If there was one food that I could eat for the rest of my life, pasta would be it. If someone was really throwing me a bone, it would also be handmade. So when we got news of a new pop-up dedicated to the beautifully crafted delight, excitement was at an all-time high.

Cotto is the K’ Road pop-up that’s calling 69 bar home for the foreseeable future. The masterminds behind the continental creation are Hayden Phiskie and John Pountney who previously hail from the beloved Grey Lynn Italian eatery, Delicious. The pasta is handmade in-house, with delectable offerings of gnocchi with kumara, gorgonzola, walnuts and watercress and the Rotolo porcini, silverbeet and Luganega sausage. Throw in the spinach and goat cheese dumplings alongside the charred cos with anchovy mayo crumbs and you’ve got yourself a party.

The mouthwatering combinations can only be described as heavenly. And because dessert always seems to go somewhere — no matter how ‘full’ you may be — they’ve also whipped up some delectable delicacies in the form of pear masala with whipped ricotta and almond as well as a Bonet chocolate and caramel pudding.

There’s just something about devouring a meal made from scratch — that also happens to be of the Italian variety — that tastes so right. And because the team have also put together a late-night menu, we envisage ourselves making a pit-stop on the way home from an evening out. A far more appetising meal than one from a nearby drive-through.

Opening hours:
5-11 pm, Monday-Saturday