17th October 2018
Excellent, good quality, tasteful food
Beautiful and classy ambiance
Loved the puttanesca
Good value for money to be honest
Will be back
The octopus made me want to grow 8 mouths so I could eat more of it simultaneously. Amazing staple Italian dishes done beautifully. Also superb setting. A bit $$$ tho so I'd only come for special occasions. Awesome service too.
Gorgeous Italian food. The gnocchi is TO-DIE-FOR! Great service in a romantic setting. I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu, as it all sounds fabulous.
Amazing place to have lunch. Food was great and service was fast. Love everything, especially the meat tartare. Pork belly and beef cheeks for mains were both cooked tenderly. For dessert, the popcorn and nutella bombillini. The latter was a bit too many but hey who's complaining? 🤭
Gusto at the Grand provided a combination of fine dining and authenticity. Every dish ordered managed to impress me in terms of flavour and presentation. My favourite dish of the night (which was quite a difficult decision) was the salted caramel popcorn semifreddo.
Tucked inside the back of the Sky City Grand, away for the hustle & bustles. Great atmosphere, especially up at the bar or the chef’s table right in front of the kitchen. The buffalo ricotta gnocchi was divine, pillowy and extremely light. The orgy of mushroom was great too, but a few more different varieties would’ve been even better. This is definitely not your average family Italian fare, but great for a special night out.
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 the Gusto the Grand experience. ❤️
Dora The Food Explorer
+5
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.
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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)...
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
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
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
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
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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Make it a 4.5 as almost perfect. The only negative was having to wait for someone to take my order for a glass of wine despite them knowing I would order one. Other than that, the service was exemplary and friendly.
I was there for a business lunch so we only had mains. A limited selection (unless you want to share!) of mains and I'm not sure why on Zomato it says $90 for 2 as that only covers 2 mains and no sides or drink. Try $170 for 2 !!
My colleague had the snapper and I the venison. Both absolutely superb in presentation and flavours. Portions a little on the small size, but nevertheless adequate and delicious. Quality, not quantity !!! The green beans we shared were thankfully actually cooked and not, as is the current fad, raw ! Nobody wants soggy vegies, but I'm not a rabbit and prefer them cooked and these were perfection; firm and tasty. Duckfat chips (not sure that I can tell the difference of what fat is used!) were also perfectly cooked; crispy and not greasy.
So, if your company expense account or personal wallet runs to the upper end of the price range, then I highly recomment Gusto.
A really lovely place with great food and service. Had my dad’s birthday dinner and ordered a few dishes to share. The octopus carpaccio was amazing and the eggplant parmigiana was divine!
The clam spaghetti was good, but quite salty for my liking (I think thats just a personal preference though). The mushroom risotto was very rich so it was a good idea to share. We ordered a few desserts to share and all were lovely. The staff were friendly and very attentive to our needs.
This would have been a 5/5 if it weren’t for the manager. She came to our table with the portable eftpos machine at the end and while she was friendly, it was clear from her tone and speech that she wanted us to pay on the spot and leave.
We would’ve left soon anyway and she really should’ve told us earlier if the table was going to be used after us.
Perhaps she needs a bit more training instead of her staff?
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.
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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 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.
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.
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.
Beautiful Italian restaurant with handmade pasta. We tried the restaurant month deal and loooved their pizzetta with sweet ricotta and honey! The pappardelle with bolognese was also quite tasty. The meal was filling and the vibes are great for either a business lunch/dinner or friend's gathering. :)
Excellent authentic Italian restaurant at Sky City Grand
Classy presentation
Top quality staff as expected
The food is quite delightful
Not your usual pizza and pasta
If you like quality Italian cuisine this is the place for you
Worthy addition to the Federal St Precinct
We came here for the restaurant menu. A small pizette with ricotta and honey for entree. An interesting start but everyone on the table loved it. The flavours were perfect.
The pasta was also surprisingly good. A wide sheet pasta and a bolognese sauce.
We managed to finish all the food and one drink each.
Definitely a bargain for $25. Wine is included too but you can swap it out for a non alcoholic drink.
Very, very good, authentic Italian. Excellent sharing menu with unusual combinations that delight. Good wine list too. One of the best in Auckland.
The food was excellent, we started with the mussels, and moved on to lamb cutlets, snapper and the king prawns, the duck fat roasted potatoes were awesome. The food service was excellent and well timed. Staff are very friendly and helpful. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, and is not over the top. All in all, a good evening out.
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 the menu 😅 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.
Was a lovely place to dine in. We had a longer wait than expected for our main courses however I thought the staff were friendly and the restaurant looked very clean and tidy. This place has a great atmosphere to bring a first date too.
Went to Gusto’s for my birthday dinner. A lovely night. Had housemade ricotta with pine nuts with the pizzetta and perfect salty prosciutto. Main was mushroom gnocchi. The gnocchi were the lightest dumplings I have ever eaten. Our waitress was casual but very informative. Service was perfect. The best Italian in Auckland by far.
Really nice food with very polite and friendly waiters, the waitress who served us was extremely accommodating to us since this was our first time here. They give you hot towels for the prawns because you’ll need to get your hands dirty! The restaurant is dim lighted which makes it rather romantic, but if you want a more lively experience then the counter is a nice spot for you.
My only critique would be that they’re a little disorganised in terms of bringing you the check. A tall brunette girl was told three times the table we were at and it took 5 minutes to get the proper check. Other than that no complaints :)
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 to Gusto that 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 at Gusto and 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. Gusto on 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!
Was staying in the hotel and find this restaurant very convenient and elegant to dine in. Had lunch here and the staff member was definitely very friendly to assist with our orders. The octopus salad was delicious but everyone’s favourite would be the potatoes baked in duck fat!!
Working our way along Federal St. we had to give this place a go. The ambience is nice, elegant and modern, very fitting of the/matching of the hotel. Service is the usual skycity high standard.
To drink, we had the Limoncello Fever and a Coconut Kiss. To eat, we had the pizzetta, fried calamari, baked eggplant parmigiana, oxtail agnolotti, duck fat roast potatoes, king prawns saltimbocca, zuppa inglese, tiramisu and a cannoli.
