Farelli's by Giovi is a relaxed, family-style Italian restaurant at Steamer Wharf, part of the locally owned Giovi group. Its kitchen takes a patient, traditional approach, making pasta, pizza, sauces and desserts in house rather than treating Italian food as a collection of shortcuts. Bottles from the family's La Montina vineyard reinforce that personal connection, while the informal waterfront setting keeps the experience approachable for families and groups.
The opening plates are built for an unhurried start. Burrata arrives with sliced tomato, black olives, basil oil and crisp pangrattato; tomato bruschetta brings focaccia, basil and balsamic together; and finely sliced beef carpaccio is finished with capers, rocket and Parmesan. Garlic bread rounds out the familiar side of the selection, giving a table several easy ways to share before pasta, pizza or a main course.
Larger dishes show the kitchen moving beyond the expected trattoria staples. Beef tagliata pairs grilled Scotch fillet with rocket, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and balsamic, while slow-cooked lamb shoulder comes with eggplant caponata and salsa verde. A porcini mushroom risotto with truffle oil offers a meat-free main. Alongside the house-made pasta and pizza, these plates make the menu flexible enough for both a casual meal and a fuller dinner.
Dessert stays firmly within the Italian theme, from coffee-rich tiramisu and affogato to chocolate cake with mascarpone and berries, or lemon-and-almond semifreddo. Farelli's also makes group dining easier with a dedicated vegan menu, gluten-free pasta and pizza bases, and a children's menu. That breadth matters at a family-style restaurant: diners can follow different paths through the meal without losing the sense of a shared Italian table.
Address: Steamer Wharf, 88 Beach Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Been to Farelli's by Giovi? Be one of the first to rate it.
+ Log your visit
