Comments

Here is what they have said about Gina's over the years. Alessandro was once described as "a testosterone heavy yelling from the kitchen" but that's another story… All said, you make the best stories. So don't wait for a special occasion to come to Gina's, come and see for yourself!

"Voted by the people, Gold Award Finalist in Best Casual Dining."
Entertainment Publications - 2008/2009

"What can we say 'yum?' And that's just the waiters! We're sure the gorgeous Gina's Pizza boys are actually supermodels who moonlight as waiters, but either way we're going back! The food is also amazing - this place really is Italian owned and operated and the food proves it. The atmosphere is indescribable - it's jovial, jolly and happy, and it resembles the hustle-bustle of a funky New York eatery."
Express Magazine - February 2008

"We left about two hours later having been entertained in a noisy, exciting and fun restaurant, eaten delightful food and tried some excellent Italian Red."
KiwiHost - April 2007

"Gina's is not the place for a quiet, romantic evening - they don't do quiet; they do full-on, with belching flames ... italian Happy Birthday chants .... and the ringleader exhorting everyone to: "eat! eat! eat!" ... delicious... perfetto."
Canvas, NZ Weekend Herald, September 2006

"Winner for best Ambience & Style."
Lewisham Award May 2006

"This place is always fun, fun, fun."
Auckland City Mix Guide, April 2006

"Upon entry you're greeted with a warm smile and open-armed welcome...when you and your full belly leave you'll receive the customary "ciao bella!" and walk out smiling."
Auckland Max, November 2005

"Gina's…you don't have to wait for a special occasion to go. But when you do go it will be a special occasion."
NZ Weekend Herald, July 2005

"Gloriously over the top!"
Viva NZ Herald June 2005

"Voted by the people best Italian restaurant."
Metro Magazine 2005

"The food's good, but the atmosphere amazing, and yeah the boys are quite hot."
Sunday Star Times, June 2004

"Voted by the people: best Italian restaurant 2003"
Metro magazine January 2004

"Voted by the people - best restaurant."
Seen magazine 2004

"Robust and rowdy, not posh and Ponsonby."
Sunday Star Times, December 2003

"This place is on fire! It's like stepping into the tardis and being transported to 1950's Sicily!"
NZ Herald Weekend canvas, August 2003

"All you can do is shrug at anyone churlish enough to find fault with one of the city's best cheap and cheerfuls'. Sure it's not the place for a quiet tete-a-tete but the staff are amiable. The food always delicious and the mood like that of a wonderfully noisy family party just a couple of chiantis short of pandemonium."
Metro Magazine, July 2003

"Take this place and clone it. The young men who work in the kitchen and tend tables are all performance, not at all brash, but full of macho exuberance making Gina's great fun."
Metro Magazine March 2002

"The kitchen offers pizza, lots of pasta dishes that are filled with tempting savoury flavours and a small selection of mains but the best dishes are the weekly specials, which offer rustic authentic cooking from Tuscany."
Cuisine magazine May 2001

"I picked Gina's, a delicious Italian grotto with ridiculously good-looking staff. I calculated that there would be at least two absurdly attractive waiters, one hot chef and a bevy of sexy food-bearing nymphs to sate the testosterone levels at the table."
Weekend Sunday Urban Cheek Column, May 2000

"Gina's is not the River café and it's not even Ponsonby Italian but it's what I sometimes hanker after a family-run, extremely well priced, neighbourhood Italian café. It's warm, friendly and the food is a real bonus."
Auckland Inner City paper, October 1999