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    Margotto Hawaii

    4.2 (158 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndFrench, Italian, Japanese
    Closed • 5:00 pm - 10:30 PM

    Margotto Hawaii Photos

    Business Info

    MARGOTTO HAWAII ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - Margotto Hawaii

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    Full bodied Cab
    Jolene L.

    Classy chic, absolutely loved it! I had the pleasure of dining with Yelp Elite Terry K. who also happens to be the Yelp Duchess at Margotto. It was because of Terry that I got to meet the owner during our reservation. He is very humble and quite generous. Having read all the other glowing reviews, I knew that I would have a memorable first time. Indeed, this was a lovely dining experience that I will forever cherish. We started with the fish carpaccio, which had fresh greens drizzled with a delightful dressing. This was delicate yet tasty, great with the perfectly sliced prosciutto. Next, we each had the Caviar Monaka. 10 grams of roe presented on a fresh rice cracker. This paired well with our bubbly :) To continue with hors d'oeuvre, we enjoyed the Margotto special egg toast and added truffles of course. Silky egg yolk, over crunchy toast, and finished with flavorful truffle....delish! Everything was absolutely perfect so far. Then we were served the cacio e pepe. Have you ever tasted pasta that stopped you in your tracks? Something so classic and simple, just grated cheese and pepper....my Heavens this was so wonderful! Last but certainly not least, their tiramisu. This was such a treat and a great way to conclude our delicious dining experience. Smooth and airy, this dessert was just right. Margotto's establishment is clean and crisp with the right amount of lighting and space between tables. Their service is top notch and their food...Amazing! Memorable! Repeat worthy! We already have reservations next month :)

    Lyn L.

    Loved this dining experience! The restaurant looks so unassuming from the outside. Inside it's nice and fresh , service is excellent and food is delicious! I highly recommend

    Michelle T.

    I got lucky and the owner was there when I was dining and he explained this restaurant is actually in Japan first and then I opened in Hawaii so that was pretty cool! He specializes in truffles. I thought everything overall was made very well. What I liked in particular was the burrata spaghetti, cause it had an interesting bite, and the burrata made it a little bit more creamy. Overall, the staff was also very attentive . It's actually great for a romantic dinner but also for groups .

    Terry K.

    Quiet and romantic ambiance Private room dining for parties Sexy meat slicer (2 of it's kind on the island) Three types of water available for purchase and they are sparkling, distilled still and flat water The menu is clean and simple but each dish offered packs a bunch of punch, truffle punch that is Dishes offered Ala carte and appears to be on the smaller side. Don't let the size fool you. Each dish while appearing small turns out to be quite a bit and filling The servers while seemed pushy and rushy backed off giving us a chance to graze through each dish. We each ordered an appetizer and entree and shared like tasting plates giving us a chance to sample many dishes Krug bubbles appears to be their signature serve We brought our own wine. My host treated us to nice Italian wine which paired well either each dish If you've never been keep your eyes peeled as there is no sign fronting the entrance. The are hiding on the southwest side of Piikoi and Kona streets Parking is slim to none but a few reserved stalls on the Kona street are available as well as street parking You can dine there for a meal with several courses OR stop in for dessert and a glass of Krug champagne Fun Fact- Owner Kazu Hori (I think the name here is stortened) is a race car driver. Not sure if Chef Kayama is there still but he is an avid snowboarder. I had the pleasure of dining at Margotto last year with Yelp and learned all of that! LOL

    Cacio Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe/with Truffle
    Neville A.

    Shawn is amazing super knowledgable and gracious the food was outstanding from The Caccio Pepe to the Beef Cheek to the truffles and on and on coming back next week to try the duck. The Tomato on the pork Milanese were worth their weight in gold beyond outstanding. Will be back next week

    Cotolette
    Ada H.

    Margotto is located in a very unassuming area and though we parked within a few steps from the entrance, my boyfriend and I kept passing the restaurant. There are no signage so use the pictures of the outside of the restaurant as a reference. The food was delicious and most of the dishes were fresh and rich in flavor. My favorite was the Cacio e Pepe and it paired well with the aromatic truffle shavings. The ribeye was succulent and perfectly seasoned but still highlighted the natural flavors of the beef. The Margotto special egg toast was a bit lackluster. I felt as if there were no truffle shavings, this dish would be even more bland. Service felt really pushy and even though we ordered enough items to which we felt would be the perfect amount of food, the server stated we should order another entree. I felt obligated to order another dish but regretted it since I already felt full before the main dishes arrived. Looking back, an appetizer, 2 pasta dishes and 2 entrees would be overkill for any couple. Another part of our meal that was off putting was the fact that there were several flies that continuously hovered towards our food. We consistently had to swat the flies away and that took away from our dining experience. Food is delicious and maybe we came on an off day since we were the only diners, but definitely not the dining experience I was expecting.

