Etrusco at the Savoy

Lovely food, the carbona was so nice! The other pasta we had was without a sauce which I didn’t realise but was quite dry but still ok. We also had a pizza bread starter which was so good It is really lovely designed inside, felt like being in Italy. But was so hot! I saw that on so many comments, they need to put the AC on I found that the ladies that served us were so friendly and helpful. Really great service. But unfortunately when we went to pay the owner was on his phone and just continued on his phone and made us to wait till he was done which felt awkward and quite rude. We knew his friend so told him and he said he wished we told him sooner.. we didn’t really have the chance when he just printed out bill without looking up from his phone and put it in front of us. Which was such a shame when he was so friendly on the phone. It is a nice place so I would recommend. I just hope the owner is rude to other people.

I was quite disappointed with my recent visit to this restaurant. On a weekday evening it was quite busy and the staff couldn‘t manage to provide a quick service. Once I was able to place my order, I decided to have a vegetarian Pizza Michelangelo and a side salad. It‘s really not worth talking about the taste, which was pretty bland. The only positive thing I noticed about the pizza were the fresh ingredients like mushrooms and olives. The crust, however, had almost nothing to do with an italian pizza. It was like a tasteless ready-made dough. The side salad came with oil only, no vinegar, salt or pepper. By the way, you could have added at least pepper yourself if the pepper mill on the table would have worked.

This restaurant serves amazing foods! Especially carbonara was so delicious so my kid did not say anything for eating a lot! I visited here many times and recommended to my sister-in-law!

First time here! the vibe was warm and welcoming staff were so friendly. Food was delishh big portions love it! was too rich for me I needed something fresh on side like (salad) there was so much carbs just missing the freshness. We havnt even tasted our food or still on first bite the waitress came over and asked how the food was. I thought it was funny but thank u for checking on us so quickly. The environment was a bit loud and it was busy which is good. Personally it was hot I wish there was some sorta small windows opened on top to get the air flowing in a crowded place on a warm day. Dessert was on point I wish there was some fresh fruits. I ordered the choc cake had a tiny scoop of ice cream wasnt enough. Still recommend this place to fam and friends 100%!! thank u for tonight.

The good: Buzzing atmosphere, interior is impressive with high ceiling, columns etc. Busy on Sunday which is usually a good sign. Portion sizes on pasta mains were large. Sauce flavours decent but not amazing. Bruschetta toppings were good. The bad: Service was quite inconsistent. Male manager was friendly. Female waitress 1 was a bit scattered but got the job done. The pasta appeared to be cheap supermarket dry pasta, the kind you pick up for $2. Then the mushroom madness: if you're going to describe the mushrooms in dishes as a prized edible mushroom like porcini, then they better be porcini, not button mushrooms, which they were. One costs $8pkg the other multiple times more. I asked for a side mushrooms only if they were porcinis, which the waitress said she would check if they could do that. After coming back she said they can only do button mushrooms on the side because the (dried) porcinis would not be nice. I said I'd cancel them. Fine, keep your mushrooms or whatever. Then when the mains arrived and lo and behold, button bane arrives. On top of this, the venison dish which was also supposed to have porcinis was also peppered with baleful buttons, which were not even cooked well - they were mushy and bland. Then when female waitress 2 cleared our mains I told her the side of mushrooms was, wrong she replied that they just thought they'd send out button mushrooms just in case. This made me think she was being dismissive/expecting me to pay for them, so i repeated that they were not porcinis. At which point she sort of snapped, saying "you won't be charged for them" Rude. How hard is it to just smile and say "sorry about the mushrooms, we won't charge you for them" Like others have said, the food is serviceable but bland and uninspired, and clearly of supermarket quality. Service needs sharpening up. Atmosphere was nice but ruined by service. It clearly has potential. Just revamp the menu and train the FOH staff and you've got the best restaurant in town. A shame.

Oh my goodness! For gf and df me, the best pasta experience I have had in 15 years. I had Fettucine Cervo and a bottle of primativo. My less dietary challenged family had great meals too :) Fabulous service and attention to detail from ALL the wait staff. A must visit when in Dunedin.

I'm someone who would rather leave a business alone than write an honest, negative review... But I was really disappointed with the meal we had this evening at Etrusco. The bruschetta was ok, but the antipasto Toscano was overpriced and, from what I could tell, mostly assembled from supermarket grade products. The bread, in particular, was very underwhelming. However, as unspectacular as these dishes were (combined price $38, photos attached), the real disappointment was the pizza. The toppings were plentiful, but the base was so undercooked, it was honestly no better than a frozen pizza. My pasta - nonno - was also rather bland, and there was nothing by way of parmesan or Chilli oil to season it, something that is offered as standard in most Italian restaurants. In any event, it lacked freshness and the pasta was obviously store bought. Perhaps that is standard in Dunedin, but it does not make for an inspiring Italian meal. The atmosphere was nice enough, and the service was friendly and efficient, but much more has to be done to bring the food up to an acceptable standard. For high quality pizza in Dunedin, you cannot beat Roslyn's Mamma Mia.

