Service was phenomenal! That's the only reason why this place gets 3 stars. First thing, without a reservation it's over a 2 hour wait nightly. Then there is no bar or anywhere to hang out if your table isn't ready at the time of reservation. Service was great! She offered suggestions of her favorite dishes and was very knowledgeable about the menu. Food on the other hand was bland, boring, lacked serious flavor. Speaking from a world traveler who has been to Italy close to ten times this was a 2 out of a 10 and that's being generous. read more

I tried this place due to the high review rates. The foods were less than okay. It gave us feeling of that "I would rather wanna cook myself than spending any money here". Pared wines were just don't match with foods. We even asked to replace one of the wine came with salads. The sadness of trying this place led me to write such a lower review. Sorry to write this but never again. This place is only for tourist. If you know any fine restaurant in Hawaii or back in your country, don't try this place. After all, service was good tho. read more

Downgrading my review of Arancino's simply because I was completely disappointed by the wait time for a table and the hostesses inability to inform us of how long we'd be waiting to be seated. My bosses were in town and I decided to take them to Arancino's because I love its intimate feel. I called the restaurant at 2 pm to see if they had a reservation and the man who answered the phone said they were full for reservations but that I should call in at 5:30 pm so they could put me on the wait list for a 6 pm arrival. He said that I should not have to wait more than 5-10 minutes if I did this. I called back at 5:40 pm and put my party of 5 on the list and told the hostess we'd be driving into Waikiki. We arrived at the restaurant at 6:10 pm, I checked in, told the hostess my name and informed her I had called in earlier. She was very nice and told me she had me on their list. I looked and we were maybe 3 down from the top. We waited and I checked in 30 minutes later to ask when we'd be seated and she replied: "I'm working my way down the list." Oh hells to the no. Now let me give you a few hints about hostessing if you don't understand how this works, if a customer who has been waiting for at least 30 minutes, and realistically over an hour if you count the total time we've been on the wait list, what you should be doing is informing them how long it will be until they are seated. Your only job is to set expectations and when you can't do this, it's a complete #FAIL. Leaving your customers in the dark while they're twiddling their thumbs is not a good thing. At this point I'm completely annoyed for the following reasons: 1) My bosses are with me, they're pregnant and I'm completely embarrassed. 2) I have a 1 1/2 year old baby who is of course going completely bonkers. 3) If I had known we were going to be waiting over an hour, I would have left and gone somewhere else. That would have been fine! But because we've been waiting for so long, we're stuck. 4) We're starving. 5) The hostess kept seating people who were below us on the list. If she'd just followed the order on the wait list, we would have been seated at a decent time. By the time we walk into the restaurant, we've been waiting for a grand total of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Our service throughout the night was very good but I'd have to say that my evening was run afoul by the wait time. read more

I've always been a big fan of Arancino...they are one of the only resturants serving up black ink pasta. Yes, black ink pasta. Don't plan on wearing white, because you'll probably stain it (like I do everytime I wear white) Anyway, I've frequented Arancino a number of times and here's a few words of advice. 1. If you are kamaaina and work in the area GO FOR LUNCH. Seriously one of the best deals in Waiks. For $13 you get a salad/soup (which are both the same size of the salads/soup on the lunch menu) & choice of a pasta, pizza, or calzone. - If you want to try the squid ink pasta you can try it for lunch! :) 2. Rigatoni, simple but so amazing. Mixed w/ sweet onions and sausage in a tomato sauce, its a must. Damn it, now I want some :( 3. They serve up some damn good free bread. I could eat that warm focaccia for a meal....No really. 4. Since its owned by Japanese, theres a number of dishes that have that Japanese flare which make the food so good. Plus they don't serve up monsterous portions allowing you to actually walk out and not roll out of the restaurant 5. Haven't had the pizza in a few years but last I remember it was thin and crispy so you can't really go wrong. read more

Let me start by saying I'm not a big pasta girl. The Asian blood flows strong through these veins so rice is my starch of choice, with potatoes coming in second & pasta dragging along in third. I end up at places like Auntie Pasto's, Verbano & Assagio's not because of my own choosing but because friends want to go. I'll order chicken marsala or something to that effect & it'll be alright, meh, nothing spectacular. But the pasta at Arancino? Oh baby, that stuff gets me frisky. Perhaps it's the fact that Arancino does pasta with an Asian twist that gets me going. Like Pietro's but more upscale. If Pietro was your average Joe, Arancino would be his hot, sexy cousin wearing a D&G button-down & driving a Porsche Boxster. I ended up here for a friend's birthday dinner & doing my foodie duty I yelped it prior to arrival. I was torn between trying the uni pasta or the squid ink pasta but luckily I didn't have to choose because a friend suggested we order both & split them, along with a bowl of lobster bisque soup (which was amazing). Now I must preface this by saying I'm not madly in love with uni or anything. In fact, I only tried it for the first time within the past year, & I've had it a few times since. It's good but it's not like it rocks my world or anything. Except in this pasta. If you're not an uni fan it'll turn you in a second. A friend of mine who's somewhat closed-minded when it comes to food (poor, lost soul) tried a bite & was delightfully surprised ("It's not fishy at all!"). This dish is a bowl of rich, creamy, sea urchin loveliness & the pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente. The squid ink pasta was quite divine as well. Don't be deterred by the black color; the sauce was deliciously garlicky with just a hint of spicy heat. The tiny legs of the calamari covered in the inky sauce may also be a little daunting to less venturous eaters but don't be intimidated! The service here was great; the staff is friendly & polite. Our server even comped free birthday desserts for our two birthday guests. My one complaint about Arancino is that the space is a little tight. For example, a Japanese tourist couple came in & was shown to the table next to us. Girlfriend had to squeeze by & I swear if she wasn't plagued by Japanese flat ass syndrome (I can say that because I share the same curse of my people) there's no way she would've made it. read more