It does sound like a lot but being a big eater everything was quite small and pricey to boot. I can appreciate the use of quality ingredients and techniques as everything was very delicious and came out in good time, one after another but yea didn't really see any value for money. So it's a real treat to come here and hence my score just short of perfect otherwise it's top notch.
Slightly different.
Compared to whats on the street this brings a more European feel in food selection. Satisfying and hits the spot. I often come here to dine alone while I wait for my next meeting.
Service: 4/5
Food Quality: 4.5/5
Food Quantity: 4.5/5
Environment: 4/5
Presentation: 4.5/5
Price per person: $30-$50
Can not rate high enough, absolutely stunned, after travelling Italy for 2 months wow wow wow, we were in heaven and that's just on the entree... service fantastic (very patient with us as we took forever drinking our vino over our platter entree)...highly highly recommend took us straight back to the beautiful Italian culture
Bhagyesh Prabhumirashi
+5
I have been here with my colleagues. we have ordered Bruschetta, calamari, duck fat chips, meatball panini and garlic bread for entre, in the main course we have ordered snapper with mussels, pork and veal meatballs, Roquette pear parmesan salad, and pasta with pecorino pistachio and pumpkin. the food was delicious and worth of money. veal meatball was perfectly cooked. fish was perfectly seasoned and nicely cooked. pasta was not overcooked and meet the standards. bruschetta was nicely presented with mint and peas. awesome experience.
Been here a few times and had decent food all visits! Service has been attentive but not to the point of annoying.
The bucatini is absolutely delicious, it’s basically spaghetti but hollow! Roman gnocchi is super creamy. Loved the garlic and rosemary pizetta with the housemade ricotta as an entree - so delicious!
We have also tried the anti pasto platter which we feel is worth the price! Definitely worth a try.
Beautiful interior, great service & delicious food. I loved every single dishes we had tonight. The Gnocchi was outstanding as they have reinvented to next level. Modern & sophisticated Italian food which were not over loaded with carbs. I have to go back to try other dishes.
Delicious, modern Italian food. The Girls Day Out $49 pp menu was 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 lunch menu @ $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.
My favorite Italian restaurant... i perceived it to be the best in Auckland. Sheek and street style italian place.
Warm vibrant and relaxed ambience... love the restaurant decor too. Service is good could be wee bit better. I have been to this place couple of times with friends.
Fancy the elaborate choices of wines especially from Italy. Love the pasta especially the gnocchi and ravioli preparations. And oh the desserts love Zupa Inglese and Tiramisu etc.
A must go dine in place.
Had Mother's Day Lunch - started off with meatballs which were tender and yummy followed by duck pappardelle...and braised cuttlefish. Food very good. The open kitchen was way too noisy compared to others I have experienced. Being in a table close to it didn't help.
Fine dining but one of the very best. We started the evening with cocktails of which they had a wide range of beer, wine, moctails and cocktails. The chillie margarita is absolutely delicious 💛 For mains, I had the lamb rack - well done with duck fat fries and my friends had vegetarian meals and it all tasted fantastic. Well prepared with lots of flavor. Would visit again. 🌟
Let's start with the squid ink risotto. The risotto was beautifully cooked and tasted wonderful. The spaghetti had plenty of clams but I did find the dish to be a little too salty. The penne pasta was fantastically cooked. The fried chicken was ok...it was nice but nothing new. The LAMB was so tender!! It was so superbly cooked if only it wasn't so salty in some areas. My friend did tell me they aren't usually this salty so maybe it was a bad night. Will have to try out again
I’ve only been to Gusto once (back in 2015). I was impressed with the quality of food and had no real complaints about service.
My favourite dish was the pappardelle with lamb ragout and peas – very flavourful, and reminded me of a hearty mince pie (in a good way). The spaghetti with clams was a good dish, but quite salty for my palate. The snapper went down well with my dining party, although I personally felt it was a bit bland. I didn’t find their beef cheeks tender enough; they tasted like brisket.
Next time I’d like to try their octopus dish and get more of their delicious calamari (which gets bonus points for not being greasy).
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Not a 5 due to service, but first the FOOD.
Wow their house bread is incredible- such a lovely texture and perfect to dip into the orgy mushroom sauce or meatballs. Def RECOMMEND
For me the standout dish was the gnocci and orgy mushrooms! The gnocci is not traditional in that the texture is softer and has ricotta in it. It has a beautifully rich cheesy flavour. The sauce was good to dip the bread too
The veal was interesting-came looking donkatsu but sure didnt taste like one. Was my boyfriends favourite
The clam spaghetti was okay- the juicy clams were good and the house made pasta was incredible. But a bit on the bland side
Would definitely return for the food!
Now the service
The waitress was very attentive but overly "nosy"
She first told us to drop the bread as we ordered too much food :S and when we finished it she commented by saying it is impressive and going "wow"
Also no one took my jacket when there was clearly a coat hanger behind the kitchen
For a place like this I expected better service
We felt very judged :-( but we just enjoyed your food too much!
Service: 3/5
Food: 4.5/5
Thoroughly enjoyed the food here!
Top recommendations:
- the bread, they kept it coming all night! Thank you!
- puttanesca, loved the sauce. It was so tasty, mopped it up with my bread :)
- broccoli, simple yet, delicious.
Thank you for having more than 2-3 vegetarian dishes on the menu. Loved it all!
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 the menu - 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 a menu staple. So good.
10/10 for service, good food and wine. Both lamb and pasta dishes were cooked to perfection. Food came out quickly. Our waitress, Saara was outstanding. Made suggestions from the menu, explained what ingredients were used in dishes, created a dish to cater for dietary/fussy eaters requirements, she even knew where the wine I was drinking was sourced from! Just too good! Highly recommended. I'm definitely going back, especially for the Foxes Pinot Noir!
nottt quite the best service
i was sitting at the table for a long time and wasnt asked if i wanted to order a drink and it felt like staff were avoiding me for no particular reason. other than that, what is your recipe for lentils? theyre amazing.
