Gina’s Italian Kitchen
57 reviews
161 Symonds St
Eden Terrace
Auckland City 09-302 2061
Eden Terrace
Auckland City 09-302 2061
Hours:
- Mon – Sun 12 noon – 10pm
-
Facilities/Features:
- Children's Menu
- Payment Types: EFTPOS, Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Diners
- Price Range: Moderate, $15 - $25
- Dress Code: Smart casual
- Alcohol: Beer, Wine, Cocktails
- Seating for: 85
- BYO/Corkage: No BYO
- Parking: Free On-Street, Pay & Display
- Good For Groups: Yes
- Good For Children: Yes
- Takeaways: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Dietary Restrictions: Vegetarian
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Gina’s Pizza offer home-style Italian food, fantastic service and wonderful atmosphere. Italian Dining, Pizza, Pasta & much more!
Gina’s Pizza & Pasta Bar.
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57 Reviews for Gina’s Italian Kitchen
11
Wow. Firstly what a truly horrible environment to sit and eat in!? Unbelievably noisy with shouting, leering kitchen staff and heckling waiters every time a female walks through the place! Secondly, really small portions of average food – totally overpriced. I lost my voice yelling across the table to friends over all the noise, which wrecked any conversations we attempted to have, and came home with a headache! Why on earth would anyone want to repeat that!? I wont be eating there again. On the up-side they screwed up my friends main, but quickly fixed it!!
1
Went there recently for a work lunch with a big group – so we preordered from the lunch menu the day before. You’d imagine this would make it easier for the kitchen to have the produce they needed, but when my Mediterranean salad arrive the lettuce was clearly old and brown at the edges. There was no feta and pine nuts as per the menu. Just old lettuce (that had clearly come from a bag and been plonked on my plate) and too much dressing. I walked it back to the kitchen to check it was in fact the salad I had ordered. They replaced it, but no one apologised or said anything. The new one came with feta etc but was still tired and yuck. Others at the table were also unimpressed and said they wouldn’t go back. We were there for around an hour and no one asked us if we wanted drinks. Terrible food, terrible service and no atmosphere.
Recently 10 of us had a great night at Gina’s. Having read some of the earlier reviews we were a little hesitant about going, however, we were warmly welcomed by all the staff and attended to by a very friendly and efficient waitress. Our drinks and meals were delivered promptly and we all thoroughly enjoyed them.
The restaurant was packed which created a lovely atmosphere and everyone appeared to be having a good night.
The restaurant was packed which created a lovely atmosphere and everyone appeared to be having a good night.
3
I went to Gina’s on my birthday. I had wanted to go when they were located between the wedding shop and dry cleaners in Symonds Street. What attracted me was the atmosphere.
I found the food really lovely and the atmosphere still the same,but it lacked the warmth it had when they where in the smaller location. I will go back.
I found the food really lovely and the atmosphere still the same,but it lacked the warmth it had when they where in the smaller location. I will go back.
4
If you like overcooked Fish this is the place for you !!
Pan fried Fish is easier to cook than a boiled egg. Curled up and dry it was yukky, we notified the waiter and it didn’t affect our account at the end of the night.
Not good, won’t be back !
Pan fried Fish is easier to cook than a boiled egg. Curled up and dry it was yukky, we notified the waiter and it didn’t affect our account at the end of the night.
Not good, won’t be back !
11
Ridiculously overpriced for something which doesn’t taste good at all. Would not ever go back here again. Poor service as well, I mean it took the waiter more than a hour to get our food out and we weren’t even notified.
3
Paid our first visit here after hearing rave reviews, the atmosphere and the service here is simply amazing. In fact, blown away by the service would be appropriate! However in saying this, the food wasn’t that great, the lamb in our salad was rather tasteless and the gnocci was quite doughey. For the price, we would probably only come back for a larger group booking (they sure know how to celebrate a birthday or a hens night)
The food was good – not great. But the worst part was that the portions were very small for mains and far too pricey.
