Cacio & Pepe is a family-run Italian takeaway on Grace Road in Tauranga South, bringing the flavours of Rome to the Bay of Plenty. Founded by husband-and-wife team Daniela and Daniele, who arrived in New Zealand in 2020, the kitchen specialises in Roman-style pizza and fresh, homemade pasta crafted by hand with authentic Italian ingredients.
The name comes from one of Rome's most beloved pasta dishes — cacio (cheese) and pepe (black pepper) — and doubles as a portrait of its founders: Daniela is the pepper, vibrant, bold and full of spice, while Daniele is the cheese, rich, comforting and, as he admits, something he can't live without. Their dream is simple: to bring the original flavours of Rome to New Zealand, served with generosity, authenticity and love.
The pizza follows Roman culinary tradition, with dough given a long fermentation so it bakes to a crispy bottom layer with a soft, highly aerated crumb. Each base is hand-stretched and topped with fresh, locally sourced produce. Pasta is made fresh the way their nonnas taught, and the menu rounds out with classic dolci like a traditional tiramisú. Seasonal specials appear in limited quantities from time to time — trattoria-style dishes that are simple, fresh and full of passion.
Cacio & Pepe operates as a takeaway collection kitchen, open Thursday and Friday evenings from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Orders can be placed online for pick-up at 62A Grace Road, gluten-free options are available alongside the pizzas and pastas, and personalised digital gift vouchers can be arranged by phone or email for any occasion.
Some of the best meals in Tauranga are eaten at home — and Cacio & Pepe exists to make sure of it. This small Italian kitchen on Grace Road in Tauranga South specialises in Roman-style pizza and fresh, handmade pasta, prepared as takeaway and collected by the people who love it. Open Thursday and Friday evenings, it has quietly become a taste of Rome for locals who know where to look.
Behind the counter are Daniela and Daniele, a husband-and-wife team who arrived in Tauranga in 2020 and quickly fell for the city — its people, its pace and its beautiful surroundings. What they couldn't find was the food they grew up with: the flavours of their hometown Rome, the food their nonnas made with care, patience and love. So they built it themselves.
The kitchen takes its name from one of Rome's most beloved pasta dishes — cacio e pepe, literally cheese and black pepper. But for this couple the name doubles as a portrait: Daniela is the pepper, vibrant, bold and full of spice, while Daniele is the cheese — rich, comforting and, as he admits, something he can't live without. Their dream is simple: to bring the original flavours of Rome to New Zealand, served with generosity, authenticity and love.
Roman pizza is a culinary tradition all of its own, and Cacio & Pepe treats it that way. Their dough undergoes a long fermentation, producing a well-aerated, soft crumb with a characteristically crispy bottom layer. Each base is hand-stretched — a craft perfected through generations, as they put it — then topped with fresh, locally sourced produce and vibrant, delicate flavours. The result is thin-crust pizza as a testament to old-world tradition, made right in a Tauranga neighbourhood.
The pizza side of the menu features combinations like the Tartufo & Cotto, pairing truffle paste and mushrooms with shaved ham and mozzarella — earthy, aromatic and unmistakably Italian in spirit.
Pasta is made fresh by hand, just as their grandmothers taught, using authentic Italian ingredients. A standout is the Fettuccine del Contadino: fresh egg pasta with napoli sauce, fresh cream, garlic, chicken and mushrooms — a rustic, comforting plate straight from the countryside tradition.
No Italian meal is complete without something sweet, and the house tiramisú follows the classic formula: savoiardi biscuits with coffee and marsala liquor, layered with mascarpone cheese, eggs and a dusting of cocoa powder.
True to the spirit of a small Italian trattoria, Cacio & Pepe celebrates seasonal eating. From time to time, special seasonal dishes appear on the menu, prepared in limited quantities — their way of sharing something unique, simple, fresh and full of passion. If something catches your eye, don't wait too long; when it's gone, it's gone.
Cacio & Pepe operates as a takeaway collection kitchen, open Thursdays and Fridays from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm at 62A Grace Road, Tauranga South. Orders can be placed online through their website for easy pick-up — ideal for a Friday-night pizza run or a pasta dinner that tastes homemade, because it is.
Whether you choose one of their delizioso pizzas or a tradizionale pasta, every bite is a celebration of quality, passion and taste. Gluten-free options are available too, so more of the table can join in.
Beyond the kitchen, the couple offers personalised digital gift vouchers for any occasion — arranged by phone or email and ready to print or send — because, as they say, the best gifts aren't always things; sometimes they're experiences shared around a table. For the occasional slice of news on what's fresh out of the oven, follow them on Instagram. Buon appetito.