gusto at the grand

we came here on valentine's day and has the valentine's day set menu.

since it was our first time here having a setmenuwas a good idea since we had no idea what to order.

the cloudy bay clams and lamb was amazing.
actually all the courses were delicious except the dessert. it was cute but it's taste did not live up to its previous courses.

we definitely will be coming back again though!!

dined here with my partner tonight. love the decor & ambiance of this place it's very intimate & perfect for a date night. the staff are all lovely & from the minute you arrive you are made to feel welcome. our waitress took the time to explain themenuto us & we ordered plates too share. to start we had the garlic pizza which came served in a pizza box which was a cute touch. it was crispy, full of flavour & a perfect way to start a meal. for mains we shared half a fried chicken, steak & duck fat potatoes. all of these dishes were absolutely delicious & we thoroughly enjoyed them all. this place is extremely reasonably priced considering the quality of food served. i will definitely return to try some more of the delicious options on offer

the back story : i first encountered gusto when 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 themenufrom the cheapest item on themenu- 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 and gusto wins 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

awesome place. came here for dinner once and we were really impressed. the food tasted great and the portions were pretty decent. a little disappointed about the potatoes roasted in duck fat, because i had heard great things about it, but overall loved the food. especially the poached peach dessert.

nice ambience (although i saw one table using their phone flashlights to read themenu😅 so i guess it depends on where you sit). the staff were all very kind and friendly. definitely worth it for a fancy evening out.

celebrated my 20th birthday at gusto at 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 themenuwhich 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 recommend gusto at the grand!

“historically italian food is made to be shared. this continues at gusto at the grand”, this is what’s written on the top of themenuat 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 themenuwas a delightful array of vegetarian options- of which we obviously had to sample as many as we possibly could (note that themenumay 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 - gusto at the grand is always a good time, no matter what size your party is. shared-dish style dining with a largemenucaters 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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located at the sky city grand hotel, landed up with a few colleagues here for lunch. setting of a fine dine, vastmenufor 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.

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 themenuand would offer so much help. definitely a good place to go for a fancy type of dinner or even casual.

very, very good, authentic italian. excellent sharingmenuwith unusual combinations that delight. good wine list too. one of the best in auckland.

delicious, modern italian food. the girls day out $49 ppmenuwas excellent value. staff were friendly and helpful, multiple staff waited our tables

favourite items were the octopus carpaccio, barley-broccoli salad and rocket-pear salads that was well seasoned. gnocchi was similar texture to the mozzarella, but i don't have gnocchi often enough to know how it's supposed to be.

shared dessert was an ice cream log coated in caramel popcorn and meringue clouds with yummy chocolate bark that were sweet and balanced off the menu. hummingbird celebration cake was a bit moist but well decorated as a naked cake and a gorgeous looking finish to the lunch.

set lunchmenu@ $45 is a bargain and shared plates was ideal for our group. definitely recommend the bruschetta, beef cheeks and the salted caramel popcorn dessert gets a big thumbs up too. we were in the private dining room so can't comment on the atmosphere in the main restaurant but i would go back and would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for italian.

had a really lovely dinner at gusto tonight, it was my first time at this restaurant and i leave with a desire to return to try the rest of themenu- i wanted to try everything on the menu!! i had the beef cheek, duck fat potatoes and the house bread. the duck fat potatoes were on point with that perfect amount of crunch and the fluffy potato inside, the beef cheek just fell apart and melted in your mouth and the fresh house bread with the olive oil and balsamic served at the table what's not to love! service was fantastic and we were well looked after without overstepping the mark. the restaurant has a modern and elegant style and felt inviting. we started dinner early so was relatively quiet when we arrived but picked up not long after which added to the atmosphere.

flawless evening. service was impeccable, very helpful wait staff. i really liked this place, my first visit and i will definately return. they encourage sharing meals although some diners around us didn't. we had the pizette and meatballs to start. meatballs were divine, pork and veal. we shared the lamb and orgy of mushrooms for main with duck fat potatoes. too many potatoes for 2 people, just a note. we couldn't finish them. i'd heard good things about thier ricotta so was looking forward to the mushrooms with ricotta gnocchi. oh my words.... it was superb, so tasty. no wonder diners weren't sharing it!!! i hope it's amenustaple. so good.