Actual rating 4.5. For our trip to Oahu the No1DP wanted me to observe his style of traveling and selection of good food. Unlike me where I use a combination of Yelp, foodie blogs and the local news to find good food, No1DP uses hotel concierges as part of our hotel fees include using the concierge. Initially he wanted a good pizza so he asked the concierge for examples of good Italian food. Concierge gave three examples and the No1DP and I chose this for my mistaken belief that they serve arancini, one of my favorite Italian appetizers (they don't). Before I go in I cross-checked with Yelp to confirm I wasn't walking into a landmine. CONCEPT: Italian food with an emphasis in the Napoli region. It purports to using imported meats, cheeses and pasta from Italy while using fresh local seafood and produce. Considering that the Japanese make up the primary tourist demographic the restaurant has to tailor the menu to suit Japanese tastes, hence items like "uni pasta". This was a non-issue for us. VENUE: Space is small and the design is influenced from casual Italian restaurants. SERVICE: Wait time was about half hour with an option to text you when your seat is ready if you are nearby. Staff was friendly though we did had to remind them that we ordered San Pellegrino water. They immediately brought it out upon request. - The focaccia bread had the consistency of a bread a little more firm than sponge cake. It went well with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, absorbed a lot of both liquids. - Arancino (skyy blood orange vodka, combier liqueur d'orange, passion fruit puree, $11). No1DP let me have two of these drinks. The orange liqueur hid the skyy vodka well and for someone that gets a reaction to crappy quality vodka I didn't get any reaction after having this drink. - Carpaccio di Capesante (scallop sashimi, local sea asparagus, tobiko caviar & red onions with light champagne dressing, $21). Serving sizes were right for appetizers, just enough to whet the appetite. The scallops just melted in your mouth with a touch of sweetness, similar to the taste of Hokkaido scallops (one of the No1DP's favorite seafood meat). Tobiko added a nice crunch. - Spaghetti alla Pescatora (shrimp, calamari, live clams, mussels, shrimp scampi in a garlic wine and olive oil sauce, $34). Sauce was light though full of garlic flavor. LOTS of seafood cooked right with the shrimp, calamari and clams absorbing a lot of the garlic sauce. There was a big shrimp that had its meat the consistency of fresh blue crab, which was my favorite part about the meal. No1DP enjoyed seeing me almost devour my dish only leaving less than an eighth of original pasta remaining. - Lasagne (homemade meat lasagna, $25). No1DP's dish, serving size big enough for 2 people. One of the better lasagnas he's had as the pasta was al dente and proportion of pasta-sauce-meat was perfect. It kept its temperature for a while. - Gelato Affogato (vanilla gelato topped with a shot of hot espresso, $8). Gelato was smooth and went well with the espresso. I was able to melt the gelato enough so that I could sip it as a cold drink. Considering that almost all the restaurants in Waikiki cater to Japanese tastes I wasn't expecting authentic Napoli cuisine or even inexpensive Italian around the area but we enjoyed it for the fresh seafood and the way the pasta was cooked. I'd definitely come back if I was in the area to tackle more of their pasta choices or to take part in a more "traditional" menu setup (ie. antipasti, primi, secondi, sides and dessert). read more

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Born and raised in Hawaii. And have eaten at many an Italian restaurant in Hawaii. Love Arancino at beachwalk in waikiki. We arrived at 6:30pm for a 6:45pm resv. We were sitting outside the restaurant looking at the menu after we had checked in. I over heard the manager speaking with the receptionist that they were ahead of sch. And the kitchen staff was getting restless. So we were seated ahead of our resv! This is unheard of in this day in age especially in Hawaii. This is a very popular restaurant and it tells me the staff is passionate about what they do. The food here is excellent with amazing quality. The staff is very attentive. The ambiance is old world Italy. Seating is a little tight. However, in the Italian tradition this can make for good conversations over good food. Aloha Chuck read more

10 Stars!! This place is really good and the spaghetti lobster is the best ever! This is my favorite italian place on this island:) read more

You'll want a reservation. This restaurant is a cozy, homey hole in the wall which is very popular with Japanese tourists. Even on a Monday night, there was a crowd waiting for tables. They only give reservations between 5-6 pm, but you can also call ahead and reserve a spot in line half an hour before you show up. You know, I'm not usually a fan of eating at Italian restaurants, because it's so easy to make pretty good pasta at home for under $5. But this place is different. I ordered the blue crab and zucchini spaghetti and the sauce was rich and delectable, but not overpowering. It also left a bit of mystery - I couldn't break it down like "oh, it's just butter, cream and too much garlic". There were many items on the menu I would return to try like the squid ink pasta. Use the free rosemary focaccia to soak up the sauce, and ask for 2nds and 3rds - they'll give it to you! The service was warm and attentive without being obnoxious or hovering. I truly felt at home here. The decor is classic Italian kitsch, but it's certainly endearing. Restrooms: pretty clean single-person restrooms that feature an automatic spraying toilet. I didn't try that feature... read more

