4. Restaurants

Taormina Sicilian Cuisine

227 Lewers St,Ste R-100, Honolulu, HI, 96815
  • (808) 926-5050
  • Store is closed

Taormina Sicilian Cuisine Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Amber T.

    First thing I would like to say is its a fancy restaurant and dress up lol! I enjoyed the food here at this place, had the four choice appetizer and chose the bruschetta, caprese, proscuitto with melon, and tuna carpaccio. All were delicious, but my favorite was the proscuitto with melon. The contrast of salty and sweet was yummie! Next was the main course. The granchio, which is a pasta tomato cream sauce with lobster. Yummie! The grilled beef tenderloin was cooked perfectly and very soft and moist, with lots of flavor. The service here was very good and prompt. Would definitely recommend this restaurant for some good italian/sicilian cuisine.

    (4)

  • Ali V.

    Love the atmosphere of the place!!!! Love the wines!!! OMG I love the wine. Lol Jason is the best server... Very attentive. He gave us good suggestions to order and what wine went with which meal. AWESOME!!!!!

    (5)

  • Pomai S.

    Service: 5 Yelp stars Food: 5 Yelp stars Ambiance: 5 Yelps stars Authenticity to Sicilian Cuisine? I don't know, but it's as good as it gets, as far as I'm concerned!

    (5)

  • Tom M.

    I've been told this was Italian food nirvana. Hmmm, not sure about that, but it is really good. There is a nice wine list, but their prices are crazy. Since it's a small place, I had to hold myself back several times from saying, "Get the fuck out" aloud when I read through the wines. Yeah, prices are higher here, but there's a limit. More good restaurants are bringing down their markups to make the meal more accessible, complete and enjoyable for the diners. I suggest you bring your own bottle. We started with an uninspired green salad, built with just lettuce and a few small cherry tomatoes. The dill and mint helped, but it was underdressed. However, things improved greatly when the pasta arrived: perfectly cooked spaghetti with simple basil, tomato and a burrata that added a nice richness to the dish. Loved the flavors, but the sauce had too much liquid in it--guess they didn't seed and drain their tomatoes? Only a minor fail because it was still very good. Finally, the duck. Perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned. A win! We swapped out the sauteed mushrooms for what turned out to be a dry potato mash. Still, the best duck I've had in ages. Nirvana? No. But I'll be back.

    (4)

  • Denalee C.

    It is completely possible I'm one of the last people in Honolulu to hear about this place. It's even more entertaining that my non-Yelp friend introduced me to this joint. We turned down Beach Walk and at the end, made a left into the Embassy Suites valet. Walk mauka and make a right where you see the windows of a million kegs from Yardhouse. Pass by Yardhouse and cross Lewers. Make a left and walk all the way down the block and the restaurant is on your right. The restaurant itself is pretty fancy. I mean you could tell from the name-it's not Italian Cuisine, it's Sicilian! There was a ton of staff who provided top notch service. We were presented with the largest cork menus in the world. I swear you leave them open and it takes up over half the table. We ordered a dirty martini, Taormina 'cosmo', clams, bruschetta, squid ink linguini, Pescatore, and the banana split for dessert. We have big eyes. Let's start off with the house bread: focaccia and Italian bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The focaccia had cheese and olives but not a ton of taste. The Italian bread was very soft on the inside but was missing the crusty crunchy part on the outside and the ever important chew factor. The clams were smaller in size but a decent appetizer portion. They were cooked well but I wasn't a fan of the sauce, it had a faint sour flavor. The bruschetta was a pile of Italian bread 'toast' and a sauce of prawns, scallops and tomatoes poured right on top, it was definitely the most wet bruschetta I've ever had. The bread got soggy and I'm a fan of crunchy food. The squid ink linguini was good. It had a slight kick to it but nothing overly spicy. It had a generous portion of seafood and was flavored well. The pescatore noodles were really good-you could tell they were fresh and perfectly al dente. The pescatore also had a generous portion of seafood as well. The banana split was a small banana sliced length wise with thin slices of strawberries and two scoops of salted caramel gelato in the middle. The gelato was possibly the best I've ever had. Don't know if this will make sense but it was buttery. And creamy, perfect amount of sweetness and caramel. Too bad the dish didn't come with a spatula. Make sure you get your ticket validated! It was overall a great experience with impeccable service. I'm pretty sure it was a 30 second wait between the waiter taking away our appetizer dishes and our entrees hitting the table. A great perk about this location is it makes for a after dinner stroll with tons of attractions.

    (4)

  • Chelsey N.

    Fancy smanshy pants? Yes. Definitely yes. But would I spend oodles of money to come here again? Nah. The location is on Lewers Street and I can't even with Waikiki parking! But I was being treated to a birthday dinner and no one can fuss about that! We ordered some appetizers off of the set menu. Nothing memorable. The free bread was better. My two companions had the filet mignon which was amazing. I tried the foie gras risotto. It fell flat. The foie gras was overcooked and had no taste. The risotto itself was good but it was supposed to be about that foie gras nasty! Dessert was the best course. The waiter I swear was not even paying attention to what we ordered because he either asked us to repeat ourselves or just sent out the wrong food. Ultimately I would say this place is not worth all your dollas.

    (3)

  • Christopher D.

    A decent dinner, but it didn't have the "wow" factor I was expecting. We have been wanting to try this place for quite sometime, but rarely make it into Waikiki. As we approached the menu board outside the front entrance, a cordial host made her way out the front door to greet us. She made a few menu comments and gave us a business card should we desire to return. After weighing our other options in the immediate area, we decided to walk back here to Taormina. Immediately sat at an outside table. They have a nice setting to the left of the restaurant with covering in case of rain. We were offered water and I ordered a glass of wine. Bread followed shortly after with a bowl of balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dipping. Surprisingly, our entrees arrived within 5 minutes. The "bolognese alla classica" was a delicious mix of beef, pork, chicken and foie gras on a bed of fresh tagliatelle. My only issue with this dish was the sauce to pasta ratio. I finished the pasta and found myself with a large portion of meat sauce still in the bowl. The other entree we ordered was the "homemade lasagna", which comes baked in a dish filled with layers of fresh pasta, beef ragu, bechamel, blue cheese and parmesan cheese. Again, good flavors, but the pasta was cooked to a mush and the whole dish became a soupy consistency. The service was polite and efficient. The bathrooms were clean. The staff was all professional. Again, it was just OK for this visit. Although it was "fresh" pasta, located at Waikiki Beachwalk and upscale "Italian" cuisine, it was sort of pricey, $72, for two pasta entrees and a glass of wine. I want to come back and try more to really be convinced. Looking forward to another visit.

    (3)

  • Yuma O.

    My boyfriend and I came for lunch and it was one of the best food decisions we've ever made! **FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WONDERING (because I always consider parking when it comes to places in Waikiki) PARKING IS IN THE WYNDHAM HOTEL GARAGE and it's free before 3 with validation.** Ahem. Anyway. We had reservations and were seated after a few minutes. We quickly chose our appetizers and entrees and chatted while waiting for our food. The ambiance is nice. If I had to describe it I would say casual fine dinning. My kind of place! Our appetizers came out quickly and I thought everything was delicious. We chose four cold appetizers to start (some cheese thing, ahi and salmon carpaccio, and marinated squid and octopus). My boyfriend had the three course lunch menu which came with a flavorful salad and pea soup, which I definitely was not a fan of. Our entrees took a little longer than we thought it would. I want to say it came out maybe half an hour to 45 minutes after our appetizers, but we weren't in a rush and were having a nice time talking that we only noticed the time when the manager apologized for the wait. My boyfriend had the salmon and mushroom fettuccine while I had the squid ink pasta. He said his was just okay, but I absolutely, absolutely loved my pasta! The right portions of seafood and flavorful sauce along with the squid ink has made me a fan! Service was a bit lacking in the conversation department. I don't expect my server to have a full on conversation with us, but she barely said a word beyond "would you like a drink?" However, the manager on duty was great and personable and even gave us an extra dessert because we had paid and almost left without my boyfriend getting his final dessert course. Overall one of the best Italian places I've ever been. I must come back to try more!

    (5)

  • Joanne E.

    We celebrated our anniversary here, and everything was wonderful. Our server was knowledgeable and professional. Every dish was delicious! We tried the mango shrimp avocado salad, squid ink pasta with seafood, rib eye steak, and tuna pasta. My favorite dish was the capaletti with cheese, mushrooms and truffle oil. OMG, that was the ULTIMATE pasta dish! Absolutely DIVINE, I'm still dreaming about eating it again! And again and again! It was a special, so I hope when we return they'll have it again or add it to their regular menu. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, we finished with a banana split and a complimentary tiramisu (thank you, Taormina!), perfect endings to a perfect meal.

    (5)

  • Kaori I.

    I went there for dinner on 30th to finish up my 2014 pleasantly. I had their Truffle carbonara pasta for the first time and it was AMAZING! I was going to have squid black ink seafood pasta since it's my favorite there but I changed my mind right away when they said their special pasta of the day was truffle carbonara. I've seen it on facebook and it looked wonderful so I really wanted to try. It's a creamy sauce fettuccine comes with poached egg on top then they shave truffle at the table. It delivers a wonderful aroma to your table when they shave it :) It really WOWED me!!! So delicious!! I also had a really great salad which had red radish, pear, goat cheese, fresh greens, prosciutto and walnuts. The Prosciutto was soooo good and it gave a great punch to it. I loved this salad!!! I don't remember the name of this salad but it was the second top on the menu and the server's recommendation :) I started my meal with a cocktail which had Pear and Thyme and it was so tasty. I also had champaign and as always I finished with limoncello from Italy. I really had a great time having dinner at Taormina!!!

    (5)

  • K-bis M.

    Hands down the best food from Italy (Sicily) in Hawaii. Their pastas are fresh and delicious, the antipasti menu is amazing, get the lamb chops at some point. Their service is professional and efficient. The management run this place great. Let them know is your birthday, honeymoon, anniversary. If you like dessert, this place will not disappoint. Hurry up and make a reservation!

    (5)

  • Dwayne Y.

    So this is one of the better Italian joints on the island, definitely top 3. Last time we went we were very unimpressed. today it was much different. We started with the Bruschetta di mascarpone con gamberetti e capesante. This was excellent. The sauce that was poured over the Bruschetta was outstanding! It was quite large for an appetizer. I believe there were 8 pieces and a lot of sauce. The Fresh pasta Nero "Frutti di mare" might be the best Squid Ink Pasta I ever had in Hawaii. The pasta tasted very fresh and homemade. the sauce was subtle and complimented the fresh seafood nicely. The Pesci Misti was good too. The seafood was grilled to perfection and not overcooked. Fianlyl we had the 21 day dry-aged Ribeye. It had a wonderful salty flavor and was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The flavor was outstanding. I wish the piece was a little thicker though. Overall this was an excellent lunch.

    (5)

  • Bill R.

    Friday night and they put a rookie pasta chef on the line. Completely ruined two classic Taormina offerings. The fresh pasta with lobster tasted as if a literal handful of cayenne pepper was dumped in at the end. The classic pasta Bolognese was piled so high with sauce you couldn't see the pasta. Unappetizing and unappealing. My concerns fell on deaf ears as the smug supervisor refused to make any adjustments to the bill. NEWSFLASH: everyone makes mistakes but it's how you make it right that matters. Even Olive Garden knows that! Their refusal to acknowledge and make it right concerns me. The greedy bastards just want your money. They get a star for the waiter and a star for the cocktails. Veteran patrons should beware and be critical in hopes that they correct their ways.

    (2)

  • Kristin P.

    Had dinner here last night tried the special "carbonara it was really good. I would recommend a visit when in Hawaii

    (4)

  • K A.

    Excellent! My wife and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary and had dinner here. From the service to the food, it was perfect. Atmosphere was just right and will definitely return. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Jennifer L.

    I came here for the first time for a colleague's birthday lunch! Yay, he turns 33! I carpooled with my manager and another colleague. None of us had ever been so we parked in Embassy Suites, walked over, and got slightly confused as to where we were headed exactly. Well, we made it! We were seated on the "top floor" and it's a small, intimate space. The lunch specials look okay - I know the other reviews here rave about it, but I can't really eat most of it since I'm not a fan of seafood. Therefore, my selections were dramatically lessened. From what I hear, the shot of pea soup that came with the lunch special was really good! I do wish I got to try it. Maybe next time. My friend (the driver) ordered the catch of the day (monchong that day) and she said it was delicious. It came on a bed of grilled vegetables. She hates bell peppers but ate those! I decided to take a light lunch and asked if they served grilled vegetables during lunch (it is on the dinner menu). The server graciously said they could accomodate me. Happily, I handed over the menu. My manager, upon hearing that, ordered the same thing. Both of us loved it! It was really delicious and savory. The rest of the team thought we were nuts, of course, vegetables at a pasta place!!! Three boys, including the birthday boy, polished their lunches off quickly. The general consensus is that the service is great and the atmosphere is soothing.

    (4)

  • Catherine Y.

    randomly walked in here for lunch. food was good. the 3 course lunch special at ~$20 is very reasonably priced, which came with a small salad, chilled pea soup, pasta & a mango sorbet. I ordered the crab pasta (dont remember the real name for it). It came with a real crab leg & lots of crab meat. very yummy. Hubby got the seafood pasta but complaint the flavor is more of the tart taste of tomato. btw, this restaurant is not kid friendly. we have a baby in stroller & a toddler. Had to wait to be seated because we couldn't go upstairs with the stroller. After seating us outside, they told us they don't have high chairs. I would probably give a 4.5 star.

    (5)

  • Sally C.

    This is my first time at Taormina and I'm blown away from their service and food. My best friend's birthday was today so we decided to come here for her birthday dinner. I made a reservation few days ago for a party of 8 at 6:30 PM and I told them I want it to be indoor (they have an outdoor dining area too). I also asked them if it's okay to bring in a cake and they said it's fine, which is good. So at 6:30 PM, we arrived at the restaurant, have them the cake with candles and they said they will put it in the kitchen's fridge for us. Then, this girl brought us to our seating area... At first, I was all happy and excited then I realized she's taking us to the outside seating area. I immediately told her I requested for an indoor area and she said she'll get the manager. The assistant manager came, and he's really nice and understanding. He apologized to us and offered to give us appetizers on the house. We really wanted to sit inside so we asked him if there's any table open. He told us to come back an hour later they will try get us a table. At around 8:00PM, we came back and they have a table ready for us. It was on the second floor and the atmosphere was perfect for a birthday celebration with friends. It wasn't too quiet nor too loud. There was only our table and 2 other smaller tables. We got the view of Lewers street next to us :) The server for our table, Jason, is awesome and he's super nice! He explained everything to us on the menu. After we ordered, they came back with 2 appetizers sample plate for us and it's on the house! There were 8 different appetizers for us to try. All the food we ordered were super good and amazing. We all got full~ which is good! After they cleared the table for us, Jason brought us the cake we asked them to hold for us! They even put in the candles and lit them up. Taormina also gave my friend their homemade Tiramisu with gelato, on the house! Because it's her birthday :) Overall, it was an excellent first experience~ Even though I was quite disappointed and upset at the beginning because we didn't get to sit indoor and we had to wait an hour more for an indoor table, it was all worth it and they made up for it. I would come here again because the food and their service is beyond words! Thumbs up for the assistant manager (forgot his name ) and our server, Jason for making the dinner so awesome! Oh, and the chef for the good food~

    (5)

  • Ce G.

    Stay cation w my 2 little ones, ordered the lunch specials. Soup, salad, pasta and gelato dessert for $18 to $21. The pasta was full flavored, not really for kids, but he loved the food, and seemed excited being able to eat at a fancy restaurant. It was a nice treat, and the servers were fast and friendly.

    (5)

  • Dmitry Y.

    Taormina Sicilian Cuisine is so far the best restaurant I've been to as their food is just amazing. My wife and I liked it so much, we went there twice during our short vocation to Honolulu. Many thanks to the chief for the fantastic dishes and taking efforts to make each of them just perfect!

    (5)

  • Tom S.

    Solid Italian food in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Lasagne was fantastic. Decent wine prices on some but not all bottles - so keep an eye out.

    (4)

  • Roland L.

