Excellent restaurant only a block from our hotel. They don't take reservations so we headed over there around 6:30pm on a Friday night and ended up waiting only 20 minutes for a table. I thought that was pretty good. The views of the ocean from the restaurant are lovely. They do have a few sidewalk tables but it was chilly and only one couple dared to try that. I chose the ravioli which was a meatless option. It was so good. We split the focaccia bread, served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Service was fantastic. A lovely server from Italy waited on our table. She was so fun to talk to. The place was hopping. Definitely a local fav. Great experience. read more

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Great atmosphere and good food. I went for dinner with a group of four and we were seated after waiting a little less than 10 minutes. We each ordered a pizza. I ordered the lavender virgin martini and the zucca pizza. The drinks came quickly and the pizza was good. Would return to try some of their lunch items. read more

Esplanade Restaurant - zucca pizza - Pizza Near Me - Dunedin, OTA

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Service is very good. It's a great space, great location. Food. 4/5. The arancini, and formaggio were excellent. The meatballs were not good. The mains were good too. Salmon pizza needs more salmon. I would return here. read more

Esplanade Restaurant - Potato pizza - Pizza Near Me - Dunedin, OTA

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Our family loved Esplanade. It was a lively atmosphere - but not loud - the waitstaff was attentive but gave us space, and the food and drinks were delicious. The menu has a good variety - we all found something we really enjoyed. It's just a nice, comfortable spot - I would absolutely recommend and would definitely return. read more

This is a great place to eat, with great food, great views and best of all great service. Our server, Anna, approached shortly after we were seated and offered us the last of the day's special- a seafood pasta dish with clams, fish, squid, and two kinds of farfalle- plain and squid ink. She quickly suggested the stuffed zucchini flower appetizer and a rocket salad with pears, walnuts and Parmesan cheese. She repeated the order and left to place it. We added some glasses of rose a few moments later. After the wine came out, I had second thoughts about the side salad being enough to share and waved her down, and she promptly added the caprese salad. The zucchini flowers came out quickly afterwards- deep fried and stuffed with a nicely herbed ricotta that we hope to make at home. The salads came almost as soon as our plates were cleared from the appetizer and replaced with fresh ones. The main quickly followed, which added to the variety being shared. Plenty of food for two travel weary diners. Anna even made some small talk, asking where we were from and when we arrived in town at an appropriate time, not interrupting our conversation. When we asked for the check, she clearly told us to pay at the register. We thanked her and complimented her service, repeating this praise to her manager as we paid. I rarely give 5 reviews, but they really deserve it! read more

We dined at Esplanade for lunch. We were a party of eight comprised of four adults and four children. I shared the prosciutto pizza (crudo di parma, rocket, mozzarella) with my eight year old daughter. It was outstanding! The service was also quite good. Esplanade would have received five stars had there not been an instance in the kitchen that skeeved me out. I watched the chef make the pizza through the open kitchen. I watched the chef place the prosciutto on the finished baked pizza. He ate the last bit of prosciutto himself and to my dismay proceeded to place the rocket on the pizza before washing his hands (the offending chef is in white). I plan to come back because the food was that good, but I will be a bit more careful to avoid ordering something as tempting as prosciutto in the future. read more

Esplanade Restaurant - The chef in white was enjoying the prosciutto just a bit too much. Wash your hands....yikes. - Pizza Near Me - Dunedin, OTA

I dropped in on a Monday night for dinner without a reservation. The place was quite packed that night and the wait staff was really hustling. They managed to fit me in. I was especially surprised when my order came out really quickly. Will definitely return in the future. read more

Esplanade Restaurant - Gnocchi with gorgonzola, cream, walnuts, and parmigiano - Pizza Near Me - Dunedin, OTA

Nice cozy restaurant right on the waterfront. Gnocchi and beet salad were well done, though not out of this world. However, the tiramisu WAS out of this world. Excellent service. read more

Esplanade Restaurant - Roasted Beet Salad - Pizza Near Me - Dunedin, OTA

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Man I loved this joint made me feel like I was in Italy I've never been to Italy but I'm sure it's just like this Amazing food I nearly cried the garlic pizza was that good and the host / manager was absolutely delightful Highly recommended would go back read more

Another great restaurant within walking distance of our hotel was a good find. We recommend St. Clair as a destination as you can park your car and walk to the beach and restaurants and have a good ocean view. We loved that. This place got really busy on a Thursday night. We walked in without a reservation and were seated immediately but 15 minutes later, there was a long wait. We enjoyed the ravioli and the meatballs. The steamed clams were fine in quality but the broth was very salty. We ordered the breadbasket (for NZ $9!) because I wanted bread with the clams and then the clams came with bread. We had an abundance of bread, and it was good except for the breadsticks were hard and had no taste. A nice neighborhood find. Enjoy. read more

My husband and I can't stop talking about this restaurant. We're from the states and we try Neapolitan style pizza wherever we travel. While visiting Dunedin, we stumbled upon Esplanade and we truly found the best pizza we've had in a long time. Maybe even the best pizza we've ever had! Delightful little spot with beautiful ocean views, cozy environment and a friendly staff. The gnocchi was a great addition to the Margherita pizza. We are so sad that we are on the other side of the world and can't frequent this restaurant more often but it will forever be a highlight of our NZ vacation! read more

We arrived without a reservation and they not only found us a table but we lucked out with a window seat. The server did an excellent job helping us order. I went for the lasagne while my wife tried the piccanti. Both meals were great. We left full and happy - - - and you will too. read more

Great authentic Italian food. Pizza is the best you will find in Dunedin and the whole of Otago. Nice vibe as well good for a date or with friends and family. Excellent service and always a stellar meal. read more

Great food, service and views, it was not hard to give five stars! I enjoyed both a pizza and pasta as main meals, and a butterscotch moose for dessert. When visiting Dunedin this was the best restaurant, could not find a fault. read more

Not in Dunedin City Center; Not accessible by out-of-towners without a car BUT what a terrific place with an almost more terrific setting along the Esplanade in the suburb of Saint Clair. And if it is a warm sunny day that can only add insurmountably to your visit as there is both outdoor dining AND the ocean less than 25 feet away. We have eaten pizza on at least 5 continents in more than 50 countries and this easily ranks as some of the best (excluding Naples Italy). Fresh ingredients baked in a wood-fired oven in a great homey, friendly family-restaurant atmosphere are the elements of success for this neighborhood place. ENJOY read more

Would have given more stars if we had been able to book a window seat for our Friday evening dinner (6.30 pm, 8 people) but was told only bookings of 16 or more are accepted. Our overseas guests were disappointed that there was no sea view at beachside restaurant. Staff were efficient and friendly tho, alcohol selection was good tho we were given wrong drinks twice. Food is what you'd expect - nothing fancy and a little expensive for the choices you get. read more

The ravioli was way too rich - the pasta was literally swimming in butter, so much so that it was all I could taste. My father also mentioned that the mussel and clam dish that he ordered was far too salty, and complained of being able to taste the lingering saltiness the next day. That being said, the gnocchi was apparently amazing, and I heard good things about the pizza. The atmosphere was lovely, I just think the chefs were a little heavy-handed when it came to sauces and seasoning, which ruined the evening for me. read more