. The staff there were very welcoming and during the course of the meal they were very attentive. <br/><br/>We ordered the gnocchi and the roast chicken pizza and shared the two dishes. The gnocchi was a treat since I had never tried it before! It tasted like doughy potato flour bites hahaha but I liked it! The pizza was also nice as well! <br/><br/>We had candles lit in the restaurant so it could definitely be a date night or a gathering with friends! Though food is slightly on the pricier side, i enjoyed my experience here :)

Great atmosphere, great food, plenty of parking and I usually get a table even with out a booking<br/>Love the rabbit ragout and the ravioli is fantastic

Tried 4 course meal dinner at this place. The pasta and Tiramisu were pretty good. The bruschetta entree was okay. Overall, pretty happy with the atmosphere, customer service and food. <br/><br/>Customer Service: 8/10 <br/><br/>Food: 7/10<br/><br/>Atmosphere: 8/10<br/><br/>Date: September 2015

We went there on Friday night with a GrabOne deal and it was great. Very easy to book I went onto their website (very flash) and received confirmation emails and reminder emails about my booking. Really efficient. I havent been to Gina's in a long time (prob a year) and the food was amazing. Also the staff are fantastic. So friendly and make you feel welcome. I love the atmosphere. There must have been 3 birthdays that night we were there and they make a big deal about it.. lights off, music blaring, cake and singing in Italian. Cant make a person feel more special than that! We had 3 courses of a set menu and there was a lot ot choose from. We couldnt decide what to have .. it was that good. Our meals were delicious and really good portions along with the Italian wine. Wow - we had an awesome night. Thanks to the staff at Gina's and GrabOne for a great evening.

I’ve been to Gina’s quite a lot, and love the ‘authentic’ Italian cuisine they have there. I only put that in quotation marks as I’ve never been to Italy myself, but it was absolutely delicious food. I’ve tried several pasta dishes (all top notch) and I am always craving the tiramisu. It’s the best dessert I’ve ever eaten, and tastes great without being overly sweet as many tend to be. <br/><br/>The space is homely and warm, and the service is good. Most of the wait staff tend to be Italian, so the authentic feel is contributed to with their wonderful accents. I highly recommend this restaurant, especially if you are addicted to tiramisu!

Service is excellent. Food is great. We had the II Quartetto. After the dinner the waiter offered us their South of Italy- Lemoncello. So nice!

What a waste of my money...<br/>Visited this place with friends for dinner and never again!!<br/>We ordered 2 pasta dishes, 1 risotto and spinach ravioli <br/>None of us liked the dishes I had 1/4 of the ravioli - La porcheta does better Italian for fraction of the price

Great food and an enjoyable night! The lasagne was delicious! Although it did get a tad loud at times - it was a fun energy and sounded like everyone in the restaurant were having a good time! We will definitely be back there and this time with the kids!

Bought a voucher off Grabone for 4 people.<br/>We arrived about 15 minutes early for our table.<br/>Ordered a couple of drinks after a lengthy wait but the food definitely made up for the wait.<br/>We were given a complimentary basket of what seemed like "popped / fried garlic crisps/ bread" MEGA tasty !!!<br/><br/>Entrees were a mixture of: (between 4 people)<br/>Olives & Feta<br/>Mussels<br/>Tomato Bruchetta<br/><br/>Disappointed in the Bruchetta as it was bread with a dollop of motzerella and a slice of tomato.<br/>My understanding was the tomato was chopped and marinated in oil with seasoning grilled over the bread.<br/>(Still turned out tasty :) )<br/><br/>Mains I had the lasagne which was AMAZING !! Didn't have that over powering tomato taste which was brilliant. Could Def taste that the pasta was home made.<br/><br/>Dessert was a shared platter between 2 :)<br/><br/>Will Def go back.<br/><br/>Portion sizes were perfect.<br/><br/>Just need to work on your bar service Ginas other than that - SEE YOU AGAIN :)

Okay, from the gorgeous front of house staff to the chefs in kitchen, Energy was amazing! Food came out fast & my favourite entree "Bruschetta" delightful, owners special Pasta with Pipi's delightful & for dessert Tiramisu delightful too 5* experience with a shot of grappa offered by the owners - this level worth every dollar 😊

My partner and I went here last night for dinner with a Grabone voucher. We both had calamari for entree it was very dry and tasted quite over cooked. If it wasn't for the lemon and sauce it wouldn't have been edible. For main I had Lamb Papadelle and it was really nice, the flavours were well balanced only negative was there wasn't a lot of lamb at all. My partner had the Gnocchi which was very tasty, light and fluffy with a really nice basil pesto sauce. For dessert I ordered the Sticky Date pudding with Caramel Sauce. I don't know what I actually got but it wasn't a date pudding and it wasn't caramel sauce. It was extremely undercooked in the middle and rock hard on the outside. The sauce was very burnt and wasn't nice at all. My partner had the Tiramisu and he really enjoyed it. We did notice that portion sizes differ if you come on a Grabone voucher than if you order off the menu. The service was brisk but polite. The atmosphere was nice though and I would go back again to see if it changes much from having a coupon to paying in full.

This place is one of the few Italian places in Auckland that can call their food "authentic". At least as close as you can come to being authentic catering to a mostly non Italian customer base. The service is comfortably above average and sometimes quite pleasantly chirpy. Ask the waiter for suggestions. They are generally good with that sort of thing. The pizzas there aren't like what you get in most other places in Auckland but they are really good. So are the pastas. They are generally quite busy in the evenings and the wait time can be a tad bit long. Take a few friends for dinner and drinks and enjoy the food and the ambience. Highly recommended.  Food 4/5, Price 3/5, Service 4/5, Portion 4/5

Both food and ambience were great at this place. I went with 3 friends and we all ordered a typical 3-course meal to celebrate my friend's birthday. The host greeted us warmly and we were lead to a cosy corner of the restaurant and were seated at a spacious table that was candle-lit. The deco was very classy, with oil-painting and some old-school red checkered table clothes. For starters we had pizza bread which was a bit plain and Bruschetta, which was not exactly exquisitely-crafted. The calamari rings were very nice though. The mains were amazing! Presentation was great, taste was awesome and the portion was also quite big. I had the Fettucine Mari e Monti which was tasted cheesy, creamy and smooth. The chef was also generous in giving me an abundance of chicken. The gnocchi was also really soft, and full of the tomato flavour. Pizza had some great toppings and the dough was define. For desserts we had panna cotta and tiramisu, which had a lasting chocolaty taste and very nice textures. It's a shame we only discovered their outdoorsy/garden-style seating after we finished as dining there would have made the experience even more pleasant! :)<br/> <br/><br/>See more on my blog by clicking into the link under my profile!