    Service was great Venue was clean the bathroom were good Food was excellent I came here from a couple of recommendations. I ordered the A taste of Taormina - tasting menu Misti Today's Soup Squid ink linguine sautéed with seafood Hawaiian big eye salad Misti was okay i didn't think there was too much prosciutto and i felt the dish was too deconstructed. I wanted to put the dish together so that i could have a bite of everything in my mouth. The soup was a pea soup cold, it was pretty amazing The squid ink pasta was really good as everyone described it would be. The seafood was very fresh Hawaiian big eye salad - seared but i felt the center wasnt raw enough because the slice of tuna was not huge. But it tasted great. Dessert - was yummy and tasty the ice cream was mac nut flavored yum

    (4)

  • Mell S.

    I can say that my experience here was the best that i have had in a while. The service was great. The attention to detail was great. The food was delicious and at a great price for what you get. The atmosphere was very calming and relaxing and it looked like someone spent a good deal of time on the decor. I'm quite sad that i only got to eat here once before leaving my vacation. But I'm glad that i got to the one time i was able. The lunch was three course and the pinapple mango sorbet was delicious at the end. I'm surprised that it wasn't busier than it was because this was one if the best places that we ate at while in waikiki.

    (5)

  • Cindy L.

    We walked by Taormina Sicilian Restaurant when Beachwalk was first renovated, but didn't go in because it seems expensive. So when they offered a $10 Kama'aina special, I jumped at it. Yes, their normal 3-course lunch runs between $17 to $21 (if I had checked prices before, it really is not bad at all for Waikiki tourist area), but $10 is a TOTAL DEAL! We made it into a family Sunday brunch event, since they offer 4 hours validated parking at Embassy Suites. We tried the following: 1) Crab Granchio - crab meat tossed with fresh tagliatelle with tomato sauce 2) Salmone e funghi - salmon and shiitake mushroom with fresh taliatelle with cream sauce 3) Bolognese alla "Siciliana" - meat and eggplant with spaghetti with meat sauce The Crab Granchio totally take the GRAND prize, you can taste crab in every bite. LOVE IT! All lunch specials included a shot of green pea soup with a bite size antipasto and you wrap up your meal with house-made gelato.

    (4)

  • Holly B.

    I've heard people raving about this restaurant located on Lewers Street for some time and FINALLY got the chance to try it! Tim was our waiter and he was friendly and attentive but not over the top. He's been there for 6 years, so that says something about the restaurant and management. I had the crab grancchio pasta and it was delicious! It comes as a three course meal for $20, which includes a small salad, chilled pea soup, entree, and scoop of gelato for dessert. Being a dessert-lover and chocolate-lover too, I had to have the hot chocolate cake with apple banana Gelato from Il Gelato to complete my meal! WINNER! I gave my scoop of gelato that comes with my meal to my dining partner. The portions are just right for me, with room for dessert. Lunch prices are affordable and the ambiance is good. Great place to dine with friendly and welcoming service. Woo hoo!

    (5)

  • Mikala L.

    Took my son here to celebrate a monumental birthday, I was very pleasantly surprised with the menu and the lunch prices are very reasonable especially for Waikiki. We had an awesome server, very attentive; up until we got served our entrees and then POOF she vanished! We were waiting in limbo for some time. I have no idea what happened, there was no explanation. We got finished up with another server- who said nothing - who just bought us our gelato but didn't ask if there is anything else we needed. I was hoping they would have done something special for my son's birthday - special dessert etc., but they did not. I had to ask for the check so we could leave. I ended on a disappointed note. Food was very tasty and lunch prices very reasonable. So my 3 Stars are really because the service failed.

    (3)

  • Kelly G.

    Five of us went to a early dinner here and were promptly seated in front window area ... very cool to people watch "wacky-wacky-ki" while seated in a fine dining setting, quite entertaining to watch the hustle and bustle mixed with the many colorful characters :-) Our server (Stan) came by and informed of the specials and took our drink orders ... we ordered: Frutti Di Mare Squid Ink Pasta Foie Gras Pappardelle Bolognese Moderna Filet Di Manzo Alla Griglia Tiramisu Affogato Gelato Con Espresdo Macadamia Chocolate Gelato Cheesecake ~ everything was tasty and enjoyable except a few hiccups with service (he forgot one meal, offered salt instead of pepper, slow with water refills and just generally a awkward server .... he was a nice person but maybe not suited for serving) Other than that everything was very tasty and I will definitely be back :-) * my daughter loved the "Toto potty" and all it's features :-)- she wanted to accompany all of us to the restroom.

    (4)

  • Peter C.

    Taorimina is Sicilan cuisine located on Beachwalk and on the corner near the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. I came here for lunch ang got a table without having to make reservations. We were seated upstairs with a table viewing beachwalk. For my meal, I decided to order from their lunch special. I got the crab granchio, see pic. It is made with their fresh pasta tossed with crab meat in tomato cream sauce. It's topped with a crab's claw. The pasta came with a shot of chilled green pea soup, small antipasto, and a scoop of gelato to finish. I was very pleased with my meal's portion and quality. Unfortunately, for my guest she wasn't happy with her meal. Her only complaint was that it was salty. The restaurant manager did come to our table to apologize for her unfornate experience, which I thought was a very nice gesture. Parking was difficult to find. If you are not familar with Waikiki, you could end up circling around to find the entrance. You can either park at the Embassy Suites or Wyndam Waikiki Beach. Valitdation is $6 for four hours.

    (5)

  • David P.

    Since this was a special occasion, the wife made sure that she left enough room to fit in dessert. She ordered the one that had three different types of dessert in it. Unknowingly, the waitress, Glory, came with a platter of dessert to help us celebrate our anniversary! She was super nice enough to not put in the wife's dessert order, letting us decide if we actually wanted even more dessert. Now, that's really wonderful service! The wife decided to write the dessert part of the review; which is great since I am not a dessert type of guy. I ordered a glass of Sicilian wine; which was fantastic. All you had to do was let it aerate for a good fifteen to twenty minutes; with occasional swirling in the glass. I had ordered one of the sets, which came out one by one. This is a good thing to savor in the parts of the dinner which made this meal memorable. The salad, antipasto, seafood pasta, the steak, and then dessert solidified this place as a "go-to" when we have special occasions. I am not super rich, but this place is worth the money in food, service, and decor. Right when we walked in, our waitress took care of us by giving us enough time without the sense that you're being pushed to order something. She gave us suggestions as well as answered all of the questions we had on the menu. She and the other servers kept watch of my water glass, and asked politely if it needed to be refilled. No matter how much glasses I drank (about 6-8), they never complained about refilling my glass every time. The servers always wore a smile, showed proper manners, utilized a proper choice of words with each conversation, and (most importantly) they made my wife smile with dessert... For a romantic night, filled with the serenity that can only come from Sicily, this is the place for yelpers like you. Cheers.

    (5)

  • Jason Q.

    Working in Waikiki, this is a standard place for business meetings over a meal. The environment is nice. I prefer sitting in doors. On the occasion that I have sat outside it can get very hot. The service is good. Never had any issues. I find them to be friendly and attentive. I like the Foie Gras risotto. For lunch, it can be a bit rich and heavy. A great alternative is any of their daily lunch specials. It comes with a small cup (espresso cup) soup and salad, main course and gelato. The price is very reasonable.

    (4)

  • Emily D.

    Very reasonable pricing for EXCELLENT food!! Service is great! I recommend making reservations if you're going for dinner. I always park at the Wyndham hotel parking garage, if not there's other parking structures around the area. I'm not sure if the validate though.

    (5)

  • W Q.

    This is my favorite Italian restaurant in Waikiki. Nothing comes close to the quality and value of Taormina. The 3 course lunch is an amazing value. Comes with salad/soup, pasta entree, and dessert. The chilled green pea soup is unique and very tasty. The pasta is prepared perfectly and very tasty. The dessert is gelato or sorbet. Had banana gelato and mango sorbet. Both delicious. The three course meal costs around $20, and comes with cheese bread w/ balsamic vinegar and olive oil dip.

    (5)

  • Kelly W.

    After eating mostly Asian food in Honolulu, we decided to have a change of pace by dining at an Italian restaurant. Made reservations via open table and arrived a few minutes early. Had to wait and was seated in the patio which did not have the same ambience as the dining room. We sat near a service counter with the coffee pots and water pitchers and it felt like we were in someone's backyard. We ordered an assortment of 4 different appetizers (bruschetta, caprese, ahi and cheese with honey on toast) for $21, small portions but very good. For our entrees, I wanted to try the fresh pasta so I ordered the bolognese classico. The sauce so rich and salty, I couldn't even finish half. My husband ordered the red snapper chef special that our server said was prepared like a stew but it was sautéed in a little broth with vegetables. Disappointed overall.

    (2)

  • itsme i.

    The service here was very good. I was especially impressed with the management and the efforts to correct any hiccups in the experience. We ordered the taste of Taormina and I felt that it was a good value for such an upscale restaurant. The decor was also very nice. More modern than classic, but still hewing towards tasteful rather than the gaudy decor that most of today's new money set enjoy. The food, generally: the appetizer was a small ham and cheese sandwich with a cold pea soup. The bread for the sandwich reminded me of a cream puff. The meat was prosciutto and the cheese was mozzarella. It was tasty, but nothing special. The pea soup was good - but not a thug one couldn't make at home. In fact, it tasted a lot like a Nigella Lawson recipe using frozen peas that I love to make - if you're expecting split pea soup, you will be surprised (possibly disappointed, depending on your preferences). The second course was a seared ahi salad. I LOVED this course. The "Italian spices" or whatever they used really imparted a nice savory flavor to the greens and they used watermelon radishes, which I love. Next, there was a squid ink pasta that was pretty delicious. In fact, the reason for coming to Taormina was to enjoy some squid ink pasta (I'm a big fan) and this one did not disappoint. The final entree was a beef tenderloin - which was cooked a little more than most would like. I had asked for medium rare and this was definitely in the rare side - which is actually what I prefer. If the meat doesn't scream when you cut into it, it's not fit for human consumption. It was delicious. Dessert was a sampler of gelato (menu said sorbet but I'm pretty darn sure this was gelato - I've never had such a thick and creamy chocolate sorbet), tiramisu, and a mango panna cotta. Dessert was delicious. My favorite was the panna cotta with pieces of mango - perfect! Problems and solutions: My dining partner ordered foie gras, as an addition, on the tenderloin entree, but I noticed that it was missing - the manager took the plate and had a perfectly cooked serving of foie gras added. My own foie gras was overcooked, which I mentioned to the manager, and he brought a separate, perfectly cooked serving. I thought I had scored a twofer, but the first piece really was horribly overcooked - I couldn't force myself to eat it.

    (5)

  • Susan K.

    Really yummy I just didn't get my fresh pasta but my clam pasta was good. 5 stars because the Service was awesome, nick was our server and he made up for the pasta not being fresh. He filled our drinks constantly and was very professional and now I'm waiting for my dessert!! :). Btw did I tell you the bathroom has a bidat :) yes please

    (5)

  • Dorca R.

    I had dinner here for Mother's Day with my husband and son. The host was extraordinarily accommodating, but the waiter I had came off as arrogant when asked for menu recommendations; the only reason I am rating Taormina shy of 5 stars. My son only drink apple juice which the restaurant doesn't serve so the host had someone one from the staff purchase some apple juice from the nearby local ABC store. That was truly great customer service. The host was pleasant and very friendly. I started the evening with the cold appetizers: Gli Antipasti Misti. You can choose four apps for $21. I had the following: tuna carpaccio which resembled to me a refreshing Hawaiian style poke. The fish was fresh in its red color and well balanced in acidity. The marinated squid and octopus leaves you yearning for one more bite, very fresh as well. The Hamakua tomato & Mozzarella Bruschetta was good, but the must try is the papaya and prosciutto. The sweetness and saltiness of the prosciutto is a great combination that makes your palette pop. As the main entree try the pasta nero; squid ink pasta with shrimp, clams & scallops. The sauce base was light with a tantalizing bite to it. The seafood in the dish was cooked properly, not tough, or over cooked. I highly recommend this dish as it was recommended by my waiter. Also during this table cover my husband had the 21 day aged prime rib eye with vegetables & horseradish. I tried the dish, a bit salty, but overall, the meat was cooked to temperature revealing the meats tenderness. As a finishing touch try the tiramisu. The portion was huge. The dessert was light, not dense, or the usual overpowering taste of coffee that this dessert often carries. I've tried many tiramisu, but I must frankly say this was one of my favorites. Go try it what are you debating!!!!

    (4)

  • Andie H.

    Every now and then I like to get all gussied up and go on a proper date with the boyfriend. We decided to try here after hearing about it for restaurant week! A small restaurant by the looks of it on the outside (on Lewers Street). But as we got led past the small tables in the front, around the corner and up the stairs, leads to a much nicer small dining room with a nice view of the shopping area across the street. I was impressed. The softly playing background music of jazz, italian, and frank sinatra really made the place more romantic. We did the Taste of Taormina, which includes 5 courses, an appetizer, soup, pasta, main, and dessert. You can only customize the pasta and the main, and I chose the squid ink pasta and the beef. I've only ever tried squid ink pasta one other time, and that was in San Francisco, and I must say, it is comparable. I've found my new fave in pasta! The beef was small, but so soft and tender! *Side note* We almost always do the prix fixe menu on our first round at a restaurant, just to get a taste of everything, and not just fix upon one dish. We are adventurers at heart, and love to explore highlights of the menu. :) The riesling wine is so freaking delicious, if you love those sweet wines. Parking is hard, we valet parked at the Embassy hotel across the street. I'm pretty sure you could sneak over at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, but they won't give validation there. We would both definitely come again and get the full sized pasta dishes. I appreciate when pastas are cooked al dente. No mushy crap for us!

    (5)

  • Jozlyn H.

    I'm not a big "pasta" fan but the experience here was awesome. The service was superb. The staff were very informative, friendly and courteous. We came here for lunch for an office Christmas luncheon. Our lunch hour turned into a 3 hour experience. I must say, having a semi-fine dining luncheon was pretty awesome. My lunch consisted of the following. yes... the following, and I ate it ALL!!! * Antipasti: (appetizer) - Caprese salad, Marinated mushroom, Prosciutto & Salami Toscana, Squid & Octopus Marinade - small appetizer sized sampler..... I'm glad it came with all of the above * Primo Piatti: (2oz portion of any lunch pasta) - I chose the Crab Granchio - loved the little claw on top. Pasta was a bit on the harder side but the sauce was very tasteful. Mmmmmm all the herbs! * Secondo Piatto: (main dish) - I was pretty full at this point but since the portions are small, I could manage. I chose the Grilled prime tenderloin & vegetables w/ orange balsamic reduction. This meal topped it off. I ate every single piece of it. I loved the herbs used on the vegetables. I was stuffed perfectly at this point and glad I had to walk back to my car. I accidentally parked in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center parking lot, so I ended up purchasing a pack of cigs so I can get my ticket validated. Make sure if you're going to eat here, to park in the Wyndham hotel.... valet parking available too.

    (3)

  • Joe H.

    Food wasn't up to par for the price, but the place had a nice ambiance. Bread was the best thing.

    (3)

  • Madelyn S.

    The boss lady took me here for my birthday lunch last month (this is my 2nd time here). We had the option of either sitting inside or outside, but being that it was a windy day, we opted to not have our hair blowing all over the place. Aside from another group, we were the only ones here. You only get a couple slices of "gourmet" bread at a time. For appetizers, we ordered the Gli Antipasti Misti, which we got to choose 3 items. I believe our waiter was new because he got our order wrong. For my entree, I got linguine with clams and shrimp with a red sauce, which was pretty good! I love authentic Italian/Sicilian food (I've travelled to Italy so it's hard to compare American pasta to authentic pasta). The ambience is nice. Staff is friendly. Not very attentive to refilling your water even though it was not busy at the time. Overall it was a good experience.

    (4)

  • Ches M.

    Excellent service and nice ambience. Prices on the high side, nice place for a special occasion. Food was good but not outstanding. I would go back.

    (4)

  • Doug T.

    Excellent dining experience! The staff was very friendly and attentive and made our dinner extra special. We had a lasagna and seared ahi. Both were perfectly prepared with the lasagna standing out (they use a bleu cheese/mozzarella blend). The ambiance is perfect for a romantic date night. Great food, great service, great ambiance ... a perfect place for date night.

    (5)

  • Nicole H.

