Review Fresco - Whangaparaoa

Very nice location and very pleasant atmosphere. Place gives me a vibe of a restaurant on Mediterranean. We had ordered pizza for takeaway few times before and recently went for dinner. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Just few days ago they introduced a new menu and food was good. Service was quick enough and server did check if we were happy with food. I do find it to be pricy. I I'll be there again for sure.

The food is excellent. Steak was perfect, kids loved the pizza, hamburger very tasty. Good service, they give you time to enjoy your drinks, company and food. Will be back.

A nice restaurant to dine at if you need a good view. The restaurant itself is quite big and is surrounded by some great architecture. Food was great, and the Tiramisu pudding was delicious. They have a lot of selection available on tap, including Guinness stout (my personal favourite). Overall, a nice pleasant experience and will be back for a second visit.

Great little find! Really enjoyed our meal here. The kids meals were great, they especially liked the ham and cheese pizza. The lamb shank was fantastic too.. just fell off the bone. Lovely family friendly atmosphere and not too crowded.

The pizza here is amazing, the base doesn't taste like rubber (like for takeaway pizza) and they have a good toppings to base ratio. A bit too much cheese for me, but I know most people prefer lots of cheese. The pizza is also pretty cheap for its size and quality of ingredients used. The spear ribs were a bit dry for my liking and the fries weren't great. The coleslaw looked really nice but I'm not a fan of salad. Location is peaceful and there is plenty of room. Food does take some time to arrive, but the pizzas are worth the wait.

Had a great day with my Ma yesterday, lunch was yummy, hearty sized and extremely well priced. Add the fantastic service from Sonya, with a y, just makes for an awesome afternoon outing. See ya again soon! Thanks team!

Really good place! The Jack Daniels BBQ Pork Ribs is simply AMAZING!

Great service, and really kid friendly. The kids meals came out quickly and before our mains which allowed us to get them fed and enjoy our meals while they were still hot. The kids meals were extremely generous, and kept our 1yr old and 3yr old happy. The kids play area is a really nice touch too. Our food was really good, especially the pork belly. Will be back soon, hopefully without the kids so we can stay a bit longer and try the desserts!

Popped into the 4Square for some juice and spotted my mate Steve’s bike parked up. So shot into the bar and had a beer with him and a great chat. Bar staff were fantastic, friendly and a good laugh. Highly recommended for a drink and a nice meal.

We had dinner here with our two young children. The food took a very long time to come out but they explained that they were one chef down and were very apologetic, even didn't charge us for one of the meals. There's a great little play area for kids which helped keep them entertained. There was accidents with the kids dessert and they brought replacements out right away with no extra charge. Top notch.

This place is absolutely fantastic !! We took our Dad from Spain and he wants to go again. The place looks fresh and the service was spot on. The kitchen us open so you can see the food being made. We had the chicken wings to start. The sauce was so yummy. We just wished we had bread to lap it up with. We then ordered a dish each and shared it all. The pork belly was in a gorgeous lime sauce that complemented it perfectly. The salad that cane with the dishes were yummy too. Everything was cooked perfectly and came out on time. We then had a dessert of sticky date and crumble. Both were fantastic. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable evening and we will be back again soon. Thank you for giving us such a great and memorable evening in such a gorgeous setting.

When we got there all the open tables were filled with dirty dishes and we were told if we go and sit they wil come and clear it. We ended up moving it to another open table. We waited 20 min for a menu to order drinks. After having to ask for menu’s we waited another while and went to one of the waiters asking if we can order drinks. We were there almost an hour and never received drinks or food. When we asked again they apologise as they never put the drinks or food order in. We ended up leaving with nothing. Very disappointed as it looks like a lovely restaurant with a great menu but the service is non existing.

It's been 18 months since we last stopped coming here, so thought we'd try them again. <br/>Nope - big mistake. No wait staff around - I had to go looking for menu's. Finally got served. It took 45 minutes for two pizza's. <br/>Pizza's were okay but pretty short of toppings for the cost.<br/>I gave you another chance - but won't be back again now.

I'm not familiar with the area so it all seemed a bit foreign to me. Situated in the beautiful Hobbs Bay, I came here for lunch with the in-laws & left with a decent impression of the place so you can imagine my shock when I logged on here to read so many negative reviews! The pork belly I ordered was beautiful but a bit pricey for the portion they serve. There were no complaints from anyone in my party so I assume they all enjoyed their meals. The service was great, the decor could do with an update but apart from that I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. 4☆

There Were Lots Of Flies And Bugs Everywhere. When I Went To The Toilet There Were Bugs EVERYWHERE. When I Took A Tissue There Were Ants All Over The Tissue. Will Never Come Here Again.

Went to this place with my family, but unfortunately left disappointed. When wanted to order iced coffee, they said that they don't have any. When ordered spaghetti bolognese, it came with an ice-cream, when time came for the desert and we asked for the vanilla one, was told that they don't have any left. The pepperoni pizza only came with a few pepperonis on it. This place was also lacking service, had to wait for a long time to be approached by different waiters. Giving 2 stars to this place only because fish & prawns and spaghetti was nice!

We ordered take away. Pizza was very nice but the ribs were terrible. Have had them here before and they were good. These were freshly out of the boiling pot and topped with a tiny bit of sauce.<br/>Chips were not seasoned and the lamb kebab was a max 1 out of 10.

It’s so unfortunate that I have to do a review like this but hopefully by me writing this,good changes can come - we get food from Frescos regularly and it is always inconsistent,sometimes the food is beautiful (which is why we go back in the hopes that we get one of the “good” chefs that time) but sometimes the food is below average and the portions are always different (especially with their pizzas)I feel like they just need brush up on their quality control and deliver consistent flavours and portions with their food - I know they can because we have had good food from them a few times before,it’s just that it’s now becoming few and far between.

