Cicio Cacio Osteria

What a fabulous place. We have just returned from our travels overseas and this beats anything at the high end of the market. The service was great, the food to die for and live music to add to the vibe. We shared Aranchini (yummy). I had Lamb Chops and my husband had Pork Belly. Both mains were to die for too.

This little hidden place is a treasure of food. Ambience is quite cozy and very welcoming. The servers are good at customer service and good at juggling several tables during busy time. Our favorite dish all round the table was the Gnocchi, a must try. I’m not a big fan of red meat, but the lamb was perfectly cooked and tasted well. The fresh Tiramisu was a delight and made a great end of our meal. Italian restaurant who doesn’t serve pizzas on the menu, but does make for it by serving some delicious menu. They had live artists playing music. I’m not sure if it is a thing every time. All in all a good place for a cozy little dinner with friends and family.

It can be a little tricky to find, and the space is quite cozy, not the easiest with a toddler in tow but the staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. They even gave my little one some coloring materials to keep him entertained. The atmosphere was lively, full of that true Italian vibe, and every dish we tried was bursting with flavour. We couldn’t stop talking about the food on our way home. Highly recommended!

You can expect superb food and service from this awesome Newtown gem. One of those rare places that have only gotten better over time! 🫶🏽 We had dinner for my partner's 40th and the lovely waitress went over and above making sure the surprise candles on the dessert were spot on. Thank you so much!

Absolutely love this lovely and cozy place for dinner. Very delicious food and very cozy style feels like I’m at home with my family. Amazing pasta.

It’s our first time to dine in here and we are pleased that we chose to come here. All the food that we ordered were very good. I will recommend the octopus on mashed potatoes, chicken liver pâté, Ravioli, Lamb schnitzel and mashed potatoes with tomatoes. We also received a very good service, staffs are accommodating and friendly.

Love this place. It was a wonderful evening. The food and wine were spectacular so I did not mind paying a little extra. The atmosphere nails it. The waiting staff are unpretentious, knowledgeable and honest. Great experience - thank you!

Great atmosphere and absolutely delicious food. The gnocchi was a standout - 100% recommended.

One last meal in Wellington so we decided to splurge and check out Cicio Cacio Osteria in Newtown. It's hidden in an alleyway (use Wilson Street) which adds to its charm. We dropped in on a Tuesday afternoon (around 12:30pm). It wasn't busy at all; only two other tables. The service was really, really impressive. Our waitress (we found out she's German) literally wrote what was available from the menu on our table, in full detail, from heart. We were impressed. The inside is super warm and inviting. It's the perfect spot for a date. There's a chalkboard menu that changes often (hence why there is no printed menu) that's broken into starters, primi (pasta), secondi (meats), sides and desserts. - Antipastino ($17.00 NZD) - this was our favourite dish of our meal. Olives, figs, two types of meat (salami and pancetta) and three cheeses (asiago, brie and another). All three cheeses were fantastic and had great texture. Same for the meats; satisfying bite and aged in flavour. - Spaghetti aglio et olio ($12.00 NZD) - one of their lunch specials (oil and garlic for the non-Italian speakers). Quite good. Don't think the pasta was homemade (their main entrees pastas are freshly made) but it was still good. - Roast chicken with potatoes ($15.00 NZD) - the other lunch special and sadly, when things started going downhill. Potatoes were over salted; same with the chicken but it was also dry. - Lamb rump with carrot and onions ($25.00 NZD) - the lamp rump was tender enough to pull off with a fork but it lacked flavour. The carrots and onions were sooooo buttery but not in a good way. Again, major balancing issues with the seasoning. We were hoping for CCO to be good but it didn't quite live up to the hype. Amazing service but the food didn't match.

This Italian restaurant is a must do for Wellingtonians. Tucked away in Newtown, it has a family feel. The staff are friendly and the food is not what you expect from an Italian restaurant. It's what I'm guessing Italians would eat if they went out. Pace yourself, get an entree, and finish off with a desert. Can't go wrong with the house wine, either. We'll definitely come back. They were very child friendly and the food did not take too long to come out.

A hidden gem discovered in Newtown. As soon as you walk in you realise that you're onto a good thing - lovely soft lighting, delicious aromas from the kitchen, warm inviting staff and wonderful character. The menu is fun to navigate - every eight months it changes to a new menu with a focus on a different region of Italy. The menu is written in Italian, with a few english translations of key words at the bottom, but the waiting staff are more than happy to translate of course. Excellent range of wines, with house wines served by the glass or carafe. The quality of the meals was excellent - delicious fresh pasta (I had the polenta pasta dish, yummy!), seafood, wonderful rich flavours. AND quite possibly the best panna cotta I have ever tasted!

Brilliant authentic Italian that changes monthly according to different regions. Great $10 lunch specials and a Bruschetta to die for!