    I went here twice during my 5 days in Oahu. The first night I had the Taste of Taormina fixed menu. I wanted the tagliatelle and pan seared duck breasts - which were on two different menus. They offered to accommodate my request at no additional charge. The wine was delicious. The bread was amazing. All 5 courses - motz and proscuitto, soup, bolognese, duck, and dessert - were amazing! The service was exceptional. I returned for lunch the next day. I wanted to try the lasagna, my favorite dish of all time, and the bruschetta. The seafood bruschetta was delicious and I don't even like scallops. I ate every drop. The lasagna wasn't as appetizing. I prefer my lasagna meaty and with lots of sauce. There wasn't a lot of either. I asked for it to go with some additional sauce on the side which wasn't a problem.

    (5)

  • Lien V.

    Luncheon specials are extremely good and consistent. We love the crab linguine and they have amazing salads. Service from the male wait staff are usually welcoming and courteous. On the other hand, waitress Elaine primary facial expression was mostly rude and condescending. She treats many incoming patrons (some were tourists) during this lunch time as if they were bothering her and she had on very tight face as if smiling might cost her life. Will go back to establishment but will request to have another person to wait on us.

    (4)

  • Mark R.

    Sicilian food is rustic. I am not From Sicily, but it's cuisine reminds me of my childhood, of the way my grandmother cooked: simple, tasty, delicious. I think Taormina is solid enough and enjoyable enough to qualify as Sicilian cuisine. It's only problem is that the price of everything they sell is 50% beyond reasonable. Can pasta be $30, even if has about half ounce of salmon in it? It's freakin pasta. On the other hand, an allowance should be given for the fact that the restaurant is located in Waikiki, a place where everything is ridiculously expensive and mostly tasteless. At least in Taormina you will get some good food.

    (3)

  • Chris G.

    Taormina is a very well established restuarant on Lewers in Waikiki across from the Yardhouse and Ruth Chris Steakhouse. This little restuarant is more than surprising once you enter and looks very small. Once you enter you will see that it has outside dining to the left pass the wall encased wine. Then it rises to a mid level that goes to the back. If you are lucky then you may sit on the second floor that overlooks Lewers. Very nice. A word of caution is that you make a reservation at least the day prior to ensure that you have a table. Walk-ins may be available but normally is not too common for this establishment. Once seated the waiter will provide your menus and discuss the options that are available. On this ocassion it was a surprise that turned out very well with the second floor seating and excellent service by the waiter who was also knowledgable of wines from California, and Italy. Great cuisine and atmosphere all around. Friendly staff and just be prepared to enjoy the night for two hours. Highly recommended and is one of the best places that I have dined in.

    (5)

  • Adrianne K.

    Wow... I didn't even know THAT level of service even existed here in Hawaii. Or anywhere for that matter! Our concierge, Kawai, at Trump Waikiki highly recommended Taormina for a birthday celebration for our girls' night out. Long story short: Service was terribly slow and inattentive. Our dinner reservation was set for 8:30. We were not even addressed until 20-30 minutes for our cocktail order. At 10:00, we still were not served our entree. We had to call Trump Concierge and cancel our reservation for a Honolulu City Lights limo ride. We waited yet another 30-45 minutes for our meal, which the manager served without regard for the length of time it took. Our waitress seemed completely and utterly oblivious of our frustration when addressing our concern for how long our meal took and that our plans for the rest of our evening are now impossible because of the delay in service. We asked for the manager and addressed the same with him, that our meal took so long and service was just poor and inattentive. He was cocky and a bit arrogant as if we were asking for something extraordinary. No wonder the waitress' attitude was the way it was. It's the management that breeds the lack of service. We let him know we had to cancel our Holiday City Lights limo ride, too, and that the Taormina came highly recommended from the Trump Concierge. He was unapologetic and immediately dismissed us. On a high note: Kudos to the chef! We had amazing dishes for dinner. Couldn't tell you what they were but we enjoyed it all; thus, the one star! Yay!

    (1)

  • Michelle J. C.

    I always walk past this restaurant, but never dared to go in because it's so busy. My bf and I decided to walk-in one night for dinner and they sat us in 15-20 minutes. Not too bad. During our wait, we were able to decide on the food and order right away. We ordered the four-choice appetizer, wine to start, the seafood pasta pescatore, white truffle pasta, and finally the peach compote. They also give you complimentary bread. This place is good for romantic dates, business occasions, or nice family dinners. Please do not bring children here. It'll ruin your neighbor's meals if your kid gets rowdy. Thanks.

    (4)

  • Rissa K.

    Came here on a Friday for dinner with out reservations and was told it will be a one hour wait so we decided to take that time slot. When we got here the restaurant def felt quite cramped. We started with the Seafood Bruschetta which was the chopped prawns and scallops sautéed with white wine, mascarpone cheese and dried tomatoes arranged on crispy toast. For the entrees, I had the fresh pasta which was like a Lobster Bolognese with tomato cream sauce and my bf had the Porcini Rissoto with Foie Gras. The pasta was very very filling and his Rissoto had more Porcini mushrooms then rice. The service was ok but def think will come back for lunch instead of dinner next time.

    (3)

  • Al D.

    Tried the 4 choice antipasti (caponata, salmon carpaccio, tomato and mozzarella, and gorgonzola with honey). The best items were the caponata and the salmon. The bread here was ok. They had unsalted bread, which I liked. Tried the squid ink and crostacei pasta. The crostacei was excellent. The noodles were perfectly cooked, probably the best pasta I've had on the island. The sauce was also very good, with ample crab. There is a lobster tail on top, which was overcooked but didn't ruin the dish. The squid ink pasta was good but not as good as the crostacei. It was very tasty, with a zesty garlic sauce. There were 4 clams, 4 shrimp, and one scallop. I also had a glass of sangiovese that cost $12 but should've been $8. I would return, skip the appetizers and go straight for the pasta.

    (4)

  • Samantha K.

    Overall, the food was great! I had the 5-course meal since it was just easiest for them to give me smaller portions of "everything" than choosing multiple! Loved every last bite. A bit pricey of course, but couldn't ask for a better meal. My husband, the carnivore had the steak of course, yes, it was delicious, but unfortunately, it was small - a mere 10 ounces. "Bigger than normal", but still. Cooked perfectly!

    (5)

  • Matt A.

    In a nutshell: 4 course lunch special - $37 (4 petite appetizers, crab pasta, lamp chops (were bomb btw), il gelato apple banana ending. Excellent service. Nice ambiance. Free validated parking I've said too much already. This place will not disappoint. However not kid friendly though.

    (5)

  • Isaac N.

    I have been to Taormina once for dinner, but I just forgot to yelp it in a timely manner so I can't say that I even remember what I had the first time. This time I went there for lunch and it was great! They have these lunch sets which are 3 courses, an appetizer, pasta and dessert. They also have a 4 course set but that looks like it would be too much food. Anyways the set started off with cup of chilled pea soup and a salad of spinach topped with tomato, almonds and cheese. The pea soup was wonderful it was creamy but light and an essence of pea (how do you talk about pea soup without it sounding like you're talking about pee). The salad was topped with a vinaigrette the flavors and textures went well together. The soup and salad portions were a perfect size. It was a hot day so I decided to get the chilled tomato pasta, also known as Capellini. This pasta angel hair but reminded me of somen, and was pretty interesting. It came with shrimp and a pesto drizzle on top. It kind of reminded me of eating Gazpacho or Ceviche. It was pretty refreshing. I also had a chance to try the Bolognese alla Sicliana, which was wonderful. The pasta was done perfectly al dente, and the sauce had a very rustic taste to it. It reminded me of pasta from the Tuscan area of Italy. After eating that I was full however the last course was a mango gelato. The gelato was great, creamy light and flavorful! The bill for lunch came out a bit high but that was due to having ordered wine. The price itself for the lunch set is a great deal!

    (4)

  • Lee G.

    I absolutely loved it here! We went to Taormina's for a holiday lunch get together and it definitely was the best lunch I've ever had! We had a group of roughly 15 people and were seated in the restaurants outside area which was great. It gave us the privacy our party needed for a few hours without feeling that disconnect from the restaurant itself that one would normally feel when seated outside. The restaurant is very nice and has a relaxing atmosphere. The staff is extremely pleasant and made excellent recommendations in regards to the menu. I selected the Best of Taormina's Lunch Course and LOVED IT! (My selection for the course below) ~Antipasti included: Caprese salad, Marinated mushroom, Prosciutto & Salami Toscana, Squid & Octopus Marinade. (All very delicious) ~Grilled Colorado lamb chop w/ grilled vegetables was absolutely amazing! I love lamb but rarely order this as not everyone can get this one right. I took a chance and was so glad I did! It was perfect! So ONO! ~Bolognese alla "Siciliana" Spaghetti tossed with meat sauce, eggplant, spinach, garlic & chili. When I'm looking for a pasta dish the Bolognese is what I'm looking for. Everyone has their own style and spin on this dish and let me tell you Taormina's was one of the best versions I've ever had. The flavors were amazing! I was VERY impressed and will definitely be back for this one. For dessert I split a Dolci misti with a friend which normally includes Tiramisu, Cheese cake, Cannoli & Hot chocolate cake. But we requested the coffee gelato instead of the tiramisu. I was so happy they accommodated this request because their gelato is fantastic and the Hot Chocolate Cake was the BEST! If I could select my last meal on earth...this course would be it!

    (5)

  • Yue Q.

    Can I say I finally found my favorite restaurant on Oahu? Yes, absolutely. I have been to this restaurant for 4 times in the past month - that may say something, other than the fact that I love to eat. :) Dishes we had so far: 1. Seafood Bruschetta - 5 star Sauce is rich and super tasty. Bread would be somewhat soaked by the sauce, which makes the break 10 times yummy! I am a green vegetable "hater" but I even ate the vegetables in this dish! 2. Seafood Pasta "pescatore" - 4.6 star Man oh man, I love their tomato sauce. It is not 5 star because it has some space of improvement - which can be done by YOURSELF! That's right. For some reason, I think eating the seafood pasta and their Homemade Lasagna together make both of them DREAMY. 3. Homemade Lasagna - 4.8 star Like I said, it goes so well with the seafood pasta. The flavorful meat and the fresh tomato sauce tasty will be dancing around on the tip of your tongue. 4. Bolognese alla "Classica" and Bolognese alla "Moderna" - 5 star Bolognese alla "Moderna" is my fav dish. It is not as rich as the Bolognese alla "Classica" but still kept the great meaty flavor. 5. Tiramisu - 5 star The best Tiramisu I have ever had was at Sinatra's in Wynn, Las Vegas. I have to say this one is pretty much on the same level as the one at Sinatra's. It is light and creamy - not too sweet, not too much alcohol taste, just perfect. In general, peole say Hawaii is the paradise. I have to say Taormina is the paradise in the paradise.

    (5)

  • E L.

    My family and I were here for dinner (12 of us). The table was ready and prepared for us on the top floor. The service was awesome.. One waitress and a waiter were serving us. I was surprised especially with a large group of people in a small restaurant. :) The restaurant has.a nice atmosphere and decor. They offer a large selections of wine.. Of course, we opened 5 bottles ;). The food was good..Some of us had the lasagna- lots of cheese :), the seafood squid ink pasta was tasty. Not too many restaurants offer the squid ink pasta..OMG..the foie gras risotto, it was the best!! Pretty good size foie gras over the creamy risotto.. I will need to order that the next time when I'm in town.. I had the uni pasta. It was good but rich. I can taste the fresh uni but I think it needed something else in it.:) ( is just uni mixed in pasta). Overall, my family enjoyed the dinner. Most importantly, we all had a great time here at the restaurant ..

    (5)

  • Kit W.

    Finding a good Italian restaurant is always a treat so when LivingSocial had a deal for Taormina a few months back, I jumped at the chance. I finally got around to trying this place a few days ago and I totally wouldn't mind being back again in the future. I am sure dinner here costs a pretty penny but the lunch specials here sure are reasonable! Lunch specials comes with an appetizer, a pasta entree, and a scoop of gelato for dessert. The price depends on which pasta you choose, but a good number of the pasta cost $16 and the most expensive one is $19. Every pasta sounded delicious but I went with the Genovese Con Panna ($18)--linguine with chopped shrimp and scallops in a cream and pesto sauce. Our waitress made sure I knew that it would be very rich when I ordered it, which was nice of her. The pasta was not al dente but it was firm enough and the overall dish was very tasty. I got to try a few bites of the Arrabbiata ($16), which had great flavor but wasn't too spicy. Portion size was good--yeah, you don't get a heaping plate of pasta but considering the appetizer and gelato that comes with the meal and the modest price, it's very respectable. Just a few quick comments on the appetizer and gelato that were part of the lunch special. From previous reviews, it seems like the appetizer has remained the same. It consists of a mini cup of chilled pea soup and a mini salad. Nothing special but nice to have. As for the gelato, you don't get a choice on the flavor--it's predetermined. It seems the flavors change every so often as I came across reviews that mentioned kiwi and mango gelato. We got vanilla bean, which was pretty good but just a tad too sweet. One last note--our waitress, Nikita, was wonderfully efficient and attentive. We got water as soon as we were seated and the bread came soon after. She checked on us often but not intrusively. She smiled often and in general had a professional air around her that did not come off as aloof or off-putting. Cheers for great service!

    (4)

  • Stefan L.

    We went for the $65 Prix fixe menu, and it didn't disappoint. The urchin pasta was succulent, and the duck delicious. But the highlight of the dinner was the creamy split pea soup. Amazing.

    (5)

  • Viatcheslav B.

    I'll be very direct about this place... It's amazing. The best Italian food I've had hands down. My family occasionally comes to this Italian place and it always gets it right. I don't how, but the food and service are always on the highest level. Amazing !

    (5)

  • Jesse S.

    Great service. Outside seating not recommended. Pasta was great. Our server was very attentive and helpful. From other Yelp reviews, I was worried. But, our server was 5 stars, despite having our 3 month old in tow. Outside seating was horrible. Don't ask for it. We did have our 3 month old, so I think it was fair to put us away from folks having a romantic dinner. But basically, outside seating is next to a busy driveway and the entrance to a parking structure. Traffic noise was constant and apparent. The food was hit and miss. I ordered the $85 prix fixe with wine pairing. Overall it was ok. The pasta with bolognese was perfectly cooked--al dente. The sauce was slightly too sweet for my liking. The duck breast was moist, juicy, and melted in the mouth. However, the foie gras was overcooked and blackened. Foie gras shouldn't be treated that way. Desert was nice. Four different tastes. The mango gelato was like eating a real mango.

    (3)

  • Tad N.

    Great place for a nice business lunch if you're in the Waikiki Beach Walk area on Lewers. Our table enjoyed risotto, spaghetti vongole and the homemade lasagna. And the server Anastasi took good care of our table.

    (4)

  • Alicia D.

    WOW....this place caught me off guard! My fiancé found this place pretty last minute through Open Table. We didn't realize how quickly things booked up around here for Valentines day. They had a Valentines menu for a whopping $100 per person but we opted to get something off the main menu instead. I had the salmon and he had they duck and both of them were phenomenal! He let me have a small bite of the duck and that was some of the best flavored meat I have ever tasted. The salmon came with a few veggies and a sauce and with every bite of a different veggie paired with the salmon it gave it a whole delicious new flavor. If you like to have a drink with your dinner this is the place to go as well. Not only were the drinks good but they were nice and strong!

    (5)

  • Un-Soo W.

    The lunch special is definitely the way to go. It's a great, filling deal with a small salad, shot of chilled pea soup, pasta and gelato. The service was friendly and attentive, and the food was excellent. I would definitely go back.

    (4)

  • ItsSunnyinHawaii O.

    Nice Atmosphere. Ordered the special of the day: Carbonara w/Truffles. It was $45+ and disappointing. To salty. Had everyone on the table try it and everyone agreed. The Bread was just ok also. Nice wine options though...

    (3)

  • Sage S.

    I am so impressed by this restaurant. Everything I've ever eaten here is amazing. Everything. Fish, salads, beef. The pastas are so good. I love that the spaghetti is al dente - the best spaghetti ive had. This is probably the best Italian food on the island.

    (5)

  • Vince B.

