Review Dantes Pizzeria - Takapuna

Walked pass Dante’s on a Thursday night and was attracted by the menu and the friendly owner standing outside greeting. They have a proper highchair which is a bonus! The owner (assuming) suggested a creamy pasta and a plain simple pizza for us so we can share with my little one. Perfect choices! The pizza dough was so good and apparently fermented for 48 hours, so soft yet chewy with right amount of toppings. My little one enjoyed it so much. The house made pasta was also delicious but doesn’t feel too heavy. The meal was great and the services from all was very welcoming and attentive. We enjoyed it thank you ☺️

My boyfriend took me here for our anniversary and suffice to say, it did not disappoint. The service was polite, speedy, friendly and unequivocally welcoming. In particular, the manager was extraordinarily hospitable. On an even greater note, the food was mouth watering, aromatic and 100% the most delectable and authentic Italian pizza. It exceeded its title of the best pizza in New Zealand and I believe is some of the best pizza in the entire world. I would recommend this to any body with a hankering for an exceptionally phenomenal dining experience :)

Delicious pizza, wood-fired and always makes me want to return. When I think of pizza this is what it’s all about. Bellissimo!

When I found a Laneway in Auckland with heat lamps and alfresco dining (instead of wheelie bins) I jumped for joy. Dantes is one of a number of popular restaurants along the laneway. The service and food were very good. Even though the weather did not cooperate, it was still cosy. Thank you to the kitchen and front of house staff. ❤️

Dante's is delicious! Went there for the first time and ordered two pizzas. Both came out very quickly and were so tasty! Don't normally like pizza crust, but this pizza crust is fantastic! Super bouncy and tasty. 100% coming back again. Great service and food.

Service is mint and the food is amazing. Cost of the meal was a tad on the high side, but the experience is worth it. The menu is standard with servings of fair size. Bathrooms located opposite end of Eat Street. Limited seating in the restaurant but more seating available at the same end with in the Court Yard. Recommend dining in early or outside peak times as this place is popular.

The truffle pizza is delicious af. I'm going to dream about it. And now I'm going to have to drive all the way from Greenlane to satisfy my cravings. Why have you done this to me?! Also service was super fast and the staff were lovely. Highly recommend and will be back

Great morning out and late brunch at Dante's Pizzeria. Lovely flavors and atmosphere with seating in the sheltered alley. Quick and helpful staff. Such good serving sizes that we had to bring home a doggy bag.

Beautiful little Italian pizzeria, the best in Takapuna! Friendly staff!

Great authentic Italian pizzeria, eat in because that’s THE best way to have your pizza! Have a negroni, maybe two, eat the pizza, order another one, drink the wine, you won’t be disappointed.

Absolutely amazing pizza! Best in nz! The chef's are very friendly and the foh staff are super nice! A real family atmosphere with them all singing along to the classic Italian music. Service was super quick and always with a warm smile. So glad they are still here after the lock downs. Also don't forget their pasta menu! Hand made and delicious! 10/10

Since our last visit, they added more staff to the kitchen and service. Although I never mind having to wait as I like the atmosphere. Many new creations have been added as well. And the pizza is still as fantastic as they were before. We just love the place.

Definitely rate this place they stayed open when they didn’t have to and prepared a table for us great friendly service and great food went home with a very full stomach

The pizza is OK. It's not bad, but it's nothing to rave over. Average. What I was not happy with was the cost. I asked to add anchovies and salami to my margarita pizza. <br/>They did accommodate that request by added 5 anchovies and about 7 thin slices of salami. The added cost, $10!!! In total the pizza was $34. We try to support local businesses at the moment, but with such blatant ripping off, I won't be ordering from them again.

I liked that pasta & chips. Cheap price,

Went there with a friend and they were reasonably empty. Ordered a pizza and it was as thin as paper and when it came to paying we were told we can’t do split payment when it wasn’t a problem a few weeks ago. Employee was rude and refused to do split payment and told us to transfer money to each other

Yes, it was reasonably priced for lunch! Highly recommand!

Thourghly Disappointed the worst pizza I have ever had. It was cold , soggy & the base was as thin as my finger nail. As soon as I picked a piece up the whole pizza disintwgrated. I will not return No point in saying any thing else

Bustling little spot in 40th... started with dolmades... very nice. The pizza base crisp with plenty of taste.. went well with a glass of pinot grigio! The boss lady keeps everything moving along without being too pushy... we will be back

We were kind of busy to celebrate our anniversary <br/>somewhere else, so we decided to go here. The place is overpriced for the food it offers which is too few. The host and waiter were asking every two minutes if everything was fine and taking away our dishes, we felt harassed!!! We have tried better pizzas and lasagnes in better restaurants with the same price!

aawww so good! Craving for Margherita I dashed down to Dantes. Pizza. It was so good that I finished the whole plate to myself. Not good for me but argh just can’t help it. Base was great, sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil were so yummy. A touch of olive oil would have been nice but that’s my fault, I’m sure they would of provided if I asked but I dug in once it hit the table and never looked back. Been to 4 Dante’s in Auckland and they all do great Margheritas.

Dante’s pizza offers a great italian food. The place is amazing though sometimes it gets hard find a seat. The staff and friendly but it takes time for the food to be serve. But if you want some authentic italian food this is the place to be!

Been here a few times and have found the place to be quite average. Quality of the food is good but have found it to be overpriced for the serving that you get. Good range of pizzas and pastas on their menu, however are limited in their vegetarian options. <br/>

Delicious food and great service! 5 star dining experience 🤩

First time we came, everything was on point so we went for a second time with friends and then the food was really just below average somehow and left all of us unhappy.

Definitely a great place to go to. Amazing food n beautiful dessert.<br/><br/>Definitely recommend.<br/><br/>Friendly service too. Will definitely come again.

Every thing was good. food is great. Especially their tomato sauce is fantastic. These are make all their food tasty. Pizza is kinda food of really hard to be disaster if the chef knows basic for that reason dow, tomato sauce, cheese and wood fire. all of those combination was very satisfied to me. 👏🏻<br/>But not perfect. Garlic bread was terrible. I couldn’t even smell of garlic from it instead burnt parsley and wield herbs. I thought I’ve ordered wrong menu. or chef doesn’t like me.