As a Sicilian, I was excited about going to Gina’s and experiencing a bit of Italian atmosphere. The waiter came immediately to serve water and take our orders – we thought that we were off to a good start. Unfortunately our four mains, each of which I might mention are ridiculously overpriced did not arrive until 9:45. It took an 1hr and 35 minutes to deliver two main chicken courses, one seafood spaghetti course, and a chicken salad. At 9:15 we asked the waiter how long it would be until we received our food – he replied with 5 minutes. Subsequently another waiter came up to us 5 minutes later to tell us it was going to be another ten minutes – offering a round of drinks as compensation. We ordered the mocktails as we were all driving, only mildly content at what seemed to be the first vague gesture of restaurant service. 25 minutes later we got our cold, overcooked and frankly putrid main means. Italians know Italian food and when I say that the chicken with ‘tomato, olive and caper sauce’ was literally a compilation of thick chicken skin drenched in tomato flavored oil with 1 olive and 1 caper, you should be as unimpressed as I was. Our complementary drinks arrived with the meals and for $8.50 a pop I am dubious as to why anyone would spend that much for syrup and ice in a small glass. As we came for the desert singing and dancing, we were greatly disappointed because at 10:15 pm, who wants a $12.50 Tiramisu? Certainly not us. We were offered no compensation on the bill and watched as customers who had sat opposite of us and experienced the same poor restaurant experience complained about the bill and the fact that it should in fact be free considering that the service was so blatantly inadequate. The waiters seemed nonchalant and uncaring. Do not come to this restaurant. Going through a McDonalds drive thru has a better service, price and food quality than this joke of a restaurant.
18
We have been to Gina’s in the new location for lunch a couple of times and been served by the same lady she is polite but there is always some ingredients that are missing. The new location is spacious but the atmosphere is cold not only because there is hardly any customers but it seems to have lost that personality. We did not enjoy our pizza the ingredients tasted anything but fresh.
1
I used to love coming to Gina’s. Unfortunately over the last few years although they have expanded, they have lost their customer service and quality of food. Yesterday I waited 40minutes for a cold, small, “thrown together” pizza that looked like it had taken 2seconds to prepare. After asking what was taking so long I was told “they had forgotten” although we were the only customers there.
What a waste of what used to be a warm, family restaurant.
What a waste of what used to be a warm, family restaurant.
1
I’ve been wanting to go to Gina’s for years, but now I have booked my birthday there I regret it.
First I call and book for 15-20 people, ‘fine’ they say. I call to confirm it is definitely 20 people, they rudely snap at me that I have to have a set menu, that I was not told about before. The set menus have salad and a margarita for vegetarians. Looks like I will be missing out on trying anything fun.
I call back once I have confirmed with my friends they are willing to still come given the change of circumstance, and that their meals will be $40 each (my sister is a student). When I call back I asked about the vegetarian options being extended. They acted like they were doing me a favor and they would bring over the main menu for me to choose off (completely subtle and not making the vege awkward right?) ‘Bella’.
They then said I had to pay a $50 booking fee, which yet again, they had not told me about. I was told to put it into an account somewhere ‘on the website’ with no guidance.
From one of the other reviews here I would also have to pay $15 bucks to bring a cake…. Didn’t mention that either.
I don’t mind these things, but treat me with some politeness, I am your customer, and TELL me EVERYTHING upfront when I make my booking so I can see if it is the experience I really want.
It’s a week out now and I’m trying to find another place last minute, even though I talked to them a month ago. Frankly, I don’t think I want to go there, ever.
First I call and book for 15-20 people, ‘fine’ they say. I call to confirm it is definitely 20 people, they rudely snap at me that I have to have a set menu, that I was not told about before. The set menus have salad and a margarita for vegetarians. Looks like I will be missing out on trying anything fun.
I call back once I have confirmed with my friends they are willing to still come given the change of circumstance, and that their meals will be $40 each (my sister is a student). When I call back I asked about the vegetarian options being extended. They acted like they were doing me a favor and they would bring over the main menu for me to choose off (completely subtle and not making the vege awkward right?) ‘Bella’.
They then said I had to pay a $50 booking fee, which yet again, they had not told me about. I was told to put it into an account somewhere ‘on the website’ with no guidance.
From one of the other reviews here I would also have to pay $15 bucks to bring a cake…. Didn’t mention that either.
I don’t mind these things, but treat me with some politeness, I am your customer, and TELL me EVERYTHING upfront when I make my booking so I can see if it is the experience I really want.
It’s a week out now and I’m trying to find another place last minute, even though I talked to them a month ago. Frankly, I don’t think I want to go there, ever.