The restaurant was full and we didn't make a reservation but the friendly staff did accommodate us and gave us a table. Service was great, the food however was average.

Do you like tackiness? Are you one of those people who goes on hen nights and wear those flashing LED horns and wear matching T-shirts with your nickname on the back? If so, you'll love this place.<br/><br/>If however you enjoy good food, good service, and good surroundings you should avoid this place like you'd avoid being downwind from a sewage plant. <br/><br/>Man, oh man. This place is the pits and the food is woeful and about as Italian as Dolmio. My partner ordered their spinach and feta pizza. It was damp and dripping wet from the defrosted spinach they threw on their making the whole thing a wet mess of dough with green stringy fronds running through it. My wife ate about 1/4 of it and left the rest saying it tasted like "salty dough and nothing else". My pizza was more of the same. It was maybe 9" wide but the toppings filled about a 2" circle in the middle and the rest was crust all the way. <br/><br/>The waitress was snooty, rude, impatient and staggeringly inept. She took our orders twice, brought us the wrong order, brought the wrong drinks, gave us the wrong bill and seemed to think she was doing an awesome job and everyone was playing a prank on her by switching tables (we didn't, she's just bad at her job).<br/><br/>The star of the show - that's ironical by the way, it was actually the lowpoint - was later on. One of the waiters, a pimply faced kid who had remarkably nice hair was serving one of the hen do tables in the main restaurant (we were outside). He came out face in mock fluster and topless. He had lost his shirt somewhere. I'm out back with my wife, another couple we were with, and maybe 6 more tables of middle aged people looking for a quiet evening and this goon comes out topless and tries to serve people? No way. Where's your dignity you crass sonofabitch? One of the older gentlemen dining out there asked if he thought it was appropriate to not be dressed when serving paying customers. The kid muttered something and walked off, returning with a shirt. Who runs this place that that kind of stuff is kosher? If I were still managing restaurants he would have left by the back door and never come back. You never do that in front of guests.<br/><br/>After this we asked for the bill. "Not dessert?" asked our stroppy waitress. "Not if this was the last place on Earth". Goddam. Then we got the wrong bill. <br/><br/>You have to pay by going inside and paying at the counter. The floor was very sticky and the bar was terrifically dirty and badly kept. I have this thing where I don't like seeing boxes and milk jugs all over the place. It means somebody isn't doing their job, be it management for not organising storage space, or the staff for not putting things away. Either way, it irks me because it doesn't need to happen and is symptomatic of a badly run restaurant. I should have known this place was run badly by the food being terrible, the staff being hopeless, and the topless fool thinking his idiocy is amusing but hey, sometimes I'm a beat behind.Ginas is hopelessly bad at everything. I'm trying to think of a redeeming feature and I guess the heaters out the back were quite nice and useful but beyond that you could get better food from a dumpster and better service in a cardboard box down Queen St.

The Mr and I came here last Wednesday night with a Grabone voucher for the Italian Affiare menu.  The last time I dined at Gina's was probably a good 10 years ago and I remembered their hearty, homemade Italian meals that Gina's are known for.  The décor has had a bit of revamp and I really liked the mood lighting, and the open space - they still have their iconic red & white checkered tablecloths.  We were greeted promptly and shown to our tables.  I had the Caprese Salad and the Mr had calamari.  The salad was tasty and simple and the calamari although was fine, wasn't presented in an appealing manner.  I then had the sausage fennel and gorgonzola pizza.  The pizza was average, there was only a very light smattering of gorgonzola.  The Mr had the pork belly, which was cooked nicely.  Desert was a little bit of a disappointment - I ordered the pannacotta and although the taste was ok, it was served in a glass cup.  The texture was very firm, it wasn't what you'd expect for a pannacotta.  Overall, it was an average meal for what would've been an expensive meal if paying without voucher.

It's just not as good as it use to be.. <br/>A lack of that super friendly ginas vibe and the food was very average. I had the pollo alla cacciatore.. It was dry and taste purely of Rosemary. I also had the garlic bread which was a burnt.

This cute little restaurant came recommended from a friend, and two girlfriends and I went for a mid week dinner. The flirty, confident, and sometimes loud, but totally hilarious waiters, totally made the night, and made it worthwhile. I was however a little disappointed by my lasagne, it wasn't as good as I was hoping, or expected. My two friends had the carbonara, which for me was the dish of the night, and a main sized Hawaiian pizza, made to order. Both of the girls made alterations to their dishes, which didn't seem to be a problem at all. Would 100% recommend it if your in search of some amazing Italian food, it is a little bit pricy though. ?? Ps: there's a cute little outside area lit by fairy lights too!

The service was really good, really friendly staff who make you feel welcome and have strong accents. My lasagna was a bit oily and not the best I've ever had, was kinda average and boring, I went for a friends birthday party so got a good look at other things on the menu. My friends salad liked good. Apparently the hot chocolates were out of this world good and basically like melted chocolate mousse. <br/>Nice courtyard out the back and I had a good time, was a nice little spot but I wish I ordered a different main, I find it a bit odd that an Italian restaurant can't make a stunning lasagna though.