The staff member is extremely friendly and and easy to talk to. She really lightens the mood of people.<br/><br/>Food wise, it was served quick and the wood-fired pizza was simply delicious! Would love to return to try the pasta menu

Night of comfort italian food @dantes_pizzeria my favourite italian place in north shore 🥰🤤🍕<br/>We ordered the ricotta pappardelle ($29), bufalina ($26), and the fried sourdough ($15).<br/>Food: 5/5<br/>Service: 5/5<br/>Atmosphere: 4/5<br/>Value: 5/5<br/>Recommend : 5/5 ✅✅✅<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>Oml you can literally taste the freshness of the ingredients here 👌👌👌 The pappardelle is creamy and rich while the pizza has that signature crispy dough. The fried sourdough is dipped in fresh marinara and mozzarella aka fkn amazing 😍😍🤤🤤🤤. Although the prices here are quite high for students, I understand since the quality of their ingredients is ✅✅✅. Definitely recommended 🥰

Their pizza is exactly like pizza in Italy! 4 pizzas all came out at the same time and was delicious. Made me miss my travels. Owner is super friendly, and clearly loves her job

Wow, extremely shocked with service. The waitress demanded that we order our food at a certain point, very forcibly and rude, when we were still waiting for someone. This was when the restaurant was half full and there weren’t any people booked for the table later on in the night. Ended up leaving and having dinner at Bedford Soda & Liquor around the corner, which was a far superior dining experience.

Worst service ever! Incredibly rude waitress demanded we order mains at 7:30pm even though we told her we were waiting for another person to arrive. No one was waiting for the table, she just wanted to leave.. never going there again!

Really good pizza, good service the front of house really knows the food really well. Even helps you to pronounce italian dishes properly lol. The pappardelle with the pork ragu is quite nice, but if you "kinda" dont dig the pig I suggest you dont order this as its very porky flavour wise. The calamari was pretty standard. Relatively well priced menu and the food comes out relatively quick too.

My favourite restaurant in Auckland! Have been three times in two weeks. Love the staff, love the food. Great wee spot. Food comes out fast too, and they even have blankets!

After a terrible experience at Al Forno with their customer service, we made our way around the corner to this JEM. We were greeted with true Italian hospitality regardless of not having a booking and service was beautiful. We were given real expectations and the staff went over and beyond to ensure we got a great experience. Thank you for making Mother's day great for us considering. Will return not only for the delicious food but also the people and environment.

We stumbled across this amazing little gem after a bad experience at La Forno. The food was amazing and very authentic tasting! Service was a 10/10 we were greeted with true Italian hospitality, so glad we ended up here for Mother’s Day dinner.

Dantes has the best pizza! Have been here over 10 times probably and its so good every-time! This particular one in Takapuna is a little small but use their space well - good amount of seating.  The pizza base and crust is so good I don't know how they do it. The pizzas are amazing and we get the proscuitto one every single time. We just recently came for dinner and got our usual faves and everything was delish however my dad had the pork belly and he said it could have used some more salt 🧂 but other than that we had a lovely meal.Delicious food and lovely staff! 100 reccomend :)

Wow... The rudeness of the waitress beggars belief... We were there for dessert and she yelled at us saying we were wasting their time and that there were other customers.. She basically kicked us out. There were even spare tables around... Its shocking

Best pizza we've had in Auckland. Service was very fast as the pizza only took 3 minutes to be made on a busy day. Staff were friendly as well. Will definitely be back again!

Dante's Pizza is so damn good! Been here so many times and never been disappointed with the food or service. My go to pizza is the Con Prosciutto it's so fresh and just perfect and it's a wood fired pizza as well which makes it taste even better. I've also had the Spaghetti Pomodoro and it's the best spaghetti i've ever had on god! it's a perfect size, perfect flavour, it's just too perfect. All the foods are very photo worthy so perfect for the gram. The staff are super friendly and welcoming and always up for a chat, the food comes very quickly which I'm always surprised by because it's always so busy so i don't know how they manage to do it but they do. I honestly love this place and can't hype it up enough. You NEED to try this, you won't be let down. x

I love risotto.. I tried Dante’s risottos and they were ok but would be better if they were creamy.. very friendly service though. Heard their tiramisu is amazing look forward to trying it

Tasty food but pushy service. We ordered a main, entree, drinks for each of us but the lady was still not satisfied. She kept pushing us to order more drinks and desserts almost every 15 mins. If you are planning to go there, enjoy a interrupted dinner. The manager will find a way to make you feel guilty of you don’t order enough. Won’t come back anymore.

Awesome pizza and pasta! Really tasty and didn't take to long either. Friendly staff and great service. Would recommend if your in the takapuna area for sure

Awesome food and the service is super friendly as well. The setting is also really nice with the lights. The pizzas are definitely some of the best in Auckland - super crispy thin base and the toppings are fresh.

Dante’s in Takapuna is a lovely, personalised experience. Love hearing about the heritage of the wines and which is best suited to the meals. Fabulous service to match the delicious foods :)

Friendly staff<br/>Beef Tagliatelle was delicious, especially the pasta was well cooked. Lasagne was fine but the portion was too small for man.<br/>Woodfire garlic pizza bread was too oily, salty and too burnt- disappointed 😑<br/>Overall- good experience. May visit again for pasta and try pizza next time.

The food here is great! Highly recommend getting a pasta and a pizza to share! There’s such a large variety to choose from too!<br/><br/>The service is decent, although the lady (I think she’s the owner) can definitely be a little pushy, and always seems disappointed if you don’t buy alcoholic drinks..? <br/>

Fresh Food , good service, good price. They keep the food materials' natural taste. Really appreciate. So happy to find a good place to enjoy the well cooked food you could taste it's nature.

SUBS ARE FLAWLESS. The best atmosphere, the nicest people. It has that feeling of family. Both times I have ordered the salmon sub with avocado and capers and both times I have adored the freshness and flavour combos. Have a feeling this will my partner and i’s favourite summer spot!

If you want authentic, Italian cuisine - you need to visit Dante's Pizzeria in Takapuna.<br/><br/>Dante's are passionate and masterful about their food, using only the freshest ingredients. The service is always friendly, and the alfresco laneway dining adds to the appeal.<br/><br/>A great place to enjoy good honest Italian food, good wine and good company!

Small place , but ok setting..two adults one child.<br/>Seating was fine, but again ..dam table was wobbly! Lol, curse of the wobbly table syndrome.<br/>Service was fast and friendly, but there was just us and 4 others in there, so I expected it.<br/>Free water, option of normal or sparkling (that's good).<br/>Beer , ginger beer, coke...ordered rib sub, vodka sauce prawn pasta and con prosciutto pizza.<br/>Sub was little..pita style kinda bread, but smaller,<br/>Couple slices of tomato lettuce and small amount of beef..real rip for cost..bad start, I will say what little meat that was on it, was tender and juicy.<br/>Pizza wasn't great unfortunately, I really wanted it to be aswell..but sadly it was also a let down..soggy dough, couldn't find much parmisan slices and alota green. .prosciutto was Hella salty.<br/>Will the pasta save meal??...no...worst dish, 5 frozen prawns that were over cooked and rubbery, still had tail shell on, sauce was bland and not very inspiring, I question if it was made from scratch for my meal..or isit ladled from big container of a pre made batch?? Very flat in flavour.<br/>Ginger beer flat also..best thing about meal was the beer lol..we were all very saddened by our food..bit of a shame..maybe ordered wrong food? But I think if it's on your menu, then should all be good,i want good food I can't make at home, this food could make at home and better and with better quality ingredients.<br/>74 bux for that ..feel abit ripped..service was good though..but won't be going back.<br/>

Pizza was delicious and very well cooked. On the other hand the Pasta was nice and handmade but portion was more like an appetiser ... especially for the price of it. <br/>Staff friendly but maybe consider not shaking the tip jar right under our noses when paying the bill. <br/>Too expensive for what it was, especially the pasta.<br/>Atmosphere and place: Nice being able to see the chefs do the cooking, our table outside was woobly would need to be fixed.

