Review Buon Venuti - Browns Bay

I've lived in Browns Bay for a number of years and somehow never tried Buon Venuti until today. I will definitely be coming back! My wife and I had a standard sized pizza to share as a starter, which was the perfect size and delicious. Mains came shortly after and really hit the spot. Staff were friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is cute and cozy. Portion sizes were more than enough for us. Only snapped a pic of the Special Pizza and Banana Delizio.

My partner walked into this place last minute. I was craving something like ramen noodles. But we had already eaten out at a Korean place the night before. Anyways, we were instantly welcomed in and set at a table by a young fellow. This waiter was very lovely, polite and patient. He lets us settle in, he asked us politely if we were okay with the table choice. He then asked if we wanted a litt candle on our table. This was super cute as it was Valentine’s Day but we weren’t really there for that. But it totally set the mood. He kept us informed and allowed us to sit while he went grab us water. In the mean time we had a think about what we wanted to eat on the menu. At the right time he was back to check on us and we ordered. The food didn’t really take that long to come out either. The food was delicious though! We had calamari and prawns for entree. They were both great with the great sauces they were marinated in😍 For our main, we had Rack of lamb and an Alfredo fettuccine with ham and chicken. The fettuccine sauce was delicious with everything in the pasta. 😍 My partner had the rack of lamb and he said it was lovely but just a little too “tomatoe-y”😅 Then again, he doesn’t really like tomatoes. So for that I’m sure it was still great cause he ended up eating it all! Hospitality and customer service was GREAT, from the start til we walked out the door! Big ups to the Buon Venuti Ristorante & Pizzeria! Your workers make it more comfy to sit there and talk whilst eating food😍 That last minute turn up ended up being our fave part of the night! We will definitely be back to try the pizzeria😍

Hadn't been into Buon Venuti since 1992 when I lived in Browns Bay, and while the ownership has changed hands, and they've remodeled a little, the food was "FANTASTIC", just like it always was. Very attentive young lad serving us provided top notch service. Do yourself a favour and try it, you won't be disappointed.

I meant to do this such a long time ago but awhile ago me and boyfriend went here and now we are coming back tonight and we are so excited. The food is so good and the atmosphere is the best, such a lovely friendly vibe, definitely my favourite Italian restaurant

Love this place! Food is always well prepared and delicious! Staff are lovely. Ordered quattro stagioni pizza and garlic & mozzarella pizza bread......so tasty! Definitely recommend Buon Venuti!

SUPER SATISFYING! My favourite pizzeria since - I have been coming here since I was a child, on and off for the last 40 years! The current Chef does the original Italian owner justice, creating dishes that will leave you wanting more! Very friendly team and cosy rustic ambience. The most delicious pizza and pasta in Auckland.

Im a pizza fanatic, and this is probably the best Italian pizza on the North Shore and top 5 in NZ.

Superb Italian food with great service. The guy tending us was really friendly and welcoming. Cosy place on a wintery weather.

We went with our teenage kids. We haven’t been for a while so weren’t sure what to expect. The new owners are doing a great job. The atmosphere is so much fun with the opera and Italian music playing set the scene for an enjoyable evening. The Italian wine was great and the portions of pasta are so generous. My unfillable son loved the gnocchi. We shared the pizzas which we had to take home as they are large. All round I would recommend this restaurant. So casual, with a great atmosphere and good value for money.

Every meal I've had here has veen excellent. Bellisimo!

Lovely food and people, one of, if not my favorite pizza in Auckland.

I hadn't been here for ages and didn't expect it to be as good as it was. The new owners have done a great job in tidying up the place and it has a homely, comfy, relaxed Italian vibe. The owner/chef is really friendly and so are his Team of mainly young students. He's also a great chef! Located next to a carpark in the middle of Browns Bay with ample parking on both sides, it's suitable for couples, families, groups- everyone really. On offer is a,wide selection of pastas, pizzas, italian starters, desserts & well priced drinks. Our meals were fresh, tasty & delicious. We had chicken livers to start along with garlic bread to mop up all the delicious sauce followed by carbonara pene and spaghetti bolognaise for mains.(you get to choose from various pasta options for all the varieties) Tip 1: Try not to fill up on too much bread as the main portions were large but fortunately they provide doggie bags as the food is just too good to leave behind. The above dishes plus the most expensive red wine on the menu was around $120- great value. Tip 2: It was very busy so I'd recommend booking- especially on weekends/for larger groups. Summary: This cute wee hidden gem of a restaurant offers a taste of Italy in Browns Bay at a great price for quality food. It's like sitting down in Mama's kitchen for lunch & a big warm hug 😁

I'm always nervous ordering scallops and/or chicken livers- it doesn't take much to wreck them. Both were fresh and cooked to perfection. Service was awesome. Atmosphere was lovely. Thankyou.