7
Biggest let down ever
I’d heard so many great things about this restaurant but never had the time to try it so when I saw a voucher come up i grabbed it! I don’t know whether that was the best or worst decision I ever made. I rang up and made a booking, we were seated promptly by a friendly waiter and given menus but then it just went downhill from there. 17min later still no service….not even a bit of water! Then finally a waiter comes over asking if we were “alright”, he took our orders and finally gave us some water. The entree (calamari rings) says it comes with aioli but we were never given any, I guess this is partly our own fault as we should’ve looked closer at the menu and asked for it when it was missing. When our plates were taken away the waiter said he told the chef 5min ago to start on our mains so shouldn’t be more than 10min away…BAD move. Took almost half an hour for the main to come! When it did I was speechless. I’ve seen better food in bloody prison. I don’t even know what the dish was called in Italian but was some sort of lamb shank. It was full of big bones on a big slop of polenta. We barely touched it then gave up on the dish. When the waiter took the dish away and I said I wasn’t a fan he gave me the look of “I know what you mean”. Thank-god dessert came right away! To be honest dessert would’ve been the only dish I would pay full price for. Upon paying the bill the waiter didn’t really seem to care much for our complaint and just shrugged his shoulders…I wonder if we only had this kind of treatment simply because we were on a voucher? If I had known that the voucher menu would be this ill-treated I would not have ever tried it. I really don’t know what’s worse, the food or the attitude. there’s plenty of great reviews on here so 2 each their own I guess…
I’d heard so many great things about this restaurant but never had the time to try it so when I saw a voucher come up i grabbed it! I don’t know whether that was the best or worst decision I ever made. I rang up and made a booking, we were seated promptly by a friendly waiter and given menus but then it just went downhill from there. 17min later still no service….not even a bit of water! Then finally a waiter comes over asking if we were “alright”, he took our orders and finally gave us some water. The entree (calamari rings) says it comes with aioli but we were never given any, I guess this is partly our own fault as we should’ve looked closer at the menu and asked for it when it was missing. When our plates were taken away the waiter said he told the chef 5min ago to start on our mains so shouldn’t be more than 10min away…BAD move. Took almost half an hour for the main to come! When it did I was speechless. I’ve seen better food in bloody prison. I don’t even know what the dish was called in Italian but was some sort of lamb shank. It was full of big bones on a big slop of polenta. We barely touched it then gave up on the dish. When the waiter took the dish away and I said I wasn’t a fan he gave me the look of “I know what you mean”. Thank-god dessert came right away! To be honest dessert would’ve been the only dish I would pay full price for. Upon paying the bill the waiter didn’t really seem to care much for our complaint and just shrugged his shoulders…I wonder if we only had this kind of treatment simply because we were on a voucher? If I had known that the voucher menu would be this ill-treated I would not have ever tried it. I really don’t know what’s worse, the food or the attitude. there’s plenty of great reviews on here so 2 each their own I guess…
2
Went there on a deal voucher – food was bad!!
If your using your voucher be prepared in case they are “fully booked” or have “run out of ingredients for the set meal”….
Totally disappointing…..
If your using your voucher be prepared in case they are “fully booked” or have “run out of ingredients for the set meal”….
Totally disappointing…..
I had a great lunch at Gina’s, and was surprised to see all the negative reviews here. I believe that the long wait time/priceyness/bad service probably only applies to dinner. I can’t deny that it’s very noisy though – it’s a fun atmosphere suitable for going out with friends or family.
Sure, their pizza isn’t one of those thin crust authentic Italian ones, but for $12 this must be one of the best lunch specials in the city (if you’re looking for a thinner crust for the same price you could go to Deniro’s in Elliott Stables). The pasta and the chips were good value for money as well.
We had tiramisu for dessert – excellent. Service was great throughout our meal.
Sure, their pizza isn’t one of those thin crust authentic Italian ones, but for $12 this must be one of the best lunch specials in the city (if you’re looking for a thinner crust for the same price you could go to Deniro’s in Elliott Stables). The pasta and the chips were good value for money as well.
We had tiramisu for dessert – excellent. Service was great throughout our meal.
2
I bought a deal voucher and I was rather disappointed to find out when I arrived that there were only two options available for the entrée, main and dessert. There was only one vegetarian option available and that was only for the entrée. I thought the full menu would have been available or at least more than two options. You either had seafood or red meat. The staff were polite, but when our mains were served, they didn’t give us any cutlery and I had to go get them myself. I certainly felt as if I was a second class diner because I had purchased a voucher.
I wouldn’t pay to go here again, especially with a voucher.
I wouldn’t pay to go here again, especially with a voucher.
4
Took our daughter (11) and her friends here for dinner last night. It was so fun, rowdy and delicious….just perfect.
Had the lamb ragout – it is deliciously simple and in the spirit of Italy. Generous portions, great and attentive service. Loved the Happy Birthday sung in italian!
A great place to take the kids, and have a delicious, cheap meal.
