While Auckland now has more pasta places than ever, Baduzzi stands on its own as a restaurant happy to do its own thing. There’s a well-laid-out menu that takes cues from Italian-American cuisine (owner Michael Dearth is from the US), but it’s plonked right by the New Zealand water down in Wynyard Quarter, and we love it for that.

The polpette (or meatballs) are the indisputable highlight, especially the Karitane crayfish meatballs. Beautiful, soft, yielding, served with a layer of sweet onion purée: all the components work wonderfully together towards something tasty but delicate in flavour. We love how the pasta options are vegetarian and seafood-heavy, such as the black truffle gnocchi, full of flavourful, meaty mushrooms. Get a side of focaccia to mop up the tasty juices.

Baduzzi won Best Service at our last awards, in 2019, and it’s good to see that two years on, the service is still great — knowledgeable and friendly, with an efficiency that never slips, despite the sprawling restaurant being cordoned off into several spaces. Speaking of the space, well, we’re pleasantly surprised by how well the décor has held up: still interesting, relaxing, with a sense of luxury.