Lovely restaurant with friendly staff and delicious food. The restaurant is very quaint and should definitely be considered for your Italian fix :)

My favorite Italian restaurant. Food is on another level. I took friends who are celebrating Persian New Year today. They loved it. Thank you so much

Came here on a Saturday night, busy little place and we got takeaway, friendly staff and great food, dining in is a little more expensive compared to takeaway though but overall experience here was great and will be back for some more pasta <br/>

Stopped here a few weeks ago for dinner and absolutely loved it! The staff here are beyond lovely, very attentive and helpful, even going as far as to suggest a customisation to make the dish even better! Will definitely be back here again

FANTASTICO!!! Bravo!<br/><br/>High: The most SUBLIME PIZZA!!<br/>Low: no booth seating anymore : ( <br/>Dog friendly: outside tables only<br/><br/>This was the 1st pizzeria in Browns Bay ever! My parents used to take me there when I was a kid in the 80s. (Yes, that was a VERY long time ago) And it was soooo exciting because it was foreign, back in the day when our dining experiences were extremely limited AND there as booth seating!!!!<br/><br/>So I have very sentimental fond memories of this restaurant. For many decades I never ventured back because it had changed hands it just was never going to live up to those good old days...<br/><br/>UNTIL NOW!!!  A group of 5 of us were in Browns Bay and in need of some food and I thought it was time to give Buon Venuti a go again. I was transported back to my 7 year old self (and my adult backpacker self with this authentic Italian pizza that was totally mouthwatering! <br/><br/>We cannot get enough and make excuses to go to Browns Bay just to order pizza.<br/><br/>Chef is ex Toninos in Mission Bay when it was owned by an old Italian - so he knows his stuff. My only other fave pizza place is Prego but Buon Venuti wins hands down when it comes to decadent pizza.<br/><br/>Takeout and enjoy beachside down the road or dine in at the rustic little red and white checked tablecothed tables with cute kitch dishes.<br/><br/>YOU HAVE TO GO try for yourself!!!! I wish these photos could convey just how mouthwateringly scrumptious, juicy and topping crammed these pizzas are.

I often don’t leave reviews but this restaurant I felt like I needed to voice how much of a great experience I had, the waiter was very friendly/ helpful and attentive and the food was delicious, will definitely be returning again :)

We went here for my mothers birthday dinner and I am quite sad to say that this was the worst dining experience ever. Food was late and my dinner and one of my friends came 30 mins before everyone elses meals arrived. Mine was extremely salty. My dad got the wrong meal and had to send it back only for the same meal to come back with a different sauce and microwaved chicken with boiled potatos he had to send it back again as it was inedible so he did not have dinner. We were sat next to the toilets and were told we weren’t allowed to move tables because other people would be eating there, when only one other table had people sitting at it the entire time we were there and they left before our meals even arrived (there were 5 other available tables!)

