The Most Delicious Italian in Honolulu

Arancino on Beachwalk

★★★★☆ 4.2 (749) • $$$

"I love this place at the Marriott but they don't have the same Menu options. I had to go to the other one. The food I am sure is amazing but really it was closer to me and I had to go further to get my cacia de Pepe. I just gave it three stars for the I convenience of the menu options the food is 5 stars."

Win-Spuntino

★★★★☆ 4.2 (742) • $$

"Meatball sub So damn good great service put phone order in was ready in 10 min can't beat that during lunch break"

Assaggio Ristorante Italiano

★★★★☆ 3.5 (871) • $$

"I took the bestie out to dinner for his birthday. I didn't have a reservation, but got seated within 5 minutes. I wasn't expecting it to be so busy on a Monday night. The restaurant was actually full. The restaurant doesn't look that big from the outside. However, on the inside it can seat a decent amount of people. We ordered the table side Chicken Caesar Salad. It was a two order minimum $13.90 each. The greens were fresh and the salad was tasty. During table side service I'm used to the waiter explaining the preparation steps to us. Our waiter was silent throughout the whole preparation. I got the large Seafood Combo linguini in red sauce $35.90. My friend got the Chicken Piccata linguine $31.90. He liked his chicken pasta. My seafood pasta was ok. I've had better. The sauce was on the bland side and very one dimensional even after the waiter put on a heaping of powdered mozzarella. The seafood was fresh and I really enjoyed the huge clams. The service was good. The wait staff checked on us throughout the night and kept the water glass full."

Ricado's Italian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (591) • $$

"Been coming to this restaurant as a kid and they are still one of my favorite Italian restaurants. And it's super close by so convenience is 10/10.We went this past Valentine's Day as a family and we all enjoyed the food so much. I wanted to try something new but as always I got the chicken Marsala. It's so good. I could eat it every day! My husband had the seafood medley and my daughter had the kids spaghetti and meatball. Seriously you can't go wrong with this place. Everyone is always so friendly when we walk in. There was a little bit of a wait but it what Valentine's Day so that was expected. We barely waited 10 minutes though so still quick.This is a local favorite because everytime I go I always see families or couples on a date. It's not super fancy but sometimes we do dress up but a regular shirt and shorts works too.It's not expensive and you get quality food. It's really a great place to go."

Zia's European Caffe Kaneohe

★★★★☆ 3.7 (603) • $$

"we ordered 6 dishes, and shared among us. This is by far the best meal we had on the island. Price is very reasonable.compared to waikiki beach. Lasagna, fresh fish (Macedonia nuts very good, fish ok)BologneseThe works (piza)Farmers saladGarlic bread"

Paesano

★★★★☆ 3.8 (568) • $$$

"Dinner with friends. Nice open atmosphere here. Well lit and great service here. They let us stay there for a very long time to talk with each other and enjoy our meal here. A bit noisy with large groups tonight. We just needed to speak a bit louder to hear each other. Appetizers were delicious and tasty. Wine choices were very nice. One fruity and light, while the other red, was rich and smooth. I ordered the small clam garlic sauce Farinacca. The pasta was covered with chopped clams and three shelled clams. The sauce was light and garlicky. Fresh hot bread was provided with butter. A nice touch, but don't eat too much! Your appetite will be spoiled. See pictures for the yummy dishes we enjoyed here. Restrooms are available inside the restaurant. Service : 5/5 starsAmbiance: 4/5 starsGood: 4/5 stars"

La Ciccia

★★★★☆ 4.4 (387) • $$

"Wow this place is definitely a hole in the wall. I would have never been able to find it unless I saw other yelper's directions. We walked in and were asked if we have a reservation. Maybe a good idea to call in to see if they can accommodate you. We were lucky to be seated and the server was incredibly nice. The pasta is good here, but the sides are what really made it to my core memory. I would come for the sides alone!!!!The highlights were the calamari fritti and fried mozzarella. I have never had calamari fritti like this before! The calamari pieces were soft and thick so you get a nice bite to them (but not the rubbery chew). The crispiness dipped in the provided sauce was chef's kiss!!!!!!The mozzarella sticks were out of this world!!!!!!! I have been wanting to try the viral chili's mozzarella sticks since they are rectangular so I am so glad they were like that here. Of course it is probably 100x better here since it's fresh! But because of the way it's cut, you really get a better ratio between the outer fried shell and the soft cheese. Usually my husband doesn't like eating mozzarella sticks and will limit himself to half but he had no problem eating all of this!"

