Cotto Restaurant

Have had the pleasure of dining at Cotto twice and can say that the food is phenomenal. Cotto is a real gem, and one of my favorite restaurants in Auckland. The spinach and goat cheese dumplings are something I think about often. Sooooo good! I really hope you reopen Cotto! Thank you for existing and gracing us with your deliciousness. x

Great place for a group dine. The menu is made so that all the plates are shared and the more people you have the more items you can try. Overall really please with the speed of the food delivered out, the flavours, quantity and taste. To me it was an Italian twist with some nice unique items on the menu so it broke up the heaviness of -for example only pasta dishes. The smaller plates I enjoyed more than the actual mains which I thought I would like-in particular the lamb ragu which looked amazing on photos and irl too, but taste wise I don’t know, it was good but the flavours weren’t as complex as for example compared to spinach goat cheese dumplings which I had no idea what to expect but was nicely taken aback. The gnocchi was also super soft and a bit flavourless but the sauce of asparagus and pea was good and also accompanied nicely with pancetta I think that’s what we got. Though saying that-because we got to tray an array of smaller dishes, they accompanied the main carbs quite nicely, such as the lamb ribs that delivered a yum mouthful of protein aside some more soft sloppy pasta. Drink menu is nicely elaborate but I don’t know much on drinks-got to have a good mocktail spagliato Negroni (iykyk the meme) so I was happy. Dessert wise was a meh it’s aight vibes nice little finisher but I’d personally pass-we got affogato and I believe the chocolate nemesis; both were extremely rich, personally not my cup of coffee. Shoutout to the foccacia, best I’ve had in Auckland. I will dream of this. We had a decent group size of 8-not everyone managed to make it on the dot of our table time-I understand servers need to come around and ask if we want to go ahead but surely not more than two times? We were asked I think around four times and it just felt slightly pushy, again understand they have to keep us in check with times and things but please surely mentioning it once or twice is enough? Other than that no issues with service, food was delivered with courtesy, plates were cleared quite promptly and all was well. Seating arrangements are quite nice. Rowdy atmosphere but standard for k road and popular restaurants, nice to feel the place was packed out and everyone having a good vibe.

It's always a pleasure to eat here. Service is always attentive without being invasive, and food is superb and there is never a weak dish (this time my favourite was the gnocchi). They are also brilliant with allergies. Their only issue is how loud it can be, limiting conversation across the big comfy booths. One of the best spots in Auckland, and it remains high on my list for any night out.

OMG FORGET ABOUT WHATEVER YOUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANT WAS COZ AFTER YOU’VE EATEN HERE IT’S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE COTTO!!! I didn’t even remember to take “before” photos of our food because it was a taste explosion! Gorgeous, out of the way spot on K-Rd that I’ve probably walked past a million times and not taken notice. Wait staff were friendly and suggested I wait at the bar before the rest of my dinner party arrived and then they’d seat us. We got the option to dine inside or on the deck, we decided on the deck and I was worried it would be chilly but it was so warm! If you want tasty food, definitely come to Cotto. The prices are reasonable and the size of the dishes are very good. We ordered 3 small dishes and 2 large dishes and couldn’t finish it all. The ribs were divine. Everyone has to order the ribs when they go. As were the pasta dumplings!!! But the gnocchi was a game changer for me. I usually don’t order it other places because it’s either dry or a bit tasteless… But Cotto gnocchi is light and fluffy, literally melt in your mouth type of gnocchi. Will definitely be making regular visits to Cotto from now on!!!

What a delight. I have been eyeing this place for 2 years but kind never went. huge mistake. from the very start we were handed our foccacia (not in photos) and was just amazed. stunning foccacia and we knew form there, it could only get better. next we were given all our sides and appetizers: feta fries, arancini balls, and honey balsamic lamb ribs. can I just say, you can't come to cotto and not get the lamb ribs... GET THEM!!! whilst we primed our stomachs, we sipped down on some delicious spritz, was nothing special, but delightful nonetheless. smaller than I'd hoped but oh well. next we were handed our mains to share: beef ragu, gnocchi, and pork cannelloni. gnocchi was airy, soft, pillowy - as it should be - and it was starkly contrasted with the crunch and bite of the wallnuts. bliss. and the beef ragu was just good, not amazing per se, but very filling and great portion, definitely their biggest dish and worth getting if you are planning to share in a large group like we did. in contrast, maybe don't get the pork cannelloni for sharing, two slim(ish) cannellonis were dished out, tasted great, but just wasn't that much. service was great too, server was very attentive and was proactive in checking in on us visually but did not intrude too much in our conversations which I loved. they're doing great. price is a big thing for everyone, and me too. I came in with a group of 8, total bill was 325, but was charged 344 for the pay wave surcharge. Basically ~$40pp and this bill included many things that left us happy. 7/8 of us ordered drinks as well. orders: 3 feta cheese fries 2 foccacia 2 honey balsamic lamb ribs 2 arancini balls 2 beef ragus 1 gnocchi 1 pork cannelloni.

This little nook doesn’t shout about itself - just a small lighted circular sign outside. But it’s warm and lively inside. The food is good, the prices affordable, and the service attentive, even on a busy Friday night. We had several starters and just a single main, and that was plenty. The focaccia was excellent, and also the cauliflower. The broccoli came as a single large stalk, and it was a challenge putting it together with its accompaniments. The spinach was like spanakopita without the pastry. The beetroot ravioli was the most creative combination and quite delightful. As for dessert, the chocolate caramel pudding sounded great but didn’t taste vividly of any of its ingredients. Even with drinks, the total was only about $50NZ - seemed a bargain.

Apart from the frustrating inability to book a table beforehand, there is nothing to fault about Cotto. From their delectable food to their warm wait staff, everything was just perfect. Give their beetroot ravioli a shot. The textures were a pleasant surprise. Amongst the entrées, I'd highly recommend the lamb ribs and the cauliflower fritti!

Cotto was amazing. We loved the service, food & overall vibe. Our favourites were the dumplings & beef Ragu. One tip - get there early as gets very busy. We arrived at 5:45pm on a Friday night & was already full, we got the last table outside, but don’t worry even if winter, outside is still warm enough & you get a great view of the chefs making the magic happen.