Great service and food. Our waiter was friendly, appropriately chatty and helpful. The food was varied and tasty. I went with some fussy friends and even they were pleased. The soft polenta was the stand out dish for me. I will be going back.
First of all, the service there was very good. Ordered one pumpkin pasta and one salad as lunch. Raw food materials were fresh. Taste was clear and good but just not for me.
This restaurant is going to be info one of my favourites, I went to celebrate my partners birthday and the service and food where completely beautiful. All our food was cooked to perfection and the Italian wines helped to have the perfect match of the evening.
Lovely authentic ltalian food, everything we tasted on the menu was a 'taste sensation' super helpful and friendly staff and the decor was cool also. Could not fault this place.
Went for the #Restaurant of the month# menu, went to Gusto the following night we went to Masu, our traumatic heart has been quickly healed by Gusto. Great ambiance and service, fabulous food, very very generous portion size which is an extremely opposite to Masu. The menu includes three entrees and two mains for two people, pasta, white fish & beef, all very tasty, light and fresh, the best authentic Italian food I've ever tried, will certainly come back for other dishes.
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Had a wonderful dinner tonight with my friend the decor is very stylish, sophisticated and grand with the chandeliers they also have a separate area for a small group and a more casual area sitting over looking the kitchen, the service was great very attentive and helpful. I love the sharing aspect and it gives this place a relaxing vibe and talking point. We started with fried calamari which was very tender and lightly dusted, great because I hate it when they coat it in batter and had a garlic Rosemary pizzetta which was served hot and had whole roasted garlic smooshed on it and fresh rosemary what's not to like maybe just on the small side size of a bread plate. Next we had the 1/2 chicken which was a lot more than we expected and while fried chicken is fried chicken the batter was not expected to salty and not crunchy it came with the lemon wedge and aioli (boring) we also had the broccolini with gremolata I enjoyed the grilled smokey flavour and lightness of the gremolata but my friend didn't like the taste also had mozzarella gnocchi (big pieces) which was quite expensive but richness in flavour and softness and taste of the ricotta gnocchi was deliciousness just to rich and heavy to eat more than a few pieces all was way to much food for 2 people we had to takeaway most of the meal. We finished off this coffee and small sweet cannoli (which wasn't that sweet which I fine) Perfect way to end an Italian meal in my opinion. Service was great water was always topped up and just the right amount of attention. I would recommend if you like rich tasty Italian dinner.
Wow i really had a great experience at gusto in the sky city hotel. Really nice atmosphere and also the service was superb. The restaurant itself has a concept of sharing on all their menus. It was mostly enjoyable as my friend and i shared risotto, carbonara and potatoes for a quiet feast together. Although the risotto was a little salty to our liking we actually really enjoyed all the dishes. Flavours worked really well with each other and we plan to visit more often as we think this is a little gem in the heart of the city.
Gusto is really, really fabulous. It is certainly grand, with a huge dining area, chef's table and roomy, sophisticated vibe. The whole fish is incredible.
Amazing, authentic Italian food! We sat at the bar in the kitchen which was surprisingly a great seat as we were able to watch the chefs prepare our food. The sharing concept of the menu is really exciting as it means we were able to try so much more. The veal ravioli and duck ragyu was some of the best pasta we have ever had. The meat was very generous and all ingredients were incredibly fresh. The wait staff were knowledgeable and polite, and advised us well on the number of dishes. The desserts were very simple but delicious. We would love to return and sit in the kitchen again!
Beautiful restaurant in the Skycity Grand Hotel. One of my favourite Italian restaurants so far. But note they are more on the salty side, but their pasta is perfectly al-dente. :) great wine list and ambience.
Must try the grilled octopus, some sort of pasta and their soft homemade bread with olive oil (sucker for bread!).
The spaghetti with cloudy bay clams had a generous servings of big fat clams but the spaghetti tasted more like Asian noodles. Ha! I still liked it :p The ricotta with honey and pinenuts were slightly overpriced for what it was - would not recommend.
My partner and I came here for dinner and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, the stand out dishes for me were the grilled Snapper and warm chocolate pudding, just devine. Gusto really is the perfect place for a date night, great food, stylish decor and friendly informative staff.
Exactly what you would expect from a restaurant leaded by a Celebrity Chef. Top quality ingredients, instagramable dishes and of course, delicious! I've been already 4-5 times at lunch time and everytime great service. Edward the Manager on Duty I met, knows perfectly what customer service means and he delivers always with a warm and friendly smile. Outstanding professionalism, showing he enjoys truly his job. Grazie!
When you pay almost $70 for brekkie for two one expects $70 worth of service and food. So apart from the over churned thick butter hollandaise we got value for money and taste. Eggs bene with crispy bacon and big brekkie for my dining partner got the taste thumbs up. We ordered the continental and hot brekkie which is worth it if you've had a big night and want to satisfy your hunger. We sampled the buffet delights on offer: Bircher muesli, freshest of fruit, yogurt and the fabulously delicate donuts (2 to be exact) washed down with good strong hot coffee.
Tables a bit too close for my liking but the service was great and the decor delightful.
Went with 6 girlfriends and it was one of the best dinner nights out. The matridee sat us at the chefs table which was located in the kitchen. It was so awesome seeing the chefs cook and to have the chef himself bring us tasting dishes. We tried beef Ragu, scampi, risotto, duck fat potatoes, veal meatballs, caramel semi freddo, warm chocolate pudding, rum baba.
You can see there we were clearly in a food coma by the end of it and with matching wines it was a very good night. Each dish was cooked and made with perfection
Very pricey, ended up being 110$ per person but sometimes a degustation course can cost that much and considering how much we ate and drunk that night I'd say it was worth the money.
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 the menu to 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
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.
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
Reyhan Lange-Kapancioglu
+3.5
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.
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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.
My most loved Italian place so far in town. The food was simply delicious. The meatballs were the best soaked in home made tomato sauce. Not a cheap place but worth for a special night with a special one.
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Gusto cooks Italian simply, rustically and beautifully. The dish of the night has to be the meatballs. The juicy, tender meatball is seasoned to perfection and sings harmoniously with a classic tomato sauce and topped off with Parmesan.