Warm and inviting atmosphere. AND parking out the back…bonus.
Had the lamb ragout – it is deliciously simple and in the spirit of Italy. Generous portions, great and attentive service. Loved the Happy Birthday sung in italian!
A great place to take the kids, and have a delicious, cheap meal.
Warm and inviting atmosphere. AND parking out the back…bonus.
First and last time eating from here. Ordered garlic bread with two pasta dishes. The garlic bread had no garlic on it what so ever. Very disappointed, hoping the pasta would make up for it but alas, to find the pasta in both only half full and no sauce in sight. I ordered the fettuccine with prawns and chicken – i got two prawns accompanied by their heads and tails just chucked in. My partner had 8 small parcels of pasta with a corner full of sauce. Was not worth $50!!!! Such a shame.
Just got back from a lovely meal. Fortunately we didn’t let recent negative reviews deter us from returning to this place after about a year now.
No more topless men, thank God. Friendly service…fast too. The kids were well taken cared of.
Bolognese was great and so was the seafood fettucine.
Would definitely return, keep up the good work guys!
No more topless men, thank God. Friendly service…fast too. The kids were well taken cared of.
Bolognese was great and so was the seafood fettucine.
Would definitely return, keep up the good work guys!
8
This place is really famous and crowded all the time. When I went there, there were people having a party, making a lot of noise. The atmosphere is lively however too noisy that you would have to shout to talk to someone. The food is ok, nothing too surprising.
We were all so looking forward to a night out at Gina’s new restaurant. What a disappointment and what a wait! Like a one hour wait for garlic bread. Just what is happening in the kitchen? How difficult is it to churn out garlic pizza bread? Everyone is going to ask for it. And then after some rather terse comments from our table, we had another further half hour wait for warm food on a cold plate. The salads didn’t arrive at all. We can’t complain about the service, there was so little of it, it was almost non-existent. Even the second bottle of wine was slow to come and thirst is a terrible thing. The restaurant was very drafty on a cool night. All in all, an experience we won’t be repeating. Let’s face it, there are plenty more restaurants to choose from.
1
all the service has gone out the window, the food was average compared to how good it used to be, used to go all the time and now
you cant even hear yourself think over the guys cheering while they take off their shirts, one time in a night is okay, but after waiting a whole hour for our food it had happened 4 times, focus on your food before you loose all your customers and become a strip club
you cant even hear yourself think over the guys cheering while they take off their shirts, one time in a night is okay, but after waiting a whole hour for our food it had happened 4 times, focus on your food before you loose all your customers and become a strip club
5
Ordered takeout, had to wait half an hour longer than told even though the place was pretty empty, cold average pizzas, to be honest have never had a good experience here, only went there because my partner had some discount vouchers, definitely the last time ill ever go there now.
1
Gina’s! What happened?! The atmosphere and character has completely gone. You got greedy and wanted to expand and make the place bigger but in the process you killed everything that was good about your restaurant! Such a shame. We made a booking for two for 7.30pm on Sat 20/08/11 to celebrate our anniversary (Gina’s was our fav Italian restaurant and we hadn’t been in a while so we were really looking forward to our dinner). When we arrived at 7.15pm we happily waited for half hour to be seated until we got offered a crap table next to the bar away from all the action so we asked if we could wait for another table so we had to wait another half hour all the while standing next to the main door that slammed shut every 2 secs with children running in and out – I have no idea how the bar staff can stand it!! Fix your door! Very unpleasant is how close the toilet doors are to where people are eating – the toilets should be tucked away somewhere discreet. I watched as a number of drunk men stumbled out of the toilet doing up their flies – disgusting while you are trying to enjoy a meal. Finally we were seated after an hour wait. Luckily we were seated at a nice table but looking around there were many undesirable tables. Again we waited – at least half an hour for our entree and at least half an hour for our main and our wine order got forgotten twice. The worst part of all – you guys have changed your menu! Where is spaghetti marinara?? My fav! I was gutted! Guys that aren’t even Italian taking their shirts off every 10min to give some chick a birthday kiss was sooo rubbish and unclassy and just ruined the character of the place even more. Keep your shirts on boys. To add a touch of optimism to this review the food (when it did eventually arrive) wasn’t bad but wasn’t fantastic either. To be honest we got to the point where we couldn’t wait to leave because we were sooo disappointed. I really hope you guys can Moreget back even a little of what you used to have. Hire a really good interior designer/architect – you need it!
