My girlfriend and I were looking for a place to eat for her birthday, we were looking for something Italian. We thought this to be a best of the options available and having read mixed reviews about this restaurant, we were unsure what to expect.

Upon entry we stood at the counter waiting to be seated. It was a Sunday night and only a few tables had customers. It took a long time for us to be seen and seated. The meal arrived very quickly and it tasted amazing. My girlfriend is European and she proclaims its one of the best pasta dishes she’s ever eaten!

For the quality, amount of food and speed of preparation, was well worth the $17 per person and I would go back again!

Only thing which needs improvement is maybe 2 waitresses, or 1 waitress and counter person. They seemed a little under staffed.

Great looking place, which is why I went in. Unfortunately, service was not what I expected. The woman tried to brush me off as they wanted tables for the Elton John concert (I was on my own, and looking for dinner before I went to the Elton concert). After I got seated and given the cheap paper menu, I got asked if I wanted a drink, to which I ordered a wine, but the waitress then went and cleared and cleaned a couple of tables first. My water never got refilled, I never got asked if I wanted another wine, I never got asked if I wanted desert or anything other than the main I ordered.
I had to ask for another wine myself, and again, I had to wait 5 minutes or so. I noticed a few people having to get to the bar to ask for another drink also.
Food was okay, I got the olive etc gnocchi, which I was positive said sundried tomatoes, but had regular tomatoes in it. Good wine list. I didn’t find it expensive, but I am used to those prices being from Wellington, I actually thought the Gnocchi was quite cheap at $17 for a main.
I’m not from Dunedin so another visit if off the cards anyway, but I would find it hard to recommend the place.

Went here with my husband, atmosphere was very nice. There was a good range of prices on the menu, my husband had the risotto of the day (blue cheese) for $17 and I had the Duck Confit for $27. The risotto was delicious and quite large so very good value, the Duck Confit was disappointing. While the meat was nice the skin was slimy and although the menu said “with roast vegetables” all it came with were courgettes, eggplant and tomatoes simmered in tomato juice which were all really bland and not filling. Our desserts were $11 each and were nice, but we’ve had nicer for that price elsewhere. I don’t think we will go there again simply because the meal’s quality seemed to be so hit and miss. Service was good though.

I went to gaslight for a works dinner. I found the service was perfect and Being Italian i found the Italian food pretty good in comparison to what It is in Italy. Well priced and nice enviroment and the owner/Manager guy is really nice.

Good food at a reasonable price. I ordered the pumpkin gnocchi which was delicious. Good selection of wines too. The interior and music made for a great atmosphere. Only thing I wasn’t so keen on were the paper menus which seemed very out of place in such a nice restaurant. The service was average.

Well, I really like the place!! It is unpretentious and relaxed. The atmosphere is awesome – love all those vintage radios, antique fans etc. I had dinner there on saturday night with friends. The duck confit was amazing!!! it tasted like a super super super gourmet roast, orange sauce was awesome and it was beautifully presented, it was most satisfiying- totally good value too. I had the creme brulee for dessert – delicious! I love the winelist too- its so much fun and so unlike the classic “montana house wine list” I had a delightful glass of Alsace Pinot Gris – yum could drink about ten of those! Friends enjoyed the mushroom pasta, cabonara pasta, and Risotto of the day – all thought it was delicious and very good value, and choc croissant pudding finished it off. Staff were attentive and pleasant. Good fun and good value – i’ll be back.

Such a mixed experience. I sincerely hope the owners read these reviews and take note, as I really want this restaurant to succeed.

The decor is really very creative and original. The menu is priced at the upper end (for Dunedin), as is the wine list, but the attempt at being high-end isn’t matched by the rest of the experience.

The menus are just printed white A4 paper, and they get re-used. This is just gross and so cheap looking. Even a good quality heavy paper would be better. Our waitress was a joke – she was totally unprofessional, hair in her face, facial piercings, and unkempt. I expect good restaurants to have immaculate staff who are clean and pressed, with aprons, and a professional demeanour. I also don’t like having my waitress change halfway through a meal; it should be the same one all the way through, although the second woman was quite a bit better.

The mains are ok, we didn’t think the portion sizes are that great, although maybe we should have had an entree. We didn’t though, because they are pricey too. A cheap bread or something would help. I was going to get a duck or pork main, but for some reason the waitress talked me into chicken parmigiana. The actual meat was perfect and tasty, but as a previous comment says, the sauce tasted like canned tomatoes and the cheese was plain. I could barely taste the chicken underneath it.

My guest’s steak had a huge vein of gristle, yuck, but tasty otherwise. He got it with pate – wow, that pate is amazing. Light and fluffy and so yummy.

We were shocked that the cheapest bottle of wine was $39, that’s a bit steep for some people.