Awesome ambience and hospitality..the guy actually helped us select the order from the menu. Sourdough was delicious..the sweet sour mocktails were yum. Cannelloni with pumpkin and ricotta was delicious; mushroom/ portabella pizza was average.

This place is absolutely beautiful :) had some great bolognese and their tiramisu is amazing :)<br/>Will definitely be back sometime in the future to try their pizza!

4/5 Taste<br/>3.5/5 Display <br/>3.5/5 Quantity <br/>4/5 Customer Service <br/><br/>Decent Italian Restaurant.<br/><br/>$34 for a pizza, expected some fine dining experience, but the pizza was actually not that bad. <br/>First of all the sauce was pretty damn good, the toppings were just flying everywhere but had a nice texture and balance. <br/>Portion was a little too small for that price.<br/>Two customer service waiters were really kind and bright.<br/>

Very good place. Overall experience had fun vibe to it . Very good tasting dishes . Only turn down was fior di latte sauce has minimal cheese and it was pack full of tomatoes. Didn’t quiet stand up to my expectations as per dish’s description. Pizzas and pasta was nice . Little down towards seasoning though . I guess taking the moment with pitch of salt was appropriate pun for this occasion .

Woah! This place has one of the best pizzas I've ever tasted! I was even more pleasantly surprised when the chefs were just casually making pasta from scratch at the back. I will definitely come back to try their pastas. Also the service was given by very knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend!

Had an amazing lunch at Dante’s in Takapuna. I went for the traditional spaghetti which was beautifully presented and well made. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce was lovely and not overpowering. Great price too and I’ll definitely be back.

Pizzas crust is Smokey and perfect. Pastas small serving but yummy. Biggest down fall is high price but worth it for a nice night out very welcoming service. Deserts a nice treat

Very interesting layout of this place. It’s kind of like a food court here. Can be quite confusing where to order and take a seat. However the staff here were nice. <br/><br/>The food here isn’t bad. I ordered a risotto which was good. Good flavours. The garlic pizza bread was a tad on the burnt side though. Had to order the drinks elsewhere though. Overall nothing too special about this place. Nice vibes here though especially during summertime.

Decided to lunch here after craving some Italian.<br/><br/>We ordered a prosciutto panouzzi and tagliatelle shrimp and vodka, and calamari. <br/>The panouzzi was good, bread was nice and crisp and filled well with prosciutto highlight of two dishes.<br/>The spaghetti was not al dente, and needed a little more time to become more al dente. Other than that generous with the sauce and vodka was not heavily present. Prawns were cooked well. <br/>Calamari had a very light batter which I did enjoy, complimented well with the sauce and calamari well cooked. <br/><br/>Staff are friendly, and I normally see this place busy. For me the menu is extensive and if I were to come back I’d definitely get another panouzzi but I won’t be in a rush.

Authentic Italian pizzas. Love the stone grilled pizzas and the soft base. Little on the pricey side but it’s worth it. The risotto we had was perfectly cooked, highly unexpected but hats off to the chef.

Amazing service and really good vibes! Waiters were so awesome. Food came out fast and was delicious. Got the tomato fettuccine. Will definitely be back!

Unfortunately the food here was really disappointing. We ordered the ribs sub and the porchetta sub. The rib was pretty much inedible, really tough you could barely chew it. The porchetta sub was bland. Service was okay until we passed on the feedback regarding the ribs, the staff member was rude and abrupt - rather than taking on the feedback. Definitely not coming back here.

This place is so amazing. I went in with my friend and there was a guy and a lovely lady that looked after our table and can I say I have never ever had such great customer service before. Truly the best best best. And food was 10/10! Highly recommended. 😊 thank you for such an awesome experience.<br/>

Great choice of italian dishes including faves such as spaghetti bol, plenty of gorgeous pasta dishes, and gluten free pizzas.  Service is good and a great atmosphere with other small specialist restaurants down a funky side street.  Ideal for lunch or dinner.

The workers overall were polite. I'm leaving this review in hopes that the chef reads this and has a taste of the dishes he serves. I don't mean to come off offensive, but the food was extremely salty. I've never had to taste food THIS salty anywhere in my life. I wish I was exaggerating. I had to chug down water every time I took a bite of my pasta. Whilst I would have wanted to personally go up to the chef and ask him to try what he had served me, I did not because situation wise I was with colleagues and did not want to make it awkward. However, I knew that the people I went with (3 people) also found their food appallingly salty but out of courtesy did not say anything. we had a taste of each other's plates and not only were they all extremely salty, the dishes all tasted the same despite all ordering different things. Their red sauce (tomato?) tasted the same throughout every dish. <br/>It is also a fact that the food on the menu is overpriced and food portions extremely small for the price. Not even going to talk about quality. I can't see myself going here after this experience. However, I remember the pizza not being completely inedible like the pasta/red sauce dishes. But I would recommend many other places in Takapuna to eat from...

Word of mouth had us dining at Dante's a couple of weeks ago, expecting to be wowed by "amazing authentic Italian pasta", however our experience was quite the nightmare.<br/><br/>First we were surprised by how overpriced the food was. Then it was the unwelcoming lady manager/owner, for whom it seemed that a smily face was close to mission impossible.<br/><br/>Food was everything but great. Pork belly had hardly any flavour, and not even salt and pepper could save it from being only half eaten. As for the pizzas, I would actually prefer Dominos over Dante's as the crust of the base felt too heavy and too chewy, centre of the base was too thin and too much sauce was applied which made the pizza collapse as soon as you try to lift a piece.<br/><br/>Lastly for the salmon fettucine, the salmon probably came straight out of a can, and it was so "well blended" into the avacado sauce that you could barely...<br/><br/>Overrall, service and food were both appalling, only good thing about Dante's is the atmosphere.<br/>

Was excited to visit Dante’s as the reviews seem positive. However the dining experience ended in utter disappointment. <br/><br/>Pizzas were overpriced for what they were: soggy base that falls apart when you try to eat it, some slices had crust that took up half the size of a slice, and scarce toppings. <br/><br/>We also ordered a salmon fettuccine and was appalled with the amount of fish in the dish. It felt like a plate of pasta with some canned fish sprinkled on top.<br/><br/>Service was poor as waitress did not seem to be happy to serve and was unfriendly. She did not bother to look around to refill glasses and did not see a smile on her face during our time here.