Assaggio

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (641) • $$

"The Mililani location is "Under New Management" based on signage outside the restaurant. I used to really like this local Italian chain, but the most recent experience was underwhelming. First they are severely understaffed! The host doesn't help the wait staff even when he has time on his hands. That leaves customers frustrated with empty water glasses while the wait staff is busy with other tables. It was also frustrating waiting over 15 minutes to just pay the bill. I went up to the host station after waiting an eternity to pay the bill when the waitress saw and came over to intervene. Don't know if the host is the new owner, but please help the staff out when it's busy!The food prices have increased over the years which is expected, but they are still priced 20-25% higher than all local Italian restaurants in the area. The ribeye steak and shrimp picante was good even though the medium rare steak turned out medium well. Do not order the pesto pasta here. Something is really off with their pesto sauce.Take it for what it is, decent place to celebrate a special occasion. Expect to pay a premium for the food and short staffed service."

Assaggio - Kapolei

★★★★☆ 3.5 (531) • $$

"We called in a take out order. It was mostly ready upon arrival, fully ready shortly after we arrived. The order was correct, food was delicious, service was good. Sharing updated menu photos. Online menu doesn't have the prices."

Uncle's NY Deli, Pizza, Pasta & Subs

★★★★☆ 4.1 (374) • $$

"A bit pricy but very good pizza and they are big. I also really like the antipasta salads and garlic knots."

Floralia

★★★★★ 4.6 (273) • $$

"The best pizza I have ever had! We were staying in Waikiki and I had read about Floralia. When I suggested taking Uber to the restaurant, my mom argued "why bother? It is Hawaii! They are not known for their pizza!" I got her to agree to go and we were both so glad we did! The pizza was so tasty and we had the best strawberry cheesecake. The courtyard was very comfortable and nicely decorated. The staff were very sweet and seemed very dedicated! The only thing I would improve is having two servers not just one! The server had too much to handle by herself...she did it but I was stressed just watching her try to manage everything!"

La Pizza Rina

★★★★☆ 3.7 (411) • $$

"We came here as a thank you for helping a really good friend and mentor and although we all helped because we wanted to and not to get anything from doing so, it was his way of personally thanking us and we are glad we went for him and to associate with the other friends as the food was really good.Parking can be found right in front the restaurant on King St or in the back of the building there is a parking lot for the building which is free.We had reservations for around 20 of us and there was still room for other tables so the place is pretty spacious however, it can get pretty loud when the place is full of people.We simply love the food here. It's a hole in the wall kind of place with big flavors. Homemade vinaigrette dressing for their salads which tastes really good. Personally I prefer their antipasto salad over their Italian salad just because I like the meat in the antipasto salad. Their pasta dishes are so good. You have to love pasta that is cooked perfectly and their sauces from the spaghetti and meatballs to their Mushroom Ravioli is very tasty. Not a big fan of the Garlic Cheese Bread but rather have their garlic bread with some butter on the side to add to the artery clogging and diabetes in my life. Just recently I had the chance to have a meatball & cheese sandwhich and it was yummy. The bread was nicely toasted and the meatballs was nicely seasoned and not too big and not too small but just right so I didn't have to unhinge my jaw to eat it. Another reason to love this place besides their awesome service and food is that it is BYOB! Yes bring your favorite bottle of wine, beer or other adult beverages. Yes they have a nice variety of sodas, juice and of course water. I can't wait to come back and enjoy this hidden gem."

Repetti's Pizza and Provisions

★★★★☆ 4.4 (273) • $$

"Repetition is an east coast family and flavor that sells gravy not sauce (if you know you know). They hand make some of their pastas daily and sell some of their sauces to go. It's small and cramped inside. They outside seating is typically more comfortable if you can catch a day where the wind is t too bad or it's not raining. The lead waitress typically looks exhausted and there are a bunch of younger assistants flirting with each other. Come for the food. My favorite is the rigatoni bolognese. Hubs likes their specials and shrimp fettuccine and their pizzas. Portions will fill you up and mains come with bread and salad. Great option and much better than the local chain in the area."

Catania Ristorante Italiano

★★★★★ 4.5 (256) • $$

""Wait, why do we go to Olive Garden when we can come here?" -- high praise from my other half who is the pasta authority in the house. And I agree!Our family ordered Chicken Saltimbocca, Chicken Marsala, Chicken Marinara, Garlic Bread, and Tiramisu. The portions are PLENTIFUL in the best way. I think the Marsala was a bit salty, but there was enough of the chicken/mushrooms that I was able to take leftovers and cook up some plain spaghetti and enjoy it a second day!The wait staff are super friendly and kind, and very understanding that we brought kids. Overall a wonderful experience and we're happy to revisit and recommend them on repeat."