Was introduced to this place by a friend and I had to go back during my latest trip to hawaii. The restaurant is small and you'll almost always see people waiting outside on benches. My favorite dish is the spaghetti and meatballs. The dishes are served family style but I kinda want to just eat the whole plate! Service has always been awesome. They aren't overbearing and did have a homey feel. For dessert, we had the tiramisu and it is the best tiramisu I've ever eaten. Granted, I'm not much of a dessert person, but it was a delight! read more

Until I take the opportunity to travel to Italy and taste authentic food from the motherland, then this place will suffice. A little more pricier and portions are smaller than what you'd find around town, but it's well worth it (this coming from a small-town island girl who lovers her huge portions from hole-in-the-wall joints). Over the last ten years that I've lived on O'ahu, I've tried a number of Italian restaurants AND restaurants that offer Italian dishes: - Angelo Pietro on Kap'iolani Blvd. - Assaggio's at the Ala Moana Center - Auntie Pasto's on Pensacola St. - Old Spaghetti Factor at Ward Center - Paesano Italian Restaurant in the Manoa Marketplace - Romano's Macaroni Grill at the Ala Moana Center - Verbano Italiano Ristorante on S. King St. None of them have offered a more deliciously authentic experience than Arancino's on Beachwalk. The last time my bf and I dined there, one of the highest compliments paid to them was from another couple dining parallel from us. The girlfriend/wife had spent some time living abroad in Italy and she enthusiastically marveled at how each of the dishes she ate tasted just like it did back there. Their ingredients, from the parmesan cheese they'll freshly grate for your pasta dish, to the actual pasta itself, are all flown in from Italy. We eat here every few months or so for dinner and we rarely are EVER disappointed. This is the site of the original restaurant and this is our favorite spot. The other restaurant, Aracino Di Mare, in the Waikiki Marriott Hotel is much too large, busy and noisy. Our favorites to order: - Owner's Favorite Pizza: $23 (shrimp, onion & garlic chips, smothered w/cheese) - This is NOT American Pizza Hut-type of pizza with the thick oily crust. It's done classic Italian-style with a thinner, lighter crust. Depending on how generous the chef's feeling that way, this can come decorated like a war hero with shrimp or just a paltry handful. Bf loves shrimp & this is his absolute fav! - Penne Gorgonzola: $12 (penne pasta with gorgonzola cream sauce) - Gorgonzola is a distinctive blue cheese hailing from ... where else? (Italy!) While delicious by itself, make sure they come by and grate you some fresh Parmesan cheese to mix it while your dish is still hot. Mix together well! - Tiramisu or Panna Cotta read more

Yes, it is a bit pricy. And yes, if you don't make a reservation you might be waiting a while. BUT IT IS SO WORTH IT. Parking is $3 but they validate and it's pretty decent considering waikiki parking is obnoxiously expensive and difficult to find. I'm not a really big fan of fancy Italian food because it's always been a real hit or miss. I've always been pretty content with spaghetti and meatballs, any extra fluff is unnecessary. However, after eating Arancinos, I'm sold. Everything here was awesome. Everything from the bread to the pizza to the pasta. I've been here twice, once for my birthday and once for valentines day. Both times I ordered the uni pasta and fell in love. If you're a fan of uni, you'll love this dish. It's rich and creamy and decadent. I love it. Don't expect the uni to be sushi-like because obviously it won't be. Think alfredo but uni based? My boyfriend also ordered a pizza with prosciutto and egg. AMAZING. I mean the pizza is pretty expensive if you compare it to pizza hut or even bostons but you won't find a flavor explosion like this on any other pizza. He's not a really big Italian food person either but he really enjoyed it. We couldn't decide on dessert so we got the tiramisu and the creme brulee. BOTH WERE AMAZING. I also had the moscato sorbet on a separate occasion and really enjoyed that as well. I assume all the desserts are amazing. AMAAAAAZING. Pasta, pizza, and two desserts came out to around $100. If you add wine, it'll definitely be a bit more pricy. I don't think I would eat dinner here unless it was a special occasion since it is a bit expensive. But I hear the lunch menu specials are pretty decent. It's worth checking out at least once. But making reservations because they start turning people away close to closing time! read more