Went to Ginas with grabone voucher - didnt feel like we got a bargain at all.<br/><br/>Had the antipasto and calamari, risotto in barolo and the vitello al lemone and for dessert the bigne ripieni and tiramisu. Food was basic; in presentation, flavour and ingredients, and the whole time was only relieved I wasnt paying full price for this. Dessert didnt look nice but it tasted marginally better than the food.<br/><br/>And the whole time the staff were just yelling random things constantly, like for the sake of yelling, I guess trying to be "italian??." Not sure what they were doing actually.<br/><br/>Its a shame- we were here only a year or two ago and it was pretty good. Something obviously went amiss.<br/><br/>Two Yums.

Came here for a friend's birthday celebration. We bought the Italian affair grab one vouchers. The selection from the menu was plenty, service was very friendly and food was nice. The pizza we ordered was slightly too salty for my liking and the pasts was slightly bland. We had tirumisu and pana cotta for dessert and again the taste was slightly disappointing with the latter being too sour.

We had a great time. The food was very nice and the service was great. It's great to see staff that really enjoy their work and want to make sure that you're having a good time too. We will definately be back.

Took my niece there and we both loved the atmosphere & food. Tad small meals...if I had read the reviews I wouldn't have taken her. I think people just need to chill out and embrace another culture.

I bought voucher from Grabone and booked through restaurant's website. I went there yesterday at 6.30pm which was my bf's birthday.First bad impression was the staff didnt even ask for booking name! -- so what's the point to book the table for? -- this led to the waitress gave us a normal menu. I had to tell her that I got Grabone voucher so she gave me the menu.Service was alright. Food was really average and when it came to dessert. I mentioned via online booking that it was my bf's birthday and I would like them to write 'Happy Birthday' on his dessert plate -- Nothing happened as requested which is really disappointing!! -- The worse was their dessert were terrible! So what's the point to book online or request anything when the reality was you could just walk in and tell them you got the voucher?!?!?!

The owner beckons us in from the street, introducing himself as Alex, with an infectious enthusiasm and Italian charm. THAT accent. One step inside and I think we just landed in Italy. <br/><br/>It's like dinner and a show! Why has this man not won a Lewisham Award for restaurant personality of the year? Alex is walking past every table energetically welcoming newcomers and yelling "Grazie" and "Buon Appetito" to seated diners, while walking around in his shirt emblazoned with "Italia".<br/><br/>This place is definitely service served with food.<br/><br/>But we came for the food. Entree of calamari was crisp on the outside and not chewy like many establishments that over cook it. Caprese salad had pesto in place of fresh basil, a little disappointing, but self pour balsamic vinegar on the table finished this classic Italian staple.<br/><br/>Onto another classic, veal masala had the hallmarks of a good masala - the flavour you'd expect with tenderly cook veal. Nothing mind blowing but an old favourite done well. <br/><br/>Dessert of tiramisu and panacotta hit the same notes of delicious but nothing creative, not that's a bad thing if you like your good old fashioned Italian.<br/><br/>If you're looking for a new menu every week and modern twists on Italian favourites, go fine dining. But if you want an authentic old school Italian dining experience in Auckland, come here for a great night.

We went to this place a couple of days ago, the service was quite good but the most important which is the food was horrible. We ordered two Fettuccines, one Carbonara and another one with sea food. Both were horrible, extremely dry in a way that I could not even know it had some sauce. I strong recommend Portofino on Mission Bay or Parnell for those ones who are after a true Italian food. I really don't understand how a place like this can have any good reviews. It definitely does not represent the reality and people who are writing good reviews to this place, probably never went to a truly Italian restaurant on their lives.

Dined here with family last Thursday. The food was delicious ..we ordered the Gnocchi con Ravi do Agnello and the Calzone Tia Bella..the only letdown was the service. They forgot a side order and the waitresses focused all their attention on my brother and blatantly ignored the females at the table.

Went here to celebrate a birthday. Nice Italian restaurant with excellent service :) Food was great too! Will definitely come back again next time.

Disappointing evening. Had booked but they didn't seem to want just 4 of us as they had large groups coming in. Suggested we might like to sit at the end table of a group of 5 tables if we could leave in an hours time. At last after a couple of words got a table for 4.Not the same ambience as in the past. Very busy which was great but not many smiles from the young staff. Felt it is now just 'a job' not the friendly atmosphere of the past where you were made to feel special. Food fairly bland. <br/><br/>

Went here in a group for a 30th on Saturday just gone. Atmosphere was good. We ate from the set group menu. The starter was pretty meh which was like naan bread with capsicum, then it took about 25 min before we were able to order our main which then took another 40 min. I ordered slow cooked lamb pasta. It was good but not out of the ordinary. The saving grace was that they had the game on. If you can watch a whole All Blacks game before desert, that's too long. Desert was dough boys deep fried with caramel sauce? Maybe I need to go out more often to Italian restaurants but this experience was not that great

I went with my girlfriend last Sunday, The place is pretty well located and the environment is very Italian, that's make u feel in Italy. The waitress staff is lovely and the service is ok according to type of restaurant. I ordered fettuccine mari e monti, the pasta was not home made, also was overcook and was a sweet creamy sauce, it does not say in the menu. I have been twice at Gina's restaurant and the food was pretty good, I am not sure what happened this time, might be the bad mod of the world cup....However I will try again and I am sure They will be better for that time.

We went with a group of four on a Saturday. Place was fairly full and buzzing. Lovely Latin atmosphere - friendly waiters, some big groups, some smaller, families etc. Service was great, food too - in spite of the reviews I'd read just beforehand. Servings more than adequate - especially the mains. Seafood in the 'share' tapa type dishes was tender and fresh and everything perfectly flavoured with sauces, oils fresh herbs and lemon. We had a lovely evening and price was very reasonable. A sort of strip act did happen while we were there with a 'hens' group (waiters did the strip show). Lots of hilarity and shrieking for a short time. Not my cup of tea, but nothing shabby. Will go back again for sure - though maybe on a week-night as was a little noisy.