    I'm just getting old and things have changed dramatically in Waikiki. Sometimes the change is for the good (Morimoto's,Kimukatsu) but often the change means that we've lost just a little more of old Hawaii (Gold men, silver men, Ugg Store). So a few months ago I'm walking down Lewers St. in Waikiki and see Taormina Restaurant and I remembered that I got a gift card for Christmas. It was about lunch time and there is a tourist wearing a business suit and a well dressed companion who looked like Mrs. Newt Gingrich (with the amazing styled blond hairdo) sitting inside at a table with a white table cloth looking out at the sidewalk. Boy, were these guys fish out of water. Most tourists have no trouble loosening up a bit. Rubber slippers, boogie board plus a shave ice = Big Smile! But, in a way I think Taormina is a fish out of water too. Taormina is a sort of high end restaurant with a Sicilian themed menu and extensive/expensive wine list. Located on the re-developed makai end of Lewers Street next door to a sandals and hat store called "Head 2 Toe". Fish out of water or not...the interior decor is quite nice. The outdoor seating and 3 level dining room are attractive and inviting but slightly cramped. Waiters and waitresses were rushing by just a little too close to the tables carrying dishes. Just a little distracting to us during the meal. 4 stars over all because the place is very nice. Service: John, our server was excellent and delivered the Taormina dining experience. Clearly not quite fine dining. I was trying to think of a term for this. "Fancy Casual Dining" perhaps. 4 stars for service. Food: The build your own appetizer was a nice idea. Your Choice Of 4 Kinds Of Chilled Appetizers for $18. We chose Marinated King Salmon, Marinated Squid and Octopus, Mozzarella and Kamuela Tomato Caprese and Marinated Eggplant. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/hTjN… ) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/hTjN… ) Small portions but nice flavors and good variety. Entree: My wife chose the Fresh Pasta Nero "Squid Peperoncino". The black linguine, squid and anchovy were interesting and flavorful. She loved it. 5 stars for this dish. I tried it and loved it too.( yelp.com/biz_photos/hTjN… ) I had the vegetarian "10 Vegetable Risotto "Giardinella"". It was pretty good and was nutritious. However, a bit overcooked and it lacked fully developed flavors. I was happy to have a light healthy selection available. You're not likely to order this dish unless you are a determined vegetarian. Could have been 5 stars if they added a side of the Marinated Eggplant or some Marinated Asparagus. One strategy to make a killer vegetarian/vegan dish is to increase portion size and ensure full savory flavors. Looking back I should have ordered a salad or side order of grilled vegetables with this. 3.5 Stars on this one. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/hTjN… ) Wine: They don't have a full bar in that they don't have blended drinks. My wife would have enjoyed a icy or tropical or margarita type drink. This is Waikiki after all, a small nod to the location is not too out of line. I had a glass of Merlot at $12. Very small pour. There were several Italian Wines less than $100. Being the only wine drinker I didn't feel I had much of an option. $12 was too much for that wine. Conclusion: We didn't try desserts. It was a pretty nice meal. Pretty nice restaurant. Reasonable price. I might go back but there are so many other options out there.

    (4)

  • Brenda L.

    Great for lunch!!! Really great deal! But dinner... Don't get the coarse menu. Not worth it. Just get what you want to eat. Wine list is full of expensive wines, I wish they had more non expensive wine on the list. This place has great pasta! Have to try their pasta dishes for sure!

    (3)

  • Chantel C.

    I had high expectations from Taormina after reading all of the reviews, so I brought my mom for her birthday (we had a party of 5). Two of us ordered the set menu (5 courses) and the rest ordered pasta dishes. The food was tasty, but not "out of this world." The appetizer sampler was a nice variety, but it didn't seem unique. The salmon tasted like salmon sashimi and the prosciutto with papaya was just that- prosciutto on top of papaya. The chilled pea soup was not my favorite, but if you love cold peas then I'm sure you would feel differently. The uni pasta was creamy and had a strong, slightly bitter, uni taste which is typical of uni from the western US (if you're looking for the sweet uni, this is not it). The squid ink pasta was tasty, a nice blend of flavors and a good choice if you enjoy seafood. The lasagna was cheese heaven, and one of my favorites of the night. If you love cheese, you'll love this one. I deducted 2 stars because of the service and parking. Although the staff is nice, they didn't refill our waters often, and our dishes came out at weird times. Those that got the pasta entrees received them first, even before the set menu appetizers arrived! By the time we got our 2nd course of soup, those that got the pasta entrees were already done eating! Parking is difficult as well- the Wyndham parking lot is hard to find, so we ended up at the Embassy. With validation, it's still $6.00 plus tipping the valet (no self park). If you don't like the drive or traffic in Waikiki, it may not be worth the trip.

    (3)

  • Runo M.

    Always back to this restaurant:D

    (5)

  • Dee L.

    OMG! The Carbonara with Truffles was out of this world! It was so delicious! The truffles were sliced at the table. I wasn't sure about the runny egg yolk sitting on the pasta but it added a nice richness to the sauce. We had the poached peach for dessert. The peach sat on shaved iced with a scoop of ice cream. So good!

    (5)

  • Kalamo K.

    My husband, sister, and i stubbled upon this place while on vacation. Even though they closed in an hour they took us immediately; gladly. Thankfully they did. The food was great the fresh made pasta was incredible and the squid ink pasta was to die for. There is no problem paying a higher price for amazing food and service. I would return again if ever i the area. On top of it all the staff never let us go with out proper beverages and didn't judge us for not wearing the most appropriate attire. Frankly i never thought to find such amazing italian food place but also a place to visit again. Thank u

    (5)

  • Maka K.

    Reserved a table for two online for a belated Valentine's dinner with my hunny, but I after reading the Yelp reviews I was a bit wary, especially of the service. Things didn't turn out too bad for us though. We arrived a few minutes early but were seated in a couple of minutes at a table right next to the front window. That might bother some people (having ppl look at you while you eat, but I thought it was fun to ppl watch during dinner and watch the sky change colors to darkness). We asked the waiter a bunch of questions about the food and he answered happily and easily and had good advice when saying, "I always try to order what I can't easily make at home or find easily somewhere else." After taking a lot of time with the menu, I ordered the $65 Taste of Taormina prefixe course menu (5 courses), and the bf ordered the $85 Il Migliore prefixe course menu (6 courses). You can check out their whole menu online if you're curious what each course involves, but we both had to pick a pasta and a meat dish from the short list of options on our course menus. I picked the Fresh Pasta Nero "Frutti di mare" (squid ink pasta w/ chopping shrimp, clams, fresh tomato, dry tomato, garlic & oil) and the Pan Roasted Duck Breast (thinly sliced duck breast topped with orange balsamic reduction sauce). Bf picked the Fresh Papardelle pasta al bolognese al balsamico and the Grilled Prime Tenderloin (w/ orange balsamic reduction served w/ grilled veggies). AAAAND we invested in a $45 bottle of Prosecco. NOTE: If you're planning to drink wine, just know that there's a very short list of wines available by the glass (maybe 10 wines)...everything else is by the bottle (the cheapest being a $39 pinot grigio). Their wine list is online too. The kitchen/servers tried to line up our two different prefixe menus as best they could so our antipasto, pastas, meats, and desserts came out at the same time, with all the extras somehow worked out in between. They changed/replaced our silverware as needed with each course. I've got to say I thought all the food tasted good (I had small bites of all the bf's food too)! I've never had squid ink pasta before, so I guess I was expecting more of a kick of taste that never really came, but the dish with all the seafood and tomatoes still tasted good. The duck was REALLY delicious; perfectly cooked, tender, and tasted great with the balsamic reduction. The tiramisu was also a really good dessert; good balance of coffee & rum, and cake & mousse. I'm not sure it was super impressive 5-star food, but it was good quality for me and I was just the right amount of full by the time I was done with the dessert course. The restaurant itself is a little small. The from window area where we were seated might have actually been the most spacious in the restaurant. Other areas included their outside patio (which I specifically requested not to sit at because it was cold outside, there're 3 exit lanes from an adjacent shopping center and hotels, and noisy ppl walking by that you can hear (as opposed to cancelled sounds from behind the glass)), and the area just in front of the kitchen's pick up window (interesting to look at briefly, but I'm not sure how I would have felt having to sit there for my entire meal). Restrooms are down the hallway in the back (past the kitchen) and it's single occupancy. As far as service goes, our service wasn't as bad as everyone else said theirs was. I wouldn't say that our waiter was overly attentive, but he came to check on us every once in a while...he was apparently keeping his eye out for us (says my bf who was facing that direction), and came at the right time to refill our glasses of wine whenever one of us finished it off. We just wanted to leisurely enjoy our dinner, we weren't in a rush, and we kind of enjoyed the uninterrupted time to talk. BUT if we had ordered ala carte or just singular glasses of wine, I get the impression that we would have spent a lot of time waiting around for our server...but I guess I won't know for sure until I go back.

    (4)

  • Stephen M.

    If you like Italian, treat yourself to this restaurant. The best value (as usual) is going for lunch and getting their specials. You can choose from 5-6 dishes that will include a small chilled split pea soup, small green salad with feta cheese, olives and a thin sliced prosciutto, your main course (try any pasta) and a scoop of gelato at the end all for under $20. For this quality it's a steal. The one ding is if you want to drink, the liquor tab can get steep very fast here.

    (5)

  • Lora H.

    First girls night out for 2012!!! Intended to go to Arancino, but since we were starving and the wait was over an hour, we settled on Taormina, with only a 15 minute wait. The restaurant was bustling... had high expectations. Now, if this review was strictly for the service only, I'd give it one star! Honestly... terrible service. Not sure if our waitress was having an off day, or if that is just how she is. But she was not friendly, very rude, took forever to serve us, in fact... there was another waiter who ended up being much more attentive to us than our own waitress. We had to ask her for bread, we waited a while to get our order taken, and mind you... when she took our order, I swear she was so grouchy. Never once came to check on how our food was tasting. Just not good. Having said that about service, the food itself was okay. The bread kind of sucked cause it was cold, but was okay. We ordered pasta and fish... all of our dishes were good and the portions were nice size. I would say a bit pricey for the quality, but none of us left unsatisfied... or maybe it was just because we were all starving?! The ambience... cute but it's tight. A little dark so it was hard to read the menu, but most restaurants are like that nowadays. Not sure if I would go back. Maybe. But with so many other options, it wouldn't be a first choice.

    (3)

  • John A.

    Interesting place... Was in town and friends that live on the windward side wanted Italian. Two of us dressed nicely, one in shorts and flips flops, we were immediately shunted to an outdoor screened lanai, no big deal, except if exiled to Siberia, at least make it appealing. Waiter was knowledgeable but odd. He liked that we ordered French Champagne and a nice bottle of Meursault, so alcohol was more than the food bill. As in most warmer climates the wine was served too cold. Apart from this service was good and the reservation process flawless. Food very good and everyone enjoyed their selections. Would definitely return.

    (4)

  • Paolo T.

    The decor was nice. Ambience was good. My review is based on being told one thing and getting something else instead, and service that needs improvement. I ordered a salad, and it was the maitre d-receptionisywho offered fresh pepper not the waiter who brought the dish. I ordered the Nero pasta after being told the suggested linguine could be changed to a different pasta...I chose tagliatelle. The dish that came had tagliatelle but was not the Nero....no squid ink, unless they used a different ink that is not colored black (hence it shouldn't be called Nero). Again I was not offered pepper or any other condiment,,,I had to ask for it . The pasta tasted okay, though I had been wanting to try the Nero....the one I had tasted like any regular pasta I get in an Italian restaurant in Manhattan. And to top it off, they charged me the price for the Nero pasta which is not what I got. Pretty disconcerting don't you think. There is a saying that goes you get what you pay for...I obviously didn't

    (2)

  • Joshua G.

    I was not impressed. My husband brought me here for my birthday. I would like to think that I am well diverse when it comes to dinning out. Overpriced and the quality of the food is not good. The server was very nice. I would definitely skip this place.

    (2)

  • Erica S.

    After walking by and seeing this place everyday, we had to try it, but in the end, I think seeing the nice interior decor through the windows kind of fooled me. Made reservations on OpenTable. I was hoping to get seated indoors with the nice modern decor, but instead, we got seated outdoors. I almost felt we were seated outside because we weren't dressed up enough. Oh well. For appetizers, we tried the Organic Salad Sicilian Style with Blood Orange Vinaigrette and the Beef Carpaccio. The dressing on the salad was a little too much. It got my plate messy. The carpaccio was pretty good with the unique horseradish aioli sauce. For dinner, I had the Seafood Pasta "Pescatore," basically spaghetti with seafood. The seafood was pretty spare so I wasn't too thrilled. Menu called for clam, shrimp, scallop, and baby octopus, but little did I know it meant like 3 clam and shrimp, and 1 scallop and baby octopus. Talk about shady, but the sauce was good and so was the pasta. My husband had the Fungi Porcini Risotto with Foie Gras. I had a bite, but it was too salty and too rich flavored for me. Service was not that great either. It took forever to get their attention and they even calculated our bill wrong so they had to correct it. In the end, I didn't really understand what Sicilian cuisine was.

    (3)

  • jane u.

    My best friend and I decided to have lunch at Taormina. We haven't been in a while and were craving the Uni Pasta. We've been to other restaurants that serve this specialty dish but the chef here makes it outstanding!!! But the 1 star rating goes to the staff!!!! This restaurant wasn't crowded at 11:30am, but We finished our lunch by 12:35!!!! Due to the rush of the waiter, he seemed in a hurry to take our order, he came back 3 times within 5 minutes!! I had a piece of bread on my bread plate and the bus girl, without asking takes my bread plate with the bread still on it without asking if I was finished, which I was Not!!!! This establishment has gone downhill with the service, its too bad they are trying to run it like a fast food McPasta joint!!! The Old Spaghetti Factory has a much more serene dining environment!!!

    (1)

  • John L.

    My wife and I found this place while walking by made a dinner reservation using open table we arrived right on time and we promptly seated at the front overlooking the street. My wife ordered the seafood pasta which was fabulous and I ordered the veal Sicilian which was also very very good, do bring your wallet for it is not cheap but all in all worth the price. I had read other reviews saying the staff was not friendly or not attentive well we sure did not encounter that everyone was friendly and attentive. My next visit to the Waikiki area will make sure and have a dinner there again. I must add being a Sicilian it takes a lot to please me with Sicilian food like mama makes.

    (5)

  • G S.

    I had TRIED to eat there for 3 months ... I always was random But there was always a 45min wait - - THAT SEEMED like good sign to me! I FINALLY got it with a 15min wait and waited ... the "rib eye" was horrific! my dog literally looked at me funny when I tried to feed to him! I am NOT joking! they couldn't make pasta with red sauce ? really wow it was worse than like canned food at store and I would HATE if i gambled on more exotic ... the bar service was slow the place looks great but everything about food bad: the bread was horrible!? in Italian place? salad bad ! entrees bad all wrong !!!! run far and fast !!! -G

    (1)

  • Jason P.

    I might be able to sum up the food with one word: Rich. The cold appetizer sampler was a light start to the haymaker punch to my taste buds and cardiovascular health that followed. For my entree, I ordered the mushroom risotto topped with foie gras. The foie gras looked like a steak filet; it was a very generous portion. The risotto was cooked perfectly, with a buttery texture (from the sauces and the mushrooms) combined with a slightly sweet flavor of the balsamic reduction. My mom had the squid ink pasta, which was also delicious. We then shared the dessert sampler (which had small portions of tiramisu, cannoli, pineapple sorbet, and hot lava cake). While I haven't eaten at a lot of fine Italian restaurants, I wouldn't be surprised if Taormina won an award as the best in Waikiki (right up there with Le Nonne in Kapolei -- my favorite). The service was excellent, and outdoor seating is available. Get a reservation (like on OpenTable), because the place fills quickly at dinnertime. The food's a bit pricey, but if you want to splurge a little, check out Taormina.

    (5)

  • Whisper L.

    Great ambiance, esp if you sit up on the second floor overlooking beach walk. Great service, very attentive and polite. The food was excellent. Must try: The Bolognese Classica on the Fresh Handmade Pasta section. It is rich and a bit decadent but the parpadelle pasta is the perfect texture and the bolognese sauce is on point. Had an excellent lunch here with a friend and our meal was capped off with a really tasty scoop of banana gelato.

    (5)

  • Atherfagalagi N.