Best ribs I’ve ever had and for the best price too please don’t change! I’ve had lots of ribs at other places prices ranging around $35 and this one is the best priced I’ve paid for the best ribs I’ve ever had

Went to this restaurant with friends, unlocked and showed them the code. The guy ame back after few minutes saying we cannot use the Zomato gold as they did not join the promotion which I had used last week and they let me used it!!!! I don’t mind paying the full price but it is very embarrassing in front of my friends. Would never come here again!!

Just wonderful food. Certainly the best we've had on the Peninsula...ever. We had the Fish of the Day and it was glorious. Pan fried Snapper (cooked perfectly) on roasted new potatos with Cauliflower Puree and a delightful portion of vegetable curry. Great setting, food up there at the fine dining level. They also serve regular burgers and Pizza and I'm assuming even those will be top notch!!<br/>

The fish n chips were odd and unpleasant. The fish had some kind of bitter spice in the batter. I love spice but it just didn't work. Unfortunately the owner didn't deal with my uneaten meal professionally or discretely like I wanted to. Insisted on having a detailed discussion about what was wrong with the food around other diners which was uncomfortable, odd and awkward. Things don't always go right, which is fine, it's how you resolve the issue that matters. Won't go back.

we live locally and my wife usually has lunches at this place and very happy with the food, i thought i give it a try and i was amazed  with the food, very tasty, good quality, best outdoor setting and really good value for money, i would recommend it highly and will definitely will be back

Honestly, don't bother with Fresco...I've been here twice with my family, and it's fair to say I will not be coming back. The pizza base was soggy and doughy (clearly undercooked) while there was a ridiculous amount of cheese on the top. The cheese had an odd powdery texture. Genuinely would've preferred Dominoes or Pizza Hut especially when you compare the price...<br/>The Lamb Cutlets were awful...barely edible. Something about them tasted very very wrong, and neither I or my mother could eat it.<br/>The only reason I do not give this place 1 star is for their Chicken burger which was quite nice. <br/>Regardless, I would not recommend.<br/><br/>In terms of staff, they did not come across very professional at all. <br/>The ambiance was not as nice as you'd think. Especially with the kids running around and screaming both times we went.

Pleasantly surprised at this place, they have a pizza oven who is a big tick for me. We had a birthday dinner here, service was great and food was good too. I ordered the salt and pepper squid, very yummy! My husband ordered the braised lamb who was just as delicious. Had their pizzas before too which are good.

Been here more than 3 times and can never fault the food I’ve been served. Salt and pepper squid is my favourite and service is always good for time as haven’t had to wait too long for my meal to come out. Excellent prices through out all dishes including the restaurant and snack bar menus. Overall a lovely atmosphere with the staff being polite and friendly always there for assistance when needed.

The pizza here is amazing, the base doesn't taste like rubber (like for takeaway pizza) and they have a  good toppings to base ratio. A bit too much cheese for me, but I know most people prefer lots of cheese. The pizza is also pretty cheap for its size and quality of ingredients used. <br/><br/>The spear ribs were a bit dry for my liking and the fries weren't great. The coleslaw looked really nice but I'm not a fan of salad.<br/><br/>Location is peaceful and there is plenty of room. Food does take some time to arrive, but the pizzas are worth the wait.

Was made very welcome when we popped in for drinks the other night, cold drinks, nice atmosphere & friendly staff, will be back to try the menu for lunch next time as no doubt will be stunning with the location.

Not flash. Had the fish and chips. Fish was just plain awful and not worth paying for. Service was all over the place (meals took forever and we didn't get one of the drinks we ordered). It was first time there - and our last! A real shame given the amazing location by the water. Restaurants in this location should be world class (like the Viaduct) but sadly they continue to be forever average

Well, we had a fantastic evening! Great food, great service, couldn't fault it. A gorgeous evening had by all and very reasonably priced. Thanks

We had dinner here last night and couldn't fault it Was a bit worried when we read the reviews but decided to risk it Could not fault the food or the service Thank you We will be bck

Struggle to score it 1 star but you need a score to post a review. <br/>After arriving and ordering drinks it took 20min for the drinks to come out. They returned 20min later to take orders. Food finally arrived 50mins after it was ordered and only arrived for one person who had finished eating by the time the remainder of meals arrived. All food was overcooked and of seemingly very low quality. Squid rings that just needed to be placed in a deep fryer took the longest to arrive. Seafood paddles are a joke only thing on there worth eating was the dipping sauces which will be straight out of a bottle. The pork belly (premium item here) was worse than your nana's over cooked roast pork.<br/>Service was obismal every thing they brought they said sorry with no attempt to make it better. Water for the table finally arrived after our meals were finished.<br/>The owner/chef wouldn't even come out to hear our concerns. Total disregard for quality and service. In offer to make up for the horrible evening free coffee for all 5 diners. What a joke do not waste your time you are better to go hungry than even consider eating here. Will not be back..period.

We ordered the seafood paddle and meat paddle. What an absolute let down. The seafood paddle had mussels, fish, prawn cones, squid rings and fish on it. <br/>The fish and mussels had a very strong fishy smell which usually means they are not fresh. Fish should not smell. The squid rings and prawn cones were straight out of a packet from the freezer and deep fried. <br/>The meat paddle had some thin cold stir fried beef, pork ribs and some chicken wing that were supposed to have buffalo sauce and blue cheese on them. The chicken was raw and inedible with some kind it mayo stuff on it that did not resemble the taste of blue cheese. <br/>After discussing all this with the owner, he was not interested in the slightest. Won’t be returning. <br/>Carpe Diem was bad but this is just as bad.