The desserts saved the experience for us. The chocolate croissant pudding is incredible. I had balsamic strawberries, also so yummy.

All in all it was so mixed, I can’t understand how some parts of the business are so polished and well done, and then they let themselves down with the crappy paper menus etc. I would think twice about going back or recommending it to others for a main, but wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for dessert and coffee/wine.

I went here for a date and was very disappointed. Arriving for a reasonably late dinner we found practically no one else in the restaurant, and within 15 minutes of our arrival there was no one else there. We started with the antipasto which was pretty tasty, though nothing (even the bread) tasted homemade. Our mains arrived fairly promptly, but the points they gained in a prompt delivery were quickly lost. My main (the chicken parmigiana) was quite honestly one of the worst meals I have ever eaten at a “high-class” restaurant. The chicken was thin, overcooked and the sauce tasted like heated canned tomatoes. The pasta itself was nice and fresh, but the sauce still tasted like canned tomatoes. My date fared better with having the pork, which was deemed pretty good but the potato gratin was greasy and flavourless. The nicest part of the meal was the side of chips. I ended up eating more of that than my 30 dollar main.
The staff sat down for dinner before we had even finished our meals. Needless to say, we didn’t stay for dessert.

We have eaten at Gaslight Cafe three times since it opened and have had delicious food and great service every time. The surroundings are beautiful and the food is really something special. You can watch your pasta being made by hand and drink stunning French wine. The desserts are yummy and the starters and the mains are generous servings and taste really really good. It is great value for money and is currently one of my favourite restaurants in Dunedin.

Three of us went to Gaslight 02 August on the recommendation of Cuisine. We were reluctant to go in as no-one was there at 7pm, apparently that’s normal in Dunedin (we’re from Wellington). We’re so glad we gave it a go. Nice and cosy, lovely French music. The waitress was nice, friendly and helpful. We all tried a different wine each which was great and went straight for the mains. I love duck and this was divine as was the homemade carbonara and the fish with polenta. Prices fantastic and good value for money. I will definitely visit again and go for a steak or fresh pasta. Come on Dunedinites support this fantastic place on Tuesday. Wellington cafes are choccka Mon to Sunday

Really bad service, it was not busy yet we waited for ages to be served, had to ask to see drink lists etc. We weren’t asked if we would like to see dessert list after our meal and felt very unwelcome. Food itself was ok, pasta was quite nice, although a lot of the meals seemed like things you could cook at home. Will not be going back. It was a shame.

Have enjoyed Italian food in many restaurants here and abroad, and its good to know that Dunedin has a restaurant that can serve some of the best Italian food I have ever tasted. My son enjoyed a steak that was cooked to perfection as well. Thoroughly enjoyed the Gaslight experience! Well done.

Lovely atmosphere, very helpful wait staff and the food was good.
Pleasant meal out =)
Will definitely return, so many other meals on the menu i want to try!

I was incredibly disappointed by my experience here. We waited at least an hour and a half for our meal. I chose the steak frites after an in-depth discussion with the waitress about what I was able to eat (I can’t eat dairy). My meal arrived and (as I was starved by this point) I wolfed down half of my salad before realising it was full of cheese. She took away my meal and popped it on a new plate, meaning that I lost almost all the sauce from my now cold, disappointingly overcooked steak. My partner felt that his ratatouille was no better than something he could make himself, and his souffle average. Having said this, others we dined with enjoyed their meals, and my steak was a nice cut of meat so I was able to enjoy it despite its shortcomings. Not what I expected from the long wait and large bill (by the time I bought drinks to tide me over during the long wait).

We had a great meal at Gaslight, lovely food, amazing lamb ragu, reasonable prices, friendly staff, I love the way the place has been restyled. We are going again this week. It would be nice to see a children’s menu, however they were very accommodating in terms of adapting the menu to make a simple pasta dish for my son

Went to Gaslight tonight with some friends for dessert, It was not the best experience. My friend had the chocolate croissant pudding which apparently was delicious. But I had the chocolate mousse pot – was a big disappointment. the mousse had not had long enough in the fridge and was runny, to the point where at the bottom the mixture was separating. My other friend had the tiramisu which, according to her was pretty average.
I don’t think I will be returning to this restaurant anytime soon.

Just had the most amazing meal at Gaslight. The staff were friendly, the atmosphere is fantastic. There is so much to take in around the walls. Our pasta’s were wonderful, dessert’s were to die for (I would definitely recommend the chocolate pots if you are a choc-a-holic like me). Ended the meal with a coffee. Definitely going back, already made a second reservation. Entree, 2 mains, 2 desserts and 2 coffees = $66. Great value for money.

Have been reading the menu and knowing how good a Chef they have creating these dishes I can’t wait to try them.
It’s got to be soon.