Went here on Tuesday night last week. The Piccola Caprese and glass of Masseia Altemura (Italian Red) was good, the mains were disappointing. <br/><br/>I ordered the Tagliata di Carne (aged beef sirloin) which while the salad on top was nice, the meat was not high quality and the potatoes and side salad were not good at all.<br/>My partner ordered the Lamb Rack special, but it too was lacking and he was unable to eat some of it as it was raw (supposed to be cooked medium rare). Considering the price of $30 for each main it was not the quality we expected. <br/><br/>I've been to Gina's twice previously (for Birthday / Leaving dinners) and the service and food was good. I'm not sure what happened this time, but I wouldn't dine here again.<br/><br/>Because their service and food was good previously I'm giving an Average rating. However, the actual service on Tuesday was Poor (2 stars).

The atmosphere was big, the flavour was big, the prices were fair. We had such an awesome night, my food was amazing and the staff were helpful, friendly and definitely Italian!

From the reviews it seems hot and cold. Sadly, cold on this visit. I found it tasty but costly. Toppings were minimal on both pizzas and for the price, I know a great place on the waterfront that would be a better bet. Its a little sad because I have previously had dinner here and it was great.

My fiance went here for her hen's night and this is her review:<br/>Loved this place, had a really great night here. It's very Italian and makes the atmosphere very lively and like I was back on Lygon St in Melbourne! Definitely the place to be if you have a big party but not if you're looking for a quiet romantic place! <br/>We were a little unsure as there were pretty strict rules on the website and you have to pay a deposit but they were actually really reasonable and we were able to order from the normal menu which was great for us as we probably would've struggled through 3 courses. We also thought it might be a very young/rowdy crowd (hence the rules) but it turned out fine and exactly what we were looking for. The little song at the end topped it off!<br/>The food was a little hit and miss though, some dishes like the pasta and salad were amazing but the pizza crust was rather chewy and not very flavoursome. Some dishes were generous and others like the gnocchi was quite small. No complaints overall though, but if the food was consistent for all dishes I would've given it a 5 star :)

Four of us, all vegetarian, went there last night. I must say food was below average! If you going to charge on average $23 per dish, one would make sure it's worth the money. At Gina's it's not! It was not my dish only but the four of us ordered different dishes and all were below average. Never again! What a rip off!

I made this account just to post a review for Gina's! The only italian food i knew before i went here was just pizzas...but Gina's made me to explore more food from Italy. The gnocchi with prawn were delicious! however the price is abit too high, but i guess that's what gives the worth for the food!

First of all, some of the complaints need to be addressed. The pizzas have minimal toppings because that's how a traditional pizza is made, in fact they probably are more generous with toppings than a true Italian made pizza. They are very tasty and the flavours are fantastic.<br/>This restaurant is a lot of fun and they are very friendly and make a bit of a fuss. If you want something quiet you might not want to go when its busy, but the atmosphere is really great. We went for a small hens night and they made it really fun for us. Their service is fantastic and made everyone feel welcome.<br/>The food was also really delicious.<br/>Would definitely go back.

Went there with my partner on a weekday's night. The service is quite good.Their food portion is quite small compare to price.The best dish for that night is their gnocchi with prawn and scallop in a creamy tomato sauce.The seafood platter in a pan we had is a bit salty for us.

Booked for our daughter's birthday 15 people. We ordered pizza which hardly had any fillings, the base was burnt, it cost $24.50 very costly. Some of us waited 45 minutes for food to come out with the restaurant only half full, all the plates that we ordered only half of the plate from elsewhere. Overpriced, noisy, my first and last time.

Very disappointed. We booked here for a friends birthday and booked for 20 people and were asked to pay a deposit which we did, but then we turned up on the night and they didn't have a table for us!! They put some tables together outside which wasn't ideal on a cold night!<br/>The food didn't all come out together and the garlic bread and bruschetta which was meant to come out first, came out once we had all finished eating! My friend requested no mushrooms on his pasta and it came out with mushrooms, upon complaining, another came out, WHICH HAD MUSHROOMS TOO!!<br/>I had the veal 'special' which was nothing special at all, $29.50, was incredibly bland and boring, deserts were a rip off ($14 for four profiterols). No amount of sexy topless waiters could make up for all of this.

Walked in to a traditional Italian styled restaurant and despite the wolf whistles from the waiters aimed at the females in the group, it gave off a good first impression. Unfortunately that was where the positives ended! I had the veal which was a $30 special and was anything but! I was served a grey piece of meat with a limp lettuce leaf, two Brussels sprouts and some carrots. It was a joke! I will never go back, ever!

Wow. Firstly what a truly horrible environment to sit and eat in!? Unbelievably noisy with shouting, leering kitchen staff and heckling waiters every time a female walks through the place! Secondly, really small portions of average food - totally overpriced. I lost my voice yelling across the table to friends over all the noise, which wrecked any conversations we attempted to have, and came home with a headache! Why on earth would anyone want to repeat that!? I wont be eating there again. On the up-side they screwed up my friends main, but quickly fixed it!!

Went there recently for a work lunch with a big group - so we preordered from the lunch menu the day before. You'd imagine this would make it easier for the kitchen to have the produce they needed, but when my Mediterranean salad arrive the lettuce was clearly old and brown at the edges. There was no feta and pine nuts as per the menu. Just old lettuce (that had clearly come from a bag and been plonked on my plate) and too much dressing. I walked it back to the kitchen to check it was in fact the salad I had ordered. They replaced it, but no one apologised or said anything. The new one came with feta etc but was still tired and yuck. Others at the table were also unimpressed and said they wouldn't go back. We were there for around an hour and no one asked us if we wanted drinks. Terrible food, terrible service and no atmosphere.

Recently 10 of us had a great night at Gina's. Having read some of the earlier reviews we were a little hesitant about going, however, we were warmly welcomed by all the staff and attended to by a very friendly and efficient waitress. Our drinks and meals were delivered promptly and we all thoroughly enjoyed them. <br/><br/>The restaurant was packed which created a lovely atmosphere and everyone appeared to be having a good night.