    Rob B.

    Aloha. Sunday family funday dinner was great. Plenty food. We added truffles, of course and a nice bottle of wine. Along with 4 drinks to start, total bill was quite reasonable for Margotta. Definitely try this Sunday dinner. Well worth the price and your time. Started with a beautiful buratta salad, next a pasta dish and lastly amazing ribs on garlic fried rice. All so yummy. Enjoy!

    Love this touch
    Kosmo Z.

    I was looking to eat somewhere nice kind of last minute, but thankfully I found this place. There's no noticeable sign outside, but should be able to find with ease if you look based on the house number. We were greeted at the door, and we met the owner briefly. Our server gave us an introduction to their restaurant, krug ambassador info and black truffle. We went with the truffle and all add ons. We loved many of the dishes, so we can't pinpoint one exactly. Dessert was also simple but fun. I'll let the photos do the talk on their presentation. You really can't go wrong with black truffle shavings! Lastly, our meal turned out to be 1300 for two after tip (2 glasses of Krug) and we were very satisfied overall.

    Angela P.

    This review is for take out only. I have not had the opportunity to dine in yet. But I will say their truffle burgers are worth the price. I think they even make their own bread! It's buttery, beefy, savory and cheesy! Their fries are just okay but that's just a personal preference but it does come with a truffle dipping sauce and seasoning on the side. All in all, the burger is enough to make me want to go and dine in so stay tuned for a dine in review

    Vanilla Ice Cream with White Truffle Infused Honey
    Kristian G.

    Being a truffle lover, it was a no brainer that I had to try Margotto! This restaurant is conveniently located on Piikoi Street (look for the black wood storefront). The inside is beautiful, classy, with dim lighting. Our waiter, Henry, was extremely friendly, attentive, and we were able to crack jokes with him. To start, we ordered a bottle of Saracco Moscato D'Asti. Many at our table aren't big on drinking, but the Sommelier recommended this. It was light, fruity, and actually tasted like lychee. The food was delightful! We decided to order Ala carte as some of my table weren't adventurous eaters. We started with the potato gratin and added truffle, which is charged by the grams. We also ordered some of the bread rolls which were perfectly fluffy and came piping hot. For our main meal, we decided to get a bunch of items and share: Cacio e Pepe with truffle, Carbonara with truffle, Cotoletta Milanese, Joue De Boeuf, TKG Truffle Rice, and the homemade vanilla ice cream with white truffle honey. The table favorites were the Cacio e Pepe with truffle (so much we ordered 2 more) and the Joue De Boeuf. The Cacio e Pepe was a recommendation from our waiter, which we were sold on when he stated that they "use an offensive amount of French butter" lol. It was rich and bursting with flavors of butter, cheese and pepper. The Joue De Boeuf was tender and oh so flavorful! Overall, portion sizes were petite but we did leave full. If you're wanting a nice dinner out, I would recommend Margotto!

    Carbonara
    Carrie G.

    Amazing in every aspect! Definitely a great place to bring a foodie for special occasions. Food is expertly prepared using the best quality ingredients and presentation is on point. I'd recommend getting a cold + hot appetizer + pasta + main and save room for dessert! We tried the cold cauliflower potage which was like a whipped creamy cauliflower soup purée and got uni on the side bc hubs does not eat that. 10/10! The TK egg on toast with sauce is so simple yet it has a definite wow factor so I'd recommend ordering it if you haven't tried it. We tried 2 pastas bc we couldn't decide which one to get and it was a lot of food but worth it. The burrata melted on top of tomato sauce was perfection. The carbonara was creamy and dreamy with thick smoky chunks of pancetta. YUM! For mains we ordered the wagyu and it was small but oh so flavorful! The lamb chops were also delicious just a tad undercooked IMO. Both were served with local veggies that were perfectly cooked. You can order truffles and I recommend adding this touch of decadence! Especially in the winter, the white truffles were way better than the black ones. They weigh it out in front of you then shave or grate it onto the food. We were going to order a bottle of wine but instead opted to do custom wine pairings for the dishes we ordered and that was the right choice bc we got to try a variety of flavors and the same wine wouldn't have been such a diverse gastronomic journey. Their sommelier definitely knows his stuff! The service is the best out of anywhere else I've been on island/ the world for that matter! We did the 8pm seating on a Friday night and had the intimate front dining room so it was cozy and romantic. We had 3 servers (I'm so bad with names but they know who they are!). They really made our meal into a 5 star overall experience! We were celebrating our 23rd anniversary so my hubby wanted to do something special and they delivered! We even got a free champagne to toast with and a free dessert! Their famous chocolate truffles! I attended the Yelp elite event a while back and thought this would be a wonderful place to celebrate a special occasion and my hubby must be able to hear my thoughts bc he took me here as a "surprise" because after 23 years we can read each others minds! Cheers to love, truffles, champagne and Yelp!

