prego

after dining at prego a few times, we were impressed by their food (mainly pizza and tiramisu). however, our last visit was so awful i don't think we will ever go back there again.

the restaurant was quite busy when we walked in, but there were a few tables free. three or four waitresses walked past us without guiding us to a table; not knowing what to do, we sat down at one of the free tables inside, and we managed to get a waitress to take our order.

we remembered from previous experience that the pizzas took a long time to arrive at the table, so we decided to order a pizza first, before choosing what else we were getting.

i was looking through the menu when a man who looked like the manager walked over to our table and rudely told us to leave, as apparently there was a long waiting list of people who wanted to get a table, and we did not put our name down. this would have been understandable (although it still doesn't justify the rudeness), had it not been for the empty seats we could see around us. it was also very strange that the manager (?) didn't even try to put our name down on the waiting list, and simply walked away, leaving us feeling very embarrassed and awkward, since other diners were trying to see what was happening.

it was clear that they just wanted to kick us out because they thought we weren't ordering enough food. this was a terrible experience, especially since all the good restaurants in ponsonby were fully booked for dinner by this time, and we had to go back to the cbd.

it's such a shame, as gooditalianrestaurants are rare in auckland... we will not be going back since a restaurant that is so obsessed with making money can't be providing you with the best food possible for the price.

i recommend toto, barolo (in the langham) or da vinci if you are looking for anitalianrestaurant for dinner in/near the cbd with good food and great service.

with all the distractions of the new and exciting restaurant openings, i had forgotten about an old favourite. a voucher from zomato was the perfect incentive when a blogger friend came to town. while you can choose to sit indoors, dining in the courtyard under the fairy light spheres on a balmy evening is an idyllic way to catch up with friends. prego’s longevity is not only built on the rusticitalianfood they serve but also on the attentive and friendly (if slightly cheeky) service.

we shared a antipasto misto with a selection of caprese insalata, salmon lasagne, duck liver parfait, olives, crumbed artichokes, cotechino sausage, truffle & white bean dip and flatbreads. each morsel was a delight and it was the perfect way to segue into the main meal.

for the mains, we shared a risotto ai gamberi (with prawns), a snapper with mediterranean vegetables and a side dish of polenta. the risotto was creamy and light. the snapper was perfectly cooked and well flavoured by the herbs, but my favourite was the polenta. crispy on the outside, so buttery, cheesy and light on the inside. the texture was superb.

for dessert, we managed the crème brulee, a nice sweet end to the meal. for the 3 of us, with non-alcoholic drinks, the total came to ~$150 which was excellent value.

all too often when you orderitalianin nz you get a balls up that is often no where near what you would get in italy. not at prego in ponsonby. i was a late night diner and ordered fettuccine alfredo.
have to say it was the best i had eaten outside italy. the pasta was obviously fresh and al dente. the chicken was fresh and beautifully cooked. mushrooms tasted as if they had come straight from the field and the creamy sauce was other worldly. absolutely excellent meal. highly recommended

i never thought too much ofitalianfood, i always believed it to be rustic home cooking, but prego definitely shows you how greatitaliancuisine can really be. i highly recommend all their pasta dishes which are full of deep and rich flavours.

the decor is modern and slick, and the wait staff are some of the best in auckland.

it's definitely more on the expensive side, and unfortunately can be overun by pretentious clientele with unruly children from time to time, but it's definitely a great relaxed lunch option.

nice food and atmosphere, think will come and sit outside in summer. most importantly, really enjoy the service! recommenditalianfoodies to come!

prego has been a ponsonby staple for qualityitalianfor at least 2 decades and never fail to deliver . a friend of ours from overseas decided to catch up here with others last night .

we arrived around 8pm and we believe there’s no prior reservations on the phone or online so we waited at the bar with our drinks before being seated on a table about an hour later . it’s ok because we were busy catching up and not in a big hurry although it’s definitely building our appetite for dinner !

we had the usual steaks , pasta , starters etc.. but was told the lamb could not be cooked well done so one of our guest got the pie instead which was massive ! more drink top ups and deserts / coffees to end the night which was top quality indeed.

they should have a larger area or have a booking system in place but hey it’s prego after all and worth the wait !