    BF took me here at my request for my bday last night (thank you) and high praise for the service. Whenever it's our fist time at a new restaurant I get anxious about ordering because I'm determined to try as much of everything as I can. We considered the pre fixe menus briefly because they actually give you a broad survey of the menu at a set price ($65 or $85) and you can get wine pairings for a few bucks more. We ended up opting to order from the menu as it would give us more flexibility. We started with the "Gli Antipasti Misti" appetizer where you get to choose four items from a list of options. We had the caprese, caponata, affettati, and marinated squid and octopus. The tomatoes on the caprese were terrible, not the "vine ripened" variety one should expect. The tomatoes had obviously ripened in the kitchen as they were pale in color, flat in taste and mushy in texture. Caponata is a new taste for me so I really don't have a reference for it. It was tasty and I liked the texture, but you do have to like the texture and temperature of babaghanoush to like caponata. It was a slightly sweet and salty dish and the flavor could very quickly become overwhelming. The affettati was good, not exceedingly good, but good. two pieces of salami, two pieces of some relatively bland pecorino, and one piece of prosciutto. Hard for two to share, but good for one. I would have preferred to order this as the full appetizer and do away with the rest of the options. The octopus and squid were just meh. Good flavor but the textures were inconsistent. some pieces were perfect while others were chewy. We next ordered the Ahi carpaccio. The single best thing of the night and amazing. The orange was light and not at all overwhelming like I usually find citrus on raw fish and mingling with the salty savoriness of the botarga, anchovy and onion made for a perfect tuning of flavors. The drizzle of fruity olive oil brought it all together and the lettuce helped to cleanse the palette so your next bite would be every bit as amazing as the first. Our "second course" was pasta. One Sicilian Bolognese and one Nero Frutti di Mare. The bolognese was rich with a touch of sweetness. The pasta was the definition of al dente. The nero was also excellent. The ink was mixed into the pasta itself and not a sauce as i was expecting. Again, the pasta was cooked perfectly and the elements of a squid ink pasta were there in spades. The portions on both were small for someone my size, but would probably be a normal portion. Certainly not the obnoxious amounts championed by certain other italian restaurants under the Ward Theaters. But then that's the trade off, quality for quantity. I was still hungry and absolutely LOVE risotto so I would have ordered the Funghi Porccini Risotto with Foie Gras even if there wasn't room left in me. I was salivating at the giant hunk of foie gras perched on top of the creamy risotto. Perfectly seared and blackened on the outside and fatty rich on the inside. It would have been the perfect accompaniment to the creamy risotto, but the risotto was terribly under cooked. it was a few minutes shy of al dente and you definitely felt the toothiness of raw rice. I personally didn't care for the balsamic drizzle either, but it wouldn't have ruined it even if the rice were cooked properly. Finally, we finished with a shared glass of port, canolli and the gelato of the day which was a chocolate gelato with a hazel nut swirl. The gelato was the perfect pair with the port and the canolli with vanilla gelato was the perfect cap for the evening. The thing I cannot get over is the service. We were sharing all of the dishes and between each service new flat and silverware were provided. The service you get here far, far exceeds the price and the food is amazing at times. There is definitely the potential for this place to be among the best in Hawaii, but as is, for the price I would recommend a brief walk to Aranchino's on Beachwalk.

    (3)

  • Briget P.

    This is a review for when I was in Oahu last month, it almost slipped my mind to write this. Our appetizer served the four of us and included baby octopus, raw prawns, raw salmon, and a squid artichoke mix. Very fresh. I had the Seafood Pasta entree. It had a little bit of everything in there: shrimps, clams, scallops. I especially liked the clams because they tasted so fresh and just right. My friend, the birthday girl, ordered the Lobster Pasta in which included an entire shelled lobster over pasta. She had fun with that. Since it was her birthday, we had complimentary dessert of gelato ice cream and fudge chocolate cake with ice cream. Delicious. Friendly staff, from hostess, to server, to bartenders that just say hello as you walk by. Very upscale and right on the strip of Downtown Honolulu. Dress to impress :)

    (4)

  • Bevand J.

    Lunch is definitely worth the hassle of parking in waikiki. 3 courses for $20. I had the bolog

    (5)

  • Lena H.

    Amazing Sicilian cuisine! Everything we had on the menu was some of the best dinning I've ever had here in Hawaii. Cearsar's salad...not just any...delicious! Uni pasta...yes, sea urchin. Can't remember the name of the duck dish I had.... but Amazing! We ordered a lot, and the servers are very attentive. Atmosphere...good for first date, romantic...kinda pricey first date but I'd enjoy it, and would definitely be impressed if a guy took me here! lol I'm gonna get my boyfriend to take me here since I went with the girls this time around.

    (5)

  • Sandra G.

    The person who said it's wise to review a place after going there twice has the right idea. While it's difficult to do that when you're on vacation, I've got to base this on my sole experience at Taormina vs. others who might not understand what a place like this has to go through being the only high-end Sicilian restaurant on the Waikiki Strip. My boyfriend and I discovered Taormina while walking on Lewers St. for the first time. The next day, we thought back to this restaurant, and it's too bad we didn't think of making reservations. We arrived an hour earlier than we planned to feast, assuming that we would have to wait, and we did. Even when we checked in, we had to wait another half-hour more, but that's what you get when you don't get a reservation. I'm glad we were even able to get a table, and I had a great view of the kitchen where I was. After munching on our choice of one of 3 types of bread, we started off with 4 kinds of Antipasti: Eggplant, Mozzarella & Tomato, Prosciutto & cheese, and King Salmon which was off the menu. I only sampled the former two, but the eggplant was the highlight for me. For my main, I had the Giardinella ($16), which was a risotto with 10 kinds of vegetables. That satisfied my appetite, and I even got to taste my boyfriend's Lobster Spaghetti, which was on special. I ended off with the Cannoli ($9), as I hadn't tried one before. There were two kinds: traditional, and one that had a filling that tasted of pecan and pistachio. Even the ice cream was nutty. A perfect end to a great meal. Though none of the dishes came out super fast, we were treated well and the ambiance and simple decor of Taormina made me feel like we were dining somewhere special than the usual crowded or in and out restaurants on the strip. There was a family with a young child who fell out of her booster seat, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were tourists. So many are drawn to the place after walking by the window, and those who can't stand the wait are better off dining somewhere kid-friendly or where they can get their fast burger and fries.

    (5)

  • Emily L.

    What a way to spend the Easter Sunday - baby sleeping soundly in the stroller and just you and hubby sharing that all too rare moment of quietude, sipping fine Morretti beer and slurping up the scrumptious pasta! Frankly, we were on our way to Arancino but Taormina's ongoing lunch set menu of salad, pasta and gelato for under $20 a piece provided the detour. Besides, I have always been curious about this place ever since it opened up nearly 3 years ago. Service was spotless from hostess to server even as we were tucked in the back empty part of the patio. While the pasta portion seemed a tad small at first sight (esp to this carbo queen), both sauces (di mare and Siciliano) were exquisitely prepared. You can taste the difference and I have never tasted so much freshness in the seafood. Let's just say, we literally licked our plates clean. We'll definitely seize the next opportunity to be back even if the baby's wide awake :)

    (4)

  • Danielle P.

    The slow and less than professional service kind of ruined my meal at Taormina. It took 10 minutes for a waitress to come by, another 10 to get bread, and what seemed like forever to place our order. One of our waiters was extremely unprofessional in his way of speaking, handling the bread, and spilled a full glass of water on me during my meal. I know things happen, and I took it in stride, but I would have cared even less if he was more professional. I started with the Insalata alla Modena. Everything was very fresh, but my salad had zero salt and zero balsalmic vinegar on it. Because the wait staff was so slow and unattentive, I couldn't even ask for salt, pepper or vinegar and ended up getting up and getting it myself from behind their stand. I waited 10 minutes for a waitress to come by and decided to take matters into my own hands. Once I dressed my salad, it was wonderful! I got the Norma alla Taormina for my main course and I was not disappointed. The pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce was light and slightly spicy, there was pancetta aplenty and big pieces of delicious eggplant. My only criticism of this dish was the salt level. It seemed like the chef added salt to not only the pasta (which is the right thing to do), but also heavily to the tomato sauce. So these things, along with the pancetta, made the dish very salty. Luckily, I love salty dishes, but even for me it was a bit much. We decided to skip dessert, mainly because the portions were pretty decent. For a Waikiki place, it was alright, not great. The high prices are expected for the touristy area, but definitely not worth the pretty crappy service. I would go back and hope for the best, though.

    (3)

  • Nicole R.

    Delizioso! What a treat...I went here for a lovely work dinner last week and had a really wonderful experience. I'm a bit of a tough customer when it comes to Italian food, because it's the one cuisine I'm actually really good at preparing on my own. If I can make it better at home, then spending a lot of money on a fancy dinner doesn't really make much sense, does it? Taormina definitely delivered... I reserved a table for two on the patio. Enclosed by potted plants, the patio feels intimate even though you're actually smack in the middle of Waikiki, so if the weather is nice (and really, when ISN'T the weather nice here?) I'd definitely suggest snagging a patio table! At the suggestion of our server, we started with Taormina's popular bruschetta appetizer, which was really something special. The white wine sauce on top is heavenly, and you'll want to mop up every last drop with your bread -- it's that good! Our server helped us each choose a delicious wine and I was impressed with his recommendations. My dining partner and I decided to share two entrees: the veggie risotto and the spaghetti bolognese. Two very rich, satisfying dishes, full of flavor! We wanted to keep eating, but couldn't finish either dish. The leftovers were just as good the next day! The service at Taormina is fantastic. The food is delicious. The atmosphere is classy and elegant. I can see it being a great place to take a date for a romantic dinner. Regardless of the occasion, this is DEFINITELY a place you'll want to try soon!

    (4)

  • Michelle O.

    So fancy. So delicious. So special. I went here on a "date night" with my boyfriend and I was really pleased with the overall experience at Taormina. I always heard great things about the restaurant and drooled over the pictures on yelp and I finally decided to book a reservation (through the yelp open table) website and make it a night. First of all, the atmosphere of the restaurant is so impressive. It almost has a LA trendy vibe to it. Love the decor and the energy that that restaurant gives. They offer you bread with olive oil and balsamic dipping sauces to begin with... their bread basket has a nice variety to choose from. I ordered the Seafood Pasta which has all kinds of yummy goodness with a delish tomato sauce and my bf ordered the squid ink pasta dish. The squid ink pasta is pretty interesting with a distinct taste but it's definitely worth the try. Overall, I would love to come back and try different items on their menu. I loved everything about it.. especially my handsome date :)

    (4)

  • Kevin B.

    Not sure why we waited so long to get in here; maybe we just weren't sure if authentic Sicilian food was possible in Hawaii, as opposed to a poor interpretation. I'm here to tell you, as a frequent visitor to Italy and Sicily, that this place is the real deal. Seafood-centric, properly-spiced food offerings with a good wine list. Sicilian food is it's own animal; distinct from the rest of Italy. Staff extremely helpful and knowledgable. For what it's worth, Dolce and Gabbana (in the flesh!) showed up that night...seemed like not the first time they'd been there, either. No endorsement like rich Italians who like this place, too, I guess! We'll definitely return.

    (5)

  • Pierre L.

    Best Uni Pasta Ever! My fiancee and I have been on the hunt for uni pasta for a long time. Since one of our initial dates at Two we have not had great uni pasta. We weren't planning on eating here because when you're in Honolulu, you want to take advantage of sushi. We walked by so many times and looked at the menu and on the last night when we couldn't find anything we walked in and decided to try it. Aside from the uni pasta they also serve a foie gras risotto. The foie was a bit overcooked but my fiancee thinks that is because they don't want the dish to be too oily. Nonetheless, these are two of the very best pastas we have had in a while. We just have to find a way to bring that them to the Bay Area.

    (5)

  • Rodelynn C.

    I dined here with five of my friends last night. The hostess seated us in the back, right in front of the kitchen, which might be awkward if you're on a romantic date. But seeing as we weren't and we're technically pretty loud, we didn't mind. We were all first-timers and not really familiar with the menu. I ordered the bolognese moderna, which is like a meat sauce spaghetti. The pasta was served al dente, which I love, and there is a slight tang of balsamic vinegar. The portion was a little small for $20, but at an upscale restaurant, it's typical. It was enough for me (I had a little extra), but if you've got a big appetite you may want to order a second plate or an antipasti to go with it. It helps that the servers are constantly offering bread though. I enjoyed it here, but prefer to be seated in a cozier area if I came for date night.

    (5)

  • Sim S.

    Best Lasagna I've ever had! Oahu imported Sicily to perfection. We stopped in this unassuming restaurant for Lunch while walking down Lewers Street after some brisk shopping for a quick bite. We saw they received a high Zagat rating so we thought it was worth a shot. We noticed they offered a prix fix menu however we weren't sure how much 2 adults and a 3 year old could eat, let alone if we would have the time (normally our lunches have to be completed by 45-75 minutes depending if we have the IPad to occupy the wandering attention span). Family tip - get an Ipad for your kids to maximize dining enjoyment. We were greeted and sat very quick and quickly received fresh bread. Our waiter acknowledged that we were dining with our little keiki so he asked what he would like to drink and it just so happens that Taormina makes their own homemade lemonade, which was right up his alley. Knowing we were going to be eating something delicious and most likely meaty and rich, we ordered a bottle of Justin Cab Sauv from Paso Robles to complement the meal. I asked what was the best thing on the menu and was told their homemade lasagna with blue cheese was the way to go. I'm a HUGE advocate of blue cheese in pasta, so I didn't even have to look at the menu. We also ordered the Spaghetti Alle "Vongole", which was Spaghetti, Fresh Clams, Garlic Tossed In Clam Broth, White Wine And Olive Oil. Knowing my kid would wolf down every Clam before I could lay a hand on that dish, I knew it would be a win. The drinks came out with haste and within twenty minutes, our food was served piping hot. 12 clams later, my kid was sucking down the spaghetti telling every waiter he saw that the "Chef made this very yummy." My lasagna came out in a personal sized mini-crock and had that glorious melted cheese char on the top that you need a fork / knife to break into it's goodness. The pasta sheets were cooked to perfection and the sauce had zero acidity and a sweet richness that you know comes with at least 1,500 calories. Since I don't count them, I was as happy as a father watching his son stuff his face telling random patrons that passed our table how good the chef was. Overall, the wine was pricey but since it complemented the meal so well, it's tough to complain. The meal was so good that we went back two days later for Dinner and were seated on their outside patio that i didn't notice the first visit. Great location, great service, great food. What more could you want?

    (4)

  • Muncia S.

    I haven't written a review in a long time. Taormina got me so worked up that I have to stop being so laziness and put the restaurant in its place. Taormina is so not child friendly. First of all, the restaurant has nice decor, but certainly not Gary Danko in SF standards and quality in their food. How difficult it is to buy a few high chairs and booster seats? I can't enjoy my meal when I spent most of the time trying to make sure my child does not fall out of the chair. I was not the only mom having that problem with their child. I see another family struggling to keep their baby from screaming bloody murder. So disappointing.

    (1)

  • Frank L.

    # 1 I am Sicilian, # 2 I eat here as many times as humanly possible when I am in Hawaii. # 3 The 2 best pasta dishes I have had in my life are from this place. # 4 I am from the NYC area and have been to Italy many times, this places compares to the best places I have eaten at anywhere in the world, Nuff said!

    (5)

  • Penny C.

    My husband is in town on business and I had the opportunity to visit him for a week. We wanted to have a nice meal and he'd heard good things about Taormina. It didn't hurt that he had a special coupon, and coupled with ordering off their happy hour menu we ate for next to nothing! That said, I would return if we were in the area again. We both had the bruschetta for starters, I had the Bolognese Classica and my husband had (if memory serves) the Shrimp Pomodoro. Both pastas were 4 ounce portions, but along with their delicious olive cibatta bread, was just the right size for an early dinner. I loved their special recipe sangria blanco - created specially for Taormina. Our server was very engaging and service was prompt. Go early and beat the rush!

    (4)

  • Rei K.

