Absolutely loved the atmosphere, felt welcoming and just like home. The food was amazing as well, the smells reminded me of all the home cooked meals growing up with an Italian father. We may have ordered way too much so we left with full bellies but everything was so delicious we had to try it all. Our waiter as well made the night, the way he explained the menu gave it that Italian flare. My partner and I will definitely be returning to fill our bellies with more authentic Italian food and wine again soon!
Excellent. Probably the closest you'll get to Italy here. I say probably because I've never been to Italy. But my French friend who has been to Italy says it was pretty authentic!!! He says it's the best Italian food in Wellington.
From the get go, the service and welcome was excellent. Both waiters really attended to our needs and took time to explain the Italian terms in the menu thoroughly.
And the food was superb. We had the Lingua (Beef tongue) with cous cous, Agnello (Chargrilled Lamb chops) with potatoes, Gnocchi and Ragu, and Antipasti of bread with chicken liver pate, sun-dried tomatoes and dark olives. The sun-dried tomatoes tasted like they were marinated in brandy. Excellent taste, ambience, service.
Will definitely return and highly recommend this place.
I went for dinner with my partner and it being our third visit, I can safely say that it is one of my favourite restaurants in Wellington, and definitely one of my favourite Italian eateries. Service is always attentive without being intrusive, and I love that the menu changes so often.
Portion sizes err on generous which in the case of the antipastino we started with, I didn't really mind because in my opinion more cheese is better than less. Being fairly glutinous that night, we also chose to share a polenta con ragu, which was delicious - the light, almost whipped texture of the polenta offsetting the rich venison ragu perfectly.
The only reason I haven't given a higher rating today is because our mains were unfortunately just a little too salty for our tastes. He had the chicken, I the lamb. Both had the potential to be very tasty, but unfortunately it was not as enjoyable as it could have been.
Went with my girlfriend. It was a little difficult to get a response when attempting to book but sorted after a couple of calls.
The place has an interesting decor. Feels like the inside of a Swiss Chalet.
Atmosphere was excellent. When we arrived a guy was playing the piano and he was replaced by music.
The food was simple but excellent. We shared a salad starter, then ravioli and last a lamb cutlet main. Wine by the half litre - would be good if there were more options by the glass.
Dined here with ma colleague. The service was fantastic, the food was absolutely delicious (we ordered the special of the day) and the wine was incomparable, totally affordable and delightfully drinkable. The owner came over and help choose dessert and a sticky. Highly recommend, and would dine again in a heartbeat!
Dined here with my husband for lunch. The service was fantastic, the food was absolutely delicious (we ordered the special of the day) and the vino (house red) was great, totally affordable and very drinkable. The bathroom was very clean and the feel of this place is like travelling back in time. Highly recommend, would dine again!
All round amazing. The food was the tastiest food I've eaten for a while, I love what they are doing with a different menu each month! And to top it off the service was just perfect. Can't wait to go back!
Great atmosphere for a romantic date or just a fancy dinner.
They have a different menu every month which means that I am constantly returning to try the new flavours.
The food has been wonderful every time I've gone. They cook their meat perfectly and I love the free bread that they serve. The desserts are also very delicious (if you have any space left in your stomach)
Amazing food! Great service and atmosphere. New favourite in Wellington. Portion sizes are very reasonable and the quality is fantastic.
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Time number 3
So third time was not so lucky. I admit the place was busy, but not too busy to provide good service.
I think my server was new and inexperienced, but I just wanted my old server back. He made dining an experience and not a chore.
To be fair the food still lived up to expectations. Except the pork platter which needed more than a big grill, it needed salt.
The crostini was devine (tapanade, bean puree, and pate) and the gnudi were pillows of spinach goodness. Think ravioli and gnocchi having a love child.
I leave my rating as 4. But expect more next month.
They are taking us to Emilio Romano in June. Bring on the parmesan and prosciutto.
Time number 2
So I decided to leave my comfort zone of the the CBD and head back to Newton.
Time number 1
Who knew fish eggs and pasta went so we'll together? So I accidently ordered the wrong pasta, my fault so I couldn't send it back (though the waiter said he'd happily switch it). But what a great mistake, it was strangely tasty. Fishy and salty and full of flavour. Then the meat platter came out and I was giddy. My only regret is not being physically capable of eating more. I will be back to try the pasta I actually wanted. lol.
This place is AWESOME been Here quite often and the menu changes as the seasons change , the staff are excellent the drinks are superb there's not much more I can say except to experience this little restaurant yourself!!!!!
