Not all food served in Honolulu is island-specific. The city has great Italian food, and in this guide, we determine the best Italian restaurant Honolulu has.
If you are yearning for a great Italian restaurant, Honolulu may not be the first place you think of for mouthwatering meatballs, delicately flavored sauces, and delicious pastas. You may think that this island paradise is more the place for poi, pineapple, and seafood.
Think again! The incredible diversity of this locale with its status as a number one international tourist destination make it an ideal place for food from all over the world. Its fertile climate and seaside location also make it perfect for the freshest ingredients from farms and fishermen.
Check out these ten restaurants if you are looking for delicious Italian food in Honolulu.
1. Viaggio
Ten minutes from Waikiki, this eatery offers the finest in seafood. pasta and meat dishes made the Italian way, with the freshest produce and herbs and a distinctly Hawaiian flair.
One favorite dish is octopus in a puttanesca sauce sauce garnished with a grilled Meyer lemon. Its Osso Buco is to die for- served on a bed of risotto with passion orange guava sauce and roasted walnuts.
There’s also an impressive wine list.
2. Arancino
Arancino has three locations, including on Beachwalk, at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, and at the Kahala Hotel. They were collectively named the best Italian restaurants in Hawaii by the influential newspaper, the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
This chain offers southern-style Italian fare from the Naples region. They combine Hawaiian seafood like uni, blue crab and squid, with pasta to great effect.
Locals and tourists alike flock to this restaurant for its spaghetti with calamari and flying fish roe; risotto di funghi made with five different kinds of mushrooms; and linguine ai gamberetti, with black tiger shrimp and arugula in a homemade tomato sauce.
3.Win-Spuntino
You don’t have to tour Italy to experience quintessential Italian dining. This restaurant is casual, with the Italian mainstays everyone loves. It has meatballs, chicken parmigiana and Caprese salad.
You can even get it to take out and enjoy on your hotel balcony or bungalow veranda.
4.Auntie Pasto’s
Besides an awesome name, this place boasts a cozy vibe with red and white checkered tablecloths and Italian flags. It also hosts a daily happy hour to get the party started.
Enjoy your Italian favorite recipes here, including a wide variety of pizza pies for sharing. (Sorry, no Hawaiian pineapple pies on this menu!).
5. Bernini
For a fancier night out on the town, try the haute cuisine at Bernini. Chef Kengo Matsumoto trained in Italy and has cooked in Italian restaurants across Tokyo.
His elegant samplings include fresh sea urchin spaghetti with king crab and a tomato cream sauce; pizza with mushrooms, Italian sausage, and truffle oil; penne with swordfish in a tomato oregano sauce.
6. Taormino
Like Hawaii, Sicily is located by a live volcano. The rich soil in these regions creates ideal conditions for growing delicious vegetables which enhance the flavors of pasta and Italian- style dishes.
Taormina overlooks Waikiki and serves chic and modern takes on Italian favorites. It offers a scrumptious truffle carbonara; risotto with porcini, sauteed foie gras and balsamic reduction; and a mixed seafood dish with salmon, shrimp, scallops, squid, and clams.
Reviewers rave about its cozy atmosphere, large portions, and tiramisu.
7. Sabrina’s
This husband-and-wife operation has a tiny venue and is BYOB. This allows its owners to really concentrate on making you an exceptional meal.
You may wait a while for a table and for your dinner, but it is worth it. Each plate is painstakingly assembled with love and care. Customers rave about their seafood risotto with fresh clams, mussels, tiger shrimp, scallops, and calamari; spiedini di carne skewers with grilled chicken breast; and homemade pastas like agnolotti, ravioli, and gnocchi.
8. Formaggio
This hot spot is more than a restaurant. It is a wine bar, a happening, and the home to a lively happy hour. Whether you are in a group of oenophiles or having a special dinner for two, this is the place to be in Honolulu.
Located on the lower level of Market City Shopping Center, Formaggio Wine Bar offers 50 wines by the glass with eagerly anticipated monthly wine specials and a daily happy hour. They also offer live music including contemporary and jazz.
Regulars recommend the pizza primavera with portobello mushrooms, eggplant, roasted peppers, zucchini, and goat cheese. Other enjoy the prosciutto di parma sandwich, with dry-cured prosciutto, pesto, mozzarella cheese, and tomatoes.
9. Vino Italian Tapas and Wine Bar
Like Taoromino, this place offers way more than just a yummy Italian meal. It has a lively bar scene in addition to spectacular food, making it ideal for a date or a night out with friends.
Unusual dishes include home-gnocchi with mushrooms, peas, and pumpkin puree in a brown butter sauce; and linguini dressed with Dungeness crab, jalapeño, lobster and uni.
This hot spot offers a wide array of the finest wines from many Italian regions, including prosecco, Chianti and other favorites, plus some new labels you may not have tried yet,
10. Assagio
Like Arancino, this small chain has numerous locations. Here you can find most of your preferred Italian dishes including chicken, veal, pasta and vegetarian entrees.
Although the plate names may be familiar, you will find interesting twists on classic dishes. The mixed seafood combines clams, mussels, calamari, and shrimp in home-made garlic, paprika, and cayenne white wine butter sauce. The saltimbocca is rich and filling with its topping of melted mozzarella cheese, spinach, and prosciutto ham. You can even revel in the traditionally made the classic Caesar salad, prepared tableside with anchovies.
If You are Looking for a Wonderful Italian Restaurant, Honolulu Has Much to Offer
No matter where you are in the world, sometimes you just need some comforting home-style Italian food like Mama used to make. Luckily, if you are in Hawaii and seeking a notable Italian restaurant, Honolulu is the place.
Satiate your appetite by indulging in a fabulous feast at one of these venues. You will thank us for it!
Keep checking back here for more tips on food, travel and fun.
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