    This was the first and only time in our entire lives my boyfriend and I had EVER demanded to speak with a manager...we both have worked in the industry so we're generally more understanding about kitchen/server/hostess screw ups than most. I suppose we were seated right at the cusp of shift-change because after taking our order, I saw our server exit through the back in his jeans. The waiter he pawned our table off to never once checked up on our table. We finished our lunch without anyone stopping by our table...and waited...and waited. We then pushed all our plates to the corner of the table so there would be no misunderstand that WE WERE DONE....then we waited....and waited...and waited. The server walked past our table in an unrushed pace on many occasions. There was another server in the back eating in between doing side work. After 10 minutes, I finally got up and went to the bar. I asked for our check and the take out that we had ordered at the start of the meal for my coworker. A few minutes later a waiter dropped by and said our take out would be out soon. A few more minutes later, our check arrived. We put $100 into the check book. OUr waiter grabbed our money without saying a word to us, and never returned with the change. DID I SAY you could keep the change??! NO!! 15 minutes pass....20minutes....STILL NO TAKE OUT. 30 minutes after I had to march up to the bar to get my table closed out, my patience was gone. The manager apologized and said it was their policy not to start take out order until the table was done eating. 1. No one informed us about this policy 2. If this is the standing policy, then it is the waiter's responsibility to keep an eye on the table and place the take out order when the customer is nearing the end of their meal. How can the waiter do this if he never checks on the tables?? I've worked in restaurants. I understand shift changes. I did not expect our waiter to stay behind for one table. This terrible service may even have been forgivable if our waiter was even busy!! There were 2 tables outside at the same time as us. Also, if I don't need change for my check, I'LLTELL YOU. The tab was $91. We were planning on leaving more than the $8 and few cents for tip. The only reason it's 2 stars, and not one is because my first experience at this place when an older lady with an accent was our server my friends and I had an excellent time.

    (2)

  • Shayna R.

    I was very happy with my experience here. I had a living social voucher to use for lunch, and the restaurant said we could use it for anything on the menu, including the lunch specials. The "lunch special" includes a pasta on the lunch menu, a pea soup shooter, small appetizer, and scoop of gelato. Everything that we had was delicious. The small appetizer was a very tasty deep fried pork and onion kebab (sort of like a pork katsu, as our server said), and we had several servings of walnut bread to dip into balsamic vinegar and oil. Our pastas were probably smaller than what other places would serve as a pasta dish, but we were actually getting full from the bread and appetizer before the pasta dish arrived so it was overall a good and filling portion. We ordered the frutti di mare ($17) which had a lot of crab meat and five pieces of clams/mussels, and the Peperoncino Con Pesce Spade ($16), with swordfish. The dishes had a similar flavor, and each were light and tasty. We ended the meal with a scoop of very cold and refreshing vanilla bean gelato. It's a great deal, especially considering the location and atmosphere of the restaurant. I thought the service was great - our waiter was friendly and filled our water frequently. It's in a very nice location, and the atmosphere is clean and modern, making it a perfect place to enjoy a leisurely lunch. Also, as indicated in the restaurant's website, valet parking was free with validation at the embassy suite (so long as you return by 3 pm).

    (4)

  • Sarah M.

    I'm really surprised by the negative reviews of this place - I really enjoyed my meal here! My husband and I were not feeling the Hawaiian/Asian thing and decided to take a break and try some Italian. I had the minestrone to start (just a cup) and the spaghetti Bolognese, and both were fabulous! The minestrone came in a bowl that took up SO much space on the table, yet only had a tiny amount of soup which was deceptive. However, it was still very tasty. I loved the spaghetti Bolognese as well! The sauce was just perfect and for once, it had just the right amount of meat. I hate how most restaurants skimp on the protein, but this place had a very good balance. This restaurant was a little on the pricey side for what it was...but the food was great and it was frankly surprising that the quality was so good. Wasn't sure how an Italian restaurant would be in a predominately Asian area. Great place if you need a break like we did!

    (4)

  • Donna L.

    Ambiance, food, service all EXCELLENT. I bought a living social coupon and used it to take my aunt for a birthday lunch. We both enjoyed our meals and had a really nice time. The bread was very good.The pea soup was fresh-tasting like tender tiny peas. My spaghetti with swordfish, capers and basil was scrumptious. Cappuccino was good. The mango gelato scoop was perfect.

    (5)

  • Tash M.

    I love pasta. Pasta makes me happy, especially when it tastes lovely. Taormina has that. I ordered the norma alla Taormina. A flavorful, and quite heavy marinara-type sauce. There was polenta, eggplant, fresh tomatoes and basil. I like how they have fresh parmesan cheese vs the powdery in the bottle stuff. -1 star on service. They forgot, on more than 1 occasion, our eating utensils, and our waitress seemed like she was irritated the whole night...unless that's how she always is, in which case, is a pity. Quick tip: Make reservations, as we saw 2 couples leave because it was a full house and wait time was an hour, hour half. And let them know if you want to sit outside or inside when making a reservation, as they did not ask us and they sat us outside. Not so well covered if raining (it drizzled on us) and the noise level from the beachwalk and cars around the corner can be a downer.

    (4)

  • Albert G.

    Taormina was my wife's choice but I enjoyed it too. We made a reservation on-line and wanted the patio. Staff accommodated us in just 10 minutes. We sat on the covered patio and ordered wine (good list), beer (limited but sufficient) and the seafood bruschetta (recommended) as our starters. I ordered a Minestrone soup and Vegetable Risotto. Both were excellent and very filling. I did not order desert by my traveling companions did and they loved their picks.

    (4)

  • Mike O.

    Interior was beautiful. Service was good. Had the Pomodoro and it was delicious. Didnt like the house salad or the three types of breads they served. Dessert was awesome. expresso with a scoop of vanilla.

    (4)

  • Whitney P.

    Found this place on accident while walking around shopping. It is incredible. Amazing food and service. I can't wait to get back to Honolulu and go here again.

    (5)

  • Margaret W.

    Amazing dinner from beginning to end. Showed up a few minutes prior to our reservation time, but were quickly seated upstairs, near the window. Our waiter Jason was extremely friendly, helpful and personable. He helped us chose multiple dishes to share, each one perfectly delicious. The two highlights for me were the Nero pasta and the seared ahi with beets and feta. A very memorable and delectable dinner!

    (5)

  • Benjamin N.

    Wow, talk about a disappointment. I may be a little biased since Ive dined at some amazing Italian restaurants in Chicago, my home town, but this place really dropped the ball. The service was bad, uncomfortable setting unless you at the upstairs seating inside, two of the choices we had were unavailable, price was waaaay to high for the service and quality of the food. Both myself and my girlfriend ordered a pasta dish, hers was overcooked and mine was undercooked.

    (2)

  • Henry L.

    SERVICE SUCKS!! SERVICE SUCKS!! SERVICE SUCKS!! Story: Made Opentable reservations. Got there right on time. Hostess says, "Oh we gave your table away....I called out your name, those people walked up and they took your table...." I"m thinking why would you call out our name when there is no line and we just got here? Sounds kind of stupid to me. Strike one. But, she got us another table. Ordered Uni pasta and duck, which server was raving about. Asked her for lime wedges, brought lemon wedges. Not a strike for that. BUT, BUT, BUT, after our appetizers, we waited 20 minutes, no food. Server walks by ten times taking care of the people who took our reservation, who by this time, had their lunch, and were ordering dessert. Server never asks how we are or lets us know where food is. Strike two. I calmly ask, "could you please check on our food..." She returns, advising it will take just "two minutes...." I was pissed, so started my iphone timer. Two minute alarm goes off, no food, no server, nothing. My wife and daughter ask me to wait, so another ten minutes. I advise my wife and daughter they should leave as I am about to blow. Server does not bring our food, but is taking dessert to the reservation thieves. I ask her to come by, she says, "could you wait?" I respond, NO. Strike three. I tell her while she's loving the other table to cancel our food and get me the check. She leaves, comes back QUICKLY with the check, and says, "here you go." I look up and ask, "is that it, after you ruined our lunch, is that it?" No apology, but says, "Do you want me to get the manager?" I nearly lose it and say of course! Manager asks me to go outside to discuss, I say no, because I don't want my wife and daughter to hear how pissed I am. This is the same manager I saw sneaking drinks behind the bar, and when I point out that was illegal, he claims he was testing a returned drink, but I know that was wrong because the glass he was drinking from was my wife's returned wine. Not because it was rotten, she ordered pinot noir, the idiot server brought pinot grigio and I saw the server put it back on the bar, which the manager picked up and drank. After expressing my disgust, and telling the manager I am going to scream at the Kahala Resort concierge for mentioning this god awful arm pit, he comps the appetizers and gives me a $50 gift certificate which I am going to give the parking valet at our hotel. I can't rate the food because we got none but a damn salad and prosciutto and micro melon balls. BUT THE SERVICE SUCKS!! SERVICE SUCKS!! SERVICE SUCKS!! When they are THIS BAD, I MEAN BAD, there is no reason to risk another god awful experience.

    (1)

  • Bobby And Estee F.

    We really enjoyed dinner here and would return to try other items on the menu. The location is great and the service was excellent.

    (4)

  • Chad A.

    The best place for Italian food on the Island of Oahu I have encountered. Impeccable service and atmosphere. It is VERY pricey, otherwise I would eat here a few times a month. They won't disappoint.

    (5)

  • Janet K.

    When dining at this restaurant, request to sit outside. Even though there's no view, it's so pretty and romantic. I always order the Bucatini. It's the only place I know that serves it. I have a weakness for saffron and anytime I see it on the menu, I'm sure to order that dish. The bucatini is a pasta dish with anchovies, saffron, garlic, sardines, pine nuts, raisins, and bread crumbs all tossed in a light olive oil. Yummmmy! It may not sound that appetizing with sardines and anchovies, but it is. This restaurant is on the pricier side (like $20 for a pasta dish) so expect to dish out some dough especially if you like wine. **Tip** I'm not sure about the men's room, but the lady's room have that "special" toilet. You know the one that splashes water on your privacy and then air dries it with the touch of a button? So fellas, now you know why your lady was taking a while in the powder room. Ahhh, I love technology!

    (4)

  • Jasrine C.

    Ummm ummm Delish!!!!

    (5)

  • Carla D.

    ok, where do I begin. My daughter and I dinned there on Christmas Eve. Our family is of Sicilian ancestry so this was definitely where we wanted to spend our holiday dinner. The place is small unless you want to sit outside. It was a rainy night, so inside would have been our preference. Although, the inside is very small. The front only has 4 tables and the back is a long row of tables that face the chefs cooking. None of which would be ideal. The dinner was less than satisfactory. I must say, we enjoyed our bottle of champagne. However, the pasta we both ordered was tasteless and hard. Don't know if they were too busy to cook it longer, but aladente is one thing, hard is another. We also ordered clams and they were good, but we've had better elsewhere. Service was ok, nothing special. food ok, definately not special. ambiance was ok, nothing special. I think I was generous in giving 2 stars. Would never go back and way too expensive. So many more choices in Waikiki!

    (2)

  • Meat B.

    I had a wonderful meal. The Colorado lamb chops where outstanding. Also one of the nicest minestrone soups ever. Service was very good. Very friendly place. Best part of meal was the two young air force people I met there. Our country is in great hands. Thanks for protecting all of us. Meat Man

    (5)

  • L T.

    Been here once, average at best. Just because you name a restaurant by an Italian name doesn't mean that It's automatically authentic Italian cuisine. I should know I am Sicilian and and believe me other than the name there is nothing Sicilian about this place. Average at best especially and I mean especially for the over price and portions.

    (2)

  • Chad Y.

    On a recent dinner outing, my cousin decided we should eat at Taormina in Waikiki, which brought sheer delight to me since I have heard so many good things about it. The reviews I had heard didn't fail and I was very impressed with the entire dining experience. We started with the seafood bruschetta and the prosciutto wrapped melon balls. Both were bites of sheer heaven. The bruschetta featured prawns and scallops that were perfectly chopped and cooked in a great creamy white wine sauce. It had the perfect blend of seafood and sun dried tomatoes which was a very pleasant surprise. The prosciutto wrapped melon balls were served with a very nice mozarella cheese and a very flavorful olive oil. A few of us also started with the Sicilian style salad with the blood orange vinaigrette which was a little lackluster and the one low point in the menu for me. It was almost a little too simple with poorly chopped lettuce and tossed in a vinaigrette that was full of blood orange but not enough flavorings to complement it. We all dined on pasta that night. The Spaghetti Bolognese which sounds simple featured a very flavorful meat sauce that was light but still a great blend of ground beef and other spices. The Fresh Clam Vongole was full of a rich clam flavor with the gentle flavor of garlic and white wine to complement. The lobster Pescatore (i'm sure that's not what it's called as I write this) which was on special was sheer heaven. No Seriously...sheer heaven. It featured a very rich lobster taste complemented with clams in a very flavorful red sauce. It was a perfect symphony of flavors over freshly made spaghetti noodles. For dessert we dined on the Gelato Con Espresso and the Campari Orange Jelly with lychee sorbet. Both were interesting. The gelato wasn't a true espresso gelato that we were expecting, rather a vanilla bean gelato with a cooled shot of espresso pored over it. It was good but nothing wow. The Orange Jelly was very good and rich in flavors. The lychee complemented the orange jelly nicely and the sauce poured over with bits of champagne flavor was a nice added touch. The service was spot on. Our waitress knew the wine menu and made a very fantastic selection for our table. The dishes were delivered in a perfect orchestration and we were well attended too. The ambiance is a modern contemporary design and features tables indoors and outdoor on the terrace which would be nice on a beautiful evening. It's location is right across the way from the Waikiki Beach Walk. Parking can be a bit tricky as I learned the hard way, but spring for the valet and park at the Wyndham and you can get it validated. Very good over all and at reasonable prices (although the wine list was a bit pricey) and with great service will make me come back here for more.

    (4)

  • Ashley R.

    4.5 stars!!! Food: Amazing!!! Service: Good. Very meticulous, which makes for a little slow at times. Very upscale service. Came here on Christmas for a special dinner with the boyfriend and his parents. We tried to go to Arancino (we had been there before so knew it was good) but they had an hour and a half wait already at 5 pm! We said forget it and walked around trying to find a nice place that was to all of our tastes. I'm so glad we did! We saw this place and they happened to have a table. The decor is perfect for a special dinner out. Very trendy yet still comfortable and romantic. Now for the most important part: food! The boyfriend and I both wanted the bolognese alla Siciliana. I ordered that and he changed his mind at the last second and got the lasagne special, which was made with a unique blend of blue cheese, mozzarella and parmesan (I think, might have been ricotta too). The lasagne was good, and I loved the hint of blue cheese! He regretted his decision to change dishes once he tried mine though! The bolognese was SOOO good! There were so many flavors and they all combined so beautifully! Spicy, sweet, garlicy, meaty, tomatoey (yes, tomatoey!). The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, as well. I took pity on him and said we could go halfsies on our meals and share. He better remember my generosity :) The parentals got the seafood pasta with squid ink and the salmon and said both were very good. I'm sure we will be returning, especially for special occasions. The boy went as far as to say my pasta was the best he'd ever had...in his life! He hasn't been to Italy but I'd say for Hawaii it's definitely top notch Italian food.

    (5)

  • Daniel L.

    Checked this place out as a living social deal. It's a very fancy bistro with decent prices for lunch (11-4pm) staff was very friendly but they need to be able to explain their menu in simpler terms. Food was ok, a little on the salty side. very cool interior designing

    (3)

  • Miss B.

    Went here today using a living social voucher for lunch. 2 pm is definitely the time to go!!! Dinner prices looked pretty steap, but lunch menu+happy hour menu (2-5 pm, $3 beers, $5 wine, apps, desserts) gets you the most bang for your buck!!! Hostess- smile babe!!! It's yo mfn job!!! Service- phenomenal, helpful, friendly, unpretentious for a kind of pretentious spot (thanks Tyler!!!!! Managers-take note of this gem) Atmosphere- love the patio Food-fresh, simple, tasty, Sicilian done right (lots of seafood....beware Sicilian is NOT the same as mainstream Italian, much less typical island "Vietalian") Wine- perfect, huge (but kind of pricy) selection Would definitely go again!!! But only during happy hour prices....

    (4)

  • Loren M.

    DO NOT ORDER THE SEARED AHI dinner entree. It was the lowest grade ahi I have ever experienced, not even good enough for poke. Stick with Pasta or a steak. The server Inez was curt and not experienced. All around disappointment for dinner. Not bad for their lunch special and one of the few lunch places in Waikiki with tablecloths for a nice biz lunch.

    (2)

  • Curtis M.