San Paolo Pizzeria

★★★★★ 4.5 (216)

"Amazing pizza! We were craving pizza while walking around Waikiki and stumbled across this place on Yelp. Reservations were easy and seating was great. We ordered a LG half and half pizza. Pizza was great! Crust was amazing, toppings and sauce were delicious. Prices are pretty wild, but to be expected in the heart of Waikiki. Live music and atmosphere was good too. Would definitely go back next time we're in the island"

Assaggio Italian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (350) • $$

"A decent introduction to an iconic place in Kailua. I won't pretend to know about the finer details of Italian food but as a layman, I like this place. I will return but until then, here are some thoughts on my first visit. Right away you can tell it's an established place. The decor and layout is reminiscent to restaurants in the 80's. I love it. So expect a nothing too modern. Also, I wish they served olive oil with the bread. The food was amazing. Fresh baked bread was a treat to experience. I chose the clam sauce with angel hair with shrimp. Fantastic! A solid 4 stars with definite room to grow. I will return. If you are in Kailua and want Italian food, place this near the top of your options."

IL Tappo

★★★★☆ 4.2 (230) • $$

"This restaurant is wonderful, great and friendly service, DELICIOUS food. It's in a great area but a little hidden but totally worth it. We had salad, pizza, pasta. It was so good! We were speaking with the owner and she told us the chef is from Naples. The pizza had a delicious crust almost like sourdough and the sauce was so flavorful. The salads were well portioned and well seasoned. And the pasta was a huge portion and packed with flavor. I wish we had room for dessert! The ambiance is really beautiful with a fountain outside and a nice view of the Waikiki beach walk. We plan to come back whenever we're in Waikiki!"

Mezzo Bistro & Bar

★★★★★ 4.6 (141) • $$

"Official Keto Prescription Review! Been meaning to come here for a while since it's nearby. Lots of free parking in the Market City Shopping Center. We were able to beat the crowd with a 5:45pm reservation. Johnny is one of the owners and served us all night. He knows I'm keto so was able to accommodate us perfectly. We started with the crispy pork belly which was perfectly cooked. The vinegar sauce has Calamansi lime added to it which gave it a nice flavor. Nice twist. I was hoping to order the escargot, but apparently there's been a shortage for a couple months. I wonder what's up with all the snail farms? Really wanted to try the meatballs minus the pasta so he suggested it "pupu style." The sauce was so good that I pretty much cleaned my bowl of it. It's a light, very slightly creamy mushroom sauce that paired well. The meatballs were accompanied by mushrooms, artichoke hearts and a small amount of spinach. I would order this again. Jeff order the braised short ribs minus the mashed potatoes and liked it. The meat was tender and it came with what tasted like a red wine reduction sauce. He was full when we left. It's nice to support a local business who's open to modifying menu items for low carb/keto people. Next up, trying to convince them to offer zucchini noodles in place of pasta or a keto pizza crust. Their pizzas look so good!"

Piccola Onda

★★★★☆ 4.4 (106) • $$

"Got a small carbonara. First of all, penne is an odd way to serve carbonara and I wasn't given any other choices. Next, the sauce was flavorful but extremely watery, minus one star. This small plate of food from a food truck costed $17 plus change, minus another star for poor value."

Verbano Italiano Ristorante

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (180) • $$

"Five stars for service, but two stars for food. The family that runs Verbano is so nice, and the service was wonderful. Like, if every restaurant had service like this, there would be few complaints. The aunty and uncle are super friendly! Sadly, the food is pretty mediocre. The sausage was hard, and the peppers were not even cooked. My 2nd generation Italian friend said the puttanesca was not puttanesca, but the chicken was cooked well and was moist. My chicken lasagna was good, but nothing to write home about. We were grateful that Verbano has gluten-free pasta (penne), which is why we went there for my friend who is severely allergic to gluten. Italian food is often super expensive, but Verbano is typically under $20/entree. Prob still a bit high for the quality of the food. The space was clean, so no complaints there. Parking is either in a paid private lot or on the street."

Twisted Mac

★★☆☆☆ 1.9 (25)

"I thought I was supporting a new local business, but the receipt shows that this is actually an arm of Romano's Macaroni Grill. The name describes the offerings - various takes on mac and cheese. I tried the toasted ravioli, the regular mac and cheese (there was a 2-for-1 special on this on Uber Eats), the cheeseburger mac and cheese, and BBQ mac and cheese. Let's take each one separately. The toasted ravioli came with marinara sauce, but even with, it was rather meh. I lived in St. Louis many years ago and they have awesome toasted ravioli. This was nothing like those. Now I did expect them to taste different because the St. Louis ones have a meat filling and these are filled with ricotta. These were not breaded and were not drained before being put into the container so the bottoms were pretty greasy. Tops were crunchy, though.Suggestion: Stir your mac and cheese before chowing down.My favorite was the BBQ mac and cheese version. It was listed as "spicy" and it is, but it won't make you sweat. You'll mostly feel it in the back of your throat. It's a little sweet. I asked for the peppers to be left off, but either the request was missed or ignored, or didn't come through. This one has the best favor, IMHO.The regular mac and cheese was also pretty good. Could be a good choice for kiddos. Of my three choices, this one was the creamiest.The cheeseburger take was okay, but nothing special. Oddly, I could pay for several kinds of extras (i.e., steak, chicken - for all the mac and cheese selections) but extra ground beef was not an option. Beware: The cost for some of those options can be quite high. You can get extra sauce or vegan cream, too.The order came with plenty of parmesan and I tried some here and there, but it really didn't change things much. There are three sizes to the mac and cheese offerings: 1. Single2. Family3. PartyThere were a couple of salads, another appetizer, a few other main choices (including a vegetarian option), and some good-looking desserts. The desserts were expensive. The only beverages (at least on Uber Eats) were Acqua Panna or San Pellegrino. I would have gone for a diet soda but in the absence of anything but fancy water, I opted for free tap water from my kitchen sink.Craving pasta? Need a carb infusion? This is a good choice if you pick wisely."

