cotto

the wife picked the venue for her birthday dinner, as they have just won best new restaurant on metro.

we got there at 7 pm, and was put onto a wait list with a 45 minute approximate wait.

we weren't informed that there was a balcony waiting area that we could order drinks at, so we were waiting outside the restaurant for 20 minutes in the cold until i was informed by the manager that there was a waiting area/bar that was warmer.

got seated at 8:15 pm, which wasn't too long but with better communication the wait could've been a more positive one.

the food was great, but somewhat short of exceptional. the chickpea chips were a good start, the beef cheek rotolo was underseasoned but still quite delicious, and the duck ravioli was beautifully cooked, paired with a to-die-for jerusalem artichoke puree. i have to say, the lamb ribs were stellar!! melt in your mouth goodness, paired with a tangy balsamic sauce that cuts through the fattiness of the ribs.

however, the plates keep getting taken away a tad too quickly, and with pasta dishes, we didn't have time to even soak up the sauces, which was a bit of a let down.

the burnt orange pannacotta and the chocolate nemesis was a great way to end the night.

overall, cotto's food is the main star of the event, but the service could be improved with better communication. however,cottois destined to be one the best eateries on k road, and i am already looking forward to my next dining experience there.

she’s back, she’s hungry and ready to explore what auckland has to offer!cottois a 10/10 for service, atmosphere, food absolutely amazing! i can’t honestly fault anything...

just the thought ofcottomakes me so happy. this place is a reason why i love k rd so much (well actually, there’s just too many amazing places on this st 😩😍). i was slightly disappointed with the strong smell from their pork belly dish, but it may be my own bias..? so other than that, i’d actually get anything from their menu (& this is rare coming from me - ie a huge complimentcottofam). much love for cotto, arguably one of the best italian restaurants with hand-made pasta and beautifully tasty dishes. (ps it’s just me arguing with myself lmaoo - just my opinion 🤗😛, but either way y’all should give this place a try) ✌️

i came tocottoon a monday evening with my friends, arriving around 5:45 pm. the menu was set out nicely to show what dishes you can get for certain prices. three of us, including me got the rabbit risotto, two of my friends got the lamb ribs and my other friend got the maltagliati lamb shoulder ragu.

the service was alright but the food came out relatively slow. we were informed that food comes out as they are ready so two of my friends got the lamb ribs first and then us four got our bigger mains later on. the lamb ribs were plated weirdly because instead of putting it in two plates (as we ordered two lamb ribs), they combined it into one plate.

when the larger mains arrived, i was really excited to dig into my dish. the first bite was great but then it started to taste not as exciting. i think my expectation for the rabbit risotto was too high. the rabbit was tender but i expected the meat to be mixed into the risotto to add more meaty flavour to the rice. the risotto itself was too minty in my opinion, to the point where it was so overpowering. the menu stated they put lemon in the dish but i couldn't even taste the citrusy flavour, all i could taste was the mint leaves. if you really like mint, you would love this dish but it's just not for me. my friend however really enjoyed her lamb ragu pasta and highly recommends it!

i think i would be back tocottobut only to try other dishes.

terrible seating service: half of my group arrived atcottoand there were plenty of unbooked tables. we requested a table for 4 people saying the other half of our group were a few mins away. the greeter was rude and asked us whether our “few mins” meant over 30mins implying we were lying and said the restaurant gets full very quickly so we should wait at the bar and call the other half of our group who arrived within 2mins so making us wait at the bar instead of a free table was pointless. unsure if he was being racist but we definitely didn’t feel welcome and it affected our experience.

food: average. fries had a smokey taste which was overbearing; gnocci kumara was very creamy but you may like it depending on taste. the salted caramel in the chocolate nemesis was barely there but the tiramisu was delicious except for the biscotti that came with it.

after long anticipation, me and my mate finally manage to find time to check out this restaurant. we arrrived at 6pm without booking, and was pleased to find a seat without any waiting.
now about the foods. as many before has pointed out, the lamb rib are indeed phenomenal, the only id wish for is more honey balsamic. we tried the beef shin maltagliati and gnocchi. the maltagliati were cooked to perfection. the gnocchi were great, rich and creamy, definitely a great choice for vegetarian. the deserts were good but a bit overpriced. and the fact that they charge sparkling waters for $10 is less than ideal.
overall,cottois still a great place for italian lovers, with delicious foods that doesn't break the wallet. would recommend.

i triedcottofor the first time last week.

i know, i know, i am super late on the bandwagon, but i finally made it… and i am so glad i did! it was everything i imagined and more.

cotto originally opened as a handmade-pasta pop up, but two years later they still occupy the same spot. why, you may ask? well, the team behindcottoserve incredible italian-inspired food. and some of the most flavourful dishes i have tried in auckland. and the best part? ordering 10 plus dishes between four will only cost you around $45, including a cocktail/beer/wine. such a steal!