    Good food and service. The wine list was also good, best High end Italian restaurant on Oahu, period. Take it from me a FBI from San Francisco.

    (4)

  • Scott S.

    Seating is tight here, so making a reservation will help you avoid too long a wait. That said, the food is worth waiting for even if you don't have a reservation. Instead of the usual appetizer, I ordered their curry cauliflower fritters. Think cauliflower florets, lightly battered with curry, fried hot and served piping hot. Delicious! Crunchy, the curry is a wonderful contrast with the cauliflower taste. Next I had the risotto with porcini mushrooms topped with foie gras with a balsamic reduction. The foie gras was a big piece. It melted into your mouth with the risotto. There was a zillion calories there, but I didn't care, my taste buds were so happy. Service was excellent with Christina being attentive, but not hovering over us. Water was refilled without being asked and she kept the tasty olive bread coming without us asking for more. Prices are a bit "pricey". The curry cauliflower fritters were $12 and the porcini risotto with foie gras was $27. Perhaps the risotto was priced right given how rich it is.

    (4)

  • Kyle J.

    Perhaps we chose the wrong night to dine at this restaurant but I was really not impressed. We had a reservation for 8:30 p.m. and were not sat at our table until after 9:00 p.m. After the annoyance of being sat late, we were given a table outside. Really? It was cold and windy and we had a four year old child with us. Our waiter looked confused when he approached us and wanted to ensure he hadn't seen us there and that he was not ignoring us. The food selection looked good except they have two choices for kids pasts; bolognese or pomodoro, no cream based sauces, two pastas without seafood and none that they add chicken too. After twenty minutes had passed a buss boy/second server had finally asked if we wanted water. By this time we were really annoyed. After all of the hastle we went though just to order a drink and our meal, the food, i'll have to admit, was very tasty. The waiter seemed scared or intimidated during our experience and it kind of made us feel unformfortable. p.s. try their triple gelato dessert. That was probably the best part of the meal. I will not count this restaurant out and I'll chalk this up as a bad night, as I know we all have them. But the first time experience was not very pleasing for the amount of money we had spent .

    (3)

  • Kevin K.

    This restaurant seems to get a lot of binary reviews, either people love it or hate it. We gave it a try in December and it was very good. I have the Bolognese Alla "classica" and my wife and the Shrimp Pomodoro, and both were very good. The service was excellent.

    (4)

  • Sabrina C.

    Great find in Waikiki!! Food was outstanding service is superb. Fit for foodies. Go to this spot. Our waitress Glory was excellent.

    (5)

  • Gspot H.

    Great Lunch. Great place to watch people walk by. Staff is very nice and courteous. Food is Great. Sit Outside for Lunch

    (4)

  • Connie C.

    Ambiance - beautiful Service - wonderful Food - meh. We tried to walk in one night after seeing that they were booked on Opentable and calling in for reservations. Over the phone, the hostess told us that we could try to walk in, but unfortunately when we arrived, they were unable to accommodate us. Surprising, but the place is rather small, so it was understandable. We booked a reservation for the following night instead. When we returned the next day, we were seated immediately in their upstairs dining room, which was beautiful. Our table faced out to the lovely view of the city below. I had already checked out the menu beforehand and was looking forward to having the sea urchin pasta for two. We also ordered the seafood bruschetta (chopped prawns and scallops sautéed with white wine, mascarpone and sun dried tomatoes) to start. The bruschetta was excellent. However, when the uni pasta was brought out, we were not impressed. I've had uni pasta before in SF and this one was extremely disappointing. We didn't finish the serving, and even opted not to take the rest home. We didn't expect such a dish that lacked in presentation and flavor from a chef with a prestigious background as Chef Yamamoto. We couldn't let the evening end on a bad note, so we decided to order dessert. Our server recommended their tiramisu, so we went with that. The tiramisu was well done, so the meal was somewhat redeemed. As we walked past the other diners on our way out, I saw so many other dishes that looked amazing. I'd give this place another shot the next time I'm in town, but not the uni pasta.

    (3)

  • Tom A.

    We got a few things here, some good, some bad. Bad: In general, it seems like the chef here tries to get too fancy / over the top. Every dish has something unusual about it, and it doesn't always work. The lasagna was ... hmm amateurish. Blue cheese and an atypical meat for lasagna. It's not working. The seared ahi tuna with pickled vegetables ... too few vegetables, and the Ahi was over seasoned and a bit dry. The caesar salad had a blue-cheese processed taste to it, though I'm not sure it was actually blue-cheese. Good: The cod main dish and bruscetta appetizer. I'll come back just to have these again. The Tiramisu wasn't bad either, though a little bit too much cream and not enough lady finger. Service was good, a little pricey. :)

    (3)

  • Bobby L.

    Terrible (notice the capital T!) So bad!

    (1)

  • Guille D.

    The best quality Italian food place in the area by far. The service is tops! The place has inside and patio, staff is friendly and great! Food was amazing. Great to meet someone for a meeting or having an intimate dinner.

    (5)

  • Karl P.

    Went to early dinner @ 5:00 without reservations. The hostess was very pleasant and seated us immediately. The waiter was quite personable and attentive to the 4 of us.They were at about 80% occupancy and when the other wait staff had time they assisted our waiter i.e. clearing plates and filling water glasses. Dinner was priced in line with the rest of the area. Food was good but not outstanding. It was overall a very good experience. I would return.

    (4)

  • A C.

    Good service. Good food.

    (4)

  • Kimo S.

    Food adventure + Birthday night = Good Fun! Alright, so the dining experience could have been a tad more enjoyable but having an adventure on your birthday is still awesome! Truth be told, the (current) 3.5 rating of this place is very accurate. I'm torn between 3 or 4 stars but considering the few flaws and mostly just "good" vibe I will default to a 3. First off... BEWARE the corkage here. My wife says I had the same expression on my face as when someone gets punched in the gut. My eyes went wide and I made my "O" face. $25 corkage. TWENTY FIVE dollars?! The waitress tried to justify this by saying "most restaurants with a good wine list will charge a corkage...". I stopped her, explained to her I understand that... but that $25 is criminal. -1 star for that. She then (without asking) uncorks the bottle and pours two glasses. Not a small pour for me smell/taste, which happens at any restaurant I've been to even with my own wine. After she pours out TWO glasses she then asks if we want it to be decanted so we can "get our $25 corkage value". WTF?? Who pours out two glasses then asks if you want it decanted? -1 star for that. Bottom line, don't bring your own wine unless you know someone here. Otherwise, stick to their wine list which is actually quite good and they have many well priced options (including a great Drew pinot noir and Scherrer pinot noir). To the food! We had the seafood bruschetta and the prosciutto. The seafood bruschetta was okay, a bit salty and really tasted like they took a seafood bisque and poured it over some roasted bread. This was fine though in some aspects but wasn't amazing. The prosciutto was good but it would have been a lot better if they didn't give the world's smallest melon balls and only FOUR with 10-12 pieces of prosciutto. I mean, we have to cut our quarter sized melons into 1/4 pieces so we could have a little sweetness with our prosciutto. A bit cheap on the fruit... disturbing but whatever, right? We then shared the UNI pasta (for two... two... really) and the VEAL. The veal was a veal chop about 3/4 of an inch thick, heavily breaded with mozzarella cheese on top and sitting on a bed of tomato sauce. This was actually pretty good, I'm used to having fork tender, thinly sliced veal but this was actually still pretty tender for being a thick chop. Overall, I enjoyed this the most of all the dishes we had. The uni pasta... well, let's just say we're glad we didn't just order this for the two of us or we would have been going home hungry. The uni pasta seems to be a big draw here at Taormina but I was left wanting to go back to Arancino's for their Uni pasta. The uni at Taormina was blended in with the sauce and few pieces of uni were left floating around. The Uni just wasn't the highlight of the dish, it was good but just not stellar. Overall, a food adventure and if you stuck around until the end more kudos to you! This place has potential, while our waitress started rocky she definitely seemed genuine and considerate after the wine experience. The managers seem to care as well, both of them wished me a happy birthday and sent us a delicious tiramisu dessert at the end of our meal. The decor and layout is quite nice too and I just hope they can add a little more finesse to the food.

    (3)

  • Bernard N.

    Great Northern Italian food! The lunch specials are a great deal and come with soup or salad and a dessert. This is a great affordable place for a nice lunch in Waikiki (dinner menu can get a bit pricey). My fave is the 'Sicilian' pasta with eggplant and meat sauce . . and the pasta is done al dente, perfect! ID discount card gets you a free cannoli dessert. Also free 4 hr validated parking at Wyndham from 11-4.

    (4)

  • Inthira M.

    This is between a 3-3.5 stars. I've been wanting to try this place for a long time, but the mere thought of going through Waikiki traffic has been the reason holding me back from eating here. So every time I would read a Yelp review on this place I would think, "dammit! I need to go, I NEED TO GO!!" So when my dad came here to visit and stayed at the Hilton I knew it was fate and we had to come here and I wouldn't take no for an answer. Arrived at 6:30 and got seated immediately on the patio (which was awesome seeing that there was a line by the time we left at 8/8:30pm). After ordering a bottle of Riesling (the waiter picked it for us and although I don't recall the name it was delish!) I settled on the Fungi porcinni rissoto with foie gras (because I love me some duck liver), my dad ordered the risotto with shrimp and scallops, my mom ordered the clam pasta, and my fiance ordered the amatricianna pasta (with prosciutto and pancetta in a spicy tomato sauce). We also ordered the seafood bruschetta as an appetizer. After we ordered the server came around and offered us a choice of four different types of bread: walnut, sourdough, olive, or a baguette. I ate the olive and sourdough dipped with a little olive oil, sipping on my wine and I pictured myself in Sicily. About 15 min after our appetizzer arrived. Shrimp and scallops topped with sundried tomatoes and the sauce was awesome. I held back asking for more bread to dip into the sauce. Now here's the little hiccup in this whole thing. Over an hour after we initially ordered our food our entrees arrived (I'm not exaggerating). I'm not sure if that is the norm there and maybe we should've went with the servers advice when he asked if we also wanted to order a salad with our meal but... over an hour? We were engaged in conversation so I wasn't really bothered by it I just felt bad because my dad kept saying how hungry he was (so I guess even more we should of ordered the salad. Lol). When the food arrived I'm a little mixed on the dishes. I really liked my dad's dish. It was creamy just like a risotto should be. I liked my dish. The foie gras was perfectly cooked and I didn't need a knife to cut it. I'm still unsure whether I liked the taste of the risotto... it was different, not what I'm used to, but I like to try new things so I didn't mind (next time I'm getting the uni pasta. The server said it's their specialty). My fiances dish was ok as well. Not as spicy as I would have liked it to be, but I understand the chef needs to be moderate in the spice level to accomodate everyone. The dish that I sadly did not like was my moms clam dish. The sauce itself was fine, but I think the clams were old. Everyone on the table tasted it and made a face so I said, "let me try," seeing that I went to culinary school and, I too made the face. It's actually pretty funny to me that we all made "the face." I will definitely come back here (when I decide to go back to Waikiki) because the service was awesome, I like the items on the menu and there was more good than bad points. Like every restaurant they have their dishes that they're known for so I'll just have to keep coming back to discover those gems!

    (3)

  • Dan F.

    One star based only on service. The food was delicious and I guess if the chef were to personally deliver it to me, then maybe Taor"mean-o" might redeem itself, but since they didn't and the sun-kissed waiter who served it to me was a complete and utter rude pompous brah I am at a complete lack of any good favor for this restaurant. Take your meal to go, unless you're a glutton for punishment and have expendable income. We have on no other occasion given NO TIP, but in fact did. Empowering and appropriate. Earn it.

    (1)

  • Larry B.

    So let's set the scene. It's 9:00, my wife and I are both hungry, and on a whim we decide to drive to the beach walk to find a bite to eat, and walk around a bit. There are a lot of options down there. Even if it feels touristy, it's still nice, and places like Aloha Tower should take notes. You feel an energy there, whether its because people are enjoying their time on holiday, or if their just like my wife and I, looking for an escape from the normal Hawaii dining options on a Friday night. After passing Ruth's, and the mob that is the Yard House, we came upon Taormina, and while it looked busy, we thought why not chance walking in. To my surprise, 2 minutes later, we were walking past the nicely appointed bar, which lead to a beautifully textured plaster wall, up the stairs, to a perfect table over looking the beach walk. Another nice touch, as we were being seated, Senator Inoye was leaving. My wife making the comment "if it's good enough for a Senator..." We started with the beef carpaccio, and I thought that it was classic that our waiter asked me if I knew it was raw beef. Anyway, the plate was beautiful and the beef was nice and red. The dressing was more savory than what I'm used to, but the way everything played together with the mushrooms, onions, and parmigiano, really made for a great start. After a couple of great dirty martinis, we chose to go with the the pasta bolognese and the Breaded Bone in Veal cutlet. Now just coming from New York, and eating at places like Babbo, and Otto, my pasta expectations were set pretty high. While a bit sweet, I did like the bollingese, and I especially liked the thicker gauged spaghetti cooked to a perfect al dente. Now the veal...I am lost for words at how good this veal was. Let's put it this way...everyone who cooks veal Parmesan, should come here, pay the $45 and just start taking notes. Best cut I have ever had! Now you may say Larry, come on, the best, and I will tell you, that baby cow did not die in vain my friends. Damn it, I am drooling just thinking about it right now. I can cook, so yah, the spaghetti dish, scoop of chocolate, scoop of vanilla, don't waste my time, but the rum raisin...the rum raisin was the veal and the veal was woof. If you saw City Slickers, you should kind of understand that, but anyway, I digress...getting back to the meal, everything paired well with the Scherrer Pinot, our waiter suggested. He actually turned out to be a great guy, who also works at Tamura's once a week. The list, while pricy, was pretty extensive, and had bottles ranging from $500 to $39. We ended with the Tiramisu, and it was fantastic as well. Coffee and cream on the pallate, washed away with a medium bodied pinot ended our night very nicely. While pricy, it wasn't absurd. It felt good walking out of such a great place, while passing the masses dining at Giovani's or the Barn Yard, I mean Yard House. Every once in a while you got to get away...Taormoina provided our escape.

    (5)

  • Aya T.

    Sicilian food with a Japanese twist! The Ahi Carpaccio was incredible. The combination of the garlic, anchovy, olives, orange, olive oil and tobiko was a unique way to present this sashimi dish, I loved it. I also shared the Uni pasta for 2 with my friend. Fresh uni with a touch of olive oil and garlic coating each noodle, it was so creamy and amazing! My friend Jodie said it best... "I don't want this to end!". If you're a fan of uni you must try this pasta dish, you won't regret it!!

    (4)

  • Sheri D.

    Looking for a great Italian restaurant in Waikiki? Look no further than Taormina's Sicilian Cuisine located on Beach Walk on Lewers Street. Had the pleasure of dining here for lunch with my boss a few days ago and was blown away by their food! Yes, I realize that this restaurant is in Waikiki and may well be a veritable tourist trap, but their food really is delicious! Their salad with the blood orange vinaigrette was a tad bit tart but nonetheless, delicious. The boss had the pasta arrabiatta while I had their pasta special. I can't say anything about the pasta arrabiatta but judging from my boss's clean, empty plate, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it was great. As for my pasta special, it was so-so-heavenly! Pasta was al dente and the veal ragout was rich, tender, and oh-so flavorful. Oh my goodness! It was just so delicious! Another reason this place gets 4 stars? Our meal also came with delicious lychee gelato for dessert. Perfect way to end the meal! Decadent a lunch as it was, I really enjoyed my meal at Taormina's. Prices were reasonable and you get a decent sized portion. Not bad at all. Service was a little on the slow side and parking can be a hassle but I'm willing to overlook it, since the food was great! Great place to check out if you're on Beach Walk!

    (4)

  • Jenifer G.