1
Went there for Dinner and waited for 2 hours to get our meals. Very poor service. Ordered the steak and mushroom dish Took one bite of it and couldn’t bring myself to eat it anymore. It had no flavor over cooked asked for (medium rare) and It looked like I ordered steak with sewage water with some twigs and sticks (think it was twigs of rosemary) tangled up in it. Everyone at our table did not finish what they ordered. I was So disappointed, what a waste of money. Will definitely never go back.
The appetisers were okay (bruschetta lacked taste though. But our calamari was yum, especially the batter). Mains were average (my gnocchi were oddly sweet….). But the dessert range was impressive and yum too. Service was expedient (maybe because we sat close to the kitchen). But it was pretty noisy, sometimes it seems as though the kitchen staff are having more fun than the guests themselves. There was a lot clanging/banging of pots, dishes being broken, yelling, squawking, hooting, etc. U have been warned. We were hoping for our dessert to settle for a while before calling for the bill, but our waitress seemed keen for us to leave when we didn’t want to order coffee. Weird. So we left.
7
A fun experience, went with a few girlfriends. Pizza was a tad pricey but very nice,the waiters were very entertaining! Go if you don’t mind a bit of hussle and bussle as this place does get very busy!!
1
Shocking service to tonight. We had not been in a while so we turned up early to order before it got busy. I could see our food ready but no waiter was around to bring our meals, when the meals came they were not pipping hot as the waiter described, the waiter then put his finger on my pizza( which is pretty strange and rude ) and said he would change it. My wife’s lasagna was also left and not hot. After waiting for an explanation and not getting one we decided to leave. The manager asked what was wrong and went to investigate and on his return offered no apology just lots of attitude and told me I was wrong and my food only sat there for 2 mins so he gave me the bill for my drinks and said they have cooked me 2 meals.I doubt very much this was the General Manager as I’m sure he would have better customer service skills. Not what I expected from Gina’s and will never return
9
Too noisy for me, especially having a table near the kitchen. We couldn’t all make ourselves heard to each other across a table for 6, so it killed the evening a bit.
1
Myself and 5 others had a meal at Gina’s on saturday 28th May 2011. It was not a good experience. Our meals took over an hour and a half after ordering,to arrive,and when they did finally arrive,they were all stone cold.This included all our steaks and accompaning veges and the gnocchi one of us ordered had congealed into an ugly mess. We had all commented that the meals had sat on cold plates for awhile before someone bothered to bring them to our table.When we attempted to inform the staff about this,a combination of an unpleasantly noisy room and an indifferant waiter with limited English,made this an annoying task.Having the waiter return to us with one of the partly eaten steaks with a thermometer stuck in it then attempting to explain that this was the(cold)tempurature at which it was supposed to be,was frankly unprofessional We will not eat at Ginas again.
14
I had very fond memories of eating at Gina’s a couple of years ago. Really talked the place up and took a friend from the UK. New location, disappointing food. The vibe is not the same. I’m not dissing it, just don’t want to pay those prices without getting that same wonderful ambiance as before.
3
I loved Ginas 5 years ago, however you couldn’t pay me to eat their bland tasting, bare toppings pizzas accompanied with the poor service. when giving the “benefit of the doubt” by going back for a T/A pizza.. 50 mins waiting time when we were told 20 mins is not acceptable. Its a real shame. harsh but strongly feel this way.
I had made a booking for myself and my friends for dinner to celebrate my birthday. The booking had been confirmed by me on Saturday afternoon. When we arrived at 7.30pm and we were told we would have to wait to be seated. After waiting for around 10 minutes for someone to attend to us, I was told that there was no table for us as another group had been given our table. We were then made to wait longer while the waiter went to discuss this with the people that were in our table. I walked out in disgust at the lake of customer service and we spent our money elsewhere.
When I wrote an email of compliant it was brushed off as the so called Manager’s explanation was taken over mine.
Poor! Poor! Poor!
When I wrote an email of compliant it was brushed off as the so called Manager’s explanation was taken over mine.
Poor! Poor! Poor!
1
Unfortunate experience dining for the first time at their new premises. Gina’s has been a family birthday tradition of ours for years, and has never failed to deliver… until now.
The new venue lacks any of the charm and atmosphere of their previous lot, and especially so when you are seated beside the external door which leads to the garbage bin.
Thankfully reseated with minimal fuss (although opposite the open mens bathroom door was not ideal for 3 ladies), we ordered our food promptly (being familiar with the menu) and settled in to wait.