This place is so underrated! Came here tonight and experienced amazing customer service and absolutely delicious food, they even let us into the kitchen to have a look after our meals!! Service was also very quick however my pizza was a tad too oily. I would highly recommend dining here!<br/>

Very nice service extremely pleasant. We had a pizza, pasta and garlic bread all the food was amazing bar the garlic bread which was very dry

New favourite local pizza joint. Such fresh, high quality ingredients. Awesome service. Ordered the Contadina and will be back to try the other pizzas.

Just amazing. We came to try the fresh pastas recommended by our friends who are regulars @ Dante's Takapuna. We were four and ordered pappardelle ricotta and spinach, tagliatelle bolognese, spaghetti puttanesca and lasagne. They all were awesomely delicious. <br/>The service also was great. We been treated like old friends. The owner/manager explained to us the stories behind the recipes and made us feel like we travelled to Italy. <br/>We will back again for more.

A group of eight of us choose Dantes Takapuna due its reputation as being one of the best places for pizza in Auckland, and choose Takapuna over Ponsonby as it could seat all of us comfortably. Upon arriving on a rainy Saturday night we found that our table was stationed in the courtyard. This wasn't ideal given the weather but to combat this we were each kindly given a blanket before being seated. <br/><br/>Our food arrived quickly however one of my friends pizza's was missing the tomatoes, which they swiftly added. My partner and I didn't order pizza and perhaps this is where we went wrong. My partner's pork belly came sliced into 8 thin slices, with a small portion of very small cubes of potato, and huge bed of mesculin (like the kind you buy in bags from the supermarket). My pasta was disappointing and did not taste like puttanesca should. I was not offered any additional cutlery to eat my spaghetti, nor was any freshly cracked pepper offered to the table. . <br/><br/>Overall the service was poor and this unfortunately ruined my dinning experience. No one came to ask how our meal was, nor were we offered dessert -which most of we're looking forward to. We didn't ask as by that tine I had noticed the staff were not acknowledging the two groups of people who had walked in but then left as no one paid them any attention. It became clear that the restaurant owner was more focussed on being able to eat dinner. At this time the restaurant wasn't due to close for another 45mins but the kitchen and staff had it felt like already closed for the night. When paying the owner was cold and not very hospitable. As such we will definitely not be returning!! For the price we paid for food and alcohol it did not seem worth it.

I used to go often to Dantes Ponsonby and I like their pizza, the only problem was the space, too small and hard to accommodate more than 2 people. So I visited Dantes Takapuna and it was a very pleasant surprise. They have more space and I liked the pizza better. This time I tried the Quattro Formaggi, the combination of the 4 cheeses was amazing. The base was also fantastic. My new favorite pizza in Auckland.

You can taste all the amazing ingredients and end up realising this is a pizza made with love and care. The environment is great, simple and elegant

I have a lot of good things to write about so il summarise it. The owner or manager who aproached me was friendly, warm and welcoming. He treats you like a long time friend. Lot's of joking around, great stuff. The pasta i ordered was tasty and layered, a pure delight. I left a happy man, a smile on my face. The staff just made my day 10x better. It's a casual workplace which i love, everyone seems happy to work there, bravo to them. Go to Dante's, great experience.

Seriously the second best authentic pizza in Auckland! We do prefer the pizzas from Dante's in Ponsonby (they are THE best authentic pizza in Auckland), but they are just about there in Takapuna too.<br/><br/>Always friendly staff.

Really enjoyable experience. It has been a while since I have eaten an authentic pizza. I ordered the con prosciutto. The base was nice and thin with a generous amount of cheese and toppings. The size of the pizza looks small compared to other pizza places however I only managed to get through half of it and I was very hungry to begin - you definitely get what you pay for. The dough reminds me of naan bread.

We ordered 'Contadina' ( a vegetarian pizza ) & 'Con Prosciutto' (topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, Parma ham and  rocket ), and there was nothing special about them. The pizza base was like a naan,  soft & spongy. Average food but expensive.

Service within the hospitality industry in New Zealand is definitely lacking in some establishments. However every once in awhile you come across a place where a particular employee provides such diligent service that you are reinforced with the notion that New Zealand's hospitality industry isn't THAT bad.<br/><br/>Dining in, we were promptly seated by the waitress and given menus, our group of diners contained a recently pregnant lady (woohoo!). When this fact was made known to the waitress, she diligently explained the dishes which our friend could eat and personally made sure that our items were fully cooked. Our experience was made even better when she brought out some blankets and provided our table with hot water. <br/><br/>Focusing now on the food, I love how naan-like the pizza base was, for me it gives off a rustic and authentic feel. We had the Carne and Alla Romano with our burchetta being fried separately to make sure it was fully cooked. The pizza basically was gorgeous. <br/><br/>However the lasagne was a little disappointing, mainly because we felt that it was bland, so for next time we'll be sure to stick to the pizzas. <br/><br/>Showstopper: To the lady that works on Friday night: you are spectacular and Dante's is blessed to have you.<br/><br/>Overall Grade: A-

My husband and I had a great night at Dante's Pizzeria. We were welcomed by Byron who greeted us warmly and gave us the best seats in the house (thats my opinion). We were treated well and had a delicious meal and were nice and warm on a cold night. Our Pizza was delicious although now after looking at the menu again believe it was missing basil on it otherwise would have given a 5. Service was wonderful as I say Byron was warm and friendly and went out of his way to make it an extra special night. Before we even started we were treated to some lovely pizza and also some fresh artichokes which I had never tried before. A great night out and wonderful service and food and drinks!!! Perfect.

Much more seating than their ponsonby brunch! :)<br/>We ordered the margarita DOC and it was truly authentic<br/>The buffalo mozzarella was divine and the pizza dough was flavoursome -although tiny bit burnt xD<br/>Some could say their flavours are a bit bland but it was just right for me<br/>Their pizzas aren't cheap but you are paying for quality<br/>I'd say 1 is enough between 2 people that aren't too hungry<br/>You also know they are authentic Italian when they don't do chips for the sides 😂<br/>Well definitely come back

Great quality pizza as usual with Dantes, these guys know their stuff! I already wrote a review for the Ponsonby branch and my opinion is the same here: the best darn pizza around! Bigger space and an impressive oven right in front of you, you get front row seats on the crafting of your food. Very friendly and professional service. Thumbs up!

Me and the family went there during the long weekend and had a great experience! The ambience was nice with the lights and Italian music and the manager was so friendly and helpful. The whole place was run very efficiently.<br/>In terms of food, it was all excellent. We had garlic focaccia, two pizzas and dessert including gelato and cheesecake (torta della nonna). All the ingredients on the pizza were fresh and tasty and I found my dessert extremely delicious. We didn't have to wait for the food and it all came out really quick. <br/>It's not a big place but it's very nice inside and found the food really good. Would recommend.