Etrusco the Unpronounceable Delights Want to feel fancy and slightly illiterate ? I couldn’t pronounce half the dishes on the menu !! Took help from my wife, who is an expert in Italian food and.... Every bite was a revelation, I visited Italy back in 2011, after 14 years , I tasted Italian again.. I only went because my friend, who just submitted his Ph.D., was treating me. (Side note: If you have a friend finishing a Ph.D., take advantage ) And wow, did he pick the right place. Etrusco is hands down the best restaurant in Dunedin. The food is so good it made me forget about the lack of chicken on the menu. Yep—no chicken. The place was packed—so, Pro tip: Go early. And the view. Or rather, the lack thereof. For such a big restaurant, the view is… just none... Parking is another adventure. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a spot. The service was great—smiley faces all around, though they did mess up our order a little, but they were so beautiful and friendly. I am sorry that I even brought up the mess up part. So Etrusco is a gem. The food is incredible, the atmosphere is buzzing, and the lack of chicken is… a mystery. Just go early, bring your patience, and maybe learn a few Italian words beforehand. Feel fancy and rich!!!🤩🤩🤩🤣🤩🤣🤩

It's been around a long time doing the same thing so what they do is pretty well practiced. Food is okay, nothing special but comes out quickly, the restaurant is big enough to take big groups and you can often get a table without a booking. Restaurant can be very noisy however. Unfortunately it's the only Italian style restaurant we have at the moment.

Homey cozy Italian restaurant in this old Dunedin city center. What a spot to hide away from the crowded. Easily walk in and take a seat by the window, enjoy the colorful glasses of the time reflections, breathe in, prepare a few minutes for your order. Try the Italian soup with nice simple Cibatta bread, following beautiful bolognese pasta, then comes the amazing authentic Italian style pizza. Crispy, tomato base and full of all sorts topping. Mushroom, salami, peppers, chili, and the simple smell of the wheat. Mingling with the fire, the genuine human wisdom and intelligence. Key factor to form a good Italian meal. Perfect ambience for a nice night dinner with family friends or even first date. A must-try.

Average pizza. I had tiramisu for dessert and wouldn't recommend it. Service was very good.

The location is splendid, central and easy to get to, and like the location at the prison, they chose a building of much character. We played the Contagion room this time, and must say it's just a bit easy, but otherwise a fun experience as well and one that's fine for any age as well!

The pasta dishes were very flavorful and expertly prepared. The smaller portions were more than enough to fill just up. The host was excellent. All in all an excellent choice! I would definitely come back again and recommend to others.

Sara and I ate here twice. Once for pizza and once for pasta. We have seldom had such a pleasant dIning experience as our two meals at the Etrusco. The food was superb. The thin crust pizza was well covered with vegetables and the pasta sauces were delicious. Our salad was not over dressed and was fresh. All this and the service, food and bar, was wonderful. In sum a wonderful meal at an excellent restaurant at a reasonable price.

I'm not sure why there aren't many Yelpers in NZ so I'm working to change that! Loved this place. Went on a Sunday and made reservations based on recommendations but even by 8:00, the place still had open tables. Good, open vibe with a piano player. Several pasta and pizza options on the menu. I ordered the Nanno and wife ordered the marinara. Nanno was YUM! Wife liked the marinara but said the shellfish had a bit of fishy taste to it. Ate way too much but enjoyed every bite!

Came here with a large group. Excellent wine and excellent service. Owner and his sons run the place. I'm Italian and love the family feeling in a great restaurant. I had the meat ragu AND the special which was a pasta with red vennison sauce - oh and of course the local NZ Pinot Noir! Thanks Fred!

So-so. The food is okay, sometimes good, and sometimes not. The pasta dishes lack gusto, and the pizza is fairly good, but not the best in Dunedin. The vegetarian options are fairly limited -- a bit disappointing given how easy it is to have amazing veggie pizza and pasta. The historic setting is lovely, but is often too hot in the summer (a rarity in Dunedin) and too told in winter. The giant windows make sure of that. It definitely has atmosphere, but due to the limited menu and variable quality, 3 stars.

Great quality food in a very ambient and cozy spot. Enjoyed the hospitality, and was very vegetarian friendly.

The pasta was okay, probably should have ordered the pizza based on the other YELP review. Garlic bread tasty, but too much butter for my personal taste. The wine list was good, limited beers on tap (2 to be exact), but it is an Italian restaurant so wine is more appropriate for the cuisine.

The pizza is excellent and the pasta is almost as good. They have a good wine selection. Most times the service is good. Only one problem: it's too noisy, maybe because of the style of room. Overall really nice though.

I love Dunedin's old buildings and Etruscos is in a lovely one. Wooden floors though, so it can be noisy. It was very hot the night we ate here and the waiter was very kind to relocate us to sit by a window which he then proceeded to open wide to let some fresh air in. The wine list is good, and if its a special occasion then definitely look at the cellar list which has some fantastic wines on it. We shared the bruschetta which was delicious. Three different toppings and hard to pick a favourite. For a main I had the Nonno pasta which was absolutely packed with flavour. Had a nice degree of spiciness in the abundant sauce as well. I had ordered the large which I couldn't finish but my friend polished it off. Unfortunately he didn't order so well, and was disappointed with the Amatriciana bianca. This is a very dry pasta and doesn't come with sauce and he felt it was lacking in flavour. So much so he didn't finish it and remarked that he thought it should be taken off the menu!! I had the Crostata al limone for dessert which I thought was the perfect way to end. It was light and fluffy with a perfectly balanced lemon taste. My friend enjoyed his pecan pie. Service was good, friendly and attentive. I would definitely eat here again and order the Nonnu, and I would be keen to try the pizzas which looked good.