gusto at the grand

i think this is my new favourite go to place for pasta! not only was the ambience great, the food was second to none. we ordered the duck parpadelle, parmesan and potato ravioli and the baked eggplant parmagiana. finished off with the tiramisu. omg mouth watering and could taste the freshness of the pasta. just disappointed i couldn’t stomach more otherwise i would have ordered couple more varieties of pasta.

“historically italian food is made to be shared. this continues at gusto at the grand”, this is what’s written on the top of the menu at gusto at the grand and that’s what we did during one of the lunches we had in there, sharing a plate of many wonderful dishes this amazing place had offered.

with so many amazing italian restaurants throughout auckland, i wouldn’t have expected to find my favorite one tucked away inside the skycity hotel. gusto at the grand is stylish without being pretentious and the staff professional yet personable. on the menu was a delightful array of vegetarian options- of which we obviously had to sample as many as we possibly could (note that the menu may have have changed since i visited)...⁣
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𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐠𝐠𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚- i find something so comforting about a dish of eggplant parmigiana. the eggplant was succulent, the marinara sauce was flavourful and the cheese was abundant. there wasn’t anything fanciful about the dish but i feel the beauty is in its simplicity 8/10 ⁣⁣
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𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬- a signature dish of the restaurant, this delightful medley of mushrooms is served with soft, pillowy morsels of buffalo ricotta gnocchi drizzled in a generous serve of creamy sauce. the dish was rich and delectable, and the variety of mushrooms made every bite interesting. 9/10⁣⁣
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𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐢- this was the real standout dish of the night. with a crust of ravioli but a potato filling, this gnocchi-pasta hybrid was unlike anything i’d tried before. every bite absolutely melted in the mouth. the buttery sauce was packed full of distinct flavours such as garlic, and the generous serve of pecorino cheese on top completed the package. 10/10⁣⁣
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𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢- on to the sweet part of the meal... ever since trying these in italy i can’t resist a good cannelloni. these ones were tasty but nothing outstanding. 7/10⁣⁣
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𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐨- this is the restaurant’s signature dessert, so we thought we had to give it a try. although i wasn’t the biggest fan of the popcorn garnishing, the semifreddo itself was to die for (as was the salted caramel sauce it was drenched in). i love that semifreddo manages to be defy the boundaries of cream and icecream by being half frozen, it creates such a divinely creamy texture and may be one of my new favourite desserts. 9/10⁣⁣
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good food and excellent service. the staff are friendly and welcoming. we did really enjoy the time being here. defintely will come back next time.

my solid go-to for an italian fare - gusto at the grand is always a good time, no matter what size your party is. shared-dish style dining with a large menu caters to all preferences.
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not my usual picks but decided to be adventurous:
• mushroom gnocchi - the most pillowy pasta wrapped buffalo ricotta ever, kinda to the point where it isn’t gnocchi anymore, but loved the flavours and different types of mushrooms on there - that sauce is to die for.
• crab spaghetti (off the menu), suggested by our waiter - pasta was perfectly cooked, all i wish for was more crab!
• venison carpaccio - my usual go to is their octopus carpaccio which is what dreams are made of, so this pales very far in comparison - you’ll want to make the most of that lemon on the side. meat was tender and melts on your tongue, which is a huge thumbs up given it’s venison, but needed a whole lot more flavour.
• duck fat potatoes - these gems of gold are a must have every time, there’s everything to love about them.
• chocolate pudding - someone please take me back and feed this to me, i could eat this over and over again. piping hot with a gooey liquid centre, together with the vanilla bean icecream and tartness of the raspberries on the side you’ve got a spoonful of perfection.
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the standard here never drops, incredible service as always, delicious food, and chilled out vibe - there’s a reason this is always one of my top recommendations. although i will probably stick to my fav clam spaghetti and octopus carpaccio next time!
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i have been to this restaurant in valentine's day. i ordered a scallop risotto with green beans. the scallop is fresh and yummy. the risotto is well cooked and tasted very rich and smooth i enjoy it very much. the waiters there are very helpful.

we had the breakfast buffet here (around $32 pp) while we stayed at the grand hotel and i must say the food is of high quality. the salmon wings and cured salmon with your choice of olives/capers and other mediterranean salads along with some cheese, honeycomb and sweet pastries. there are also hot breakfast staples such as ham/bacon/eggs (either sunny side up or scrambled), and also a selection of muesli/cereal/yogurt/fruit. the buffet also includes either a complementary black coffee or tea which can be refilled. the place is beautifully decorated, it may seem small but there are also more tables inside the room for a more private seating.

went to grab coffee and food this morning with my workmates, the customer service was really shit by this one guy at the counter. and it was just not me who experienced a bad service but my workmates did too. he was really rude to everyone. i don't think he should be front facing the customers with that attitude.

came here for a birthday lunch. to start off we ordered the limoncello fever cocktail and cucumber mint lemonade mocktail. didn't enjoy the cocktail as it was too strong, the mocktail however was refreshing.
they recommend sharing 2-4 plates between 2 people of sharing entrees and mains as their portion sizes are quite generous. we however ordered a main each.
we ordered the pork belly which was very delicious the crackling especially was the highlight. also ordered the lamb cutlets which was tasty but could have been more on the plate for the price paid.
the decor and service was great. on request they bought a complementary muffin cake with a candle to end our birthday lunch.

arrived at 5.45pm for dinner last night only to be told the minute we sat down they had double booked and we had to be gone by 7.30pm....totally embarrassing for us and not a good start to our first time at this establishment.
the food was lovely particularly the beef cheeks, calamari was a little strange...
all in all....as they say first impressions count, this wasn’t a great one.

packed for a tuesday night but what a wonderful venue. potatoes were very nice as was the bread and balsmic. opted for riccotta and spinich canneloni which was massive! pork and veal meatballs also superb. most definately making my way back here

always visit gusto when we stay at skycity. mushroom/gnocchi is the best you will ever get.
recommended to all who appreciate quality food.
look forward to the next visit.

located at the sky city grand hotel, landed up with a few colleagues here for lunch. setting of a fine dine, vast menu for food and drinks specially wine. lovely italian food. depending on what you order, accordingly it is served as cooking time is a bit longer here. that results to a fine dish served.

i feel like i need to give this a 5 star because it's really fancy?? but also they did a fantastic job splitting the bill like 10 ways so that was the most impressive part. restaurant is nice, it's the dim kind of setting which is good for a romantic set up.
plenty of vegeterian options and food was absolutely delicious. if you go on your bday they give you free dessert ( another reason why you got a 5 ). staff are professional and seem pleasant. overall a good dining experience

the meals are to die for. sampled a few meals(vegeterian) and everything from the presentation, taste and smell was magnificent. the service was really good. had a waitress who really gave 100% service and really new the menu and would offer so much help. definitely a good place to go for a fancy type of dinner or even casual.