Baduzzi

I was really looking forward to going here, I absolutely love Italian cuisine and the restaurant is rated highly on Google. When we got there, my first impressions were good. We received a warm, friendly greeting, the restaurant was busy and the decor very nice. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and good when we got him, could have been a bit more attentive though as it took us quite awhile to just get some drinks. I had the Italian Cider and it was absolutely delicious and not super sweet. For dinner, I had the duck pasta, which I was incredibly excited about. However, found disappointing unfortunately, it is quite stew like, which I wasn't expecting. The pasta itself was nice. Then came to ordering dessert. Our original waiter clocked out and then it took us a good 40 minutes or so to get the waitresses' attention to order dessert. Once we finally got to order, the dessert came fairly quickly and was absolutely delicious. I had the canoli and it was perfectly balanced, crispy and the citrus flavor devine. I'm not sure of I'd go back here, I wouldn't rule it out, but definitely disappointed in the service.

Upscale Italian restaurant located in the trendy waterfront of Auckland. The meals were tasty and well presented. I had the vegetarian pasta with pumpkin filling. It was delicious but was a bit light for size (see pics). I needed to order another bowl of bread in addition to my pumpkin pasta dish. My partner had the eggplant side dish and meatballs and was very satisfied. The "deconstructed" tiramisu was lovely, but untraditional.

When dining at an Italian restaurant in New Zealand, it’s often an occasion for a special treat. So, when picking a spot, I like to check out the menu for something unique the restaurant offers. Buduzzi caught my eye with its pappardella ripiena, a dish that’s not very typical. While I don’t have another version to compare it to, what I had was absolutely delicious. The marinara sauce was perfectly balanced with the ricotta. Personally, I’d have preferred a bit more pasta in the sauce rather than the baked texture, but that’s just a personal preference—overall, it was fantastic. For the secondi, I opted for the Vitello Perlato, and the meat was cooked to perfection. The combination of tender meat with fluffy arugula, balsamic, and Parmigiano Reggiano added such a lovely aroma and depth of flavor. If this dish were served in Italy, I imagine it wouldn’t include the potatoes (seems to be more of a Kiwi twist to have meat paired with potatoes). A special shout-out to our French waiter, who served us with great humor and made the whole experience even better. Your service was exceptional! Complimenti al chef, la tua cucina è un capolavoro! Thank you for taking me back to Italy. Buduzzi, compared to Bossi, is no match—Buduzzi is truly authentic in both its cooking style and atmosphere. It was far from pretentious and incredibly welcoming. What we ordered we thought the price was very honest.

Honestly a five star experience. Exceptional food, Michelin Star level, knowledgeable friendly service, especially with the wine recommendations (next level!), all with an Italian home-cooked vibe atmosphere. Loved the kitchen-view table and Iralian server!!

Review from our visit in June 2024 We had a mixed dining experience at Baduzzi – some dishes impressed, while others fell short: - Ginger Hero mocktail was a standout surprise – crafted at a cocktail-level standard with great depth of flavour. Highly recommend it! - Pumpkin Pasta was excellent, rich, and well-balanced, though it could have been served hotter. - Pan-Seared Line-Caught Snapper had great flavour but was on the smaller side for the price. - Beef Short Rib was a disappointment – lukewarm and lacking depth in seasoning. - Lamb Meatballs were let down by poor execution. While the sauce was a saving grace, the meatballs themselves were underwhelming – surprising, given it is meant to be the trademark dish here. There also seemed to be miscommunication in the kitchen – our plate was preheated but had cooled by the time the dish arrived, and the accompanying pappardelle didn’t come out with it, leaving the meatballs to go cold as we waited. Service was friendly but timing and kitchen coordination left much to be desired. Given the reputation of Baduzzi, we expected better across the board. Would we return? Maybe for the pasta and cocktails, but overall, it didn’t fully live up to expectations.

All food was amazing! We had an eggplant thing as a starter, a crayfish meatball, a duck pasta and a tiramisu. Staff are very friendly and professional. Will definitely come back again 😉

Ok, so this was a tough one. The menu makes the food sound fantastic but when it arrives (very quickly and only warm, not hot) it is just nice. It has flavour and is presented well, but it's just nice. The meatballs must be pre cooked and then reheated as they were warm and didn't have a freshly made look. Service friendly and efficient. Look, try it, you may get a better meal, but be prepared to be underwhelmed.