I went to Gina's on my birthday. I had wanted to go when they were located between the wedding shop and dry cleaners in Symonds Street. What attracted me was the atmosphere. <br/>I found the food really lovely and the atmosphere still the same,but it lacked the warmth it had when they where in the smaller location. I will go back.

If you like overcooked Fish this is the place for you !!<br/>Pan fried Fish is easier to cook than a boiled egg. Curled up and dry it was yukky, we notified the waiter and it didn't affect our account at the end of the night.<br/>Not good, won't be back !

Ridiculously overpriced for something which doesn't taste good at all. Would not ever go back here again. Poor service as well, I mean it took the waiter more than a hour to get our food out and we weren't even notified.

Paid our first visit here after hearing rave reviews, the atmosphere and the service here is simply amazing. In fact, blown away by the service would be appropriate! However in saying this, the food wasn't that great, the lamb in our salad was rather tasteless and the gnocci was quite doughey. For the price, we would probably only come back for a larger group booking (they sure know how to celebrate a birthday or a hens night)

The food was good - not great. But the worst part was that the portions were very small for mains and far too pricey.

As a Sicilian, I was excited about going to Gina's and experiencing a bit of Italian atmosphere. The waiter came immediately to serve water and take our orders - we thought that we were off to a good start. Unfortunately our four mains, each of which I might mention are ridiculously overpriced did not arrive until 9:45. It took an 1hr and 35 minutes to deliver two main chicken courses, one seafood spaghetti course, and a chicken salad. At 9:15 we asked the waiter how long it would be until we received our food - he replied with 5 minutes. Subsequently another waiter came up to us 5 minutes later to tell us it was going to be another ten minutes - offering a round of drinks as compensation. We ordered the mocktails as we were all driving, only mildly content at what seemed to be the first vague gesture of restaurant service. 25 minutes later we got our cold, overcooked and frankly putrid main means. Italians know Italian food and when I say that the chicken with 'tomato, olive and caper sauce' was literally a compilation of thick chicken skin drenched in tomato flavored oil with 1 olive and 1 caper, you should be as unimpressed as I was. Our complementary drinks arrived with the meals and for $8.50 a pop I am dubious as to why anyone would spend that much for syrup and ice in a small glass. As we came for the desert singing and dancing, we were greatly disappointed because at 10:15 pm, who wants a $12.50 Tiramisu? Certainly not us. We were offered no compensation on the bill and watched as customers who had sat opposite of us and experienced the same poor restaurant experience complained about the bill and the fact that it should in fact be free considering that the service was so blatantly inadequate. The waiters seemed nonchalant and uncaring. Do not come to this restaurant. Going through a McDonalds drive thru has a better service, price and food quality than this joke of a restaurant.

I used to love coming to Gina's. Unfortunately over the last few years although they have expanded, they have lost their customer service and quality of food. Yesterday I waited 40minutes for a cold, small, "thrown together" pizza that looked like it had taken 2seconds to prepare. After asking what was taking so long I was told "they had forgotten" although we were the only customers there.<br/><br/>What a waste of what used to be a warm, family restaurant.

Biggest let down ever :(<br/>I'd heard so many great things about this restaurant but never had the time to try it so when I saw a voucher come up i grabbed it! I don't know whether that was the best or worst decision I ever made. I rang up and made a booking, we were seated promptly by a friendly waiter and given menus but then it just went downhill from there. 17min later still no service....not even a bit of water! Then finally a waiter comes over asking if we were "alright", he took our orders and finally gave us some water. The entree (calamari rings) says it comes with aioli but we were never given any, I guess this is partly our own fault as we should've looked closer at the menu and asked for it when it was missing. When our plates were taken away the waiter said he told the chef 5min ago to start on our mains so shouldn't be more than 10min away...BAD move. Took almost half an hour for the main to come! When it did I was speechless. I've seen better food in bloody prison. I don't even know what the dish was called in Italian but was some sort of lamb shank. It was full of big bones on a big slop of polenta. We barely touched it then gave up on the dish. When the waiter took the dish away and I said I wasn't a fan he gave me the look of "I know what you mean". Thank-god dessert came right away! To be honest dessert would've been the only dish I would pay full price for. Upon paying the bill the waiter didn't really seem to care much for our complaint and just shrugged his shoulders...I wonder if we only had this kind of treatment simply because we were on a voucher? If I had known that the voucher menu would be this ill-treated I would not have ever tried it. I really don't know what's worse, the food or the attitude. there's plenty of great reviews on here so 2 each their own I guess...

Went there on a deal voucher - food was bad!!<br/><br/>If your using your voucher be prepared in case they are "fully booked" or have "run out of ingredients for the set meal"....<br/><br/>Totally disappointing.....

I had a great lunch at Gina's, and was surprised to see all the negative reviews here. I believe that the long wait time/priceyness/bad service probably only applies to dinner. I can't deny that it's very noisy though - it's a fun atmosphere suitable for going out with friends or family.<br/><br/>Sure, their pizza isn't one of those thin crust authentic Italian ones, but for $12 this must be one of the best lunch specials in the city (if you're looking for a thinner crust for the same price you could go to Deniro's in Elliott Stables). The pasta and the chips were good value for money as well. <br/><br/>We had tiramisu for dessert - excellent. Service was great throughout our meal.

I bought a deal voucher and I was rather disappointed to find out when I arrived that there were only two options available for the entrée, main and dessert. There was only one vegetarian option available and that was only for the entrée. I thought the full menu would have been available or at least more than two options. You either had seafood or red meat. The staff were polite, but when our mains were served, they didn't give us any cutlery and I had to go get them myself. I certainly felt as if I was a second class diner because I had purchased a voucher.<br/>I wouldn't pay to go here again, especially with a voucher.

Took our daughter (11) and her friends here for dinner last night. It was so fun, rowdy and delicious....just perfect.<br/>Had the lamb ragout - it is deliciously simple and in the spirit of Italy. Generous portions, great and attentive service. Loved the Happy Birthday sung in italian!<br/><br/>A great place to take the kids, and have a delicious, cheap meal.<br/>Warm and inviting atmosphere. AND parking out the back...bonus.

