472 Richmond Road,
Grey Lynn
Auckland,


(09) 360 7590

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5 out of 5

A delicious chord was struck when this restaurant brought its smart, unfussy formula to the rapidly gentrifying Grey Lynn several years ago. Today, the place fair hums with smart-set diners.

It’s always been one of our favourites, despite service that was invariably aloof.

Arriving for our most recent visit on a wet and cold midweek evening, apprehensions disappeared when the maitre d’ greeted us with a smile and took our coats. A troupe of young, efficient waitresses made the rest of the meal all the more enjoyable.

On this occasion, the food, too, was faultless (in the past, dull flavours and variable portion sizes had been a problem).

Delicious Restaurant specialises in pasta, with a small frequently-changing menu sporting two soups; eight versions of sauced pasta and ravioli; one gnocchi; and one risotto. All the pasta is made in-house and it’s always cooked perfectly al dente.

We chose pappardelle with braised lamb, rosemary and pecorino ($18.50) which had a good, hearty, meaty flavour; and risotto with gorgonzola, walnut and sage ($16) which included (with apologies to Simon and Garfunkel) a good sprinkling of parsley and thyme. The creamy, salty blue cheese dominated the dish while the herbs and chunky nuts were fresh counterpoints.

My partner chose a glass of Castigliani Chianti ($8.50) from a small, but well constructed wine list, and I had Italian sparkling mineral water ($4.50 for 500 ml).

A rocket salad ($6.50) was a lightly-dressed heaping mound of the freshest of leaves with shavings of parmesan—perfect for sharing.

Dessert (all $7) is always a highlight here. We stretched our legs with a trip to the display cabinet where everything looked scrumptious, but my companion couldn’t go past the tiramisu; a soft square of layered cream-chocolate-coffee goodness with a healthy dash of brandy.

From the menu I had a cone of soft, chewy rice semifreddo studded with orange peel and doused in chocolate sauce to make it taste like fancy jaffa.

Delicious’ spare and functional dining rooms manage to be comfortable in a minimalist sort of way. Couples get lined up next to each other at tables along a wall, so if you want a truly intimate evening, bag the bar leaner built into a window alcove.

And this scene plays out every time I pay the bill.

Waitress: “How was your meal?”
Me: “Delici… That’s too obvious, isn’t it?”