For appetiser we started off with honey ricotta on Rosemary pizzete. That is a flavour twirl that hits sweet and salty in perfect combination. Lightly dancing on your palette and gets you ready to start the meal.
The duck ragu you could tell has been cooked down for hours and has all its flavours concentrated and rolled around hand made pasta cooked al dente.
The mushroom gnocchi. I love the mushroom and the sauce it went with. Very earthy and herby. But unfortunately the gnocchi itself is a let down. It was actually a little powdery instead of soft and pillowy. But that is a hard technique to master and I've only had it done right once.
The calamari was a little overbattered but still soft. I would highly recommend getting the chargrilled octopus instead. That one just melts in your mouth and simply seasoned with olive oil, salt and herbs. You will not need more.
Lastly the sides of rocket salad and duck fat potatoes are good. Nothing exciting though.
Overall a great night and a great place to go to catch up with good friends over a meal that would not disappoint.
I have been here over 10 times with my sister and family. The service is always great. The staff are friendly and very accommodating. We have gotten to know them over the past year. There is actually a discount for parking. Make sure you ask them to validate your Sky City Ticket!
Lovely food. The bread and olives are so nice as well as the olive oil with it!
The wine list is great, albeit a bit pricey!
Fabulous food! Famous Duck Papedelle ! very good ! the fish is great too!
My sister loves the tiramisu.
The restaurant is hidden past reception at the Grand.
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I dined at Gusto at the Grand with a couple of friends, and had a fun Italian-style dining experience. Gusto is located on the ground floor of The Skycity Grand Hotel- tucked away at the back it almost doesn't look like a restaurant so much as it does a fancy lounge area.
We were seated immediately (with no reservation) and waited on by the hospitable service staff. The extensive dinner menu is Italian/European and designed to share, which is always good fun. Therefore we ordered a mixture of the king prawns, squid, clam pasta, a chicken meatball dish, olives, and the mushroom gnocchi dish. All the food was so full of flavour and herbs, simply tasty! For dessert we had the panacotta, which I cannot recommend more highly. It was just absolutely delicious - not too sweet, full flavours and melt-in-your mouth texture. Bring a full wallet because the average dish price is roughly $20-$30, and if you want the full "sharing menu" experience, you will be ordering quite a few.
Overall, an understated yet classic little restaurant, full of wonderful, wonderful food! Lots of fun if you're happy to share the food around and try a little bit of everything!
We had a private dinner for 12 and were afforded a room at the end of the main restaurant. The room was wonderful with an Oak ceiling and dimmed lights adding to the ambience. The minimum number of people for this room is 15 (if you want to guarantee a private function) The staff pointed out we could be joined by any restaurant 'over -fill' but this never occurred.
Very attentive staff, delicious food and no pressure over our eating time/s.
The mains pasta was a little salty but otherwise compliments all round.
The Champagne was not too shabby either.
We will be back!
One of my favourite restaurants. We normally start with the garlic and rosemary pizza, the fried calamari and the pea and mint bruschetta. The pizza is very tasty, although it is quite small and last time I went it had way too much salt on it. The calamari doesn't have a lot of flavour to it, but the lemon aioli makes up for that. The bruschetta is my favourite, it's very refreshing and the mint isn't too over powering. The lamb rack with roasted capsicum is my favourite dish, the meat is very soft and the skin is niceley seasoned and crispy. The meat from the beef cheeks falls apart and is super juicy, I'll normally get a side of the pear and parmesean salad as I find that it balances out the richness of the sauce from the beef cheeks, the duck fat and rosemary potatoes are a must have. Very efficient staff, highly recommend!
Simple and delicious with classic flavours. Gusto just cannot do wrong in my eyes. The chargrilled octupus is to die for. And the Lewis Road pannacotta just melts in your mouth causing an explosion of spring flavours 💯👌
I had the most gorgeous dinner here with a friend. Being a vegetarian had the "orgy of mushrooms, clevedon buffalo ricotta gnocchi"- absolutely exquisite. The garlic Rosemary pizzetta is a great starter- I do wish it was bigger! To finish we shared a couple of desserts- the salted caramel popcorn semifreddo and the warm chocolate pudding, pistachio gelato. Left feeling so full and floating on cloud 9. Will definitely be back to try the wild porcini mushroom risotto and the baker eggplant parmigiana. Usually I avoid Italian restaurants without pizza but gusto at the grand is a must for all Italian food lovers.
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After being told we had to wait around an hour and a half for a seat at Depot for dinner on a Tuesday night( as expected), we decided to just try something else Skycity had to offer; leading us to le ~Gusto at the Grand~ :D The restaurant was relatively queit but had a lovely dark ambience that shouted out $$$ and class. Our friendly waitress sat us down with some water and told us the popular dishes customers usually went for. After much debate, we had opted for the Beef cheeks, Chargrilled octopus, the dack and pea ragu Papadelle, cloudy bay clams with spaghetti and duck fat potatoes.
Cloudy bay clams spaghetti: As a 'fine dining' restaurant, I had expected all four dishes to come at the same time but the spaghetti came out first and long before the others ( spaghetti for entree? why not). Although it looked simplistic and plain, this dish was actually bursting with flavour and perfectly balanced with the right amount of Parmesan; both pasta and clams were beautifully cooked and super fresh too! My second favourite dish for the night, 8/10. Note: it is quite a small dish, but probably perfect size for one person who's a relatively small eater.