First and last time eating from here. Ordered garlic bread with two pasta dishes. The garlic bread had no garlic on it what so ever. Very disappointed, hoping the pasta would make up for it but alas, to find the pasta in both only half full and no sauce in sight. I ordered the fettuccine with prawns and chicken - i got two prawns accompanied by their heads and tails just chucked in. My partner had 8 small parcels of pasta with a corner full of sauce. Was not worth $50!!!! Such a shame.

Just got back from a lovely meal. Fortunately we didn't let recent negative reviews deter us from returning to this place after about a year now. <br/><br/>No more topless men, thank God. Friendly service...fast too. The kids were well taken cared of. <br/><br/>Bolognese was great and so was the seafood fettucine. <br/><br/>Would definitely return, keep up the good work guys!

We were all so looking forward to a night out at Gina's new restaurant. What a disappointment and what a wait! Like a one hour wait for garlic bread. Just what is happening in the kitchen? How difficult is it to churn out garlic pizza bread? Everyone is going to ask for it. And then after some rather terse comments from our table, we had another further half hour wait for warm food on a cold plate. The salads didn't arrive at all. We can't complain about the service, there was so little of it, it was almost non-existent. Even the second bottle of wine was slow to come and thirst is a terrible thing. The restaurant was very drafty on a cool night. All in all, an experience we won't be repeating. Let's face it, there are plenty more restaurants to choose from.

all the service has gone out the window, the food was average compared to how good it used to be, used to go all the time and now<br/>you cant even hear yourself think over the guys cheering while they take off their shirts, one time in a night is okay, but after waiting a whole hour for our food it had happened 4 times, focus on your food before you loose all your customers and become a strip club

Ordered takeout, had to wait half an hour longer than told even though the place was pretty empty, cold average pizzas, to be honest have never had a good experience here, only went there because my partner had some discount vouchers, definitely the last time ill ever go there now.

Gina's! What happened?! The atmosphere and character has completely gone. You got greedy and wanted to expand and make the place bigger but in the process you killed everything that was good about your restaurant! Such a shame. We made a booking for two for 7.30pm on Sat 20/08/11 to celebrate our anniversary (Gina's was our fav Italian restaurant and we hadn't been in a while so we were really looking forward to our dinner). When we arrived at 7.15pm we happily waited for half hour to be seated until we got offered a crap table next to the bar away from all the action so we asked if we could wait for another table so we had to wait another half hour all the while standing next to the main door that slammed shut every 2 secs with children running in and out - I have no idea how the bar staff can stand it!! Fix your door! Very unpleasant is how close the toilet doors are to where people are eating - the toilets should be tucked away somewhere discreet. I watched as a number of drunk men stumbled out of the toilet doing up their flies - disgusting while you are trying to enjoy a meal. Finally we were seated after an hour wait. Luckily we were seated at a nice table but looking around there were many undesirable tables. Again we waited - at least half an hour for our entree and at least half an hour for our main and our wine order got forgotten twice. The worst part of all - you guys have changed your menu! Where is spaghetti marinara?? My fav! I was gutted! Guys that aren't even Italian taking their shirts off every 10min to give some chick a birthday kiss was sooo rubbish and unclassy and just ruined the character of the place even more. Keep your shirts on boys. To add a touch of optimism to this review the food (when it did eventually arrive) wasn't bad but wasn't fantastic either. To be honest we got to the point where we couldn't wait to leave because we were sooo disappointed. I really hope you guys can get back even a little of what you used to have. Hire a really good interior designer/architect - you need it!

Went there for Dinner and waited for 2 hours to get our meals. Very poor service. Ordered the steak and mushroom dish Took one bite of it and couldn't bring myself to eat it anymore. It had no flavor over cooked asked for (medium rare) and It looked like I ordered steak with sewage water with some twigs and sticks (think it was twigs of rosemary) tangled up in it. Everyone at our table did not finish what they ordered. I was So disappointed, what a waste of money. Will definitely never go back.

The appetisers were okay (bruschetta lacked taste though. But our calamari was yum, especially the batter). Mains were average (my gnocchi were oddly sweet....). But the dessert range was impressive and yum too. Service was expedient (maybe because we sat close to the kitchen). But it was pretty noisy, sometimes it seems as though the kitchen staff are having more fun than the guests themselves. There was a lot clanging/banging of pots, dishes being broken, yelling, squawking, hooting, etc. U have been warned. We were hoping for our dessert to settle for a while before calling for the bill, but our waitress seemed keen for us to leave when we didn't want to order coffee. Weird. So we left.

A fun experience, went with a few girlfriends. Pizza was a tad pricey but very nice,the waiters were very entertaining! Go if you don't mind a bit of hussle and bussle as this place does get very busy!!

Shocking service to tonight. We had not been in a while so we turned up early to order before it got busy. I could see our food ready but no waiter was around to bring our meals, when the meals came they were not pipping hot as the waiter described, the waiter then put his finger on my pizza( which is pretty strange and rude ) and said he would change it. My wife's lasagna was also left and not hot. After waiting for an explanation and not getting one we decided to leave. The manager asked what was wrong and went to investigate and on his return offered no apology just lots of attitude and told me I was wrong and my food only sat there for 2 mins so he gave me the bill for my drinks and said they have cooked me 2 meals.I doubt very much this was the General Manager as I'm sure he would have better customer service skills. Not what I expected from Gina's and will never return

Too noisy for me, especially having a table near the kitchen. We couldn't all make ourselves heard to each other across a table for 6, so it killed the evening a bit.