there are usually only two reasons i would write a review. one is to say how good a restaurant is and the other is to say how bad it is, hoping to warn others away so that they don't waste their money. welcome to my third category - mediocre.
we were seated in about 10 minutes, the staff at prego are professional and unaffected. we started with garlic bread and garlic aioli and this was quite nice, it helps when you are really hungry! this was lunch so i ordered cacciucco and my partner had market fish, which i think was king fish on a lemony(? ) risotto. i had a side salad of rocket, pear and parmesan. i have to say that this is really basic fare, fish and rice - and broth and seafood. the fish was over cooked in both dishes, but worse, it tasted old. my broth was ... i can't find the words, it had no depth of flavour, nor was it hearty, it wasn't bad, too thin or too salty, it was just too boring. my rocket salad was the high light for me, my partner enjoyed the tiramisu i found it too wet and soggy. my suggestion - get anitalianchef in the kitchen and start trying to impress!

after waiting over 50 minutes for my food to arrive i was finally confronted with a chicken cooked perfectly if you enjoy your chicken to have the same density as a rubber. the sauce to try and cover the bland chicken was too rich, and despite picking one of limited options on the menu which had a meat option not complemented by pork i was surprised to see bacon at the side of my chicken. i believe this goes above and beyond proof that the chef's bland flavours are due to the fact that the only flavour they know is that of pork.

having called a waitress over to discuss why the dish comes with pork, as i do not eat pork i discovered the main reason for this was because i do not speakitalianand the name of the dish meant that it came with pork. i asked her why the description of the dish was english but left out the pork content and she hurried to get the bill.

the food and service was well overpriced and hope i never have to go back to a restaurant lacking in options of food which were not based around a single flavour.

absolute 5/5 lunch, the chicken fettuccini alfredo was perfect - creamy and smooth but not over powering. the refreshing limonata from organic sicilian lemons was like a taste of theitalianseaside in a glass and of course dessert - wow, a very generous slice of sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and ginger ice cream! the attention to customers, friendliness and one staff particularly for a group table made it an all round enjoyable experience as it surely lives up to its name and status! definitely in the topitalianrestaurants of auckland. grazie mille prego!

it’s my first time to eat here and gosh it was amazing! from the pizza to the mains til dessert, everything was yum. my palate was dancing. the dish were full of flavors. talk about authenticitalianfood!

food:(5/5)
we had a wonderful dinner last night in prego and now it’s my top 1italianrestaurant. we ordered the calamari, burrata and fettuccine alfredo. the calamari was divine. the squids was nicely coated in the batter which was so soft. the sauce came really well with the fried squids. please must order the burrata! just dip your bread into that creamy cheese, yum! the fettuccine alfredo was so rich! you can tell the chef put extra butter and cream in it. legit it’s so good.
service:(5/5)
staff were all very attentive and friendly! highly recommended to everyone because prego will never let you down.

haven't been to prego for a couple of years now, but nothing has changed - the quality here is top notch - both food and service. perfect place for an anniversary dinner. the meatballs, fettuccine alfredo and tiramisu was the stand outs of the night! we also has the bianco pizza, seasonal vegetables, and hot chocolates - all yummm. definitely remains our favouriteitalianrestaurant in auckland! one critique - they use anchor milk. i'm a meadow fresh fanboy.... lmao

consistently delicious food here. their pizzas are amazing and the service is impeccable. great tastingitaliancuisine

being an new runner on metro top 50, i was very excited to try out prego.

arriving at the courtyard, i was surrounded by an energetic atmosphere with the option to dine outdoors. contrast to the courtyard, the dark furnishing and worn tables made the interior very dull. if i would revisit the restaurant, i would definitely go for the courtyard seats.

prego only accept walk-ins for small group of dining. so be prepared for a long wait visiting on a weekend. we waited at the bar for 45 minutes before a table was available.

the restaurant offers a range of traditionalitaliandishes. between three of us, we shared some natural oysters, a pizza and two pastas.

despite the initial wait time, the dishes were served reasonably quickly. the oysters were fresh and reasonably sized.

the margherita pizza was delicious. the dough was crusty topped with mozzarella and a tangy tomato sauce.

the spaghetti agioli was light and fresh with a taste of garlic. the noodles however were undercooked and a little hard to bite.

the fettuccine alfredo was rich and creamy, but the noodles were overcooked, tasting a little soft.

overall, the dining experience was average. despite some good flavourings, i was a little disappointed with their pasta. and with food priced at medium high, i would have expected a more daintier interior.

taste: 8/10
presentation: 7.5/10
service: 8.5/10
ambience: 7/10
value for money: 7/10

price $45 per person (excl alcohol)

if you loveitalianfood, this one is a must! beside food is amazing, the service is spectacular and you just feel like in heaven! i loved the experience here, will definitively go back!