Duck & Pea ragu parpadelle: THIS! was the dish of the day for me ( it was close between the two pasta dishes tho). This was the second dish that came out ( by itself again, whats going on lol) and shared amongst the four of us. Packed full with rich hearty flavours and generous portions of duck; the parpadelle was also cooked to perfection. Gusto is defs the place to go for all your pasta lovers, HIGH RECCOMMENDED!! 9/10, Can get quite rich to eat by yourself tho so I'd suggest sharing or getting a side dish with it
Beef Cheeks: Finally, the big dishes. I was extremely excited to try this dish as I'd never had beef cheeks before; although soft and easy to pull apart, I was quite disappointed with this dish as the sauce it was served with was quite bland and overly salty. For $30, I'd get a pasta dish any day. Defs a dish for sharing tho. 6.5/10
Chargrilled Octopus: THIS, was the biggest disappointment of the night. Was super excited for this dish as well, but when I had taken my first bite of octopus, it had an extremely bitter and unpleasant taste as it was burnt and almost completely black in some parts. When I asked a waiter, he had said it was meant to be this burnt as it's 'chargrilled', but I'm seriously questioning his definition of chargrilled haha. The potatoes and salad it was served with were really good tho, Wouldnt get this dish again. 4.5/10
Duck fat potatoes: Cant go wrong with these!! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, yumyumyum really good as a side dish to soak up any sauce you guys have. Could be seasoned a bit more tho haha 8/10
DESSERT! We weren't quite content ending on a savoury note; so of course we HAD to try out one dessert at least. We opted for the salted caramel popcorn semifreddo, and what came out was not what I was expecting ( loked like a popcorn banana haha). The entire dish was overpowered by the delicious salted caramel sauce that it was drenched in ( couldnt taste anything else haha); for one person ( or even two), this may have been extremely sickly to eat but for four it wasnt too bad. Nothing special in my opinion, would skip out on dessert next time. 6/10
Overall, service was good and ambience was fantastic, especially for a first date or something ( lady and tramp style ;) ). The dishes were a hit and miss for me as the pasta dishes ended up being the stars of the night. If I came back, I would probably stick to what Italians do best and try out their other pasta dishes as their meat mains and dessert were slightly disappointing.
Dish reccommended: Duck& Ragu parpadelle :))
We had a family dinner at Gusto at the Grand tonight. It was such a fun experience, because we were seated at the Chef's table, which is literally inside part of the kitchen. It felt like we were really amongst it! It was exciting to hear/see all that was going on in the kitchen and how the clever chef's juggle all the orders in such a timely manner while still presenting all the dishes so beautifully. The service was really good, and our waiter/chef basically designed us a menu of the best dishes and altered it slightly to our preferences. We found the food really rich but delicous. Calamari was too salty, but otherwise everything was A++ and we would definitely return. Thanks for a great night!
Service with a smile and simple clean dishes is on order at Gusto.
We were seated at a high table in the dimly lit area behind the bar but this was mainly due to a Friday booking for Saturday evening.. If you want a better table I would recommend booking in advance.
Shares Starters of pizetta, ricotta and baked mozzarella were tasty and fresh but the stand out had to be the meatballs and eggplant parmigiana!! Definitely more rich and decadent flavours!
We all went for individual mains including duck Parpadelle, mushroom risotto, ravioli and lamb... All tasty dishes but varying in sizes. If I was to eat here again (which I would recommend) I would try to order a variety of meat and pasta/sides to share!
Service with a smile... And good for a bit of celebrity spotting too!
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Gusto at the Grand is as it suggests - there's a sense of grandeur regarding the establishment. From entrance, the dining area is hidden from the passers by, making you feel as though you're in a much smaller boutique restaurant. Service is impeccable as per SkyCity's usual standards, and the menu will satisfy even the most discerning Italian aficionado. We started with the mozzarella & walnuts - from your first bite, you're able to tell the chefs are masters of their ingredients. The cheese is not overwhelmingly rich, and has a supple texture (anyone can make mozzarella stretchy and tough). The calamari we had was of no special note, but the roast duck pappardelle was measured perfectly. Of special note is the beef cheek and the veal, both are mouthwateringly tender and brilliantly flavored. Gripes - there aren't many. The dishes could I guess be a tad more flamboyant, and the snapper with its mussels felt like it didn't belong with the theme. The glasses are grotesque; brown clear glasses that are seen much further down the fiscal food chain. However, overall an excellent dining experience; special mention to our sponsor for the night too.
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We had read an article on the Gusto at the Grand in Viva a few weeks ago recommending the Italian lunch on Sunday, so today we went with high expectations of the quality of the food. Not only were we not disappointed, but our expectations were exceeded. The lunch ($49 + free parking at Sky City) is based around a traditional Italian lunchtime feast. The antipasto buffet was a treat with a delicious array of cold cuts & traditional antipasto fare, and warm dishes. All the dishes (including the following courses) were simple but using the best quality ingredients and each with its distinctive balance of flavours. The pasta course was spaghetti with clams, and the third course was pork & veal meatballs in a tomato sauce served on creamy polenta. This was followed by tiramisu and coffee. Cheeses and bread from the buffet were also still available.
Gusto truly delivered a dining experience in warm relaxed surroundings, and the staff were all charming, attentive, and very professional, explaining the dishes and refreshing the settings for each course. We will certainly be back again!
The best service I've ever had at high class resteraunt, waiters offered explain the menu and suggested perfect sides for our meals. There were plenty of vegetarian options which was amazing, though the potatoes were slightly bland. The tables were a little close for comfort but and all round excellent meal!
Business dinner at gusto last night. Had the privilege of being at the chef's table. Absolutely amazing experience. We trusted the chef and boy was it a good idea. Epic selection of food. The bread and dip with truffle set the tone for the evening and the bar was set high. Too many dishes to mention Here but my fav was the lamb chop. Nice n pink and aahh beautiful.
Ate here last week, had the veal and carpaccio, both were beautiful. Atmosphere was nice, spacious and roomy. The chefs table looked fun and I'd be tempted to try that next time.
Having been to the Grill a few times and being a fan of Italian food I took my family to Gusto. We arrived after a comedy show and the service was great - they fixed up a booking mix up which was my fault. The bread was really tasty but could have been served with some quality olive oil.For mains we had a variety (there was 5 of us) and the Pappardelle was a standout.Deserts were pleasant but presentation was lacking.
Came here for dinner mid week. Restaurant was busy and had good friendly vibe. Could not fault the service which was friendly, informed and attentive. We started with olives and cold meats with a good glass of chianti.
These were excellent and was the chunks of Parmesan that accompanied them.
The main was duck ragu with papardelle and the pasta was like silk, the duck soft and melt in the mouth gorgeous.
A small whiskey to finish off - a small criticism here - not a wide range of single malts in an international hotel but only a small gripe.