We had an amazing experience at Dante's. The pizzas are made with a lot of love and authentic Italian passion. The chef took time to teach us about the about the Italian sourced pizza oven, explained the processes of how the pizzas are made, gave us cheese tastings and made an effort to make the meal a true Italian experience -topped off with some wonderful homemade tiramisu. Thank you for a great night.

Imported ingredients on an authentic italian firecooked pizza ready in 90 seconds. Was thoroughly suprised and would most definitely come again.

The pizzas were alright the base was a bit dry and tasted just like naan bread. The portion size was not too bad but the prices were not worth what you got.

We had a nice dinner here earlier in April and ordered the Contadina, Cannelloni and Tiramisu. As others may have mentioned, the pizzas are rather minamalistic, but that only served to highlight the pizza dough more. The cannelloni tasted fresh and homemade, without that standard storebought sauce flavour. The tiramisu also looked good and the guy who made our dessert even took the time to make a strawberry rose for us.<br/><br/>I can see myself coming again to try out some of the other pizzas!

I had only tried the small pizza. The dough is definitely different from the one you get from Pizza Hut or Domino's. This is the real deal! The BLT con-pizza for $10 is worth a try. All the ingredients, including the bacon, the lettuce, the tomatoes, are all very fresh. At least I was barked at by a few dogs waiting for their owners on Hurstmere Road, LOL! The food must smell so nice that even the dogs couldn't resist it.

Just tried their Carne, definitely a right choice for those meat lover. The pork and fennel sausage is a very tasty. Order a large pizza, one mojito and one orange juice for about 55. I would say it is absolutely worth it.

Great little place with awesome pizza. Traditional pizza with authentic ingredients, no ham and pineapple here.<br/><br/>Great explanation provided by staff as to the origin of the food and why they do it that way, awesome breads to share and good wine and beer list. Staff were attentive and friendly and we were walk up customers, all this and it's dog friendly too

The length to which the joint goes to in making each product fresh and authentic is quite impressive, given that they aren't a full-on restaurant. I always have a soft spot for places to make everything in house, and Dante's has that covered.<br/><br/>I had the Rocky conpizza, and the best compliment I can pay is that I've travelled back to Takapuna twice (from Whitford) just for this conpizza. I've also tried the other flavours, but don't waste your time; the Rocky is the way to go. Incredibly tasty, each ingredient's flavour darts out at you with every bite. The pastry (of course, made in house) is excellent - chewy but not raw. Only gripe (mentioned to the owner as well); the conpizzas could be hotter, as they're luke warm at best. Overall, an excellent meal for $10!

I tried the vegetarian conpizza in a recent visit to Dante's, which is a cone shaped dough filled with quality ingredients - mine was packed with greens (rocket and spinach from memory), feta and tomato. <br/>I was impressed with the fresh ingredients used, as well as the obvious passion Dante's owners have for making authentic, delicious and nutritious food.<br/>I found the addition of con pizzas to the menu to be a tasty, convenient and affordable summer option. At ten dollars it's definitely filling and something that can easily be eaten on the go. <br/>Try them out next time you're in Takapuna. Great paired with an ice cold Peroni.<br/>

Found Dantes Pizzeria purely by accident on casual date night. It was Friday near the end of the year so just wanted somewhere casual and quiet. Down this "Melbourne-esque" laneway we found Dantes with a blackboard special of a margarita pizza and peroni beer for $10. Score! Pizza was light and fresh, and beer cold and refreshing, so fitted our needs perfected, all for a good price. Very friendly staff and a cool atmosphere in the afternoon sun along a cosy laneway.

Dantes offers an incredibly refreshing alternative to other pizza outlets I've been to before. I've always liked their light base and minimalist ( and tasty) toppings so I was delighted to try their new menu addition, the conpizza. <br/><br/>This is pretty much a filed pocket, but using the same dough as their pizza bases which makes for a thin but sturdy shell. I went for the rocky filing which consisted of ham, artichokes, mozzarella and olives. For $10, I thought it was incredibly good value and it left me full but not heavy - I can't wait for them to come to the Ponsonby store!

Was very excited to be able to try Dantes' new lunch menu as part of the always amazing Zomato foodie meetups. The service was very cordial and the owner was especially bubbly. The overall lunching experience was not only a tasting adventure but also an introduction to Dante's healthy pizza concept, which was shared by the owner. We had the "conpizza" and as its name suggests, its pizza in the shape of a cone! It's similar to what the fast food chain offer, you could call it a wrap, roll, pita etc. But how it's different is that its wrapped in pizza bread that are all made fresh EVERYDAY. The pizza is also filled with a lot of filling and it's definitely value for money. I had the "rocky" because it had artichokes, which was something that I always liked to eat but can't eat often. The overall flavour is good, but I found that there's a little too much ham and that it's not warm enough (just because I'm the kind of person who likes to get all my food toasted :) Overall, I'd definitely recommend Dante's conpizza to everyone looking for a quick lunch fix and wanting to experience something new. Shot Zomato for the invite once again! :)

Had the privilege of trying their new lunch menu on Sunday, the conpizza.<br/><br/>You may be wondering what that is. It's basically like a calzone with the top cut open so it's like a cone with filling, A LOT of filling.<br/><br/>So the new concept is to be a better lunch option in comparison to subway etc, and at $10, it is definitely value for money. Dantes also boasts of their conpizza being a healthier option in comparison to subway, with their dough dough taking 2 days to be produced so that it's more gluten friendly, hence easier to digest.<br/><br/>There are 3 options, the BLAT, rocky (ham, Straubreyartichoke, olives, mushroom & cheese), and the nonna (vegetarian).<br/><br/>I opted for the rocky. When it arrived, it was a very generous portion, however as soon as you but into it, you realised it wasn't piping hot; in fact all the contents were lukewarm, with the cheese still in its solid state. It was disappointing at first as I had expected lovely melted mozzarella, with juices flowing.<br/><br/>Aside from that, it is very generous indeed, being able to tell that they use good quality ingredients, with the ham not being very salty (50-100g worth), and the dough, even though thin, being very strong, not once breaking.<br/><br/>I don't think I would order this again as it was a lot of meat for my liking. Dantes Pizzeria is an amazing establishment and I look forward to trying their pizzas.

We came here a Zomato meetup this avo. It was a beautiful day so naturally a perfect day to taste their new menu. We were met by the owner who told us his story and how/why Dante's Pizza was so unique. The flour is imported from Italy, which is pretty impressive. They specialise in Neapolitana pizza. They've won best pizza 2 years running. We tried their new Conpizza lunch menu. Essentially the dough is folded and cooked and cut in half to make a cone. It's then stuffed with meat and veggies. This has created a pizza/stuffed pita hybrid. It's basically a giant f*ck you to Pita Pit and kebabs. The pizza dough is out of this world. Best I've tasted (since having pizza in Napoli). I'm dying to give the Ponsonby branch a try now.

