IN BRIEF

Stunning, silky-smooth handmade pasta, authentic puffy pizzas and more, all delivered with punchy Italian flavours and an authentic Neapolitan-style atmosphere.

WHY CHOOSE THIS RESTAURANT?

A warm welcome is offered at this intimate, almost jewel box-like dining room, where you can experience the best food that’s been cooked in staid old Remuera for several decades. It’s a thoroughly modern interpretation of serious Italian fare, with a drinks list to match.

ABOUT THE FOOD

Start with freshly sliced-to-order genuine Parma prosciutto topped with cute little balls of fried pizza dough, plus as many of the starters and snacks that you possibly dare to order. Chargrilled octopus arrives deliciously smoky, finished on a small ‘Green Egg’ cooker and served with an old-school potato salad. Salads are seasonal, always fab and tasty, and the playful approach to tonnato turns out to be sliced pork loin with traditional tuna mayo and hazelnut oil. Pasta dishes range from gorgeous melt-in-the-mouth squid-ink tortelli stuffed with broccoli and lemon zest and served with a spicy baby octopus sauce, through to traditional linguini clams in garlic and chilli oil, and a wonderful tangle of saffron tagliatelle with veal-shank ragout and salsa verde. Don’t miss the flavour-packed pizzas, as leftovers are always obligingly packed up to take home for next day snacking.

ABOUT THE CHEF

His name says it all. Fabrizio (Fab) Napolitano is truly ‘fab’, a chef who really does hail from Naples, the centre of all amazing pizza and pasta. He formerly forged a fine reputation at Nom in Hong Kong, where his famed meatballs were highly applauded by the discerning diners of that food-oriented city. Fab met his Kiwi wife Taryne Hall Napolitano there, where she ran a top-notch catering company. “She is everything that’s essential to my life and food,” he shared.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Staff are very professional and amicable, and well versed in the tight list of Italian wines with a few nods to local winemakers, and some fine classic cocktails and spirits, with limoncello to end. Service is really efficient and fast, most often overseen by Taryne.

OF NOTE

Spiga opened almost a year ago, but building and development of this superb site on the old stables and Village Green have been agonisingly prolonged. However, a pavilion which is planned adjacent to the restaurant is due to open soon, which will provide 40 more seats and a bar. In the meantime, the intimacy is to be applauded and cherished, although note that diners can have their tables for only 90 minutes.

1/E 415 Remuera Rd (behind the shops), Remuera
Check website for opening hours
MAINS: $24 – $36
CONTACT: 09 869 8080
WEBSITE: spiga.nz