Overall a very good meal and we will be back.
We came here on Valentine's Day and has the Valentine's Day set menu.
Since it was our first time here having a set menu was 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!!
I have to admit that I was at Gusto quite 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.
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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 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 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
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Nov 2015
Back for more, I think I'm a regular here now! I just can't get a good enough warming chocolate fix anywhere else! That hot chocolate pudding is to die for so rich but I can still eat two! An have done so a few to many times!
2nd review:
Having been back to Gusto now can assure that the food quality here is superb an always to a high standard the snappers always fresh however often has come out a little undercooked in centre an have sent back but worth the wait to get further cooked to my liking. The roast eggplant, zucchini, capsicum with mint an chill it always tender an delicious. My company tried the ricotta spinach gnocchi things an were nice also. An recently tried their chocolate pudding/foundant which is amazing! Fully of chocolaty goodness! Better than blue breeze in which I found rather to rich an sickly.
1st review:
Dinner here early before a show were only ones in restaurant, people began arriving as we began to order. I opted for the fresh snapper an sautéed veg (surprise ☺️) was very delicious an cooked perfectly. My sister got the duck an pea rage pappardelle which she said was very tasty. Service was good an for dessert tiramisu they kindly were able to add a side of raspberries to compliment the dessert. Had great flavour but very rich a little too much mascarpone I always prefer a tiramisu heavy in the sponge an less thick cream but still tasty.
Delicious italian food served in a luxurious place. Great setting and atmosphere. Great varieties of Italian pasta. Very friendly staff who made my birthday extra special
Had my birthday dinner last night with frnds at gusto and it turned out to be a gr8 hit....the food ws just fabulous... authentic italian food.. gr8 ambience and friendly staff sums up my evening at gusto
Since we wer 7 people and gusto had a sharing menu we could try a good number of dishes on their menu...
We had orgy of mushroom wid potato gnochhi, zucchini flower, ravioli, lamb cutlets, baby chicken, antipasto, veal and a few more things dat i dont remember the name of..
All dishes wer spot on.. bt the 1 dish which stood out fr me was d gnochhi... it ws soo soft and tasty... i being a vegetarian dint try a non veg dishes bt from wat my frnds told me i cud make out that they really liked lamb cutlets
Overall good food and experience... will definitely go back for more..
Great service but food not to our liking! Calamari a bit dry, meatballs nothing special, grilled octopus a bit bitter, pasta and risotto was okay but none we can say its our favourite!
We were really impressed by this place overall. The food is of a great quality and genuinely really tasty. The service was outstanding.They have found a really nice balance.The main waiting crew dressed in a casual uniform with the matre D more formally dressed.Helpfull always but not overpowering. The staff have a great knowledge of their menu and their wine list. The food is arranged to be shared with a group of friends or family.In my opinion its all hearty Italian food but always of really good quality Perhaps the only critique of the place is that its not easy to find the entrance as its at the back of the Grand hotel Foyer alongside the inhouse bar. You could argue its part of the "casino complex" but IMO its more part of the grand hotels superb range of eateries
Being based in an international hotel lifts the service to another level. The menu is based on sharing plates which allows you to sample a wide range of interesting dishes. I found it hard to go past the veal chop and mushroom gnocchi. Make a night of it and get a taxi.
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Wonderful! We had new year's eve dinner here at Gusto and couldn't have gone better! Before coming to the restaurant I had mixed expectations because of the different reviews I have read online. But now I can truly say for myself that this place has high quality food and has surpassed my expectations. The food is just lovely from entree to dessert. The place has a romantic feel to it but is also great for family dinner or with friends. It has an elegant style but is not too intimidating,especially for first time goers. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
I also loved that Gusto encourages sharing food,which makes it more special for me. Because there's nothing more intimate than sharing food with your loved ones.
Foodwise we had baked eggplants, house bread and cray fish pasta. I enjoyed everything, especially the cray fish pasta. It was seasoned perfectly and the pasta was cooked really well. The baked eggplants were delicious and just melts in your mouth. They complemented each other so well. For dessert we had chocolate pudding with pistachio ice cream and marsala zambaglione and we enjoyed it very much.
This was a worthwhile dining experience and celebration.
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My better half had an advance encounter with Gusto and enjoyed it so much that I had to see for myself. It is difficult to accurately judge, as we ate the Xmas set menu, but I can only discuss what we ate. We started with antipasto; I enjoyed the bread and ricotta with pinenuts, the olives too, but as a fan of the pig I was in heaven with the quality and selection of meats. This was followed by the orgy of mushroom gnocchi. For me, this was the standout dish of the night. The gnocchi were beautiful soft and light pillows, the mushrooms were flavorsome, this was the best gnocchi I have tasted. The slow roasted beef brisket came next, and I had mixed feelings about this. In places the meat was a tad dry, other parts where the fat content was higher were soft and moist. The meat had a pleasant smoky flavour, the portion size was generous; I was one of the few at the table to finish. The meat was accompanied by salsa verde which helped to cut the richness of the brisket, aided by the side of rocket with parmesan. The duck roasted potatoes on the side were suitably yummy too. I rounded out the evening with an affogato and sharing the warm chocolate pudding. Soft, gooey and rich, it was everything a pudding should be. The wine list was very good, the service was excellent, efficient and ever present without being cloying. All in all I enjoyed the meal, I would be interested to return and try more of the menu
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Federal Street is famous with the line-up of award-winning eateries, especially after Masu swept up the coveted Restaurant of the Year after Depot Eatery in 2012. Gusto at the Grand takes over the atmosphere from former Dine by Peter Gordon, with sweeping chandeliers and grand paintings. Though there’s something ironic with the rustic Italian ambiance that Gusto is trying to achieve by donning their waiters in overalls whilst being surrounded by marbled walls.
With the menu designed by Sean Connolly, famous for his television series and The Grill next door, Connolly’s philosophy continues with his quest for simple food and letting fresh ingredients do the talking. I love the idea of sharing plates at Gusto, it’s the perfect excuse to nab at your partner’s food without seeming overly greedy.