I went here for a zomato meetup to try their new lunch menu which features a conpizza and pizzeta. I've never been here and my first impression was the place is light, inviting and it's cool to see the big pizza oven. <br/><br/>Kevin, the owner explained what makes their sourdough special which was made in two days to break down yeast/gluten therefore it's gluten-friendly, healthy and even good for diabetics. I was looking forward to this. <br/><br/>I ordered the BLAT and it arrived quickly. I wish it was hotter as it was slightly cold when I bit into it. However, it was still nice. I also didn't expect the size of it.<br/><br/>The conpizza is shaped like a cone and was big. For $10, it's such a good price. It was filled with bacon, lettuce and avocado. My only thing is I wish the bacon was cut into smaller pieces and not as one strip because it made it harder to bite/chew. <br/><br/>The sourdough itself was great. I could eat just the bread because it's soft, thin and tasty. Overall, their new menu is a hit. This would be perfect for lunches because it's affordable and it gets you really full. <br/><br/>I'll definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. This little pizza place seems to be as authentic as possible and they pride in it.

I was invited to try new lunch menu here with Zomato meetup. The restaurant is in nice little alley in Takapuna. You can see big oven from outside which is pretty cool. Kevin, the owner was really friendly and gave us lots of info about their special pizza dough which is healthy and good for digestion :) <br/><br/>I tried B.L.A.T conpizza. My first impression was the size of it. It was pretty big for the price which is good! The shape is similar to kebab/wrap. They were really generous with stuffing, heaps of bacon hehe. I love their pizza dough. It was fresh, thin and chewy (in a good way). Conpizza is a good choice if you are in hurry for lunch and need something to grab and go - fast, healthy and yummy!

I had the chance to try their new conpizza at the Zomato meet up for lunch today. It's created with the dough they're famous for, which was sealed, baked to form a nice come, which they filled with artichokes, mushrooms, ham, olives and mozzarella (Rocky). It's tasty and a great value for money, which is great, since this wrap is looked after from start to finish. The food was warm when it arrived, which I found a little disappointing, because I love my food piping hot. However, this means that it could be eaten cold. My conpizza was also easy to eat and didn't leak, which makes it good to have on the go.

Best Pizza hands down (Toto's is close too!). <br/>The staff are so nice and friendly. I ordered a pizza and was late to pick it up as takeaway. When I arrived they said they had made me another one, I said that was not necessary at all. They then gave me both pizzas for the price of one when I left. I was blown away with the service and the gesture :) <br/>Thank you Dantes!!!<br/><br/>Beautiful pizza's! I like the pizza's with mozzarella cheese and the quartro stagioni! They have put a cool wall mural up of an italian street in the restaurant now.

Dantes pizzeria... What can I say other than less is more (unless it's Italian red wine) the pizzas are unlike anything you find in the nz market, it is obvious that we have forgotten what good pizza really looks and tastes like! Dantes is a slice of Italy and its good carbs (yes it is said that a good pizza like the ones served at Dantes are in fact a balanced meal) Kevin is delightful and shares so much passion for his food which you can taste in every slice. Must try: the queen of all Italian pizzas, the Margarita.

I went there in a cold night. It had nice warmers outside, but amazingly, inside was colder! they offer blankets though. The menu is limited. Most pizzas are like salads on bread. The pizza bread was nice. But what I ordered, had no cheese on it! Just some rare white spots of cheese! And I think most pizzas are like that there. The also do not have cooked stuff on the pizza, like beef or chicken, because they don't have a kitchen! They have a big oven. So they only use sausages. The ingredients of my pizza were localised!!! So, one slice was full of olives ( which were too salty), and the other slice was full of mushrooms. So, I began scattering ingredients fairly, because it was a pizza for me and my friend! The waiters were very helpful, polite and lovely.

So I have to start by saying I was a little disapointed...<br/><br/>The pizza itself was pretty good, nothing special anywere out of nz. Good thin and crispy base and light on toppings as it should be<br/>Unfortunately the service ruined the experience<br/><br/>The waiter/owner made a big deal about the tins of tomato he uses and talked a little too much, to the point I nearly told him to go away, it was lunch with a friend and we wanted to chill out. He is VERY enthusiastic<br/><br/>Its a tad on a the pricey side, I would recommend for dinner, not for lunch<br/>And unfortunately the other server, she was so overtly grumpy it made the whole situation weird<br/>Its a shame as well as the location is perfect, the food itself is good, the service is bi polar.<br/>Not likely to ever go back.

If your looking for authentic ltalian pizza definitely the place to go. Friendly service too. I will be coming back with friends for pizza and a glass of wine this time.

Impressive how efficiently they can deliver on an order of wood fired pizza. We opted for a four cheese version and it got delivered promptly. The bubbly cheesiness along with the smoky charred crust is a divine combination. Only room for improvement is that if I order a ginger beer for nearly four dollars, I expect to get the whole bottle, not a skinny glass filled with ice and a splash of ginger beer. It wasn't enough to quench any thirst. All in all ok but on the pricey side for what you get.

Ended up at Dante's Takapuna by chance. Best pizza, matched with best service I've had in Auckland in years. Lovely vibe and wine recommended was fantastic. Can't believe it's taken us this long to try. We'll be regulars.

We had business in Takapuna today, and after a great hour's walk to Milford and back along the coastal walk we had lunch at Dantes pizzeria.  These has been consistently rated the best pizzas in Auckland, and did not disappoint.  We ordered the Bella and the Puttanesca, accompanied by a glass of Chianti.  The wood-firing provided a lovely smoky taste and the signature blistered crust.  The Bella was simple with top quality ingredients and tasted delicious.  The  Puttanesca was so full of the strong southern Italian flavours - tomato, olives, capers, anchovies - but unfortunately the tomato element was somewhat watery which made for a soggy base.  Overall, however,  this cafe is well worth a visit to taste what are authentic Neopolitan pizzas.

Lucky enough to attend a Zomato foodie meet up. Such simple amazing pizza. You can load yourself up on pizza and not feel bloated . Would recommend to try it out !

Dantes was an amazing pizza place with lovely decor and very friendly staff. We sat outside and it was quite cold so the staff turned on the outdoor heaters which was very nice. The pizzas were amazing and had lots of toppings and thick bases. Will definitely come here again

Dantes is an authentic italian restaurant. The pizza is incredible! Its cooked in a large wood fired pizza oven, visable from all of the tables. The atmosphere is just as addictive as the pizza, with a video of the waiter playing his violin projected on to the brick wall outside. There are blankets to keep the knees warm, the entry level red wine is the best I have had and the margherita pizza is a must have, eaten with your hands, none of this knives and forks business! Highly recommended.