It took more than an hour for our seafood platter entree to arrive, only to be missing more the half items promised in the menu, and not once had anyone come from the kitchen to explain there were no scallops or prawns available. They instead tried to pass off a decidedly substandard fish medley in place, and seemed offended when we sent it back stating it was not what we ordered. Having a staff member take a seat at our table of three and badger us to explain why we wouldn’t accept their version of ‘seafood’ was also highly unprofessional.
Cue another half hour for the mains, which arrived burnt (pizza) and under flavoured (lasagna). Further drinks were requested three times to no avail, although an apology was provided by one of the waiters for this.
All in all, for our family favourite, we were surprised that a simple change in location could so entirely change what used to be a good restaurant. I have always brought out-of-town guests here, and will now need to find somewhere else to trea tthem. Gina’s certainly was the low point of my birthday, and I hope for their sake they can turn thing around.
The new venue lacks any of the charm and atmosphere of their previous lot, and especially so when you are seated beside the external door which leads to the garbage bin.
Thankfully reseated with minimal fuss (although opposite the open mens bathroom door was not ideal for 3 ladies), we ordered our food promptly (being familiar with the menu) and settled in to wait.
It took more than an hour for our seafood platter entree to arrive, only to be missing more the half items promised in the menu, and not once had anyone come from the kitchen to explain there were no scallops or prawns available. They instead tried to pass off a decidedly substandard fish medley in place, and seemed offended when we sent it back stating it was not what we ordered. Having a staff member take a seat at our table of three and badger us to explain why we wouldn’t accept their version of ‘seafood’ was also highly unprofessional.
Cue another half hour for the mains, which arrived burnt (pizza) and under flavoured (lasagna). Further drinks were requested three times to no avail, although an apology was provided by one of the waiters for this.
All in all, for our family favourite, we were surprised that a simple change in location could so entirely change what used to be a good restaurant. I have always brought out-of-town guests here, and will now need to find somewhere else to trea tthem. Gina’s certainly was the low point of my birthday, and I hope for their sake they can turn thing around.
29
The food has always been fine on the handful of occasions I have been to Gina’s, but the fake flirting and “ciao bella!”s make you feel as if you have gone to a brothel. Really, really creepy. Especially if there are only two of you at the restaurant, and you are both women. Having two waiters mock-fighting over serving you then picking which one of you they liked best (!) is pretty uncomfortable and verging on harrassment. Don’t go there unless you are the sort of person who likes being wolf-whistled at by construction workers.
I loved when the waiters took off their shirts and ran around the restaurant singing, but the facts remain as follows:
We had to wait 2 hours for our mains;
When we finally got our mains, one of our orders was missing, so one person got to starve for an extra 25minutes while everyone else ate;
My carbonara tasted like nothing;
You could not get the attention of a single staff member.
Awesome experience, but the food was lacking, so must unfortunately rate this poorly. The restaurant was over booked as well. And at the bar it took ages to order a drink because the guy at the counter was too busy feeding himself and drinking his own drinks. Took forever to pay and leave as well even though we were all on the set menu.
We had to wait 2 hours for our mains;
When we finally got our mains, one of our orders was missing, so one person got to starve for an extra 25minutes while everyone else ate;
My carbonara tasted like nothing;
You could not get the attention of a single staff member.
Awesome experience, but the food was lacking, so must unfortunately rate this poorly. The restaurant was over booked as well. And at the bar it took ages to order a drink because the guy at the counter was too busy feeding himself and drinking his own drinks. Took forever to pay and leave as well even though we were all on the set menu.
10
Loved their fresh pasta with lamb ragu in red wine – so tender and pasta had a home-made feel. Also really enjoyed the Italian cherry bubbles on offer. The Calamari had a tasty peppery crumb and did not feel oily for a deep-friend dish.
Our chicken pizza & dessert were good but not great.
Very rowdy restaurant (see other reviews) – you have been warned.
Our chicken pizza & dessert were good but not great.
Very rowdy restaurant (see other reviews) – you have been warned.
12
Gina’s is an awesome restaraunt!! The food is delicious and served quite quickly. Passionate Italian waiters – if your the birthday girl you even get treated to a bit of a show.
I really love the atmosphere at Gina’s!! If your after I quiet night, then this is probably not the place. But if you are after some laughs, I would definently reccomend this!
Make sure you book in advance though, because this place gets packed!!
I really love the atmosphere at Gina’s!! If your after I quiet night, then this is probably not the place. But if you are after some laughs, I would definently reccomend this!
Make sure you book in advance though, because this place gets packed!!
