gusto at the grand

loved this place, came in as casuals and we were really looked after like we were guests. went for breakfast and had the cooked and continental. there was plenty of variety - something for everyone! will go back again.

almost couldn't find the place since it was hidden behind the reception on the grand hotel.

the service here is exceptional. the wait staff were fairly attentive and helpful. as they recommended sharing we just ordered seven meals and a side between five of us, followed by three desserts.

all the dishes were really delicious but the outstanding ones were the duck pappardelle and the snapper. the tuna crudo was quite disappointing as it was just tuna sashimi. the chocolate pudding came out on top for dessert.

we parked in sky city as we were able to validate the parking here.

first time here celebrating a special occasion. the service was good but not special. the wine list was very good if your drinking by the bottle - found it difficult to pair three courses with wines and the waitress didn't have any recommendations.
ordered the squid - tasteless, bland - had to bathe it in salt. the pea and mint bruschetta was the same.
the beef cheek was great - really tasty and incredibly soft but it went cold very quickly.
the crumbed lamb was like something on the menu at denny's though it was cooked to perfection it tasted greasy and fatty and again cold - not sure if they have a heat warmer but could be a great investment.
we also had a side of greens - they saved the day, tasty, well cooked, fresh - but then if a side saves the day it's not been a great night.
service worth returning for but iv had better food on k-road.

highly recommended for all occasions! food is delicious and the service compliments it. staffs are always friendly and professional. must go if you are near cbd

chose gusto with my partner on our last night in auckland before flying home to aus so was really looking forward to a pleasant evening to round off our busy conference week. sadly we were disappointed by the service and manner of our waitress (other waitstaff and maitre de were lovely) and were left unsatisfied by our meal. we would probably have been ok with the food had our waitress not been so rude, abrupt and judgmental. she recommended that we remove a dish from our order as it would be too much food without actually describing the sizes of the dishes and saying it in such a way we didn't actually have a choice. as it was, we would have easily fit the vegetable dish that was removed.

the entrée of veal meatballs and garlic pizzetta was alright, the meatballs were lacking a necessary zing to round off the mild flavoured meat, and the pizzetta was crunchy and fluffy with whole roasted cloves of garlic, quite nice.

the tuscan fried chicken was also lacking a bit of flavour and had been portioned in such a way that it was hard to discern meat from bone without removing the coating. it came with an aioli that also went well with the potatoes so we were using that once we had finished the chicken however our waitress thought it was acceptable to march over and take the serving plate holding the sauce dish without so much as asking if we were done so we had to scramble to get her to put it back down and were met with a sarcastic 'oh you're not done'. not cool.
we also shared the brisket with salsa verde (i think). we weren't expecting the brisket to be served as it was, a thick slice rather than an actual chunk to carve ourselves. also needed a bit more zing that the lemon wedge provided couldn't quite achieve. our lonely side of duck fat potatoes were a tad floury, i was expecting something akin to a hot chip inside with velvety hot potato. perhaps this is what they're meant to be like or new zealand potatoes don't behave like australian one, don't know.

for the price and supposed caliber of this establishment, i would expect much more respectful and well mannered waitstaff, with ours being the driving force to our unimpressed exit.

get your staff in order guys.

buona sera! can't go wrong with the calamari (yum yum!)in an italian🇮🇹 restaurant! the mushroom with ricotta gnocchi was super! we didn't expect too much from this 🍄 dish, but it surprised us in flavour and quality;)

we came here for dinner and wow... i'm not a huge fan of italian as it can be abit rich/creamy for me but i will come back here! the crab meat pasta special was delicious.... the pork ravioli yummy... the xl king prawns omg-yum! and finally duck fat roast potatoes done how they should be.... to finish 2 really nice desserts.. service was excellent.

decided to come here for lunch one day and i'm glad i did! our waitress was super helpful and always checked up on us to see if everything was okay. definitely recommend the clam pasta it was so good!!!

visited gusto for second time after having christmas diner there. it was the most pleasant and enjoyable evening. from the moment we arrived the service was exceptional, the food just surpassed our expectations with the 4 platters we shared. each platter was beautifully prepared and delicious. while i am not a desert eater normally, i could not resist and the desert selection and the tastes were to die for. if one is looking for fine dining and somewhere very special to go this is the place and we will be back.

