This is honestly the best I talian I have ever had. I always order pasta when I dine at Italian restaurants in the hope that they make the pasta themselves. This place makes all their pastas fresh aswell as the gnocchi, we ordered the pumpkin gnocchi and the beef tortelini and I can say it was absolutely devine!!
We had this on friday night and I am already planning on going back. Even my husband who is never impressed by Italian food loved the food here. I will definately be taking my friends and family here!

I’m biased – Gusto is my favourite piece of authentic Italiana outside Italy and maybe even as good as my Ducati Super bike. I eat at Gusto probably once a week and almost always take family, a client or friends. The taste and flavours are truly Italian. In fact I’m trying to lose my Gusto 5Kg but that will have to wait because I’m heading back this week for Mia mamma’s birthday. I’m vegetarian and always find something that hits the spot, the tiramisu is devine and I’m learning about the different types of authentic vino rosso.

Food: first course OK, but appetizer and second course really scant. We were served flabby bruschetta, probably canned stuff, a rather basic main and less than ordinary tiramisu.
Wine: we were served average Italian IGT wine, bottled in NZ (!) for 40 NZD.
Service: people are kind and welcoming, but the idea that clients – if they choose the fixed menues – have to share the dessert from the same bowl is simply non-acceptable (something that in Italy nobody would propose you even home if she/he is your best friend).
Quality/price ratio: Indisputably low (for 120 NZD a couple you can get way better!)

So – we had a discount card and being Valentines Day we really didnt think we’d be able to use it, but after ringing were told “yes, no problem, you can use”. When we get there, from across town, we’re told no you can’t use it. We were a bit frustrated that we’d been given the wrong information, but when I spoke to the manager this is when I became very annoyed. The man clearly couldn’t have cared less and obviously did not at all want our business. I was not angry or rude when I approached him and simply wanted to voice our dissapointment and this man was quite simply RUDE. We walked out and will not be returning and i would NOT recommend to anyone.

I love this place,your fell it’s like you are in Italy,pasta it’s amazing,and pizza i love,and lots of Italian wine really authentic Italian,tiramisu it’s so good ,the stuff its friendly and i be back ageing

It seems by other reviews gusto can be a little hit and miss. well it was a hit when i visited. pizzas and pastas bringing back fantastic memories of our Italian travels, a charming waitress and the best Tiramisu in Auckland. My advice with gusto is to go earlier in the week when its less busy and stick with what they do well, their traditional hearty pastas or just a takeaway pizza.

Had a lovely family lunch on Saturday. The waiter Nicholas was attentive and made sure the children had their water topped up, making them feel very special. The food was great and the owner was also very friendly and genuine. Nothing was too much trouble.
Couldn’t fault the food, presentation and welcoming experience we all had.
Noted also that other customers arriving were also treated like friends not just patrons.

Please think twice before dining at this place. We went on a Sunday night. Place was run by a few youngsters who weren’t really interested in serving the customers. Mains took over 90 minutes to arrive, after some erroneous mains were brought to us!! When they did finally arrive, it turned out that they took our orders incorrectly. We didn’t bother changing it since it was so late and we couldn’t be bothered. In the end they even tried to charge us for the wrong order. Probably our worst restaurant experience. I definitely would not recommend this restaurant.

We went to Gusto last night [a Sunday evening]. The ambiance was Italian and the opera [Andrea Bocelli] quite loud. The service was so-so. The food was equally so-so, but the desserts gave the appearance of being quite the stingiest, meanest little offerings I’ve ever experienced. My husband chose biscotti [with glass of dessert wine] and honestly, 3 tiny little pieces of biscotti lay on the plate, positively sobbing with isolation. $14.50 for this offering and definitely not value for money. The dessert wine was okay, according to himself. My friends chose a cheese platter. This too was an affront to the cheese-eater’s expectations. There was not even enough to satisfy a mouse [who may have dined elsewhere and was already full ...]. Again, overpriced and a blooming cheek, we thought. When we mentioned it to the waiter on leaving, he smiled and shrugged as if he didn’t give a flying whatsit. I have now read several reviews of this restaurant, and their small-sized portions. I would probably not go there again, but it was a very special birthday treat for me and I felt a bit disappointed. Don’t Gusto’s owners read these reviews?

I have never written a review before but after this meal I felt I just had to warn others. What a shocker!! This place is overpriced and the food is really not up to scratch! We ordered the Caprese Salad which was $16.50 and consisted of 3 old tomatoes and not what I would call mozzeralla cheese! We also ordered the calamari which tasted burnt and just not right. The pizza was average! Won’t be going there ever again.

We were very disappointed with our night out at Gusto. The staff didn’t even want to greet us or sit us down. We waited for ages for orders to be taken, and the mains took an extra long time to come to us.

The mains were very small and overpriced. You could have a better lamb kebabs main dish at the Turkish place across the road and it would taste better and cost you less than the $32 we paid.

We didn’t even want to stay for desserts because the wait staff wasn’t interested in taking our orders.

Will not be giving them another chance to disappoint again…

great food. excellent service. i only held one star back due to the prices

Excellent food, wonderfully flavourful and very authentic. Even the pasta is home made. We’ve eaten here numerous times and always been very pleased. The greeter is very Italian and friendly. The portions are on the small side, so the cost does add up as you order entrees with your mains. Buon appetito!

We had dinner there on Saturday night and the food was divine. The serving sizes are not large but they are beautifully cooked. We enjoyed the tiramasu and the waiter was very knowledgeable about the Italian wines on offer. We would definitely return.

Returned with friends after our good experience before- what a diappointment. The food took a long time to arrive and there really wasn’t enough to satisfy our friends even with entre and desert. The tiramsu was very average. The food was cold- I have never sent a meal back to be heated before. Sadly we wont be back.

could not fault the atmosphere service or food we will be back

One of my better meals and dining experiences. The atmosphere couldn’t be faulted- the service attentive and the food excellent. A well hidden secret with modest prices and a variety of vegetables (that aren’t charged as extras). The bruscetta was generous (4 different sorts), the beef and the fish dishes were well presented and tasty. Thanks for a lovely evening- we’ll be back!

I just read the review below and am very surprised at the description of the food. My father and I are Italian and from NYC and this was the best Italian food we had in Auckland. The stuffed gnochi was especially amazing.

I think there is a new chef which might explain my vastly different experience from the previous reviewer.

When we arrived at Gusto,we thought,great ambiance,friendly welcome and real Italian Opera playing in the background,this is going to be a great night out.Unfortunately,as it turned out something very important was missing,decent food! We have
seldom eaten such a bland characterless and flavourless Italian meal.There were three in our party and we shared a cold plater to start with three separate meals ,a sea food rice risotto and two of us had the tortellini.The experience was so disappointing that we simply finished the mains and left with out even bothering with dessert or coffee.
As the food quality and taste was so lacking in personality we had to wonder if in fact they employ a professional chef or do the serving staff just pop out the back and open a can or two as each order is placed.
A real and expensive disappointment for us. Hard to
see how they can continue to survive in the competitive Ponsonby marketplace.