    June 2023 - Italian Summer truffle
    Rod U.

    Note: This update is for their new, simplified, chef driven menu concept. TL;DR One of the best dining experiences to be had in Hawaii. Seasonal, fusing ingredients from both Japan and Hawaii using French and Italian techniques with Japanese nod to simplicity and aesthetic. It all comes together to create exquisite bites that are intriguing yet familiar at the same time. Pair and back it with an incredible old world wine experience. Add service that is relaxed (local for locals) a energetic chef, a personable owner and it all comes together. Again, one of the best dining experiences in Hawaii. Margotto is about taking the stuffiness out of fine dining. Don't sit in a suit and whisper across the table. Think of it as a trattoria in Italy. Talk. Enjoy prosciutto and one bite starters with your fingers. The process has been simplified: 1. Make your reservation via open table and select from the offered experiences (Grand degustation, Margotto experience, or the taste of Margotto). Prices for each are listed on the website. Credit card required to warranty your reservation. You will NOT be charged in advance and have the ability to select additional courses on arrival. 2. Someone will call to confirm your reservation. At that time, add supplements and upgrades. Most have a 48 hour lead time as ingredients need to be flown in from Japan. Full table participation is required. 3. At the restaurant, you will be guided by the server on your selection of upgrades to your protein, optional additional courses (prosciutto, caviar, etc...), and either adding a wine pairing ($120pp for June 2023) or glass / bottle pairing with the som. The food, outstanding. Menus change monthly. A "sunny side up toast" (up egg on toast covered with fresh grated parm, shaved truffle sat atop a Madera truffle demi; heaven. Cut it up. Mix the yolk with the demi. A flavor bomb. A sublime one bite mushroom tart explodes with umami goodness topped by porcini dust and a copious amount of truffles. The wine pairing is ESSENTIAL. Som Lee Kanimura has done an exceptional job creating an old world wine pairings that teases out unexpected flavors when combined with the food. A wine with very little nose suddenly brings out vanilla notes when combined with a foie terrine? A sake, with a velvety mouth feel that adds acidic notes to unagi while heightening the umami notes. Impressive. Note: There is a very well chosen list of by the glass selections not part of the pairing. Use the som for custom pairings. Krug by the glass anyone? Note: Demonstrate an understanding and passion for wine and you may be given the chance to order for the private list featuring stellar selections at unheard of low markups. Krug Clos du Mesnil for sub $2500??? This Margotto experience for three, a few upgrades and add-on's, wine pairing, additional glasses to start and end inclusive of 20 percent service, $1700. What are you waiting for, book your reservation today. Epic.

    Irene M.

    Yes I seriously wanted the experience and I did!! I always say I work because I like nice things...and this is not one of them...it's so far beyond bougie and we certainly toasted to that tonight! Me and my bestie got to experience something we couldn't stop smiling over the minute we walked in the door. Instantly we were greeted and escorted to our table set perfectly with the napkin folded into a suit with the bowtie pasta artfully painted in vibrant colors our setting along with the menu for the evening. The vibe here is delightfully casual and don't forget to check in on the Yelp app as there is an offer for a free Champagne toast our server Eriko was just phenomenal went through our menu with us and immediately brought out a box filled with the truffles for the evening describe it's origin and type to us and even let us pick it up to observe which we both have never done before. With that the two types of truffles we brought out to us under the cutest dome for us to stare throughout the evening as we see it whittle down to nothing. They did call in advance to confirm my reservation and the reason for the dinner along with any allergies which I did have and modify anything that needed to be which was very nice. Tonight with The Margotto Experience is an eleven course items which each are brought out at the perfect timing each was just amazing still doesn't describe it at all which I shouldn't do as it's something you just need to experience...literally! Thank you!

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    Wanted some soup and salad for lunch and this was the place. We enjoyed our lunch. Noise level was a bit loud but food was good.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Margotto Hawaii Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Margotto Hawaii

    Where is the parking location for the restaurant?

    there are a few parking spots on hopaka st or a bigger public (pay) on kona. if all else fails go further down to look for street parking.

    Is gratuity automatically included on your bill?

    No it’s not.

    Instead of wine pairings, do they offer non-alcoholic pairings?

    Thank you for your interest in Margotto Hawaii. We don’t have non alcoholic pairing, however, our customers enjoy many kinds of non alcohol beverages such as non alcoholic cocktails, selection of fine tea etc.… 

    Are there vegetarian options available?

    Thank you so much for your interest in Margotto. We are trying our best to accommodate vegetarian… 

    Is this place kid friendly?