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Wow, what a fantastic restaurant! Beautiful food, excellent service and a warm and cosy atmosphere. I really like this place! If you’re after some authentic Italian, this is your go to place. I went here with 5 family members and we all really enjoyed ourselves! The menu is in Italian but our charming waitress translated the menu for us. I thought it was a really nice touch to have the menu in Italian and because she went through it all with us we had no trouble ordering. There is also a little glossary at the bottom of the menu. My dad ordered some fried anchovies for an entree and it was enough for all of us to try! Anchovies are usually something I avoid but I really liked the way they had been cooked. They were coated in a light batter and had been deep fried. They were delicious and salty but didn’t have a overly fishy taste to them. For main I ordered a vegetarian pasta dish. The orange and rosemary flavours were absolutely beautiful but the dish was quite simple. I tried a little bit of the steak dish and it was incredible. We also got some side dishes to share all of which were glorious. For dessert I had the chocolate cannelloni. They only had two desserts on the menu and while I liked mine, I wasn’t blown away by it. With all the wonderful Italian desserts out there I thought they could have had a bigger, better selection. Overall though, I highly recommend this place, it is fabulous.
Rustic, wholesome cooking just like Mama used to make.
I really enjoyed our meal here, we had the arancini which had a delicious saffron flavour with a hint of chili.
We also had 2 of the pasta dishes and the pork roulade. All were delicious, flavorsome and rich.
We were too full for dessert but they also looked delicious. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
It you feel like a warming tasty meal this is the place.
A large group of unruly old friends tried the capacity of this wonderful eatery and it came through with flying colours. The food was fabulous, the waitrons pleasant, patient, and charming, this will become a favorite eatery.
Had a fantastic meal last night. My wife and I rolled up without a reservation and were promptly seated. Once again we had a great meal, my wife's sirloin was perfectly cooked (if just a shade past medium rare) and my Trippa Romana was absolutely delicious. A simple little honest restaurant with huge integrity, we recommend it
What a hidden gem in the middle of newtown. I took my partner , our 8 yo daughter and his friend to dine last Sunday night and we will definitely return. We got the table next to the fireplace! Didn't want to leave. Every meal was cooked to perfection. I ordered the half chicken and it was incredibly tasty and moist. They even had special pasta for kids which she smashed and wanted more. The home made bread was crusty in the outside and soft on the inside and together with the antipasto we ordered was divine. We will definitely come back with my partners parents. The waitress was incredibly helpful and friendly and we paid $110 for 2 starters 3 mains and 3 drinks. Amazing value for money. Overall excellency in service, ambience and food.
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Without wanting to tread on past reminiscences, I think that this is one of the best italian restaurants wellington has seen. Il casino was wonderful for its ever fascinating proprietor, a brilliant sommelier and a lovely ambience - but the food could at times be distinctly average. This little newtown restaurant with a name that no one can remember is different.
The entrance is not elegant but it does provide a back alley sort of edginess that is totally in keeping with the thrill of discovering a real culinary gem in an unexpected place as one might in real Italy. The ambience is a mixture of lonely goatherd austrian mixed with Sophia Loren. Italian posters and photographs seem to have been the main makeover from its past, and they do a good job, but the quirky Hansel and Gretel furniture remains.
Three of us went for dinner on Friday, managed to get a booking a few hours before and on arrival it was nearly packed. It was a strange feeling seeing what had been, in a past life, a modestly filled restaurant now so full and bustling.
The small (a good sign) menu is divided into appetisers / first course / second course and dessert. A paragraph on the back outlines the philosophy - essentially as much as possible is hand made - bread, pasta, cured meats. - (which I think is great).
We ordered an antipasto platter to share, then pappardelle with an oxtail ragu also to share, then for second course we shared a plate of tripe in a tomato sauce (tripe alla romana), a spicy-hot half chicken (polleto alla diavolo), with Brussel sprouts, roasted vegetables and a rocket, pear and Gorgonzola salad.
Antipasto was brilliant, a gorgeous truffled cheese, a Gorgonzola, a great terrine and flavoursome pate, roasted Aubergine was lovely, sliced homemade sausage - great - a boiled egg and olive oil. A simple but perfect start.
The tripe was sublimely soft and delicate - the best tripe I've had - the chicken perfectly cooked and incredibly flavoursome, Brussels delicious and a rich mahogany, vegetables good and salad good.
Dessert - there were three - "one of each please" - poached pear, cannoli and sliced grapefruit on a panacotta. All were great.
The food at CC is rustic, basic, homely and owes more to domestic rural cuisine than the usual run of the mill italian restaurants that churn out mediocre versions of italian classics. It clearly has raised the bar and like indian restaurant cuisine it's a bar that needs raising.
The meal for three was $200 including a bottle of a recommended red that was excellent. To my mind, for the quality of food presented this was incredibly good value.