Antipasto, which literally means “before the meal” is meant to stimulate your appetite before the main meal. With your expected salami, prosciutto and olives, one addition is the freshly shaved lardo. I wasn’t too excited about eating “lard” per say but it’s an acquired taste as you let the thin slices slowly dissolve in your mouth.
The calamari and prawns were lightly seasoned without the weight of oily batter which makes it perfect to nibble at between mouthfuls of pasta or heavy meat. Apart from that, it was hardly memorable as the aioli was a bit bland and I found myself squeezing more lemon than necessary to jazz up the taste.
The baby chicken was one of the more memorable dishes – beautiful and tender. It was seasoned simply with lemon and garlic, and the freshness and honesty was comforting. Arguably, I should have expected more excitement at a prestige Skycity restaurant, but it was a good change from trying to figure out the myriad of ingredients and foams on fine-dining plates.
Gusto makes their pastas in-house and being an Italian restaurant, I couldn’t leave without trying at least one of their pastas. Personally this was the highlight of the meal with the ravioli being beautiful chewy and infused with flavour. Even with it filled with potato, it didn’t feel heavy or uncomfortable and I found myself easily reaching for seconds.
I’m a huge fan of Lewis Road butter and milk so this pannacotta was a must-have when I first saw it on the menu. When it came in a pool of dessert soup, I was a bit alarmed. The idea of a beautifully creamily formed pannacotta was knocked straight out of my head. In the midst of the creamy liquidness, I settled in to spoon up the pinenuts and passionfruit – which wasn’t all that bad, but I would have preferred my pannacotta pudding.
It was as any good chocolate pudding should be – seductively warm and oozing in the centre with the ice cream to cool the heat of it on the tongue. The highlight was the pistachio gelato with the pistachio granules evident in every mouthful.
As with every Skycity restaurant, there are many expectations to be met. Gusto was highly raved about and there have been mixed reviews from diners. We did enjoy great service from the staff who were genuinely caring but professional. I felt the food bore a high price tag from what was offered, but if you are after simple and honest food with fresh ingredients and want a break from the white table cloth scene – give Gusto a go and let me know how you like it!
Absolutely outstanding. Very engaging service. We were with a group of 6 which is the best way to do it as you can get to try a variety of dishes. The charcuterie is outstanding. The orgy of mushrooms is great and the boar pappardelle is excellent. Excellent wine list. No complaints at all.
After being in Italy it's hard to find nz Italian that measures up. Gusto does and would have got 5/5 but for the costs. Very good Italian wine selection BTW . ask your waitperson to just bring a selection of food and you don't be disappointed !
Amy @ My Dining Journey
+5
I have some wonderful friends and last weekend, they took the time to celebrated my birthday with an amazing dinner at Gusto at the Grand. An Italian restaurant on Federal Street and part of the Sky City Grand Hotel, Gusto serves rustic Italian cuisine that is elegantly simple with classic flavours and fresh ingredients.
The menu designed by Sean Connolly is made for sharing and is divided into small, medium and larger dishes. With plenty of vegetarian options and variety, we order a few medium and larger dishes to share between a group of five.
The Orgy of Mushrooms with potato gnocchi. An interesting name which perfectly describes our first dish as it was packed with assorted mushrooms. The soft potato gnocchi had a light and airy texture and everything was combined with a buttery mushroom sauce. The linguine with 'Fruits of the Sea' was our second pasta dish. Al-dente linguine cooked in a tangy tomato sauce with mussels, clams, prawns, fish and calamari, this pasta dish was well-received by us.
From the larger dishes selection, we ordered the hapuka tail saltimbocca and the crumbed veal cutlet. The hapuka tail was first prepared by wrapping with thin slices of salty prosciutto and then pan fried. The prosciutto kept the fish moist and tender inside and we garnished it with freshly squeeze lemon juice and a caper oil concoction which have a fragrant aroma that went very well with the fish.
The lightly crumbed veal cutlet was tender and cooked just a touch over medium rare. Delicious flavours with a melt in your mouth texture. However, it could be dramatically improved with a side of sauce which would have increased the moisture of the dish. Our sides of duck fat roasted potatoes and brocollini kept our meal balanced with starch and greens.
We finished our meal with one of the best desserts I've tried and that was Gusto's hazelnut semifreddo with a gooey salted caramel centre. A creamy hazelnut semifreddo coated with crushed hazelnut, this was spectacular and I would come back just to have another plate of this!
I've been wanting to try Gusto since it opened and I was pleased that I got to share this meal with some of my dearest friends. The luxurious dining area is open and spacious, creating a lively atmosphere and I was very intrigued by the thoughtful things around the restaurant which included a giant wheel of cheese, the colossal artwork of an octopus near the ceiling and the gorgeous water glasses made from the bottom of wine bottles!
I have wanted to try Gusto for several months, so thought a romantic dinner would be a perfect excuse. We ordered a lovely bottle of red wine, the Gran Sasso which was delicious. The dishes are designed to share so we ordered the penne all'Amatriciana, the wood fired baby chicken and a side of the duck fat roasted potatoes for the two of us. The food does not disappoint. The penne reminded us of pasta we had eaten in Roma. The chicken was tender and tasty, and the potatoes roasted to perfection. After all that food we were stuffed! There's always room for dessert though, and my husband insisted on having the Gorgonzola blue cheese with honeycomb, while I ate the melt in your mouth pannacotta. The crunchiness of the pine nuts were a great taste complement to the passion fruit. The service was impeccable. Friendly and informative but not over the top in your face. Will definitely be back!!!
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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 ditch Gusto seems 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.
We arrived at Gusto at around 6pm, and were promptly seated (a group of seven). We were waited by the manager of the restaurant who's service was faultless all evening.
We all shared dishes which started with a mix of the ricotta, bruschetta, calamari and olives.
We then had the Lamb cutlets, The Veal, Mushroom Risotto, The Wild Boar Ragu, Roast Potatoes, and the Linguini. All of which were superb - but worth a special mention were the Potatoes and the Ragu!
We then had a dessert of the Rum Baba.
Overall, the experience and service was faultless.