On our second day in Hawaii, Matt B. told me he wanted pizza for dinner. I consulted Yelp on my iPhone as we sat by the beach, and found Arancino. A cursory look told me it was an Italian/pizza restaurant with $$, 4 stars, 150 reviews. Good stats. We decided to check it out. Yelp! We both know that a restaurant where almost all the pizzas are in the $20 range is not actually a $$ spot. It is definitely $$$. Someone fix that mistake. With tip, we dropped $150 to the dime on this $$ dinner. We weren't terribly unhappy about it, but only because we could afford to say, "Well fuck it, we're on vacation." I guess this is probably true for most of Arancino's customers, but still? We also had our expectations adjusted when we arrived at the restaurant and got a look at the menu. We had called ahead and were seated quickly, but the maitre d' was stationed outside, surrounded by a waiting crowd. We had a chance to turn around when we saw the prices, but I was already hooked by the idea of uni pasta. The place was friendly and busy, and as I had begun to suspect, entirely Japanese. There is a category of Italian restaurants in Japan that fits a certain pattern - classic Italianish decor (red and white checkered tablecloths, wall hangings alluding to some vague country idyll), extensive classic Italian menu with very occasional Japanese twists, and yet a totally undeniable Japanese ambiance that is only partially anchored in the Japanese staff. I'd never been to one of these places in the states until Arancino, but the atmosphere was instantly recognizable, and welcoming on its merits. Our waitress was an older Japanese woman who might well have been an owner, and she was helpful and friendly, even downright ebullient. Our meal kicked off with a basket of warm rosemary focaccia with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We ordered a bottle of wine soon after we sat down. This was somewhat accidental. Our waitress came to take our order and I looked across the table as my boyfriend scanned the drink menu. I noticed that most of the wines were priced in the $20 range and was pleasantly surprised to the point where I said, in front of the waitress, "Oh, the wines are really well priced." My boyfriend gave me a look and passed me the menu, and by the time I figured out that the drink menu was organized in a numbered list, we were on the hook. We got a $48 bottle of Montepulciano. Not terrible, but cocktails and beer would have been a lot more cost-effective. Oops. At least the wine was good. The most overpriced part of the meal was the $19 affetato misto, which Matt and I shared as an appetizer. This was a plate of Genoa salami, pistachio mortadella, and prosciutto, with small cubes of Grana Padano cheese, and green and Kalamata olives. The portions were tiny, with only a few small slices of each meat, and not enough cheese to qualify as more than a garnish. The quality was good, at least. The salami was well spiced, the prosciutto salty and silky. I often find mortadella weird and spongey, but this version was good. Still, $20+ for less than a fistful of meat is kind of bullshit. Pastas were still expensive at $28 and $22 for the spaghetti ai ricci di mare and the linguine ai gamberetti, but they were worth the price. I loved the spaghetti ai ricci di mare - this was the signature uni pasta, with heaps of fresh sea urchin and a sweet garlic white wine cream sauce. It was spectacular. The pasta was cooked a lovely al dente, and the uni melded into the sauce, which then clung to the pasta, with excellent unity. The portion was substantial, but I inhaled the dish and would've eaten more. Matt's linguine (despite his clamoring, my weird-ass boyfriend never gets pizza when he decides he's in a more all-purpose Italian restaurant) was also a winner, served with black tiger shrimp and arugula in a homemade tomato sauce. The shrimp was fresh and snappy, and the wilted cooked arugula brought a nice green edge to the dish. The pasta was cooked to a tee, and the sauce was fantastic, hearty and acidic, with a great punch of garlic. For dessert, we shared a glass of lemon gelato, which came with three scoops (but only one flavor allowed? whatever). It was a refreshing way to end the meal. Arancino was expensive, sometimes needlessly so, but I was happy with our meal and secretly thrilled that it wasn't just a throwaway pizza joint. The uni pasta was worth the trip alone, and I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for casual upscale Italian. read more

If caviar and pasta got married and had a beautiful little baby, it would be the Tobiko & Calamari Spaghetti from Arancino. This delightfully different dish is one of several I've tried from Arancino, but elicits a Yelp review because it's just so darn tasty. I found myself scraping the last few flying fish eggs from the plate like an anteater coming out of hibernation. (Do anteaters hibernate? I don't know. Doesn't matter--I was on a mission.) Up until now I'd always tried the seafood pizza or a generic lunchtime pasta special, which, while consistently good, were never rock-my-socks, WOW-worthy. This was. No over-cooked rubbery excuses for calamari like you commonly find at Italian joints. Plus, the lunch special comes with a salad and foccacia bread, what more could you want? On the downside, service was stretched too thin and the bread was baked past its prime today - still fluffy, warm and fresh from the oven, but edging toward "slightly burned." Hopefully today was just an anomaly because it's otherwise stellar. Make sure to ask for the kamaaina menu (if you're local) to save some $$. read more