I was lucky enough to be invited to one of the Zomato meetups at Dantes.<br/>This place is fantastic, firstly the location is in a cute little alleyway with lots of other eateries, which contributes to the vibe.<br/>I really loved being able to hear from the owner Kevin, as the stories always adds a charm to a place. <br/>I was able to try the queen margherita and the pesto, pear and blue cheese. Both of these options are amazeballs so I can only imagine and dream of how good the 4 cheese pizza is.<br/>There are a few items I really would like to try and will definitely be back with some friends. <br/>I am salivating just thinking about the pizza 😂

I had heard some amazing things about this pizza place, so was excited to try it out to see what the hype was all about. Before (and during) our meal, the owner, Kevin, talked us through their menu, how they make their pizza and traditional pizza eating methods that don’t involve any knifes and forks! They are also the only pizzeria here to have a DOC certification for their Margherita , which is pretty amazing. <br/><br/>Needless to say, the food was delicious! The pizza base was definitely not your standard kind; quite thin and very doughy, but in a good way. The Margherita pizza was probably my favourite, although I am dying to try the pear and blue cheese one that unfortunately didn’t make it down my end of the table. The four cheese pizza was also great; a definitely love for all cheese lovers out there. Also, its safe to say that everyone at the table loved the wine they served as well.<br/><br/>The staff were beyond lovely, and definitely made it a complete experience as opposed to just a meal. If you’re looking for some great authentic Italian pizza in Auckland, this is your place!

Here I was thinking pizza is pizza? I was wrong. Never knew the amount of passion and effort that can go into a making a simple pizza but shows how much I know. No one does pizza quite like the Italians and this is one of the most authentic Italian Pizza restaurants in New Zealand as shown by the D.O.C certification (the same certification shown on authentic bottles of Italian wine). The end result is a very one of a kind taste. Based on pizza alone I'm giving it a 5. Must try.

Thank you Kevin and your team for introducing me to real pizza! Your stories made the experience personal and your food spoke for itself. Fresh and simple- simply beautiful! Well done on getting your food and service spot on! Aia Jawad

Amazing pizza! Got to try the queen margarihta, and the blue cheese and pears pizza - simply sensational. Kevin and the team were awesome at hosting us for the zomato meetup tonight and kept us entertained until the very end.

We were taking a stroll in the lovely and beautiful market place of takapuna when hunger pangs led us to this place almost invisible from the road..a lovely lady welcomed us saying that the place has been voted as Auckland's best pizzeria for four consecutive years..since we were in a hurry we ordered the LA Bella..they cook their pizzas in a brick oven and the dough was something which IV never tasted before..the high point of the pizza was the fresh wild rocket leaves..they provided the pizza with a crunch and filled my mouth with flavor..<br/><br/>If you are in Auckland, must try this place out once...Good work guys!!

I dined at Dante's Pizzeria last night. It was my second dinner of the night. It's hard to write a review when dining a semi-full tummy but I did enjoy this place. Environment is cosy and sweet. The waiter was just so funny and inviting. He convinced us to come on in. We ordered the Margherita pizza. <br/><br/>My partner thought the pizza was just average and that it was nothing special... <br/>I loved the base and texture! It was so doughy! The pizza tasted different to any pizza I've ever tasted because it was so fresh and light. I'm not sure where it stands as I'd have to come back for another taste.<br/><br/>Such an authentic Italian experience though! I'll be back to update my review and see if I like it better the second time around.<br/><br/>Second time around:<br/>**UPDATED REVIEW**<br/>I enjoyed it so much more! Really appreciate all the passion that goes into the pizza and savoured the aroma tonight. I definitely got the chance to really taste the pizza the second time around because I wasn't semi-full like my previous experience. Kevin, the founder, was kind enough to talk us through the menu; even answer some questions on pizza and all things food. The chef performed a cute little show of pizza dough spinning for us as well as the waiter treating us to a beautiful video clip of some of his violin performances. I loved the hosts. It was a really enjoyable evening with great company, delicious italian wine and pizza.

Newly opened cute but chilly! Lovely lady welcomed us in even though they were about to close. We got quadrostagioni? Not sure on spelling it was delicious! Base was super fresh an good! Tiramisu was so cute an she spent time decorating it however it lacked coffee or liquor hit as was very dense.

Was in takapuna for a quick bite to eat and ended up having one of the best pizzas I've tasted in a long time. If you are searching for truly wholesome and fresh Ingredients on a pizza that has the taste and aroma of Italy definitly try this place out. I've never been to Naples, but I can only imagine the kinds of pizza they have there. Staff were also so friendly and welcoming.

Big hype about this place before we got here. Three of us came for dinner.<br/><br/>Good:<br/>Decent pizzas - margarita and carne was fine, enough to feed three people.<br/><br/>Meh:<br/>Need more side dishes and wider range of beers.<br/><br/>Overall was okay but not enough to wow us. Still worth trying out forming ones own opinion.<br/><br/>3 Yums

Tonight (02/07/15) a friend and I visited Dante's in Takapuna for a small dinner.<br/>We ordered a quattro formaggi (sorry if my spelling is off) pizza to share and I had one drink.<br/>What I believe to be the manager (a dark haired Sicilian man) greeted us and pretty much started the conversation with a brag that they served "Metro's best pizza in Auckland for four years in a row." So we were expecting good things. Especially for a $35 pizza.<br/><br/>The same man that greeted us served us the whole time in a relatively awkward and slightly condescending fashion. The pizza came out extremely fast and looked extremely rushed and messy. The taste was fine but they could have cut it in the kitchen rather than awkwardly cutting the pizza on out table in front of us.<br/><br/>While the pizza tasted fine, it was far from worth $35. I would not pay nearly as much for a pizza like that again. And as someone with several years in the hospitality industry, I can say the service was extremely sub par.

This post is solely directly at Dantes Takapuna and is in no way connected to the incredible team at Dantes Ponsonby.<br/><br/>Tonight I had the single worst dining experience in my life. My name is Chris Bewley. I'm a 28 year old English language tutor and I have had over seven years experience in the New Zealand hospitality industry.<br/><br/>I am a good friend of New Zealand pizza making champion and Dantes owner Kevin. Recently I have been taking an international student and friend of mine for drinks and dinner at Dantes Takapuna where we have enjoyed our time and explored the English language over food and conversation. My friend has become friends with Kevin, loves Dantes and really wanted to go to Dantes Takapuna again tonight because of this relationship.<br/><br/>Unfortunately we were exposed to a very disturbing and shocking display of workplace harassment and consequently customer abuse.<br/><br/>At one point during the evening tonight my friend went to the bathroom and it was at this point when the manager and part-owner (not Kevin) began to scream and abuse a female staff member (who I believe is his wife) inches from her face.<br/><br/>I don't recall the exact words but the language was along the lines of "I told you not to do that." "Are you stupid?" etc.<br/><br/>The woman quietly tolerated this verbal abuse.<br/><br/>There was one other man in the restaurant who the manager was possibly having some kind of meeting with.<br/><br/>After around one minute I was extremely uncomfortable and I spoke up.<br/><br/>I said something along the lines of:<br/><br/>"Excuse me. I feel extremely uncomfortable. Your behaviour is disturbing and I feel sick. We're leaving now."<br/><br/>By now my friend had returned and was very shocked and unsettled by what was happening.<br/><br/>We went to pay, silent and uncomfortable.<br/><br/>We paid our bill in full and the manager said something along the lines of:<br/><br/>"I'm sooo sorry you feel uncomfortable." In an extremely condescending tone.<br/><br/>I replied "You don't need to be so condescending. I'm going to speak to Kevin about this."<br/><br/>"Go on do it. Tell Kevin, tell his father too!" The man replied in an unexpected, immature tone. "I'm the owner. I own the place."<br/><br/>I said "I really hope you lose your job over this<br/><br/>"Try it. Try it!!"<br/><br/>I was shocked. I paused and said. "You are a disgusting person. We will never be coming back here again."<br/><br/>The verbal abuse continued as we walked away. My friend very confused and shocked, needless to say his experience ruined.<br/><br/>I know for a fact this is not the first occurrence of female abuse in the workplace from this man. I worry for his staff and any future staff.<br/><br/>In my opinion this man and store should not be supported in any way whatsoever.<br/><br/>I believe that awareness about this staff member needs to be raised so please, if you share this opinion, share this post.<br/><br/>Sincerely, Chris Bewley.<br/><br/>Dantes Ponsonby has and will always have my support and loyalty. <br/>