Sbarro

★★☆☆☆ 1.7 (18)

"SBARRO KA MAKANA ALI'I91-5431 Kapolei ParkwayKapolei, HI 96707Open today, 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM 808-864-1279From the website : Due to staffing issues, some of our stores may be closed or have limited operating hours. Thank you for understandingI walked into Sbarro's at Kapolei just when they were cleaning up to close. Unfortunately I wasn't able to taste the pizza! I have tried Sbarro's delicious and large slice pizza at the Ala Moana Center food court. They have Stromboli, pasta, salads and more to offer. Staff was friendly and eagerly asked me to come back tomorrow for great pizza! I loved their enthusiasm. The counters and floors were clean. Staff was busy on more clean up and I only asked a few questions. I was informed that they opened up just before Thanksgiving if 2023. I'll be back!"

The Meatball Corner

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (3)

"Just had the classic meatball sub and a slice of cheese cake., and I have to say they redeemed their selves. This was my 3rd order, the first order was way beyond expectations, second time it was not quite the same feeling, but I could not get the first visit out of my head, and ordered again. The sub was hot with all the cheese and fresh vegetables (peppers/onions) that I missed on the second order. I can't say enough good things about this place. I keep meaning to get a picture, but never seem to think of that when it gets delivered. Delivery takes 30-55 minutes, but it's worth the wait."

Rigo

★★★★☆ 4.3 • $$$

"I've been on the lookout for a solid tapas spot in Honolulu, and this place definitely fits the bill. I'm a big fan of tapas because you get to sample a little bit of everything without overdoing it, and here the diverse, all-day menu really delivers. We ended up ordering a generous spread, and every dish was spot on--my stomach was definitely put to the test!We started with the Padron shisito peppers, which were good but a bit too salty for my taste. The Pulpo was outstanding, and the Melanzane dip--a unique blend of eggplant and mozzarella--was like nothing I've ever had before, absolutely mouth-watering and definitely a must-try. My friend also swore by the lamb chops, saying they were some of the best he's ever had.For my entrée, I opted for the carbonara with portabella fritto. Unlike the traditional version, this dish had a delightful twist of mushroom flavor, and the portabella fritto itself was incredible--thinly sliced mushrooms that were crispy yet soft, almost chip-like in texture. It's hard to put into words, but it really brought the dish together. We wrapped up the meal with cheesecake, which--admittedly, I'm a bit biased about--was fantastic, especially with the subtle addition of apple.A neat bonus is the building's history; the restaurant appears to have been a bank, which you can tell by the vault tucked away at the back. The decor is thoughtfully done, and even the bathrooms boast modern touches like bidets that add to the overall ambiance. Service was attentive without being overbearing, making for a smooth dining experience.Quick tip for anyone planning a visit: it's valet parking only. If you're coming from Waikiki, be sure to take the right turn before reaching the lot on Kapahulu.Overall, this spot combines unique charm with consistently good food, making it a standout choice for anyone looking to enjoy a relaxed, yet memorable, tapas experience in Honolulu."

Auntie Pasto's

★★★★☆ 3.5 • $$

"We came around 7:30pm on a Monday night and found street parking right in front of the restaurant. And we were seated right away. I ordered the Fresh Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp, and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. The pasta was delicious, though they were a little too generous with the sauce for my taste. My companion ordered the Carbonara with spaghetti and it was rich, smoky from the bacon . . extremely tasty! We also got the Fennel, Sausage & Roasted Pepper pizza (which tasted like they used Hillshire Farms sausage), but still done well. And their Homemade Tiramisu was so light, it melt in my mouth, and very flavorful. Service was very amiable, sweet and attentive. It is a bit warm in the restaurant, but the décor is charming, classic Italian-American. If you're looking for Italian-American food done well, I would recommend Auntie Pasto's."