Even though I feel that the quality of the Italian food has slipped a little lately and that places like Mediterraneo have much better quality Italian food, I still love this little gem because it's super close to where I live, a great date location (although can get a little stuffy/hot), has good service, and a very cute vibe. And it's my go-to date spot in a pinch! :) What's better than a place you can canoodle with a date and then "casually" walk back to your pad from for the "after party"? Awwwww yeah....(Cue Barry White music and Clapper-activated Fireplace) The food is still better than most Italian food I've had, I mean it's not going to be like Rome/Venice or anything, but you definitely get a good dining experience. Their pastas range from about $16-$28, and their pizzas are about $16-$20. Their glasses of wine are a bit pricy at $11-$15 but whatever, you are kinda paying for the experience. My personal favorite dish is their Rigatoni Amatriciana, excellent flavor/kick/hearty pasta. Their Uni Spaghetti, while unique, is definitely not for everybody. There's a difference between loving Uni and having it ALL over your pasta. I've also had a number of other dishes, including Linguine Vongole, Risotto Funghi, and a bunch of their other pastas that were all well prepared. Again, I think Mediterraneos Italian quality is better. Pizza is good, but not as good as JJ Dolans/Boston's North End/V-Lounge. One note, they have a wait line that's usually anywhere from 30 minutes (for a 2-person table) to almost an hour or more depending when you go. Weekends are worse. They used to have a call-ahead service but they got rid of it, and only do reservations from 5-6 pm. The original location on the Diamond Head side of Waikiki has a lot more room and is easier to get a table at and has same menu, but it's not quite as cute/quaint as this location. Still, I'd rather go to a place like this than some f-ing chain restaurant like CPK any day of the week. No offense against CPK, but why fly thousands of miles to an island to eat something you can get around the block at home? read more

The best pizza on Oahu. It's light, airy and crispy, just the way I like it. I also love their Gorgonzola pasta. read more

I have been many times and I think it is the best Italian place on the island. Also, it has been opened for many years which is a great sign in Hawaii where restaurants come and go on a quarterly basis. Yum Very Well Done. 6 Stars... PS. I'm a WOP so I should know... Mangia! :) read more

ARANCHINO ON BEACHWALK @255 BEACHWALK AVE: Only one time lunch review. Kamaaina discount is great! Taste, service and price all great! We will be back many times. read more

If you come hea get da course meals! Winnahs! They match da food with da wine so it.s a no Braina! My fav was the squid ink pasta! Ja like my madda made but, different! Smile!! If you get one Chick! Go impress um and take um dea for the course meals! Maybe you get something after..... Talking about dessert!:)! Raja Dat! read more

While staying in town at the Alohilani Resort, we decided to have a family dinner nearby. Our choice of the night was Arancino. Arancino Di Mare is an Italian restaurant conveniently located just off the busy Waikiki strip with two sister restaurants located in or near town as well Seating avaiblble for inside and outside. It was our first time eating here and sitting outside made us feel like as if we were in Italy itself. During our visit, we waited for about 30 minutes. It was hectic on a weekend night, but with such high ratings and great reviews, it's lucky we only had to wait for a half an hour.  Open Kitchen - something that adds value to our eating experience. ****The cheese wheel - This dish is presented and finished tableside in an imported parmigiano-reggiano cheese wheel. my favorite was the Tagliatelle Salmone e Crema which has smoked salmon, baby spinach, ho farms cherry tomatoes, and white cream sauce. Designated as a "premier Italian ristorante" and winner of the 2016 "best Italian Restraunt" by Star Advertiser, Arancino is the place you want to be if you love Italian food. Although it is on the high end of dining, the food was phenomenal! read more

They open at 5p. They cater to Japanese tourist and seem to have a strong following. Highly recommend placing a reservation. (I made mine the evening of.) They do not take reservations after 7p for the day of. Just keep that in mind. I tried, of course, the uni pasta. Or as Emi would say it, "UNI PASTA!" Don't know what uni is? Never tried it? Shame. I enjoyed it...a lot. But I do not recommend it if you are not a raw seafood eater. My friend had the lasagna. (Why is it spelt lasagna? You don't spell my name Jegsse C.) It came out bubbling over; hot from the oven. She devoured it. Mind you, she's a petite asian woman. I'm not sure where she puts it all. But trust me when I say she enjoyed it. But I'm coming back for that uni pasta. And I'd like to come back and try their desserts. Maybe I'll bring my friend back too. Ha ha. read more

We were excited to try this place after seeing mostly positive reviews, however, we will not return. The wait for 2 was 30 minutes, which is fair since it is a small place. They were kind enough to take down my number in case we wanted to walk around. So while waiting, I grabbed a coffee nearby. When they went to seat us I was asked to throw out my coffee. She instructed me to drink it quickly and asked again to take it seconds later. It was an awkward, rushed feeling that started things off poorly. I understand when fancy restaurants do this, but this is not by any means a fancy restaurant (chipped walls, loud guests, a crying baby, customers with shorts and graphic tees, and the icing on the cake: a Hello Kitty pen to sign our bill...). But the coffee thing was easy to overlook. For me the biggest problem was the service: We were rushed every step of the way. Both my date and I were chewing our food, forks in hands, as the waitress would come by and ask to take our plates with arms already reaching. We were in and out of this place in about 20 minutes, and clearly it was more important to them to cycle in more guests than to properly serve the guests at hand. As for the food, the portions are painfully small and lacking in flavor. The Arnold Palmer was watered down. If it wasn't for the free bread we would have starved. read more

It was oookaayyyyyyy. A little too pricy in my opinion. My husband's alfredo sauce in his pasta was a little too thick, and he didn't like the after-taste. The shrimp and avocado salad I ordered was not bad, but I didn't think it was worth the price because there wasn't a lot on the plate. For 4 people, we spent around $120 for 1 appetizer, 4 pasta dishes, and 2 desserts. I must give some cred to the serving staff though because they were really accommodating and super friendly. The host guy gave my 6-month old crayons and a coloring book, lol. I thought that was funny. read more