Throughout the staff were lovely, real italian accents, sometimes hard to decipher. The menu is in Italian - I honestly think this is a bit retro snobbish harking back to pathetic frenchified hotel menus - a direct translation would be good and it would save the need for the waitress to translate the entire menu to every table.
CC would be good for parents, grandparents, families, first dates, foodies, and anyone who is scared to set foot into newtown. The loos are good.
Overall - one of the brightest additions to the Wellington restaurant scene and another gastronomic gem that newtown is currently collecting. Highly recommended.
The most striking feature about Cicio Cacio is the stark contrast between the ramshackle of Newtown and its homely welcoming interior. The decor is one of an old-fashioned inn where weary shepherds would retire to a hearty meal by a roaring hearth.
The restaurant is run by what I assume is a husband-wife duo who offer rustic home-cooked cuisine. We tried the $10 dollar lunches which despite their humble portions, tasted honest and made-with-love. I hope to try their dinner menu one day.
After reading some good reviews, decided to give Cicio Cacio a try. We were not disappointed, decor was interesting, menu all in Italian, so the waitress explained everything. The food we ordered was fantastic, full of flavour and perfectly cooked! The desserts to finish were amazing!
Seriously, this is THE BEST Italian restaurant in the Wellington region. The atmosphere is great, the food is just buonissimo and the service quite wonderful. Having lived in Italy for 10 years, I have a good idea of what good Italian food is and this restaurant also provides AUTHENTIC Italian food...
Give it a try, you won't be disappointed
I'm actually in love with this place, the food and experience is so authentic! (Actually to be honest probably a bit better than a lot of places I visited in Italy, they weren't often too concerned with the design element.) Anyhow, my husband and I went for "date night" and it was perfect. Cosy, welcoming, and we ate far too much and drank prosecco. The menu was written in Italian and changes regularly, we shared some pasta, gnocchi and sides, and everything was delicious. The only downside is we spent a lot more than we'd bargained for! Thumbs up to Newtown getting better and better!
Ambience, amazing food and attentive friendly service.
What a great restaurant. Our beautiful waitress explained the menu with ease .. the meals came faster than expected considering it was so busy .
EVERYTHING Tasted AMAZING .. the sweet and sour carrots and roasted grape and whipped goats cheese bruschetta are a game changer .
If you havnt been .. just go! You won't regret it
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"Serving food with love and passion feels different". I don't think anyone will actually know what it means until they experience it.
Luckily I stumbled across a YouTube video recommending @ciciocacioosteria in Newtown, Wellington.
Normally I am a fussy person when it comes to choosing a restaurant.
People who know me know that I don't ever decide on one until I do my research. The story of Cicio Cacio was too heartwarming to the point where I didn't want to do any research but eat there. Coming here was the main thing I looked forward to the most for my Wellington trip and it was well worth it. I cannot recommend this place enough, the food was delicious beyond words can explain. Simple but authentic that it felt like we were in a small town in Italy for a little while.
I am so glad people like
Guilio Ricatti exist, there is an unexplainable beauty in saving the old.
I am sorry I took the piece of cork that kept our table steady, I wanted to keep a piece of Cicio Cacio with me as a souvenir. Please forgive me and I hope the restaurant will live a long life to tell so many tales ❤️
This place is fantastic, and has been a favorite for years, since we used to live in the neighborhood. Just went back, and it's still great. We were lucky enough to travel to Italy this year, and the atmosphere here feels very like the best places we ate there. Authentic and delicious!
A hidden gem that serves absolutely delicious food. Service was efficient and food came out in short time. Cool interior that adds to the experience and even had live music which was neat. Bistecca and Lamb were phenomenal, ravioli was silky and the tiramisu just ended the evening perfectly. Definitely recommend
Visited after a glowing recommendation from a colleague and it was definitely worth it! Such a great space inside, and the food and service was amazing. Will definitely be coming back
2 dishes not available but 3rd choice was. The food was delicious! Pasta awesome. Good dessert too!
Absolutely fabulous dinner tonight celebrating my father’s birthday. We attended as a table of 8, ages ranging from 2 to 68. The food was superb, atmosphere was lovely and our children were enchanted with the piano players and exceptionally kind staff. Thank you so much - we will be back!
I went there for my birthday, we had a wonderful time in this very warm environment, the food is amazing we’ll done to the chef! The staff is amazing, taking care of you and making sure you have enough bread and butter for the full diner ! I felt at home !
We loved this little authentic Italian restaurant in a cozy neighborhood of Wellington. Homemade pasta was excellent. Lemon mascarpone. Everything was delicious and highly recommend.
Great food and service as always. Enjoyed the live entertainment once the volume was turned down a littke. We came to talk and catch up. But overall, excellent
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