gusto at the grand

i have to admit that i was atgustoquite some time ago, closer to the beginning of the year. thoroughly enjoyed the meal though. they had a 2 course lunch special at that time, so i went with my friend. between us we had the gnocchi and crudo for entree and for the main, we had tuna pasta and wood-fire chicken. all the dishes were good, the gnocchi and the chicken were sublime. i'll be going back here.

we dined here on friday night, arriving at 7.30pm. there seemed to be a little confusion over our booking but we were shown to a table quickly and seated. on this point i would have to say they are certainly ensuring the person per square metre ratio is high... we were in very close proximity to our dining neighbours as is oft the way, unfortunately.

we ordered the pea, mint and ricotta bruschetta to share and it was a revelation - an explosion of flavour, to die for. worth going for that alone! this was followed by the spinach ricotta gnudi with fresh tomato and basil sauce for me, and the papardelle with wild boar ragu for my husband. he pronounced it delicious and proceeded to devour every last bit. my gnudi was delightful - full of bursting flavours and fresh, clean taste - not at all heavy, it was perfectly executed and i would have it again in a moment.

the fit out is stylish, and reminds me of our recent trip to melbourne where everything oozes chic and sophistication, however unlike our dining experiences across the ditchgustoseems to have got it just a bit wrong in terms of ambience, with music too loud, too upbeat, and just a bit too 20 something. that combined with the tightly squeezed tables disappointed me, but the food is most definitely very, very good. a little more engagement from the waiter would have been nice too, he was perfectly good at the technical aspect of his role, but could have been a touch more friendly. all in all, a great addition to our dining scene.

gusto (pronounced guh-stoh, definitely not goose-toh) at the grand is sean connolly’s latest restaurant in the skycity complex (after the superb the grill).gustois marketed as a cucina (italian for kitchen) and bar, and is the renowned chef’s take on a rustic italian restaurant. they have a pasta station where if you’re lucky you can see the deft chefs at work, and there is a parmagiano-reggiano wheel taking centre stage where delicious morsels are cut from. bl and i took my mum here as we wanted somewhere where we could talk (tick), great service (tick), nice ambience (tick), and above average food (sort-of tick).

we started with the pork veal meatballs which was served with tomato sauce and pecorino ($12). while this was tasty, we have been spoilt by some very excellent meatballs at other establishments, and found the sauce not savoury enough and the meatball slightly rubbery. the fried calamari ($21) was tender, but on the oily side and the garlic aioli was bland and unmemorable.

the next two dishes were excellent though. the linguini fruits of the sea ($29) was beautiful; perfectly al dente fresh pasta, and perfectly cooked and seasoned fresh seafood. and the hapuka tail saltimbocca ($42) lived up to the hype. the sage, capers and prosciutto lifted the taste of the succulent hapuka. this is a huge dish, which the three of us struggled to get through.

disappointedly, the chocolate fondant was undercooked and cold in the centre. as with an establishment of this calibre, once we told the staff, the apologies was swift and genuine, and the price was taken off the final total.

i loved the surroundings, décor and service. so many places are too cramped with poor acoustics, it was great to go somewhere and be able to have a conversation. the food was good, but could have been better.

the back story : i first encounteredgustowhen visiting skycity grand hotel. mesmerised by its grand decor, the chandeliers outside and the spacious open plan restaurant setting, i was tempted to try this. located in the old premises of dine by peter gordon, it has retained its classy decor and grand interior, and with the name sean connolly attached to the food - i made it my next place to visit for a dinner out.

setting: walking through the revolving doors of skycity grand, i am taken into a world of luxury with chandeliers from the ceiling, floral art on the walls then at the end, a bright sign proudly announcing gusto. i was tempted. past the white pillars with green ivy vine lay the spacious interior of gusto. we are promptly taken to a table along the wall with brown leather looking seats. our wait staff enthusiastically introduced the menu.

food: tapas style dishes litter the menu from the cheapest item on the menu - the house bread- to more substantial items of meatballs, eggplant and calamari. fresh handmade pasta dishes are the signature dishes here though other scrumptious sounding options of baby chicken , beef brisket and lamb cutlets are on offer. we end up ordering the calamari and pork and veal meatballs with a garlic pizetta on the side. the meatballs did not disappoint - juicy and flavoursome in a tomato sauce with cheese. the calamari was crispy though slightly on the salty side. the pizetta was presented in a cute little pizza box though the serving size was probably a bit small for price especially considering how much bread we got for the house bread - which was definitely value for money. all in all the entrees were great. next were the mains - baby chicken, king prawns, slow cooked beef brisket and the duck ragu pappardelle. unfortunately these were less convincing. although the beef brisket was very tender - melting in the mouth - as was the baby chicken - both lacked the spark in flavour to bring it up a notch. there also seemed to be a preponderance of parsley in the dishes - either in the form of gremolata or as garnish - parsley was a noticeable part of all the dishes! the winning main this time was the pappardelle and judging from other reviews, it would have been safer to stick to the pasta dishes. the chicken was pink towards the bones; and whilst we were reassured it was perfectly safe - i didn't want to risk it. this was handled very well though andgustowins points in that regard in handling feedback. the chicken was swiftly replaced by another dish of our choosing after checking with the chef. and although the mains were not as exceptional as the entrees - we did end up with a happy ending with delicious desserts. my pick here is definitely the nutella bomboli - warm crunchy sugar coated donuts filled with nutella oozing out from the centre. i couldn't help but have more - and for $10 it's a steal. definitely could come back just for the bomboli!