We celebrated the birthday of one of our best friends with a meal at Gusto, Skycity. We left the choice of appetizers to the kitchen and were not disappointed - the calamari and the meatballs were stand-out dishes. My wife's pappardelle with wild boar ragu was outstanding but I was slightly disappointed with my ravioli. Service from our Italian waitress was friendly and efficient. Wine list was extensive and while not cheap we managed to find very good wines at a reasonable price.
Carmella @ Easy Food Hacks
+3.5
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). Gusto is 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.
Had such a lovely dinner at Gusto. Service was great, all waiters very accommodating.
We had the pork fat potatos, gnocchi and beef cheeks. The warm chocolate pudding is well worth the wait!
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We stayed at the grand by sky city it was very easy location for us as we woke up and headed down to level 3 in the same building.
Friendly service and nice ambience and their spread was amazing. There were continental options to hot cooked options, plenty of fruit, too. There were plenty of breakfast meat and salmon as well as hot cooked options i.e scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, baked beans and tomatoes. What I liked about the kitchen was that they cook pancakes to your order and eggs to your liking so they are served straight as they cooked. (I regret that we didn’t try their omelet since we were too full but apparently it’s good). There are so many options on their buffet so we ended not ordering extras from the kitchen. Not only that, all their foods were all scrumptious with quality not just filling in the gaps/options to their spread of the buffet.
Not to mention their patries, man, they were the best by far for me. I have been to many artisan bakeries where they claim theirs is the best in town, but these were the best by far for me; not too crunchy or crispy. They were so fresh and full of flavours. I highly recommend their buffet breakfast.
We stayed at the Sky City Grand and had the buffet breakfast here at the Gusto on 3 occasions. Great selection from egg, bacon, sausage hot breakfast to continental breakfast, pastries, fruits, self serving tea and coffee. Try the omelette which the chef will make to your order. Buffet breakfast is $40 and you can also get barista coffee for an extra cost. Open for breakfast at 7 am daily, great staff and nice and easy location while staying at the Sky City Grand.
Decided to try this restaurant for home made pasta dishes. Tried 2 different pastas: one with pumpkin and another one with spicy pork sausage (induja). You can definitely tell that pasta was made in the house. It was very good. We liked it. We also tried chocolate pudding for dessert. However, it was more like a chocolate lava cake with all the gooeyness. Staff was very accommodating and welcoming.
We went to the Gusto last night and had the best time!
The food was just beautiful and the service was great. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. I believe her name was Riki.
I had the Beef Cheek and it was the best meal I’ve had in a long time. My partner got the Spaghetti and really enjoyed the house made pasta.
We will definitely be back!
The food here was excellent. Everything is meant to be shared so you can order a few things to try. From the antipasti menu we had the ricotta with honey and pine nuts along with the garlic focaccia (this comes out in a cardboard box resembling a take away pizza box which we thought was a little strange for presentation, not to mention wasteful) , the baked eggplant which was sooo good, the mushroom gnocchi which was also divine, the fish main and the side of broccoli with baked ricotta. We ordered a nice bottle of red wine to go along with it and it was a very enjoyable meal. The service was pretty good oh and their popular popcorn Semi-Freddo is a MUST so leave room for dessert
If you are looking for delicious pasta - this is the place. Located on the ground floor of Skycity hotel, I first thought that it would be like a bar at the reception, but when you have been sites at the table, you completely forget that there is a busy hotel just behind the bar wall. The atmosphere is superb, it’s super quite, warm and comfortable, no loud parties or anything, you can comfortable speak with you lived one at the other end of the table. Wine list is quite big, and food menu is enormous. We decided to try the pasta, as they hand made it themselves as soon as you have made the order. It was superb, I had the one with the duck and my wife had the risotto - and it was the beat pasta a we’ve had in Auckland. We are definitely coming back for more.
We really enjoyed the dinner here, especially the pasta. Conveniently located in the Aerospace City. The food is medium in size but delicious! The staff work attentively and the environment is comfortable. It is recommended to book during peak hours and weekends.
Beautiful atmosphere. Nice staffs. Great dishes.
Baked eggplants parmigiana was great! It is the best dish for us. Mushroom ricotta gnocci is nice too. Definitely will go back again.
Eaten here a couple of times. This time I had the parpadelle which was amazing. The garlic pizza was also really tasty. Also had the orange mocktail which was super yum. The staff here are always friendly and the smell and look of all the dishes is amazing. The staff can also reccomend great dishes for shared meals.
One of Auckland’s best restaurants. Food is always cooked to perfection. The Sardinia pasta and Nutella Bombalini are incredible (you can’t go wrong!). Service is good, but be prepared to spend at least 2 hours at dinner, as they space out your meals with time for conversation and to enjoy the company you are with😊🙌🏻
This spot is amazing! Gusto at the grand is one of Auckland CBD's best-hidden gems.
Coffee and food are both exceptional!
Operating out of Auckland's Grand hotel, this place is my go to to get some work done and meet people in a stunning, friendly and relaxed environments
Disappointed by the dry pork belly but the staff more than made up for this with their attentive service and dessert on the house. I can never begrudge an establishment that treats their customers with such respect. Beautiful place to start a night on the town.
A nice place to have dinner with your special friend. Staff are professional and friendly, the food quality I experienced was A+. Car parks are available. Close to the downtown.
We were strangely the only customers on a Saturday afternoon. The service was fast. Sadly they don't do the canoli anymore. The ricotta and pizza bread is delicious. Although I'm not sure about serving it in a pizza box when dining in.
Today I bring my little one to a "Pizza making class for kids" while waiting I had a glass of wine and pasta, the service is amazing so kind so fast, the class was marvellous so many attention to details so fun, my girl had a great time.
The pasta was amazing full of flavour, freshly done, and the dessert out of this world, I really enjoyed, was an amazing experience.
Highly recommended
Dined here with my family, for the first time, for my birthday. We all thoroughly enjoyed everything. Food was delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive. We will be back.
Food was tasty; staff fast and friendly; a bit hurried though. It is ala cart menu so your bill can add up quickly and there are no accompaniments with your entree. Very tasty though and will be back.
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