Takapuna has changed dramatically around Dante’s. The precinct surrounding Dante’s Pizzeria Napoletana has undergone a major redevelopment, and while there were plans for Dante’s to change with it, those plans ultimately couldn’t be executed. So don’t expect a dramatically different Dante’s. It is still Dante’s – the same oven, the same obsession with dough and fermentation, the same belief that some of the best moments in life happen around a table with good pizza and good people. But there is something new pouring from the tap.
A beer made for pizza
After years spent obsessing over what goes onto the plate, founder Enis Baçova started thinking about what should sit beside it. The result is Dante’s Pilsner; Dante’s own beer on tap, developed specifically to go with pizza. Crisp, refreshing and easy-drinking, it is designed to complement the richness, char and acidity of Neapolitan pizza without overpowering it. More importantly, it was designed for sharing.
“Pizza belongs in the middle of the table. Order a few different pizzas, everyone grabs a slice, pour the beer and start talking. That’s when the table comes alive.”
Dante’s has kept the pricing deliberately approachable: $8 for 200ml, $10 for 400ml and $20 for a one-litre jug. And the jug is really the point. Put it in the middle of the table beside a couple of pizzas, and you have exactly the kind of uncomplicated experience Enis wants Dante’s to represent: Pizza. Beer. People.
From Takpauna to the world
Behind that simplicity is a serious obsession with the craft. Dante’s has earned international recognition through 50 Top Pizza World, placing among the world’s leading pizzerias in recent years, including #49 in the World in 2025. In 2026, Dante’s by Enis Baçova was named #13 in Asia-Pacific and Top Pizzeria in New Zealand, earning its place in the 100 Best Pizzerias in the World selection to be celebrated in Naples this September. Dante’s was also awarded the Made in Italy 2026 Award. For Enis, however, recognition isn’t a reason to stop pushing. “Awards mean a lot to us, but you can’t serve yesterday’s award to somebody tonight. The pizza coming out of the oven today still has to be great.”
Still Dante's – still Takapuna.
After all the change outside its doors, the philosophy inside Dante’s remains remarkably uncomplicated: Make exceptional pizza. Keep improving. Bring people together. And now there’s a beer brewed specifically to join the party. “Get some people together. Order a few pizzas. Put a jug of Dante’s Pilsner in the middle of the table and share everything. That’s what Dante’s is about.” No grand reinvention is required. Sometimes all you need is a hot pizza, a cold jug and people you want to share them with.
Dante's Pilsner: 200ml · $8 | 400ml · $10 | 1 LITRE JUG · $20
Pizza made to share. Beer made for pizza.
Dante’s by Enis Baçova
Pizza contemporanea — born in Naples, raised in New Zealand.
Ponsonby | Takapuna | Eastridge
dantes.co.nz
Hours: Mon 12-3pm, Wed-Sun 12-3pm and 5-9pm (closed Tues)
