Scopa — Restaurant in North Island

​​Headed to Scopa on Cuba Street for the first time last night and it did not disappoint!

We ordered the basic margherita ($20) and the pancetta ($31) which was topped with pancetta (salt-cured pork belly), fresh mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and hot honey. Our pizzas arrived so quickly considering it was dinner time on a Saturday and we were immediately stunned by how they were just glistening in the light haha. The pizza itself was the perfect one-person serving size and the dough/base was pure perfection - still soft and foldable, but also crispy on edges while remaining airy and slightly chewy. The pizza sauce was nicely sweet and the mozzarella was only thinly/sparingly sprinkled on top which I personally liked as cheese is still a significant fear food of mine and it meant there wasn’t much grease. For the average person however, I would probably recommend adding the suggested fresh mozzarella on top. As for the pancetta pizza, we couldn’t fault it one bit and especially loved the hot honey which added a kick of spice + an extra hit of sweetness.

Funnily enough, we were originally going to share one pizza but ordered two expecting to bring leftovers home, but neither of those things happened - the pizzas were so tasty that we both demolished a whole one each! Unfortunately this meant we didn't have room for tiramisu, although that's just an incentive for us to return over the summer hehe.

Overall, we had an amazing experience at Scopa - the service we received was immaculate and the vibes were very classy, coxy and related with the dim/warm lighting. They also have gluten free bases and dairy free cheese available, plus most/all menu items were nut free so it’s very allergy friendly. Lots of options suitable...

We went because it was always busy and assumed that it must be good. (This was our most expensive meal in Wellington and the only one we didn’t like.) My partner had the carne pizza - prosciutto was nice, dough was good but the whole thing- the sauce, was bland. Basically the taste was salt. He said it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t amazing and for the price, it should have been amazing. He described it like this “you could do better, it’s like there’s no love in this.”

I ordered the chicken with vodka tomato sauce. Here’s where the meal was ultra disappointing: It was a pile of fried chicken breast (no herbs or spices, quite dry, with the bland salty pizza sauce and some bits of average mozerella. The best part of the meal was the lemon wedge as that was the only thing to cut through the only flavour of “salt”. Has the restaurant not heard of basil or pepper? Nutmeg?

We are it because we were hungry- but I was still hungry afterwards! The waitress assured me that I was “quite a big dish” - it wasn’t filling.

Really disappointing- bland bland bland.

Oh- I got the Aperol Spritz- normally my favourite drink but the addition of olive/ olive juice made it taste like the taste in your mouth just after throwing up- I’ve never had an aperol spritz like that. I don’t know who decided to try that but they shouldn’t.

At $86 for 2 bland meals, one bad alcoholic drink and one cola, we...

Disappointed… I was really excited to try their hot chocolate as I walk past this restaurant often and see their incentives signage so I finally placed an order as it said on their window and online system “free hot chocolate with EVERY/ALL online pickup orders”. When I brought this up at pickup they asked to see where it said this, when I showed them (waitress and manager) their statement, they agreed it does say that however I had to order food or spend over $20… They also informed me that “it’s been happening all week,” but nothing’s been fixed. This feels misleading — if there are conditions, they should be clearly stated. It is also especially concerning, as it suggests the issue has been ongoing without correction. I’ve now looked through the reviews and seen a review from one year ago stating the same as me. Clearly they are purposely not fixing this issue. As someone who has worked in hospitality for several years, you need to follow through on what’s advertised. If I knew this before or the incentive showed the supposed requirements I would not have paid $9 for a small hot chocolate. Will not be going back. Just a warning in case anyone else falls for this...