51
really enjoyed dinner here. the waitstaff were charming. accommodated my freinds allergy very well.
15
They served us mussels that had not opened, then created an embarrassing fuss when we sent them back. We were left with the impression that this particular waiter not only lacked people skills but a basic food hygiene common sense certificate.
Overall an average experience. Nothing was great, mostly quite bland and quickly thrown together.
Mid-meal we were treated to the full ‘Jersey Shore’ experience as the staff stripped off to serenade a lucky birthday girl, all crashing pots and pans. Had the food, wine, price, ambiance and service been adequate we might have found this funny. As it was it served to leave a very bitter taste in the mouth.
Won’t be returning soon.
Overall an average experience. Nothing was great, mostly quite bland and quickly thrown together.
Mid-meal we were treated to the full ‘Jersey Shore’ experience as the staff stripped off to serenade a lucky birthday girl, all crashing pots and pans. Had the food, wine, price, ambiance and service been adequate we might have found this funny. As it was it served to leave a very bitter taste in the mouth.
Won’t be returning soon.
We went for a work lunch on a Wednesday and there was a group of eight of us. The restaurant had two other tables occupied by couples.
This was the first time we had been to their new location and the restaurant environment is a lot larger and modern. With us being seated at the window and the bar being at the other end of the room it was hard to get the attention of the wait staff.
I had the Gnocchi with the 4 cheese sauce and it was OK, however the serving size was very small. The guys that had Secondi were disappointed with their meals which came with slices of bread and chips all for between $28 – $33. The pizza was great.
Very expensive for very average food.
Stick to a pizza & beer
This was the first time we had been to their new location and the restaurant environment is a lot larger and modern. With us being seated at the window and the bar being at the other end of the room it was hard to get the attention of the wait staff.
I had the Gnocchi with the 4 cheese sauce and it was OK, however the serving size was very small. The guys that had Secondi were disappointed with their meals which came with slices of bread and chips all for between $28 – $33. The pizza was great.
Very expensive for very average food.
Stick to a pizza & beer
4
I have incredibly bad allergies and my partner advised of this when he made the booking and again when we arrived. There was a lot of yes yes yes but but not much attention to what was trying to be explained. Dinner arrived as chosen by the waiter to be the best option, this was after going through the list of what I could not eat. Less than an hour later I was at A&E having adrenalin being adminstered by two doctors and a team of nurses, they said I was incredibly lucky to be alive. A phone call to them a few days later to complain was literally shrugged off like when I asked for a breakdown of ingredients. Yes it will be a night that I will remember for the rest of life but for all the wrong reasons.
5
staff were fun and energetic…good for a girls night out, but when you are dining with your bf…not a good look when the waiter hits on you. Food good flavour, but I left hungry after paying $90 for two mains two desserts and a coffee…not great
3
Amazing atmosphere, good sized meals which are reasonably priced. Very impressive staff!;)
2
I love this place, the atmosphere is awesome and the food is spectacular. Nothing can beat fresh pasta
oh and the waiters =P
1
We booked at Gina for the evening at 7 pm until 8pm (request of Gina staff because busy restaurant he said). I ordered a Regina’s pizza and I received the pizza with « extra slug » in the rocket. I asked the waiter to change this pizza, what he did. Therefore, I got my new pizza with no slug “cool” at 7.40pm. At 7.55pm they put the bill on the table without a word whereas my daughter has even not finished its pizza (note that child menu also included a dessert !!). When we asked for the dessert board the waiter explained us we have to leave for 8pm so we can’t have any dessert. When we explained that the delay was due to the slug problem, he never wanted to receive our request and our dessert command. So, we were obliged to leave the table for the next booking. We then asked the manager for a commercial gesture for all the disagreement. The staff clearly avoided us and we had to wait about 10 min before hearing: “We gave you another pizza so?”
After paying the bill, we left the restaurant without any remedy and felt under pressure during the entire diner.
I strongly recommend that you don’t go to Gina’s because they care more to their slugs than to their customers.
It is hard to go to countdown to finish the dinner.
After paying the bill, we left the restaurant without any remedy and felt under pressure during the entire diner.
I strongly recommend that you don’t go to Gina’s because they care more to their slugs than to their customers.
It is hard to go to countdown to finish the dinner.
1
I had heard Gina’s was an excellent restaurant for a celebration, so booked a table for my close friend’s hen’s night. I booked at least 6 weeks in advance, and called a couple of weeks before hand to check it was all ok. I got a phone call to confirm on the morning. I then had a phone call later in the day to say they had over-booked, and asking if we would sit outside. I wanted to be nice, so said that was fine.