was expecting incredible things from gusto after all the great reviews i've heard about it but after having dinner here last night, my husband and i left feeling a little disappointed. perhaps our expectations shouldn't have been so high but we were not as impressed as we had expected to be. we ordered a calamari starter, the famous duck pasta and a king crab risotto. the calamari was a huge disappointment, for $24 it was way overpriced for what it was. the calamari was not crispy and lacked the crunch. i had had way nicer calamari the night before at a more casual restaurant. the duck pasta came out next and we were both confused by it. we agreed that it lacked salt and flavour. the king crab risotto was much too creamy and rich that it felt sickening after a while. all of that plus a drink cost over $100 which in our opinion was not worth it as we have had much more amazing food at that price or less. service was alright. overall gusto was no doubt still a good restaurant but we were just expecting better and we wouldn't sing about it.

gusto at the grand is within the skycity grand hotel & somewhat tucked away - this can make it harder to find, but also means it's a little more peaceful in its environment.
i had been here for drinks & nibbles several times, but this was our first visit for dinner. we started with a drink in the bar before meeting friends - it's a great spot with comfortable chairs & lots of areas to choose from. it's a nice open space. the wine & beer list is good with a small amount of wine by the glass, but some great italian options amongst others. i chose the prosecco & the sangiovese. both were delicious.
we were shown through to our table & service by our waitress was good. quiet, but friendly. the menu is good with most options covered.
we ordered the beef cheek which was well cooked & melt in the mouth. it was quite a large portion - the sides of asparagus & duck fat potatoes helped to cut through the richness. if you aren't sharing a dish like this amongst many, definitely chose sides as the gremolata is non-existent (i.e. would be great to have this more prominent to bring freshness to the dish)
friends ordered the small chicken which was cooked well - lemon on the side gave a nice freshness when squeezed over. they also ordered a side of the potatoes but found these dry as their chicken had no gravy or sauce to accompany them. with the beef cheek i of course had gravy so this worked well with the potatoes.
another friend had the vegetarian rag pasta which she enjoyed. she had a side of polenta which was very creamy & cheesy. she had originally intended to order the mushroom risotto as had heard good things about it but it was not currently on the menu.
for dessert we tried the nutella donuts - these were okay, but nothing unique. the salted caramel popcorn semifreddo was okay, but my friend commented that the fed does a much better version of this dessert. i had the chocolate pudding which was nice but very rich even with the ice cream. it was freshly cooked which is a nice touch though.
overall service was good although we did have to request water top ups several times.
dining out very regularly with friends, we always ask if we can pay separately or in one bill (we don't really care as internet banking makes it easy to transfer but it's easier to split if you can). anyway i asked "can we split the bill or do you prefer one bill" - the response was a bit of a shock, like i'd made her life difficult even though i'd only asked what they preferred. my friends were quite surprised too with the unnecessary response. anyway i immediately said i was happy to pay one bill & we were on our way.
so not a bad visit with many highlights. i wouldn't say it would be my first choice again but i'm happy i tried it.

been here a few times and always loved it. today was lunch with a friend. amazing service, attentive but not annoying. we had pasta from the $19 jan special. my friend had a mussel pasta which had the fatest, juiciest, plump mussels i've ever seen. mine was a vegetarian pene which was so flavoursim i didn't even miss meat. anyone who has been to gusto knows the make the silkiest, freshest pasta and if you haven't been then you should. we got sides of the pizzetta which is thin and crispy yet still fluffy and covered in tasty rosemary and comes in a cute little pizza box. the rocket salad with parmesan and pear is simple but so delish i could eat the whole bowl. all reasonable serving sizes. are happy to let you split the bill and also validate sky city parking. it's a win all round 🍝✔

overview: fine dining at an italian restaurant unlike any other. what can be expected though is the cooking expertise essential to a restaurant of such calibre.

pros: from the starters to the mains, from pasta to seafood and steak, everything tasted superb. in addition, the customer service was great and helpful, and the atmosphere and layout of the restaurant was sublime.

cons: there's really nothing to put here. perhaps except for the fact that this restaurant would not be an appropriate option for those on a budget, but that's hardly a "con" if one takes into account the quality provided here.

expensive, slow the food was no where near where it should have been for the price and totally disappointed not a great place for the experience we expected

second visit tonight. it's a birthday dinner. so disappointed! arrived, seated, got water and that's it. the restaurant was empty but no one served us in the next 15mins, not even offered drinks. finally ordered food. however our waitress collected our menu and then trying to walk away without asking if we need any drinks. excuse me, gusto? give some training to your staff. i'm in hospo almost 10 years. first drinks served in 10mins! anyway, i still ordered some drinks by asking our waitress 'can i order some drinks with you?'. service is not even up to standard. made our booking online and got a call this morning to confirm our booking and mentioned they will make a birthday plate for us. unfortunately, nothing came up to us even though we ordered two dessert. so disappointed, won't go back again!