Authentic little Italian restaurant perfect for a family dinner after a day at the beach.<br/><br/>Service: 7/10<br/>When we walked inside there was no one at the front of house nor at the bar so we had to try to get the attention of the staff inside the kitchen. <br/>The waitress was very lovely and got us our utensils and water, and often checked up on us to see if we needed anything.<br/>The food took about half an hour which is a little long considering the restaurant only had one other table and there were two workers in the kitchen.<br/><br/>Food: 8/10<br/>We ordered the garlic bread pizza, gnocchi with blue vein cheese with cream and veal masala.<br/>The garlic bread pizza was quite small and the flavour closely resembled a spring onion pancake, and didn’t really taste like garlic, but still tasted great.<br/>The gnocchi was super heavy and had a strong blue cheese and parmesan cheese taste. As time went by, a pool of oil started to form on the top of my pasta. The gnocchi itself was a little inconsistent in texture, some were harder some were mushier, but overall it was pretty good.<br/>The veal had been tenderised so thoroughly it basically fell apart at the touch of the knife. The mushroom sauce was very tasty and the vegetables were roasted nicely. <br/>The portions were okay for the price, my mother was full but I’m a big eater so it’s pretty hard for me to get stuffed.<br/><br/>Ambiance: 7/10<br/>This is a lovely little space for a small family dinner if you’re craving some Italian food. It’s a little cramped inside so I wouldn’t recommend it for large groups of people.<br/>There’s some calming italian music playing in the background and the restaurant is pretty peaceful and quiet.<br/>There are beautiful paintings and art on the walls, and the dark lighting helps create a romantic elegant atmosphere.<br/><br/>This is a great place for a nice meal and I would recommend this place if you’re in the area. The portions are decent and the prices are quite affordable.

Such an incredible little gem.<br/>It's always pretty quiet but the food is amazing. I solidly recommend it, it's got a cute little vibe, great for a date or group dinner.<br/>This is one of my favourite little places to visit. It is one of my favourite local spots.<br/>Please check this place out if you have time.

Very polite and welcoming staff (both the waiter and the chef) and amazing food. Quiet and cozy place. The lasagna is worth trying. Everything impeccable.

Cute, quaint setting. The food was awesome, so filling. However I think the desserts were quite heavy on the liqueur and tasted a little potent. The service was ok, the guys were nice but a little slow. The meals all came in a reasonable time and tasted great :) not sure if I would go back but I wouldn’t be opposed to!

We had a lovely meal, blue cheese gnocchi was great, so was the special veg cannelloni. Also had another pasta dish from their special black board that was good! Definitely going back, to try their pizzas. Staff were really helpful and friendly. <br/>

I have been in this restaurant few times and every time I had great service and foods are mouth watering delicious all dishes and pizza are so good that makes me go back every time ...great place to eat...

The worst dinning experience i have ever had!!!!!!The evening started out great, the waitress was very polite, service was quick (not surprising the place was empty).  My partner and i decided we were going to go for the king prawns which we changed because they were served without the shell on, we went with the pizza instead.  Well my pizza was completely raw. the middle was so raw it was like eating wet bread, which was a pitty because the topping where nice(once they had been scraped off).  when the manager/owner came over i handed him few pieces of the middle to show him which were firmly stuck to my fingers.  He then proceeded to argue with me telling me how everyone prefers it that way.  Anyway after about a minute or two i said to him really did not want to discuss the matter any further and for him to please leave us alone, which was ignored. we ended having to leave . We walked to the counter to pay where he continued to argue.  All we wanted to pay and leave.  His attitude towards his customers is disgusting and i am not surprised my pizza was raw in the middle.  If you pile in inch worth of toppings in the middle with nothing towards the edges and cook it at low temp of course its going to be raw... !!<br/><br/>So i challenge any Italians out there please go try his pizzas and leave a review.  I honestly believe he is giving Italians a bad name!

We came here last night for my dads birthday dinner. The food was great and service was excellent. Our table ordered funghi pizza, the venison special, vegetarian cannelloni + spaghetti peperoncini al'aglio and everyone was very happy. I'm vegan and even though none of the desserts are vegan our server went and checked to see if any of the gelato were dairy free and two flavors were so i was able to enjoy dessert with everyone else. Thanks!

Heard that there were new owners and thought I'd better give it a try.  The service was very friendly, menu extensive, and the pizza was one of the best I have ever tasted.  The ravioli that I had for entree really tingled the taste buds too.  Overall a great experience.

Went there for our two years anniversary and ended up disappointing. Short of staff. One waitress, one kitchenhand and only one chef for a busy Saturday night shift. Waited almost 1 hour to get our food which tasted very plain and poor lay out. $20 for a simple spaghetti without any meat or vege I think it's a bit pricy.<br/><br/>Not coming back never again:(

I have been so many time to this restaurant. it's the typical Italian restaurant, ran and managed by a family. it's his point of strength. it's like to eat at home.  everything is made at the moment, so fresh and prepared on the spot. Gina is a fantastic chef! try the pizza and you won't be disappointed!