    Thank you for your interest in Margotto Hawaii!! We already had good numbers of kids gentlemen! No worry. If you do, we have private dining 4-8 person. Just make sure they… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    •$$$

    great!! food was delicious and the experience was the best I've seen so far. Great for a small…read moredate !!!

    Reservations were impossible so we planned to arrive right when they opened at 4pm. There was a…read moreclipboard and a line of 7 names ahead of us, but we got in. Yay!! For years we have gone to Ginza Bairin and never knew this place existed (since 1952 hello!). But GB is looking really dilapidated and inside is very small. We saw this very authentic place on a YouTube video and we had to try. Food: 2 shrimp 2 chicken set and 10oz. pork loin set. I love that you get a choice of rice and miso soup. We selected white rice and white miso with clams and green onion. I like that I can get a a combo of shrimp AND chicken. At GB I have to choose between the two. Although I believe the shrimp at GB are larger tiger shrimp. TT also gives you complimentary pickles (eggplant, daikon, and ume) and a small cup of barley tea at the end of your meal which is really a nice touch. The shrimp and chicken were breaded very nicely and the chicken was super moist. The miso soup was very flavorful with 3 clams. However, the rice I felt was cooked using too much water and was a little mushy. I prefer a drier rice. Hubby like his pork but next time would get a smaller size as he couldn't finish it all and left 2 pieces behind. They also come around with a bowl of cabbage in case you would like seconds. Yes please! Ambiance: I heard they used to be upstairs. This downstairs location looks brand new and is warm and inviting. The seat cushions are very comfortable. It's a much nicer environment and a much larger space than the run down GB. We walked from our hotel (30 minutes) and walked back but you would need an Uber if you're not up for that. For us, if we are lazy, I would go to GB as it's close to our hotel and has very large tiger shrimp. Otherwise, we would plan to come back here (and make reservations as soon as we book a trip to Waikiki!)

    Photos
    Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Battering the Pork

    Battering the Pork

    Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Making the sauce

    Making the sauce

    Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Mix Katsu Set

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    Mix Katsu Set

    ABURIYA IBUSHI - Ice cream and mochi

    ABURIYA IBUSHI

    4.5(454 reviews)
    2.3 mi•Kaimuki
    •$$

    Thankyou Doc for treating us to Aburiya Ibushi for Grandparents Day 2026. Excited...first time…read morehere and we arrived more than 30 minutes prior to our 5:30 pm reservation. Exterior just calls out to you. I'll write more once we are seated and taste their food. I already looked at their menu on Yelp, read some reviews and know what I want to try. All 3 employees welcomed us with smiles and a happy greeting. It smells SO good when you enter of good food. Catchy Japanese pop music adds to the festive vibe. Their menu is extensive. Everything sounds, looks and tastes amazing. Erin was the best and such a pretty hostess, table server and made the evening enjoyable. Yuzu was all smiles, cute and prepared some of the food. She also helped Doc make our dinner reservations. Chef was so busy preparing the dishes I didn't get to ask him his name but I flashed a thumbs up to him as we were leaving and he gave a big smile. There was so much delicious food we asked for take out containers for the oxtail ramen and tender grilled beef. We had to pass on dessert. Actually my melon float was like a pretty dessert. Hubs drank a lychee soda. Highly recommend this restaurant. Come for the food, atmosphere and friendliest staff. We even caught a glimpse of their very young boss who also greeted us when he arrived.

    Always been wanting to try this place out, but could never find the time. Finally made it out here…read moreon a Friday around 5p (with no reservations) there were a handful of people in the establishment. We were welcomed in, though told that we had to depart by a certain time because there was another reservation coming in. Not a problem for us, appreciated the head's up. We were at a countertop seating, towards the restrooms. We could still see the cooks grilling in our peripheral view. We noticed that when it got busy, the place got super duper smokey really fast, to the point where they opened the front door to air some of that out. I wished they had a better ventilation system because we definitely left there smelling of smoke. As for the food, definitely shareable with different dishes from grilled meats to sides and starches. The server was also kind in helping us navigate through the menu when we had first arrived. There's a lot going on, in terms of specials of the day. Though I noticed, that when it got busy, we saw less and less of our server, and had to flag him down for more water several times. Save some room for dessert, for their sister company (Cha to Gelato Zen) is located right next door. Overall, if you're looking for a lively (loud) spot to drink and/or eat pupus, this place has an interesting vibe to it.

    Photos
    ABURIYA IBUSHI - Storefront... just like we're in Japan!

    Storefront... just like we're in Japan!

    ABURIYA IBUSHI - Their famous potato salad.

    Their famous potato salad.

    ABURIYA IBUSHI - Potato Salad

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    Potato Salad

    Margotto Hawaii - french - Updated October 2026

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