UNI PASTA was sooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rich & Creamy with al dente noodles, perfecto! They cook the pasta anyway you like (al dente, well done, etc...). The salad sampler was ok. I would probably order just the prosciutto and melon. Affogato al Caffè - Vanilla gelato "Drowned" in Espresso was delicious. I don't think it's on the menu. The manager just brought them out for us. The special of the night, fettuccine shrimp scampi in tomato sauce, was also delicious. Try the special off the white board. The Rome style pizzas looked good too. I definitely want to try them soon. I recommend sharing the food. Also, expect a 30 min wait. Put your name on the list, and take a 30 min walk. read more

This place is kind of a "hole in the wall" restaurant located in Waikiki. I found this place on yelp while I was looking for good Italian places to eat at. My boyfriend made reservations on a Monday night around 6ish. We were sat right away which was lucky for us because reading everyone's review, they had to wait for about an hour! When I first walked in, I realized how small the restaurant is. I guess that's why the wait is so long for non-reservation makers! During our dinner, the restaurant slowly started filling up! By the time we were done, there were a bunch of people waiting outside to be seated. The tables were very close together, but like I said, this place was small! We were served right away by a woman who was extremely nice! We ordered the affettato misto which was very interesting. It is basically a cheese and meat appetizer. I'm used to eating that kind of dish, but I felt like it was missing a starch like crackers. The appetizer had salami, pistachio mortadella, prosciutto, grana padano cheese, kalamata & green olives. It was delish but we didn't finish it because we got our main dishes. I ordered the rigatoni all' amatriciana pasta. It was made with pancetta, sauteed onions in a tomato sauce. I thought it was very tasty! It had a good amount of meat with the perfect amount of rigatoni. I ate majority the dish. I couldn't eat it all because I was waiting for dessert! My bf ordered the peperoni e salsiccia which came out to be a pretty big pizza (enough to share). Our server was nice enough to give my bf and I BOTH tiramisu desserts for our birthdays! The tiramisu was amazing! I guess that's why it is one of their popular desserts! I think this was one of my favorite Italian places to eat at! Although it is very small, the service was great and the food was awesome! I'm sure we'll be back again! read more

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I was going to give it 3 stars because the food was tasty, but I can't. Outside of that, I was not really impressed. Overpriced, even for Waikiki. $15 for a Caprese Salad that had quarter sized pieces of mozzarella and grape tomatoes. The menu advertises buffalo mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes. That is certainly not what we got. The sea bass was moderately priced, but I felt like the filet piece was small. Overall, it was good, but it was not great. Also, I feel like they could take out like 2 tables to make it more quaint and less smooshed. read more

I went to Arancino just by myself, and always wonder how good this restaurant is. I ordered Lobster Bisque as my starter and it says, its a house speciality soup. I guess its gonna be good, but I was wrong. The soup was bland, doesnt even have enough taste of the lobster sense into it. The consistency was very watery, and I was expecting a good nappe. For entree I ordered the Linguine Vongole. Presentation is wise, the flavor was good, very well seasoned, you can taste each every layer of the seasoning ; wine, garlic, salt pepper. The clams tasted very clean. The pasta itself is very al-dente. For dessert, I tried their famous tiramisu. Meh, Not really that good, its lack of flavor, I did not taste that excitement of the rhum. But it was really soft and fluffy. I gave two stars for Arancino just because the Bisque and the tiramisu was not that on my expectation. Good Vongole btw. read more

All I can say is UNI PASTA!!!! holy cow! it's soooooooooo tasty! If you're into uni, it's a must try! There are actual uni pieces in it! The noodles itself was perfectly al dente and had a nice consistency to it. The next pasta I really loved is the squid with tobiko caviar. It's a very simple tasting pasta and lacks depth, but it's soooo good because it tastes really clean and the tobiko adds an accent to it. You can clearly distinguish the tobiko, from the squid, and from the pasta; yet still complemented each other perfectly. My favorite appetizer dishes were the bagna cauda and the prosciutto papaya. The bagna cauda is basically veggies dipped in piping hot olive oil and anchovy paste. Very simple, but very tasty! Prosciutto papaya sounds very weird at first because it's not common, but somehow the sweet and salty go together. Desserts are tasty here; they make their own tiramisu! It's one of the best I've ever tried. I liked their version of creme brulee too. Affogato is yummy too, they use good gelato. read more

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Really disappointed. Went here for lunch anticipating great things after so many positive reviews on Yelp. I had the seafood salad that was super bland to include previously frozen seafood. Boyfriend had spag and meatball with caesar salad special. Meatballs were good, however the sauce was overloaded with salt and too saucy. Complimentary house rosemary focaccia bread was tasteless. Side note : Wine list for lunch was unimpressive. I will give them the benefit of the doubt that dinner may be better, but when both of our plates were inedible, I think I will go elsewhere for Italian. read more

