Andiamo — Restaurant in Waitematā

We visited Andiamo and ordered the Maritozzi Brioche Buns with Parmesan Custard and Ōra King Caviar, a dish that looked exquisite in their official Instagram post. However, the actual dish we received was noticeably different from what was advertised. Portion discrepancy – The Instagram post showcased three buns, while we were served only two. There was no mention of a portion change, which felt misleading. Ingredient inconsistency – The caviar in the promotional photo was larger and more vibrant, likely Ōra King salmon roe. However, what we received had much smaller, less visually striking fish roe, which to be a different ingredient altogether. Quality issue with the brioche – The buns had a strong sour and alcoholic taste, which is unusual for a properly made maritozzo. This suggests either over-fermentation or improper dough handling, leading to an unpleasant experience. While a mild fermentation note can be acceptable in brioche due to the use of yeast, the overwhelming acidity and pronounced alcohol-like flavor suggested over-fermentation or improper dough handling. Additionally, the texture was far from the soft, airy, and slightly sweet profile expected of a properly executed brioche.

We brought this issue to the restaurant’s attention, hoping for some insight into whether this was an intentional aspect of their recipe or a potential flaw in preparation. Unfortunately, the staff who do our payments; the lady with the black blazers; was dismissive and visibly impatient, offering no explanation or acknowledgment of the concern. While the dish was ultimately removed from our bill, the lack of engagement or willingness to address a fundamental issue in their baking process was...

Not sure where to even start with this experience. We booked a table for three at 8:30PM, even left a note asking for a nice spot with some decent ambience—nothing over the top, just a good night out. We arrived around 8:40PM, expecting our table to be ready. It wasn’t. Instead, we were told to wait at the bar and order drinks while they sorted it out. A bit disappointing, but we went along with it.

After about 10-15 minutes, we finally got taken to the back of the restaurant to a tiny table with high stools that barely fit the cutlery, let alone three people trying to share food. It felt like an afterthought, to be honest. We asked if we could move somewhere a bit more comfortable, and thankfully they did move us, but by that point it already felt like the night was off to a rough start.

Our server tried, but there were a few slip-ups—spilling salt everywhere and nearly knocking over a bottle of water onto my friend. We all kind of just laughed it off, but it definitely added to the awkwardness. Food was actually decent, and sharing two mains and two sides between three people worked out fine, price-wise at least.

Then came the bill. Honestly, this part just sealed the night. The duty manager, Benjamin, took way too long to process a simple split payment, telling us their system couldn’t handle it. On top of that, he seemed like he wasn’t fully there—like he’d had a few drinks himself. Another staff member had to step in and apologise for him, which really didn’t sit right with us.

Waiting nearly 15 minutes just to sort out a bill left a pretty bad taste to end the night on. Really disappointing overall, and definitely not in a hurry...

Came here last week for a company dinner. As there were 15 of us, we were only offered a set dinner option at $85 per pax which was very well priced and great option given the size of the group.

The menu was relatively extensive and was made up of 4 choices of entree, 4 choices mains and 2 choices of dessert. All dishes were for sharing around the table.

We had the bruschetta, the deep fried calamari, the king fish crudo and the grass-fed beef meatballs for entree. All were very food especially the crudo and the meatballs.

For mains, we were offered the wagyu steak, the market fish, risotto milanese and the fusilli pasta. Again all were very good with the wagyu and the risotto the 2 stand out dishes.

In terms of dessert, we were offered the tiramisu and the torte di formaggio. Again both were quite nice.

Services have been quite good too despite the restaurant being extremely busy that night with waitresses periodically checking on us for drinks refill.

My only criticism of the set dinner menu was that the dishes served was still a single portion per plate similar to any usual dining order. While this gives everyone the opportunity to sample more dishes, I just find it quite weird to be sharing desserts which are much smaller in portion size. UPDATE: Saw the owner's response and just wanted to clarify that there were not issue with the portion size and its just a personal opinion/feeling that it's a bit weird sharing desserts.

Overall, a great restaurant and will definitely...