occasion : for a fine dining night out where atmosphere and service is high on the want list or for a group wanting the opportunity to share dishes. a bit of a mixed review on the food but there were definitely signature dishes that were done well. would have scored a 4 at least otherwise.

revisit potential : 8/10

celebrated my 20th birthday atgustoat the grand after checking out their appealing menu. the restaurant was very fancy and the interior was beautiful so it’s definitely a good place to celebrate special occasions. the service was excellent, our waiter was attentive, gave us great service and suggested to explain the menu which we declined as it was pretty straight forward.

as a starter, the 4 of us got an order of garlic and rosemary pizzetta ($9) and house made ricotta with honey and pine nuts ($15). i highly recommend you get these two starters as the sweet ricotta blended really well with the garlic flavour from the bread. the only downside is the way the pizzetta is served in a cardboard box. as a main, my dad and i got the duck and pea ragu pappardelle ($34). it was slightly salty according to him but i found it perfectly seasoned as the peas added some sweetness to combat the saltiness. the pasta was cooked to perfectly al dente and i enjoyed every bite of my meal. my mum got the crab risotto ($35) and i tried a bit of it. the crab flavour was definitely there and again, the rice was not overcooked but al dente. my brother got the clams spaghetti ($37) which i didn’t get to try but he said it was far too salty for him.

lastly, i was really happy to get a special gift from the restaurant as i indicated on the booking that it was my birthday. it was a sponge cake that was a bit sour and it was really delicious!

highly recommendgustoat the grand!

look, i really did not wan't to have to do this. because i love gusto, 2 years ago. i had enjoyed what could have been one of the best pastas of my life, the clam spaghetti, it's an all time favourite. and the one i had here was 10/10 the best, before that i had the pea and parmersan bruscetta. i went here last night and ordered the clam spaghetti and it was a disaster, the clams themselves had seen better days, the pasta in and of itself was hardly acceptable, the sauce tastes like a cheap extra virgin you'd buy at the supermarket. the whole dish upset me greatly. the duck parpadelle was weird, why put peas in it? makes no sense. the meatball, well it was okay, but last time i had it, it was way better. the risotto was a bit clumpy, not loose enough, and the rice was a little bit done. however the only saving grace was the panacotta. the fried squid actually was good, i'd give it 8/10. would have been a 10 but there was a mountain of table salt on it. so all in all rather upset. next time me and my friends will be going to depot. sorrygustothat was just not up to our standards. if your going to cook trash like that. take the picture of antonio carluccio down. and hide it in the closet. you can;t have that picture there and serve that nonsense.

we came here for a birthday party and shared dishes. we ordered the pappardelle duck (yum), risotto (yum), fried potatoes (no flavour), fried chicken (no flavour), garlic bread, and assorted desserts chocolate pudding (yum), nutella bombino (yum), gelato.


customer service is excellent. the food is quite pricey and tasted good. portions were average. all the dishes ordered i would recommend, except the potatoes and fried chicken as it was rather bland. it is good they make everything fresh to eat, didn’t mind the 40min waiting time - we just chatted away. we arrived about 6:30 and by the time dinner and dessert was finished it was just over 9pm! overall loved thegustothe grand experience. ❤️

“historically italian food is made to be shared. this continues atgustoat the grand”, this is what’s written on the top of the menu atgustoat 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.gustoat 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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my solid go-to for an italian fare -gustoat 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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always visitgustowhen 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.

another quiet coffee spot that i favour for when i’m meeting clients around sky city or just after a place where i can get sit down have a nice coffee/tea and just focus on my work at hand. there’s a nice elegance togustothat other cafes lack in terms of décor and ambience. they have some serious comfy seating here and the dim lights contrasting with light emitting from the bar, you just feel at ease at ben gustos. i’ve usually had coffee or tea here and on all my occasions the service had been superb, so great job sky city. 

showstopper: a nice quiet location for you to enjoy a hot beverage while letting the pace of auckland clock right past you.

overall grade: b+

had a meal here (for work) on friday night. started with the fried calamari and pork and veal meatballs (not pictured). both dishes were beautifully cooked, not overdone and had great flavour, the calamari was perfect, sauce accompanying the meatballs was well seasoned yet didn't over power the flavour in the meat.

for the mains we had clam spaghetti and the king prawns. the prawns are ridiculously big, and wrapped in a beautiful, very salty prosciutto. the clam spaghetti was superb, and the 'poor man's parmesan' a great accompaniment adding a nice textural crunch to the dish.

our waitress(sara/zara) was fantastic, attentive without being in your face. her assistance with the wine was great as well. i like the vibe of gusto, and even though the tables feel close together, never did i hear too much of anyone else's conversations.

that was my 3rd time atgustoand i would highly recommend.

i moved from melbourne, australia and have grown up with italian family friends hosting fresh pasta nights with home made desserts to follow. i have also found local spots in my hometown and when transitioning here i knew i had to find me some good italian good. i’ve been to a few places here in auckland and have been left disappointed.gustoon the other hand delivered and i would highly recommend that others looking for amazing italian food, this is the place. the service was a little under standard for my personal liking, but the food made up for that lack. can’t wait to go back again!

it has been some time since visitinggustoand i was looking forward to the tasty italian fare i had come to know and love. how disappointed i was. the first sign should have been an italian restaurant full of indian chefs. there is a whole other story here about the need for immigration in our restaurants in auckland but surely it is not much to ask for italian chefs in an italian restaurant. consequently the food was bland, actually beyond bland. ...i have no idea how you can take prime fresh ingredients and serve up a tasteless dish but they managed it. rarely do i add salt and pepper to my food but by golly i needed to this time just to give it some taste. will not be returning in a hurry.