went to dinner on friday andcottowas pumping.  service was a little slow starting off but got going fast, everyone was very friendly and helpful as we were ordering share plates for a large group.  the food was very good, standouts for me were the panzanella with white anchovies, the spinach balls, the lamb ribs and the asparagus canneloni, but it was all good.  i enjoyed the italian red wine and finished off with the small but deliciously rich chocolate nemesis.  great value too, was very reasonable for the amount of food and wine we had, if i could give it 4.5 stars i would, highly enjoyable

i came here on a wednesday evening with my friend and the place was packed, we managed to get a table though. if you are looking for a quiet place, thencottois not for you. the service is fantastic and super attentive. however, the food was really a let down and we were both disappointed. everything was far too salty and underwhelming. unfortunately, we won't be rushing back. overall, a really cool place with great service, but the food needs some attention.

as a big italian lover, i’ve tried most of the establishments in auckland. i loved the sounds of amano, baduzzi and of course one of my favourite restaurants, prego. however, i was absolutely spoiled by the amazing food last night when we went tocottofor a work celebratory dinner!cottohas been an up and coming restaurant that have lingered in people’s tongues for a while but i haven’t made the time to visit it. because you can’t go wrong with italian, we opted for the $45 group set menu and decided to try a little bit of everything thatcottohas to offer!

i stumbled ontocottoand was looking forward to trying it out. they don’t take phone bookings and it is certainly popular, so we were squeezed in and offered an hour time limit.

beautifully presented dishes that i was unfortunately rather disappointed with and won't be rushing back for. the chickpea sticks, although an extremely generous portion, were not as cheesy as i expected and really salty.. the lamb ribs were crispy but the meat lacked any sort of seasoning. and the most disappointing dish of the evening was the rotolo beef cheek with porcini béchamel - barely any meat, too many layers of spinach and just very little flavor overall. i was looking so forward to a punch of porcini and it just didn't deliver.

my favourite dishes were the goats cheese and sage dumplings and the panna cotta and rhubarb dessert - worth a try. i do hope we just happened to catch them on a bad night!

heard a lot about this place and had to try it out. packed to the rafters last night, we waited 90mins for a table. happily popped into shanghai lils for a tipple while we waited! the host incottowas great, very friendly and accommodating. food was good, although some dishes were very acidic and others just lacked that zesty lemony kick! beets were roasted beautifully but a tad too sour! dumplings were somewhat bland, needed more goats cheese and more acidity.. some acidity! we were told the sprouts were sold out but magically arrived (after we changed our order & ordered the pork!). i loved the idea but a bit flavourless to be fair. pork belly okay.. crackling a little chewy! duck ravioli were so so.. good pasta but for $20 the duck was hard to find! gnocchi and gorgonzola was more-ish and delightful! burnt orange panna cotta was panna cotta like but needed slightly more gelatin to hold its shape yet keeping that wobble. the burnt orange flavour was very prominent, a little too prominent for me! flavours almost there and will be back! although service was minimal and hospitality was non existent! i ended up having to walk to the counter to find a waiter texting and ordered my dessert from there. come on guys, so much potential!!!

after hearing 2 friends rave about this place and reading the stellar review in viva i knew i had to try this place.cottodoesn't take bookings for smaller groups but showing up before 6 on a friday night is fine if you're after a table for two. the menu is different from the one on zomato at the moment as it's been updated for autumn.

for starters we ordered the foccacia and farinata. i saw a video of the foccacia being made on cotto's instagram so i was really excited to try it but as someone who really doesn't enjoy liquorice type flavors i really didn't like the star anise flavour in the bread. the farinata on the other hand was a pleasant cheesy surprise. it's pretty much like when you accidentally get some cheese on the sandwich press when you're making a toastie, crispy and delicious. the beetroot starter was surprisingly sour, not super sweet like beetroot can be and went well with the crunchy dollops of hummus it came with.

the winner dish of the evening for me had to be the lamb ribs small dish - beautifully seared with a crunchy oily side but still tender and with lots of lovely fat that makes lamb so tasty. from the big dish menu we got the beef cheek pasta. the flavours in this dish is bit more subtle compared to the other ones so i think i would've enjoyed one of the other mains more. for dessert we had the chocolate truffle cake with salted caramel. rich and decadent, its definitely one for sharing after a heavy meaty carby meal. service was pleasant enough although a bit disjointed.

food: 5/5
service: 3/5
instagrammability: 5/5
value for money: 5/5

from pop up to new home on k road –cottois serving up delicate but comforting pasta dishes. following suit to the unique hipster eateries along krdcottois no different – not to say that isn’t a bad thing. it has a great indoor open vibe with the added options to chill on a couch or enjoy the outdoor bar for a meal or a drink.