Myself and 5 others had a meal at Gina's on saturday 28th May 2011. It was not a good experience. Our meals took over an hour and a half after ordering,to arrive,and when they did finally arrive,they were all stone cold.This included all our steaks and accompaning veges and the gnocchi one of us ordered had congealed into an ugly mess. We had all commented that the meals had sat on cold plates for awhile before someone bothered to bring them to our table.When we attempted to inform the staff about this,a combination of an unpleasantly noisy room and an indifferant waiter with limited English,made this an annoying task.Having the waiter return to us with one of the partly eaten steaks with a thermometer stuck in it then attempting to explain that this was the(cold)tempurature at which it was supposed to be,was frankly unprofessional We will not eat at Ginas again.

I had very fond memories of eating at Gina's a couple of years ago. Really talked the place up and took a friend from the UK. New location, disappointing food. The vibe is not the same. I'm not dissing it, just don't want to pay those prices without getting that same wonderful ambiance as before.

I loved Ginas 5 years ago, however you couldn't pay me to eat their bland tasting, bare toppings pizzas accompanied with the poor service. when giving the "benefit of the doubt" by going back for a T/A pizza.. 50 mins waiting time when we were told 20 mins is not acceptable. Its a real shame. harsh but strongly feel this way.

I had made a booking for myself and my friends for dinner to celebrate my birthday. The booking had been confirmed by me on Saturday afternoon. When we arrived at 7.30pm and we were told we would have to wait to be seated. After waiting for around 10 minutes for someone to attend to us, I was told that there was no table for us as another group had been given our table. We were then made to wait longer while the waiter went to discuss this with the people that were in our table. I walked out in disgust at the lake of customer service and we spent our money elsewhere.<br/>When I wrote an email of compliant it was brushed off as the so called Manager's explanation was taken over mine.<br/>Poor! Poor! Poor!

Unfortunate experience dining for the first time at their new premises. Gina's has been a family birthday tradition of ours for years, and has never failed to deliver... until now.<br/><br/>The new venue lacks any of the charm and atmosphere of their previous lot, and especially so when you are seated beside the external door which leads to the garbage bin.<br/><br/>Thankfully reseated with minimal fuss (although opposite the open mens bathroom door was not ideal for 3 ladies), we ordered our food promptly (being familiar with the menu) and settled in to wait. <br/><br/>It took more than an hour for our seafood platter entree to arrive, only to be missing more the half items promised in the menu, and not once had anyone come from the kitchen to explain there were no scallops or prawns available. They instead tried to pass off a decidedly substandard fish medley in place, and seemed offended when we sent it back stating it was not what we ordered. Having a staff member take a seat at our table of three and badger us to explain why we wouldn't accept their version of 'seafood' was also highly unprofessional.<br/><br/>Cue another half hour for the mains, which arrived burnt (pizza) and under flavoured (lasagna). Further drinks were requested three times to no avail, although an apology was provided by one of the waiters for this.<br/><br/>All in all, for our family favourite, we were surprised that a simple change in location could so entirely change what used to be a good restaurant. I have always brought out-of-town guests here, and will now need to find somewhere else to trea tthem. Gina's certainly was the low point of my birthday, and I hope for their sake they can turn thing around.

The food has always been fine on the handful of occasions I have been to Gina's, but the fake flirting and "ciao bella!"s make you feel as if you have gone to a brothel. Really, really creepy. Especially if there are only two of you at the restaurant, and you are both women. Having two waiters mock-fighting over serving you then picking which one of you they liked best (!) is pretty uncomfortable and verging on harrassment. Don't go there unless you are the sort of person who likes being wolf-whistled at by construction workers.

I loved when the waiters took off their shirts and ran around the restaurant singing, but the facts remain as follows:<br/>We had to wait 2 hours for our mains;<br/>When we finally got our mains, one of our orders was missing, so one person got to starve for an extra 25minutes while everyone else ate;<br/>My carbonara tasted like nothing;<br/>You could not get the attention of a single staff member.<br/>Awesome experience, but the food was lacking, so must unfortunately rate this poorly. The restaurant was over booked as well. And at the bar it took ages to order a drink because the guy at the counter was too busy feeding himself and drinking his own drinks. Took forever to pay and leave as well even though we were all on the set menu.

Loved their fresh pasta with lamb ragu in red wine - so tender and pasta had a home-made feel. Also really enjoyed the Italian cherry bubbles on offer. The Calamari had a tasty peppery crumb and did not feel oily for a deep-friend dish.<br/>Our chicken pizza &amp; dessert were good but not great. <br/>Very rowdy restaurant (see other reviews) - you have been warned.

Gina's is an awesome restaraunt!! The food is delicious and served quite quickly. Passionate Italian waiters - if your the birthday girl you even get treated to a bit of a show.<br/><br/>I really love the atmosphere at Gina's!! If your after I quiet night, then this is probably not the place. But if you are after some laughs, I would definently reccomend this! <br/><br/>Make sure you book in advance though, because this place gets packed!!

really enjoyed dinner here. the waitstaff were charming. accommodated my freinds allergy very well.

They served us mussels that had not opened, then created an embarrassing fuss when we sent them back. We were left with the impression that this particular waiter not only lacked people skills but a basic food hygiene common sense certificate.<br/><br/>Overall an average experience. Nothing was great, mostly quite bland and quickly thrown together.<br/><br/>Mid-meal we were treated to the full 'Jersey Shore' experience as the staff stripped off to serenade a lucky birthday girl, all crashing pots and pans. Had the food, wine, price, ambiance and service been adequate we might have found this funny. As it was it served to leave a very bitter taste in the mouth.<br/><br/>Won't be returning soon.