Nice tucked away location.. for now, pretty soon this block will have much more foot traffic. We were greeted by a very nice host, he acts like he owns the place and does everything he can to help customers. Our waiter was OK, he seemed to care about other tables more. I remember being in the restaurant and saying, wow, this is a great find. A week later, ehhh... it was OK. Complementary Bread - Damn Good! Caesar Salad - Excellent Pizza - Good Shrimp Pasta special - OK, I picked at it and ate less than half very forgettable... it's shrimp over linguine with creamy red sauce and a huge alien looking prawn with all it's legs all over your dish. Tiramisu - Good Another desert... forgot name, basically fruit with panna cotta or something like that and it was Very Good. Italian beer and cocktails were unique and very good. Overall $100 for two people, at the time I was happy with it, in retrospect maybe a tad expensive for the food. It could have been better. Overall ambience was nice. Parking... well it's Waikiki, I parked 4 blocks away. read more

Pretty good italian in an area where it's hard to find. If the service/atmosphere was better I'd give it 4 stars. MAKE SURE you call ahead and put yourself on the list. Generally about 30 mins before you plan to arrive. We did so, and still had to wait another 30 mins past that. It's a small restaurant and usually packed. Avoid the prosciutto papaya appetizer, it wasn't anywhere near as interesting as it might sound. The tropical iced tea was also a disappointment, way to heavy on the mind. The entrees however were great. The cheesy spaghetti was AMAZING! Had the rigatoni as well mmmm. And a great tiramisu for dessert. You can get your parking at the Bank of Hawaii building right next door validated, $1 for 3 hours. read more

My favorite Italian restaurant on the island! I used to go to this place A LOT when I lived in Hawaii b/c my friend used to be a manager here and because it's delicious, of course ;) *Food* I'm a fan of their spaghetti ai ricci di mare [uni pasta] -- their uni cream sauce is very rich and delish! So much so that I'd scoop the left over sauce with the focaccia and finish the plate clean. lol Another favorite of mine is the pizza gorgonzola e mela [cheese pizza with green apple slices with honey on the side]. You might think...'honey and cheese and apple?!'...but seriously, it's SO good, and you need to take my word....end of story. Their insalata gamberetti e avocado is good too. Avocado and grapefruit go surprisingly well and this is a great dish to split with everyone to start off the dinner. Aside from the uni pasta, their penne all' arrabbiata is good, add some shrimp to it, and it gets better. :) Side note...my mom is a die hard fan of their lobster pasta...it's pretty good too, but I always end up getting their uni pasta... *Other info* The restaurant is in a convenient location on Beachwalk and the restaurant will provide validation if you park in the Bank of Hawaii building, which means parking is only $2 up to 3hrs. The size of their Beachwalk location is pretty small so you might have to wait awhile to get seated if you go during prime time dinner hours, so I suggest you make a reservation ahead of time or go off peak hours. **short and sweet** - Try out their 'uni pasta' and 'cheese pizza with green apple and honey' :) read more

My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this little restaurant while walking around Waikiki, and I am glad we did. It felt like we walked into a hole in a wall that lead straight to Italy. The ambiance was very romantic and: dimly lit with red and white checkered tables. I waited for only 20 minutes for a table when the wait was supposed to be 45 minutes. I started off with a glass of Spumante (Asti), which included an edible hibiscus. It was very cute and tasted light and sweet. It went well with my course, which was a Spaghetti Alla Pescatora. It was pricey, but to me it was well worth it. I liked the fact that the seafood medley was topped off with a gigantic shrimp. So cute! The waiter recommended me not to add parmesan to my course because the cheese will overpower the taste of the seafood, but I asked for some on the side because I am a cheese lover. For dessert, I had a scoop of gelato with espresso poured over it. It was so simple, yet delicious and amazing. What a great way to end my meal. The only thing that I did not like about this restaurant is that the bathrooms were a little...dirty. Arancino shares the bathrooms with an Asian restaurant next door so you have to be a little careful when opening the doors. The toilets have toilet seat bidets, but I wouldn't trust using it. If you are wondering about parking, the best thing you can do is to park at The Royal Hawaiian and walk towards Hard Rock Cafe, which is on the same street as Arancino. Parking is cheap when you validate! For now, I declare this restaurant my new favorite Italian restaurant of all time. read more

I walked up to Arancino shortly after they opened at 5pm to get an early dinner. I was with a larger group on vacation but split off for part of the afternoon and was dining alone. Although there were many open tables inside, when I asked for a table for one, they told me the wait would be 45-50 minutes. As far as I know, this location doesn't take reservations so this made no sense. They did offer takeout with a wait of only 15-20 minutes. I declined at the time but later in the evening my group ended up ordering takeout since our hotel was nearby. The food was not ready when I arrived to pick it up although it should have been based on the time provided when we placed the phone order. I paid for the order and waited about ten minutes. The food was well packaged in individual containers but I only realized when I got to the hotel that they didn't include any bread (which we specifically requested). The eggplant appetizer and entree pasta was quite good and probably would deserve a four star rating if consumed immediately in the restaurant. However, it was just alright as a takeout order. Also, service was less than desirable due to the missing bread and my guess that I was not given a table at 5pm because I was dining alone and they wanted to save tables for parties with a higher check. In retrospect, I wonder whether they omitted the bread and made me wait because I did not include a tip when I paid for the order. I tip well when I sit down in a restaurant and actually receive service but I'm not going to tip a guy for bringing two plastic bags to the front of the restaurant for takeout. It seems like maybe they expected a $15-20 tip. At least that's the vibe I got after paying and when I finally got the food. read more