Always enjoyed the food here, authentic Italian food. Sometimes the service can be a bit slow when busy, but we normally go early so usually have quite fast service.<br/><br/>Reading through the reviews I can't help to wonder how many of the low ratings are actually posted to the wrong restaurant, i.e. the one with the same name located in Papakura.

After having been before and having a pleasant experience, the service, food and overall experience was the worst had to date anywhere. 1hr for the wrong and rushed entree, absolutely appalling mains after close to 2 hours. This was OK as with good company it can be accepted. <br/>Having had words throughout the evening with our part time waiter, it came payment time and the reception from the manager and kitchen was nothing short of a street brawl in the making.<br/>All in all the worst restaurant experience I've experienced in Auckland to date.<br/>

Absolutely loved the food and our visit here tonight. The staff we really lovely, beautiful atmosphere and WOW the food is amazing! We will definitely go back. It's not often I would give a 5/5 but I just couldn't fault this place so it would be wrong to give it any less!

It's my son's favourite Italian restaurant- what can I say? <br/><br/>The food is yummy, servings are generous and the crew are amazing.<br/><br/>They get quite busy.

love this place, been here many times. i do admit the service and food arrival time can range from poor to excellent depending on the night but it doesn't faze me as the food is always amazing! i will go back again and again!

My partner and I have dined here a few times now , as well as getting takeaway meals from time to time. We have both enjoyed the meals immensely , especially the tortellini dish ! The service is of a very high standard and impressive. We would definitely recommend checking out Buon Venuti .

We've been here twice,our first experience was fab but our second, not so much.<br/>First of all, the decorations are quite homly and candles are very old looking like they would have some kind of history to them<br/>A lot of local families by the looks of it<br/>Their creamy ravioli was delicious! Never had this kind of sweet creamy pasta sauce before. And their pizza was good although a bit expensive for its size<br/>The second time, I ordered the same creamy ravioli and my bf ordered their seafood pasta that supposedly had prawns in it. And what came was a bit shocking. It has those tiny supermarket frozen shrimps in it and salmon was extremely salty. For a $28 dish I was not impressed. In parnell or ponsonby you could get a very nice dish for the same price.<br/>If you're around here it's worth a try but I wouldn't come especially for it there are better Italian places<br/>Very under staffed too. Only 1 waitress and the restaurant was quite full

Third time to this restaurant. First two times food was good but very SLOW over an hour for two dishes. Found the service really poor also. Tonight just tops the cake. We got here at 6:20pm and ordered. It's now 7:45pm we just received our food and the waiter has presented the wrong dish to me. When I said it was not what I ordered he got very stroppy and asked me if I was sure!!! So no apologies and now another 15 minute wait for my food while my partner has to eat his average food without me. Never coming back. Mistakes happen but it's how you deal with it that counts and all I got was attitude.

Love this place, has great food, great atmosphere food always tastes great! My favourite is the Galliano chicken recommend it highly! If your looking for good Italian food this is the place to go :)

I'm not a food expert by any means but every time I go there I love it. It's a quite little place where you can have fun.I won't mess around and say I get the chicken crepes (that sauce, this one is out of this world) and then the Gina special (what a pizza) can't go wrong with this combo, see you soon Mumma, I'm coming home,

Buon Venuti is a small family run restaurant in Browns Bay. It is home cooked style food, like you'd get in Italy. The atmosphere is very relaxed, food is superb, and the staff very friendly. We have been going to this restaurant for about four years, and we go there to relax, enjoy the whole experience, and not be rushed. Would, and have recommended this restaurant to anyone.

While we didn't have to wait too long for our orders, the food was just ok. It wasnt by any means terrible but we likely won't bother going back.

We arrived on Saturday night for our 7 p.m. booking, and after some time had to ask the waitress to take our order.   We were still waiting for our meals at 8:30 so asked the waitress who said that they had NOT YET started to EVEN COOK the meals.  The service was that slack!!   So we left - if we had stayed I hate to think when we would have got our food!   We had a elderly man with us and 3 people from overseas, so it was embarrassing as well as totally unacceptable!!!  They might have delicious food - but I wouldn't know because we gave up waiting.  They either need to get better staff or more staff.

Traditional family run Italian place down in Browns Bay. Service usually slow but food is tasty and hearty. Interior getting a little tired and 80s.