We went for a work lunch on a Wednesday and there was a group of eight of us. The restaurant had two other tables occupied by couples.<br/><br/>This was the first time we had been to their new location and the restaurant environment is a lot larger and modern. With us being seated at the window and the bar being at the other end of the room it was hard to get the attention of the wait staff. <br/><br/>I had the Gnocchi with the 4 cheese sauce and it was OK, however the serving size was very small. The guys that had Secondi were disappointed with their meals which came with slices of bread and chips all for between $28 - $33. The pizza was great.<br/><br/>Very expensive for very average food. <br/><br/>Stick to a pizza &amp; beer

I have incredibly bad allergies and my partner advised of this when he made the booking and again when we arrived. There was a lot of yes yes yes but but not much attention to what was trying to be explained. Dinner arrived as chosen by the waiter to be the best option, this was after going through the list of what I could not eat. Less than an hour later I was at A&amp;E having adrenalin being adminstered by two doctors and a team of nurses, they said I was incredibly lucky to be alive. A phone call to them a few days later to complain was literally shrugged off like when I asked for a breakdown of ingredients. Yes it will be a night that I will remember for the rest of life but for all the wrong reasons.

staff were fun and energetic...good for a girls night out, but when you are dining with your bf...not a good look when the waiter hits on you. Food good flavour, but I left hungry after paying $90 for two mains two desserts and a coffee...not great

Amazing atmosphere, good sized meals which are reasonably priced. Very impressive staff!;)

I love this place, the atmosphere is awesome and the food is spectacular. Nothing can beat fresh pasta :) oh and the waiters =P

We booked at Gina for the evening at 7 pm until 8pm (request of Gina staff because busy restaurant he said). I ordered a Regina’s pizza and I received the pizza with « extra slug » in the rocket. I asked the waiter to change this pizza, what he did. Therefore, I got my new pizza with no slug “cool” at 7.40pm. At 7.55pm they put the bill on the table without a word whereas my daughter has even not finished its pizza (note that child menu also included a dessert !!). When we asked for the dessert board the waiter explained us we have to leave for 8pm so we can’t have any dessert. When we explained that the delay was due to the slug problem, he never wanted to receive our request and our dessert command. So, we were obliged to leave the table for the next booking. We then asked the manager for a commercial gesture for all the disagreement. The staff clearly avoided us and we had to wait about 10 min before hearing: “We gave you another pizza so?” <br/>After paying the bill, we left the restaurant without any remedy and felt under pressure during the entire diner.<br/><br/> I strongly recommend that you don’t go to Gina’s because they care more to their slugs than to their customers. <br/>It is hard to go to countdown to finish the dinner.

I had heard Gina's was an excellent restaurant for a celebration, so booked a table for my close friend's hen's night. I booked at least 6 weeks in advance, and called a couple of weeks before hand to check it was all ok. I got a phone call to confirm on the morning. I then had a phone call later in the day to say they had over-booked, and asking if we would sit outside. I wanted to be nice, so said that was fine.<br/>When we showed up, the had given the table away. If this wasn't bad enough, they told us they had given the table away because "someone" had called back to cancel the table. This was patently untrue, and it seemed pretty clear that they had overbooked, didn't have enough tables, and this was their solution. The staff were very uninterested, didn't offer any remedy, and it ruined an evening that was really important to me and my friends. If you have an important evening, I recommend that you don't go to Gina's.

Wow!....we had been looking for a 'real' Italian restaurant. We found it here!Delicious food, bubbly atmosphere and great service!! Will definitely be back.....Highly recommended!!

I read the reviews before choosing Gina Pizza. They were not flash but I decided to try anyway. Disregard all previous poor reviews!! We just rocked up without a booking(naughty me) on a Wednesday night and yes it was packed, vibrant, buzzy and exciting atmosphere. We waited 5mins for table at 8pm and got served immediately. We were in a rush and told them that we had tickets for the Stevie Ray Vaughn gig at 830 at the Kings arms down the road. Well, i was impressed!! We were in an out within 30mins! Great great service, Pizza the best Ive had. The staff are all crazy passionate real Italians, they were jumping around, excited, yelling orders, dancing around like they were all on happy drugs and had ants in their pants. What an exciting and exrialting experience. Don't go to Gina's if you want a quiet nite alone. By blood was pumping adrenalin after being exposed to GINA'S EXPERIENCE!! You have to go to Gina's!! Get off your sorry ass computer, and have a wild nite out. Live life and love life because the staff at Ginos will show you what life its all about!!. Craig and Anja

Went to Gina's on a Sunday night and it was very busy and vibrant. We ordered the Bruchetta with mushrooms and mozzarella - was yummy!!<br/><br/>The waiter was Italian and added to the experience, he also informed us of the specials for the night then let us decided.<br/><br/>We had to wait for a while before someone took our order but other than that, the food was great and delicious and would highly recommend Gina's.<br/><br/>We will be back :)

We were in a large group and had the set menu for $40. As I expected (I distrust these type of set menus) the food was very mediocre for the price. Especially the dessert where you had a choice of 2 types of ice-cream - boring!!! The menu choices lacked any good Italian options consisting of mainly pizza (which did look quite nice, but not for the price). The service was pretty bad, we didn't get our dinner for hours. The atmosphere was ok if you like noisy places, with the waiters making an effort to make it seem like a fun place to be. I wouldn't go back.

Excellent food! Definatly recommended. 10/10

Gina,s mmm overated excellent marketing by having hot waiters serving food food verges on something you could cook better at home no interesting use of fresh herbs or flavours bog standard and the noise is just too much would rather eat a big ben pie in a crowded railway station... oh and waiters may be good eye candy but not the friendliest service we have encountered

Not sure why the place is always packed with customers...The place is very small,extremely noisy which makes conversation hard.<br/> The takeaway pizza we ordered was a bit burnt, the garlic bread was very small and did not taste fresh.Annoying staff as well.<br/>Since then I have been going regularly to Monica's Pizza a few metres down the road. Beautiful food!

Best italian place for fun fun fun meals! esp for celebrations!<br/>Best recommended for chicks only nites ;)<br/>Really beautiful Italian food! The best service! Never ever been disappointed!<br/><br/>The best most delicious original yummy Tiramisu in entire of New Zealand!<br/><br/>Must check out!

Awsome atmosphere, fantastic food. Always full so make sure you book a day in advance.

Nice Italian restaurant. Food were good, prices were on the high side, hard to find parking, also quite crowded when the place is full. Quantity is ok, but on the expensive side, food tasted great, took ages for food to come though. It has some special Italian dishes which was great.