When we showed up, the had given the table away. If this wasn’t bad enough, they told us they had given the table away because “someone” had called back to cancel the table. This was patently untrue, and it seemed pretty clear that they had overbooked, didn’t have enough tables, and this was their solution. The staff were very uninterested, didn’t offer any remedy, and it ruined an evening that was really important to me and my friends. If you have an important evening, I recommend that you don’t go to Gina’s.
When we showed up, the had given the table away. If this wasn’t bad enough, they told us they had given the table away because “someone” had called back to cancel the table. This was patently untrue, and it seemed pretty clear that they had overbooked, didn’t have enough tables, and this was their solution. The staff were very uninterested, didn’t offer any remedy, and it ruined an evening that was really important to me and my friends. If you have an important evening, I recommend that you don’t go to Gina’s.
1
Wow!….we had been looking for a ‘real’ Italian restaurant. We found it here!Delicious food, bubbly atmosphere and great service!! Will definitely be back…..Highly recommended!!
I read the reviews before choosing Gina Pizza. They were not flash but I decided to try anyway. Disregard all previous poor reviews!! We just rocked up without a booking(naughty me) on a Wednesday night and yes it was packed, vibrant, buzzy and exciting atmosphere. We waited 5mins for table at 8pm and got served immediately. We were in a rush and told them that we had tickets for the Stevie Ray Vaughn gig at 830 at the Kings arms down the road. Well, i was impressed!! We were in an out within 30mins! Great great service, Pizza the best Ive had. The staff are all crazy passionate real Italians, they were jumping around, excited, yelling orders, dancing around like they were all on happy drugs and had ants in their pants. What an exciting and exrialting experience. Don’t go to Gina’s if you want a quiet nite alone. By blood was pumping adrenalin after being exposed to GINA’S EXPERIENCE!! You have to go to Gina’s!! Get off your sorry ass computer, and have a wild nite out. Live life and love life because the staff at Ginos will show you what life its all about!!. Craig and Anja
4
Went to Gina’s on a Sunday night and it was very busy and vibrant. We ordered the Bruchetta with mushrooms and mozzarella – was yummy!!
The waiter was Italian and added to the experience, he also informed us of the specials for the night then let us decided.
We had to wait for a while before someone took our order but other than that, the food was great and delicious and would highly recommend Gina’s.
We will be back
The waiter was Italian and added to the experience, he also informed us of the specials for the night then let us decided.
We had to wait for a while before someone took our order but other than that, the food was great and delicious and would highly recommend Gina’s.
We will be back
We were in a large group and had the set menu for $40. As I expected (I distrust these type of set menus) the food was very mediocre for the price. Especially the dessert where you had a choice of 2 types of ice-cream – boring!!! The menu choices lacked any good Italian options consisting of mainly pizza (which did look quite nice, but not for the price). The service was pretty bad, we didn’t get our dinner for hours. The atmosphere was ok if you like noisy places, with the waiters making an effort to make it seem like a fun place to be. I wouldn’t go back.
Excellent food! Definatly recommended. 10/10
9
Food was good but was put off by the annoying noisy attention seeking waiters. Wouldn’t return.
Gina,s mmm overated excellent marketing by having hot waiters serving food food verges on something you could cook better at home no interesting use of fresh herbs or flavours bog standard and the noise is just too much would rather eat a big ben pie in a crowded railway station… oh and waiters may be good eye candy but not the friendliest service we have encountered
1
Not sure why the place is always packed with customers…The place is very small,extremely noisy which makes conversation hard.
The takeaway pizza we ordered was a bit burnt, the garlic bread was very small and did not taste fresh.Annoying staff as well.
Since then I have been going regularly to Monica’s Pizza a few metres down the road. Beautiful food!
The takeaway pizza we ordered was a bit burnt, the garlic bread was very small and did not taste fresh.Annoying staff as well.
Since then I have been going regularly to Monica’s Pizza a few metres down the road. Beautiful food!
1
best italian place for fun fun fun meals! esp for celebrations!
best recommended for chicks only nites
really beautiful italian food! the best service! never ever been disappointed!
The best most delicious original yummy Tiramisu in entire of New Zealand!
muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust check out!
best recommended for chicks only nites
really beautiful italian food! the best service! never ever been disappointed!
The best most delicious original yummy Tiramisu in entire of New Zealand!
muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust check out!
2
Awsome atmosphere, fantastic food. Always full so make sure you book a day in advance.
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