Myself and a friend enjoyed a weekday lunch here after umming and ahhing about where to go in Takapuna.  <br/><br/>I was super excited to learn that Dantes had opened up another branch in Takapuna (the other being in Ponsonby Central), and even more excited seeing how big this branch is. It has indoor and outdoor seating, and while still being a small restaurant it's much larger than their Ponsonby branch.<br/><br/>We ordered some Bruschetta and the Prosciutto pizza with coffees to enjoy for lunch, just after noon.  Shortly after getting our coffees the pizza and bruschetta arrived as quick as anything! Super fresh.<br/><br/>The bruschetta bread was quite dry, I know it's supposed to be a little but this was more dry / tough than i've ever had before, so that was a little disappointing but the rest of it was flavoursome.  The pizza was delicious, fresh and tasty. I don't think i've ever had a bad Dante's pizza. Their bases are the BEST.<br/><br/>We sat outside which was nice, if not a little windy and chilly but there were blankets to be had and I saw a few heaters around so in the evening it would probably be really nice to sit outside even on a crisp night.<br/><br/>The only thing, apart from the bruschetta, that was a little disappointing was the service, while the food came out really quickly, the customer service could've been more friendly and welcoming. I'm not sure if it was because they had (I guess) just opened for the day or not, but there was definitely a lack of smiles / welcoming / thanking that the other Dante's definitely has.

As a 'foodie' family we were looking forward to sampling the pizza's at Dante's as we had heard that they were the best place in Auckland to have a pizza. We ordered the Carne, Putanesca and the Proscuitto.  The pizza's were good - but just "good".  The carne had big fatty bits of sausage on which were added after the pizza had come out of the oven - it would have been better if the sausage was grilled a little to render the fatty bits. The puttanesca was tasty but each slice did not have all the ingredients on (so half of the pizza had olives and the other side had the capers and anchovies). I personally did not taste the Proscuitto.  The bases we very 'doughy' and could have been rolled out a little thinner. Everything said and done - not a bad experience, pizza's were tasty but not the'best' I have had in Auckland.

Came here one night before a movie and we were super excited to have another pizza place so close to home. We've read that dantes were to compete in some sort of a pizza competition in Italy so we were definitely impressed and set a high bar of expectations for the night. <br/>Seated outside with the warmth of the heaters and a blanket to share to fight the winter breeze we were snug and ready to be amazed. <br/>We had ordered the carne and the bella. Somewhat fitting of our foodie personalities, a meat lover and a more lighter but tasty pizza. <br/>When pizzas came out we found it a bit unorganised that they had to cut the pizza for us after having it served, but we brushed it off and embraced what we thought was more of an authentic Italian custom. <br/><br/>Pizza was delicious I'd give it that. The base was the best I've ever had and the toppings complimented it so well. Even the carne didn't feel too overwhelming. <br/><br/>Only let down? Service.<br/>Perhaps because it was still a new opening and still adjusting to its groove had we experienced this but it had put me off considering a revisit any time soon. When we went up to pay we asked to spilt the bill. The man who had helped us with the order was clearing the tables and once he heard he told the hostess to charge me a much lower price of my pizza, leaving the leftover amount to be greater for my boyfriend to pay. Obviously she was confused and and asked for him to give her a minute while she tried to figure it out, but he continued to shout at her. Loud enough to create tension in the restaurant. She was upset and stressed considering how busy it was, yet he continued to get angry.<br/>I understand that perhaps he was trying to help but he was so rude to shout and continue to act like that with the attention of customers. <br/><br/>Love the pizza, but this type of service is not what hospitality is all about.

This review below by Sarah Jane must have been in a different restaurant to the one i ate in last night..<br/>i walked past the night before and got chatting to want ended up being the owner, i promised i would be back the next night.... and so i was with some family. <br/><br/>we walked in were warmly greeted and sat down in the corner, the host invited us to sit in the best seats near the pizza oven. the menu was explained to us in detail and the owner (Enis who we now knew by name) paired the wine to the pizza he recommenced.  we asked Enis to chose our first pizza and then after speaking with the Chef, he chose our next, and the next after that :)  the wine and pizza were of the best i have ever had. and i drink a lot of wine and eat a lot of pizza. <br/>the pizzas come uncut, i asked why... and they replied this is the Italian way that you cut it yourself for how much you would like.... the night was full of little pleasant Italian touches like this. <br/><br/>i could not fault the staff, nor the selections that were made for us. however my favorites were "Margarita' and the "Rustica"     if you have any room the desert pizza with nuttella is incredible. <br/><br/>incredible fresh pizza.

The location of Dantes in Takapuna is great.<br/>However the service is ,as another reviewer said Random.<br/>Personally I found our waitress almost rude,no Hello ,just abrupt unfriendly service.<br/>We went for lunch and just wanted to share a pizza,Just one pizza ,she nearly scoffed!!!<br/>Our pizza arrived ,my partner wanted pepper,He got up to get a grinder ,then a little man appeared ,Questioning "Why Pepper.??<br/>The pizza ,Tough,tasteless,Boring..<br/>I couldn't wait to leave.<br/>Awards ,Well done !<br/>I know good food and this isn't it..

I don't know whether Dante's make the best pizza in New Zealand but they are pretty damn good. Authentic base and toppings and random service which adds to the Italian feel of the place. We had a classic Margherita, a Puttanesca and a garlic pizza. They didn't look big but they tasted great but be warned they sneak up on you and the four of us were fairly full towards the end. Also they don't cut the pizzas but you can ask for a cutter so that you can do it yourself. Total bill $96 including three soft drinks and one glass of prosecco.