I went here with my partner in the weekend and was not impressed.... First of all our waiter was wearing slippers which I find unprofessional and would be ashamed of if I owned this company. we waited over 40mins for garlic bread and then the cook brought it out to us half way through our meal, the food was extremely average for such a long wait and the staff were not very on to it and seem very uninterested my partner tried asking our waiter a question over 3 times but could not get her attention as she just kept walking past. I found that my eyes were getting very itchy and sore due to smoke coming out from the kitchen and over all this experience ruined our night and we will not be eating there again

Been going here for many, many years- never had anything but a great meal, the homemade pasta, the creamy sauces, the flavours! There's a reason we keep coming back. The food, the family atmosphere, the charming ambiance- everything about this restaurant is top notch. <br/><br/>Grant and Denise

Oh yes. Really good authentic Italian, at a great price! The staff are fantastic, I believe it's family run but I may be mistaken. Hidden away, we almost missed it but I'm so glad we called in for dinner.

This is one of our regulars, cheap and cheerful authentic Italian food. New owners but just as good as previously. Recommended for a value meal with friendly service

it's a small place in Browns Bay not on the main street but the food it's great. It is for sure a taste of Italy and it is done pretty much the way food is cooked in Italy. It is a family owned place and the whole family works there so the atmosphere it's great.

So sad... This place used to be great. I used to love coming here years ago. <br/><br/>I came in with my 2 kids wanting them to experience this place too......... <br/><br/>Unfortunately you end up waiting over 1.5 hours for entrees. Not impressed, and amazed that this place is still open if it operates this way - I wonder how many customers walk out?

If there was ever a restaurant that as a child you remember and enjoyed and slowly watched it decline then this is the restaurant. I have always had such fond memories of this place but each time i keep going back it gets worse and worse. Its very sad. I cant really write anything overly positive about the place. Although i will probably still get the takeaway special pizza from time to time.

Very very dissatisfied!! Ridiculously overpriced for extremely poor quality meals that taste like supermarket packet meals... they were also tiny portions. All round a flop

Very disappointing quality of food ! I checked the menu online with prices , at the restaurant all the prices were higher , very misleading ! Extracted fans still not working and all 6 of us had sore runny eyes and the staff didn't seem to care ! <br/>First time we were there and last time !

Delicious authentic Italian food served in a lovely atmosphere! The pizzas here are great and in the same style that you would get them in Italy. We also had a chicken dish with a creamy sauce that was just heavenly. The restaurant itself has a nice atmosphere with a rustic feel to it and Italian national colours everywhere.

My husband and I decided to order a take out last night and have to say this is the worst food I have had in a long time. First of all, they forgot our order and after waiting the initial 15 mins they said it would take, my husband was then told it would be ready in 1 minute. This continued for another 30 minutes before we finally got our order. No-one bothered to apologise to us, just kept us waiting for a total of 45 mins. By this point, we are so hungry and looking forward to our food, we rushed it home. We ordered Spag Bol, which had a few small lumps of mince but was more just overcooked spaghetti with a tasteless runny sauce. Next, we ordered the Carbonara which I love but this was the biggest disappointment. It had no flavour at all, was thick and inedible. The only good thing about the whole meal was the garlic bread but the rest ended up in the bin. We will never go back here again, what a waste of time and money.

Authentic Italian, reminds me of the restaurants we ate at in Italy. Delicious food! Nice range on the menu too. Ambient atmosphere, friendly staff, Will definitely return. Thank you for the beautiful meal

We have just eaten our Take Away from Buon Venutti and have to say it is a very disappointing meal. We had a Lasagne, a Family size Hawaiian pizza, and a spagetti carbonara, and pizza bread. The lasagne is a meat sauce with clumps of stoggy pasta placed with in it, not pleasant. My carbonara was a cross between scrambled eggs and spagetti thrown in. both lasagne and carbonara were very lean portions. lastly the pizza for a family size can only be described as a joke, it takes up only 3/4 box and is so small my two young children have nearly finished it by them selves the slices were so small. Terrible value for $$ and next time ill head back to pizza hut - it's not worth the bother :(

I have been here several times and at first found it enjoyable, but of late the food has dropped to new low. I have to say that I probably wouldnt return here as the food has become very bland &amp; cheap feeling.

