Cuisine: Italian
Price: $28 for pasta and dessert
Location: 244 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
Price: $28 for pasta and dessert
Location: 244 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
Website: http://www.farina.co.nz/
Farina is one of the many inviting, upmarket restaurants lining Ponsonby Road. I've never been particularly ecstatic about Italian food, but I was happy to give this eatery a try with friends. We sat in the cramped restaurant with our helpful, though opinionated waiter, advising us. Farina specialises in pizza, which is obvious when looking at the large selection on the menu. There are many other dishes available, such as the typical pasta and anti pasti, as well as more unique options like the spiedini.
We each decided to order a different pasta dish, I choosing the tagliatelle ragu of the day, which was tomato and duck. My friends ordered the gnocchetti and tagliatelle nero. I also ordered tiramisu for dessert.
When the dishes arrived they certainly looked appetising, but the taste left something to be desired and the portions were on the smaller side. I found my ragu rather bland and the sauce thin, with only the deliciously succulent duck standing out. My friends weren't impressed either, both the gnocchetti and tagliatelle nero failing to excite.
The tiramisu, however, was a treat. I'm a massive fan of this dessert, and it can be hard to find a well made tiramisu. The chocolate powder was rich, and the dish creamy while still maintaining lightness. After the mediocre main course, I was at least happy with this.
While there was nothing in particular wrong with Farina, very little of the experience excited us. The restaurant was cramped and we all felt unfilled by our meal. The only stand out for me was the tiramisu, but it wasn't worth going there for a single dessert. The experience was curtly summarised by us as "disappointing".
6/10
Farina is one of the many inviting, upmarket restaurants lining Ponsonby Road. I've never been particularly ecstatic about Italian food, but I was happy to give this eatery a try with friends. We sat in the cramped restaurant with our helpful, though opinionated waiter, advising us. Farina specialises in pizza, which is obvious when looking at the large selection on the menu. There are many other dishes available, such as the typical pasta and anti pasti, as well as more unique options like the spiedini.
We each decided to order a different pasta dish, I choosing the tagliatelle ragu of the day, which was tomato and duck. My friends ordered the gnocchetti and tagliatelle nero. I also ordered tiramisu for dessert.
When the dishes arrived they certainly looked appetising, but the taste left something to be desired and the portions were on the smaller side. I found my ragu rather bland and the sauce thin, with only the deliciously succulent duck standing out. My friends weren't impressed either, both the gnocchetti and tagliatelle nero failing to excite.
The tiramisu, however, was a treat. I'm a massive fan of this dessert, and it can be hard to find a well made tiramisu. The chocolate powder was rich, and the dish creamy while still maintaining lightness. After the mediocre main course, I was at least happy with this.
While there was nothing in particular wrong with Farina, very little of the experience excited us. The restaurant was cramped and we all felt unfilled by our meal. The only stand out for me was the tiramisu, but it wasn't worth going there for a single dessert. The experience was curtly summarised by us as "disappointing".
6/10
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