On a recent stay-cation in Waikiki, some friends and I wanted to eat Italian food and after searching Yelp, we came across Arancino. After calling ahead to put our name on the list, we found out that they close their reservation book at 6pm, but you can still call ahead. In either case, we got there and waited for awhile, so make a reservation or call ahead to get your name on the list. We started with the Caprese salad and the mozzarella was perfectly complemented by a nice aged olive oil. We opted to a family style menu and also ordered the owner's favorite and a "meat lovers" pizza that were on special. Both were good, but avoid the owner's special if you aren't a shellfish lover. We ordered a few pastas, the fettuccine alla crema which was featured fettuccine noodles complemented with a creamy white sauce and served with a nice bite of asparagus and proscuitto. The spaghetti alla checca was a nice and flavorful spaghetti with a robust tomato sauce. We also had another pasta that was on special which was a great mix of tomato/white sauce and served with lobster. Service was good, with a nice wine list. The food was good and definitely worth checking out. Again, make reservations otherwise you are bound to be in for a really long wait. Parking is available in the ANA building with the garage entrance behind the bank of hawaii. Get your ticket validated and parking is only $1. read more

I was not expecting to find one of the best Italian restaurants I've ever been to in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but Arancino managed to surprise me. When we called they were not taking reservations, and we were told it would be an hour wait when we arrived. We were craving Italian so we decided to wait it out at a bar nearby until they called. They called us about 10 minutes before they were ready for us, which gave us enough time to close out and head back over. For drinks, we split a 750ml white sangria which was absolutely outstanding. I typically only prefer red sangrias but this one might make a believer out of me. They also brought out some warm bread with oil and vinegar. I'm not sure if the bread was homemade or not, but either way it was delicious. For dinner I ordered the spaghetti al nero di seppia, which was nothing like anything I've ever seen before. I grew up in a family that cooks very Italian influenced meals and this plate blew me away. It was solid black pasta and squid with a garlic sauce made from the squid ink. I was in heaven. For dessert we split a gelato topped with espresso which was also delicious and a great way to top off the meal. Overall, I wish this place had some locations on the east coast because I would eat there regularly. It's one of the few places I've eaten at that actually reminded me of the food I grew up eating. I just never thought I'd find that in Hawaii. read more

I came here with my mom for dinner and we had an amazing and very memorable experience. The food was INCREDIBLE for both of us! We loved everything from the bread to the entrees. Our server Dell went out of his way to make it a great experience for us and answered all of our questions. We really appreciated him! read more

HOLY COW, BATMAN. Who woulda thunk, that in Hawaii, specifically, Waikiki, a huge tourist trap magnet, that a gem of an Italian restaurant exists?! We discovered this place several years ago and were wowed at the quality and scrumptiousness of their Italian dishes. This place can kick some butt over many in North Beach (San Francisco). Anyway, their fettucina alla crema, spaghetti pescatore, penne gorgonzola and caesar salad all rock. I have always had yummy dishes here. I'm sure the other pasta dishes which I haven't tried yet, rank right up there. As for dessert, the tiramisu was freakin' amazing! Creamy mascarpone with just the right amount of rum/espresso-soaked ladyfingers...OMG, it just melts in your mouth. I'm so glad this place is sort of hidden. It's small, cozy, and there can be a line outside, it's that good! The wait staff is friendly and service is good. This place has lasted for a few years now, in spite of their location which is a testament to how good their food is! They've even opened a second location in a more highly trafficked area on Kalakaua. Anyway, it's a good thing for them, but I'll most likely stick to this original location cuz I know how good it is! Dee-lish! read more

Walked by this restaurant the last time I went to Ginza Bairin (tonkatsu shop 2 doors away) and made a mental note to go there the next time I was in the area. Well, I made sure I was in the area, so I could eat there. And not disappointed at all. On the table to sample: Blue crab & Zucchini Spaghetti, Pork & Beef Meatball Spaghetti and Pancetta Rigatoni. Simply put, the pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was fantastic. The other restaurant names can't be mentioned by name, because they're not worthy. The tomato sauce had a deep and rich flavor, but not creamy. It was so good that I used the bread to wipe the dish clean. Unlike other seafood pasta dishes, the crab carried the blue crab and zucchini spaghetti. Service was good, nice and quiet during lunch, but a bit pricey ($15-$25 for the pasta dishes). Next task is to find another reason to be in Waikiki, so I can try the other dishes on the menu. Maybe a calzone next time. read more

Came down here for lunch the other day with a friend for take out. We were promptly greeted by the host, who showed us the menu. The pizza combos come with a personal pan and your choice of a side. Sounds pretty good. Then, he said one of the most amazing things: if you show your Hawaii ID you get a kamaaina discount! For a pizza combo of $17.99, kamaaina rate made it about $10! Amazing (especially to the ears of a college student)! I got a pepperoni pizza with a cesar salad. The pizza was delicious right at the first bite! I don't know what it is, but there was so much flavor. It was clearly one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Very good experience. I'll be sure to sit in next time! read more