Delicimo! After a simple google of restaurants in Browns Bay, we decided to head along to Buon Venuti - we were not disappointed. The welcome and ensuing service was excellent. The ambience was cosy and pleasant, a warm busy-ness in the kitchen and on the restaurant floor that is well attended and managed by Maria. Everything is cooked a la carte so flavours are full and fresh - well done Gina! My cozzo (mussels) and aubergine parmigiana were taste sensations! We will be back! Thank you for a most enjoyable dining experience.

We have been going to Bueon Venuti for years. Gina and Maria are excellent cooks, The food is always great. 10/10 Laura the waitress is great too. Very friendly staff and food to die for. Try the chicken crepes.

In one word - YUMMY! <br/>I loved the Italian atmosphere and music! It took me back to Italy! The steak was perfect! And the home-made tirimisu was to die for! I've read the reviews about the service but still thought i'd give it a go! I had no problem with the service! Our waitress was very friendly and brought our drinks instantly!

Great atmosphere and staff were very pleasant. I'd read the (mixed) reviews but thought we'd give it a try.<br/><br/>It might have been an off night but the food wasn't great. Pizza bread was overcooked as was the pizza. My creamy chicken pasta was pretty bland, lasagne was pretty basic and unfortunately the one who ordered the fish of the day (Orange Roughy) wasn't used to that particular fish so didn't enjoy it.<br/><br/>I wouldn't be in a hurry to go again as there are better local options, but as I say - it could have been an off night.

Eaten here twice and won't be ever again. Slack uninterested wait staff and the food less than average. No extractors appeared to be working in the kitchen the last time we ate here, you could hardly breathe for the acrid smoke that was billowing from the kitchen. I would suspect that past reviewers have not ever eaten in Italy.

It was great to return to Buon Venuti, and just as great to find things hadn't changed. <br/>Still the "real deal" - true Italian food with a southern Italian influence, friendly prompt service, very reasonable prices. <br/>We enjoyed a good Chianti, gorgeous scallop entrees, very nice spaghetti marinara in a Neapolitan sauce and a to-die-for smoked salmon fettuccine. NO room for dessert! <br/>We'll be back!

Good and hearty Italian dishes, all true to Italian style, just like the true blue Italian proprietor of this fine restaurant.<br/><br/>If you are after Kiwi style Italian food (unseasoned half raw veges, pasta drowning in cream, cheap cheese, etc) the I suggest not to go here since veges are cooked in the traditional al forno way, seasoning is used throughout, the sauces are all well made with proper cheeses in the traditional Italian style.<br/><br/>And to top it, the food is very affordable. Granted, the servings aren't overly big, but it's quality rather than quantity.<br/><br/>The wine list also contains as selection of real Italian wines, but it caters for all tastes and styles, so even for the uneducated palates local Chardonnay plonk is on offer. BYO is allowed at a very reasonable corkage fee.

We ordered pizza's, which were great. The service was horrible! We wouldn't return on account of the service. We were there for 20-30 minutes before we received any drinks. We were there 45 minutes before we got our starter (pizza bread). We got there early and it was not busy, so we were not sure why everything took so long. To end off the night we had to wait to pay because he was out on his 3rd or 4th cigarette break since we arrived. Unfortunately the service will be the reason we don't return.

Buon Venuti is a great little restaurant. It’s a high quality suburban Italian family business which maintains consistent food quality, a great menu, and a lovely ambiance, including Italian music and candles. If anything lets it down it’s variables in staff and service which has been different each time we visited. On our experience a little more attention would be appreciated on arrival. Most people would like a drink (or at least a chance to look at the wine list) shortly after being seated, and fresh filtered water on the table. Once you have a drink in your hand cooking delays are no problem in an atmosphere like this, particularly if they are quick with the yummy garlic pizza snacks. A recommended outing.

Amazing soul good at really reasonable prices! Best pasta we have ever had, definitely favourite restaurant ever.<br/><br/>The pizza bread and chicken crepe are incredible and the effect is better than chocolate when you have had a hard day.<br/><br/>Go in and meet the lovely family that owns it as the are always smiling and always make you feel very welcome.<br/><br/>Best BYO restaurant in the whole of Auckland.