    Slightly disappointing, but overall pretty good. I was told Taormina was the place to go for amazing Sicilian cuisine, but my high expectations were not close to being met. The wine was not great. Got a $10 Pinot Noir that way too pungent (which irritated me, because that's exactly why I always order Noirs, to avoid the pungent, vinegary and long finishes), and took over an hour to finally breathe (not exaggerating). I tried a blend of syrah (or was it shiraz? sorry I can't remember) and cab. It was equally disappointing. The atmosphere is modern and private, so it does make for a cute date spot. The service was okay, although the hostess wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Our server was quite pleasant and friendly. I can't say I wasn't surprised to see non-Italians in the kitchen. In fact, they were all Asian and seemed like the non-local born kind too. I haven't had much luck w/ the "fusion" styles, but I didn't let that stop me from focusing on the flavors. Food: 4-choice appetizer - $17. - Ama ebi (sweet shrimp) was really tasty and I recommend it. - Don't get any of the tako (octopus). It was tough and I hate chewing laboriously through any kind seafood. The bolognese entree was not bad. Tasty, but just really brown, as if they really tried to cook it down with all sorts of flavors, so they kind of over did it. Ultimately, it tasted too dark -- if that makes sense! I L-O-V-E uni, as in raw sea urchin at sushi bars. I literally have to order uni every time I have the opportunity to order them (seriously, ask anyone who knows me). So guess what Taormina serves: Uni Pasta! Now that was a first for me. The uni pasta was definitely different and to me, worth trying. It was good as I ate it, but I wasn't wow'd by it. It's certainly not as good as raw uni, but I think worth trying out. They only serve it in a 2-person portion for $36, so I'd suggest just taking the other half home in a doggie bag so you can try the other stuff, or go with a larger group so you can share. Overall, I did love the ama ebi, and the uni pasta was something different to try. But please "x" the tako and pinot noir.

    (3)

  • Dudley C.

    My gf and I have seen this place a couple times and decided to walk in for dinner, of course it was packed so we waited the hour and a half to get seats and just walked around the nearby shops and everything was fine. We got seated right next to the kitchen which was okay, but there was so much noise and clanking that it was hard to speak over it, much less hear across the table. So we moved to an outside table where there were a bunch of seats open, but the traffic noise made things bad too, but better than inside. So far so good....till our waiter came, wait we had to wait perhaps 15 to 20 mins for the waiter that was in charge of our section to come to our table. She did give us water and bread...eventually....and took our orders okay, but it was like she didn't care about our table mainly because we seemed like "kids" that don't have money. Well we ordered and our food came, now we werent sure what we were expecting so when something came our we figured it was part of the dish or that was how it was supposed to be. So we got our appetizers, ate it and it was good. then after like 20 more mins our salad came which was the wrong salad, but how the heck do we know it is wrong one when there was two that were really similar. So without knowing that it was wrong we ate it. Then half an hour passes by and I start getting angry because, seriously? 20 mins til the next dish then another half hour for the entree? We almost left, but did not. We also ordered wine, just a couple glasses and then this couple gets seated right next to us (there were no other customers in the area and yet they got seated next to us) And then our waiter immediately gives them water, bread and tells the all the specials and makes recommendations for them. A total 180 compared to us. After the other guest finished their bread, the waiter stopped by and put another on their bread plate, btw the entire time, our plates were empty with no bread and were not offered or asked how the food was. Next the other couple ordered a wine BOTTLE and she treats them so much better, checks up on them, refills their drink and such. I was getting to the end of my rope now, but my gf and I just tried to enjoy our dinner and finished our dessert. Then we got the check when we were not ready but we just wanted to leave already. The check had everything right except that we noticed the salad dish we got was added on and the one we wanted was cancelled. So of course we asked about this and said we are not paying for that dish we ate because we did not order it, we thought it was the other dish we wanted when it was not. And then our waiter had the fricken nerve to say of I thought you would have wanted the cheaper one. Are you fricken serious? Does anyone else agree? One that can be taken as a racial comment or discrimination against younger adults. She took us for cheap people that would not tip her well so she also did not serve us well. That the experience I got from her service. After that I kept saying that it was not what we ordered and that its not our fault that you gave us the wrong stuff. Then she comes yelling back at me saying "WHAT THEN!? You don't want to pay for it then?! Is that what you are saying??!" at this point after the terrible night, I was ready to cause a scene about the discrimination and terrible service and what she had said to me, I was pretty much ready to do all it would take to get her fired on the spot. But I was too fricken stunned by how she handled the situation and how she, a waiter would yell at a customer, infront of other customers, for her own wrong doing. After that she walked off and took it off the bill, tip? yeah I gave her like a couple bucks(yes im regretting it) and my gf wrote a notice to management about the problem. I have also used "opentable" to send comment about the terrible service, but I never got a reply. This was actually probably a year back now. But man that was the worst service I have ever had personally, worst I had ever seen, hear, or even watched on the TV. I had never experienced anything like it. It is a shame because the food was okay I guess.(actually i can't really tell since the experience was so bad that it makes me feel like the food wasn't that good either. I honestly hope she had gotten fired and a taste of her own medicine..multiple times...

    (1)

  • Audrey W.

    I made the reservation several weeks in advance and was disappointed to be seated by what I thought was a door to the kitchen and bathrooms. It turns out it was a very nice dining area. The food was very good. I had the prosciutto and melon as well as the veal scalloping. My husband had the grilled calamari appetizer and a squid ink pasta entree. We shared a simple salad with a tasty blood orange viniagrette and had the poached peach special dessert. Our waitress was very good but a bus boy clearing the table spilled the vinegar and oil, which splattered over my husband's dress shoes probably ruining them. Three stars for the food and zero for the rest.

    (3)

  • Toni M.

    On the suggestion of a friend, I went to try Taormina. Finding good Italian food in the US is hard after living in Italy. But, I decided to trust my friend's recommendation since he's a member of the local hospitality industry. Taormina was good but fell short in a number of areas. The location is convenient. Taormina is on Lewers in the Beachwalk area and parking is available in a couple of close garages. It's also very close to a number of the large resorts. The restaurant is small so reservations are recommended regardless of the day of the week. We were lucky to call in the afternoon and got an early reservation. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. The wine list is well appointed but rather pricey. The food is average. Taormina has a lot of very interesting entrees on their menu but the finished product is less than expected. Our experience: The mixed antipasti was a good choice...we had the eggplant, sweet shrimp, salmon and caprese. The shrimp was the low point with a very strong and unpleasant flavor. The rest were quite tasty. Soups were excellent. Entrees were the mixed fish, fois gras risotto and lobster pasta. The fish was all very f fresh and well prepared. The risotto was runny and overcooked. And the pasta, while well seasoned, lacked substance. I will say that the majority of their pastas and condiments are imported from Italy and are of a very high quality. They serve Lavazza coffee, for the aficionados out there. Nice atmosphere. Moderate prices, with the exception of the wine. Good experience, but it just missed the mark. Not likely to attend a repeat performance.

    (3)

  • Gatola I.

    Tourist trap. First, the food: Fish was tasting "fishy", not fresh at all. The pasta was Ok, meat sauce a little too sugary though. All bread we had was dry, felt old. They didn't have available several items in the menu, including most fish choices. Then, the service: Kid-unfriendly, no high chair, and lots of odd looks from restaurant employees. My wife and I had a frugal meal (well, most of the stuff in the menu wasn't available anyway), and we really felt we were unwanted because we didn't order starters or alcohol. Overall, this place was so forgettable that I left this review unfinished on Yelp for 4 months!

    (2)

  • Patricia Gail M.

    Always excellent. Recently went to Oahu just to dine there. The food and service are stellar. Just what you think should happen when you dine at a restaurant. I could eat the Pomodoro every night for a week it's so yummy!

    (5)

  • Mai T.

    When restaurant week started, this is one place I definately wanted to add on my list of places to eat! Fortunately my husband and I were able to get a reservation so I put on my heels and headed into Waikiki. My husbands friend had gone to Taormina before and he had highly recommended the Lamb, which is also something that the waitress had recommended. However we opted to try different things on the menu. From the restaurant week menu I got the Uni pasta and the Filet Mignon. I must say the Uni pasta was a little on the lighter side. If you had not told me there is uni in it... i would not have figured it out. Being an absolute UNI lover, this didnt sit too well with me... However the Filet Mignon was excellent!! I totally have to rave about this one! The meat was so soft it was crazy, cooked perfectly... crispy on the outside but a perfect medium rare on the inside. If the meat was cooked a second less it would have been rare and if cooked a second more it would have been too cook... it was perfect!! I would give this place a 5 star, however the one missing star is for service. I had always thought this place was fine dining.. with the atmosphere, the pricing and the way i thought i had to dress.. it all said fine dining to me.. HOwever the service was not up to par. when we were seated the waitress asked us if we wanted water. We replied Yes.. and she returns couple of minutes later asking if we wanted water... for the 2nd time we replied yes.. and this happened a total of 3 times.. to which i dont believe we got the water from that waitess but another one that asked us the same question... If it was hectic busy i would totally understand... but they only had like 4 tables. yay for food... boo for service.

    (4)

  • Nina B.

    In all fairness, I have to say what an amazing pasta bolognese they do here. However, the last time I was there (and I used to go regularly) our waitress was probably one of the rudest Ive ever had anywhere. She patronized us, snapped at us, and was blatantly rude. Her attitude wasn't on account of what a skilled waitress she was either, in fact she didn't even know how to pour wine correctly. Maybe it was because she was up all night on a bender because that's what it looked like. Probably wont be back for a long time after that experience.

    (2)

  • Jay K.

    Worth every penny! Great, awesome service and management! Definitely going back when I visit! Great antipastos, check out their happy hour deals, uni pasta's legit, and the seafood salad is amazing!! Don't forget to try their fresh desserts too!

    (5)

  • Keesha G.

    Went today again for lunch. Pasta de mare was superb! It came with a salad ( blood orange dressing was so good), and dessert. I never understand why they always take us upstairs though when there is seating downstairs.

    (5)

  • Randal F.

    Not as advertised. Essentially, this is a trattoria whose "Sicilian" choices are ~15 spaghetti dishes and various ahi plates. Prices are over what they should be while the atmosphere is clearly designed to lure ignorant tourists in to have some "authentic" Italian cuisine. The pan roasted duck that I ordered was clearly pan seared as it was undergone to the point of being rare. I will not be coming back.

    (2)

  • Raphael L.

    Great experience overall. This was one of those places my wife and I had walked by a few times thinking we'd try it one day but never got around to it. You know...how often do we locals go into Waikiki to eat unless there's just someplace really outstanding? Well, anyway, long story short I won a gift certificate to this place which added an extra incentive for us to finally take a dive and spend a date night there. I'll just whip out all the good points we experienced: * Easy online reservations * Good waiter. Friendly, attentive without being intrusive. * Satisfying portions. Smaller appetizer size, but satisfying portion for entrees. (we had veal and seafood pasta) * Pasta was perfectly al dente. Veal wasn't gamey - very tender. * Good presentation for all dishes. * Prices -- were fair for a place that was situated towards more of a fine dining experience. About $50 a head if you have a full meal w/ wine. The ONLY thing that I found kind of odd was that they were very skimpy with their bread. Think "Costco sampler" sized portions and it's about how much bread you get. I'm sure this may be intentional on their part so you don't kill your appetite? But it was enough of an oddity that it became a funny topic of discussion at our table.

    (4)

  • Jess F.

    I was coming here because of the Uni pasta (not sure italian cuisine serves uni pasta as well). It's not the best but definitely worth to try. The Prosciutto dish from the appetizer was fresh sliced and very flavorful. The duck dish wasn't bad at all. The sauce (I believe it was balsamic with orange peel sauce) on the duck was amazingly good.

    (4)

  • Michele E.

    I would have liked to give them 1 star. First, although we had reservations and there were several tables open we still waited for 15 minutes to be seated. We were given a table that was too small and to add to the claustrophobic seating we had another table to our left and were flush against a wall. There was no room for our purses. We were hoping that the food would make up for the tight quarters, however, it didn't. The pasta was palatable but not delicious and the sardines were so macerated as to be indistinguishable. Unlike on their website where a whole sardine is pictured atop the pasta. The squid ink pasta was okay but very fishy. The cannolis were the most disappointing. They were just plain awful. Not worth the time, effort, or money. Do your self a favor and go to Il Lupino or Bernini.

    (1)

  • Kale K.

    Attentive Server. Great Presentation. Food is pricey but expected. I had the Lamb, asked for it medium rare. Came out bleu. Psychologically ruined my dinner in fear I was going to get sick later.

    (3)

  • KS T.

    My boyfriend and I went here for our anniversary last week. We were actually headed towards Roy's in Waikiki, but spotted this place on our way and were intrigued - we actually met in Sicily and loved their cuisine. After an initially weird experience at Roy's, we went to Taormina instead and WOW! Our waitress was super friendly, very helpful navigating the wine list, and overall it made our anniversary very special. I got the Nero Frutti di Mare pasta... SO yummy! My boyfriend got a lobster pasta dish, we finished off with tiramisu (my favorite!). I would come back here again and again. I would honestly say their food is just how you would get in a top notch ristorante in Sicily. Molto bene!

    (5)

  • Rick W.

    The person who wrote the service sucks in caps 3 times got it right. Our waiters seemed confused, brought the wrong dishes, and just seemed out of place. The food was ok, but nothing beyond that. If you are considering Italian food on the Island you have better choices available.

    (2)

  • Stephanie M.

    This was not my first visit to Taormina. The food was fabulous, as always. I had the bolognese classica and my guy had the eggplant. Both were fantastic (but I recommend the bolognese... I'm a bit biased.) The hostess was very personable and eager to help, same with the servers that helped drop things off at our table. Our actual server left a little something to be desired though. He was a bit lacking in social skills and seemed to have a bad case of the Squirrel Syndrome (squirrel!) We mentioned it to the manager and he had apparently received the same complaint from about four other customers. The atmosphere and food are fabulous. It's a definite must-try for those reasons. Just be forewarned that the service is a little hit or miss.

    (4)

  • SF F.

    Who would have guessed, a Japanese Italian restaurant in Waikiki. Obviously catering to the Japanese tourist crowd, this place attempt to be upscale with prices to match. That said, the food was decent, service a bit slow, even when not busy and prices appropriate for a higher end touristy area. Parking in the area is expensive so grab a cab if you can.

    (3)

  • Wayne S.

    05/30/12 @ 21:39:47 time of bill I understand that most places in Honolulu cater to the Japanese, but the service was so poor I am forced to give a horrible rating to this place. We were seated upstairs. Stan came over without so much as the courtesy to say hello and started spewing out the specials. Then, he walked away. We were not offered water or a beverage. We waited such an uncomfortable period after the initial spewing of specials, that I was ready to walk out. My companion convinced me to wait. Stan reappeared and asked if we were ready to order. Keep in mind, we are still water-less and drink-less. He walked away after taking our orders and did not offer a beverage or water. I flagged down a bus person to order water and a drink. Our dishes were served, not by Stan, and they were decent. Stan reappeared only to give us the bill. My intent on my 15th trip to Hawaii was to eat at every upscale place I could. I will never again go to this place and will not recommend it to anyone. The only reason I stayed after substandard service was at the behest of my companion. If you go, be prepared to stand up for what you deserve. How dare you think I will pay you 18% for this kind of service. What other industry expects an 18% commision? This rate is outrageous. Restaurant owners should really be responsible for ensuring their staff are paid living wages. I am absolutely outraged by this restaurant.

    (1)

  • Mami S.

    I love great Italian and this place is great and one of the best I have eaten at in recent memory and this includes travels to san fran and nyc! the cold appetizers were amazing and the squid ink seafood pasta wow! make sure you make reservation have been a few times over the past year and only got to eat twice cause the wait was too long for good reason. who would have thought great big city Italian in waikiki

    (5)

  • LooLicious L.

    Cute restaurant only if you get a good table. Their lasagna and baked crispy chicken is addicting but it is on the pricey side so if you have a birthday, this is the place to go !!

    (4)

  • Russell T.

    Visited Taomina for lunch. Chef special was a veggie ragout with crispy pancetta on spaghetti. The lunch special included the main course, small cup of cold pea soup, small salad, and salt caramel gelato for dessert. All course were excellent and service was first class. A good deal for $16.

    (4)

  • Cassis M.

    I have taken people for lunch meetings to this establishment several times. I am Italian therefore my expectations are high.. Unfortunately the service is much much less that friendly, pasta served almost raw. We are not made feel welcome and will stop organizing lunch meeting here. Food is hit or miss... When it is a hit it is memorable!

    (2)

  • Karen D.

    Taormina is an excellent place to enjoy Italian fusion cuisine! We came here celebrating a birthday and were treated to outstanding food and service. We took advantage of their five-course prix fixe menu for $60, and we even got a free birthday dessert. The interior of this restaurant is upscale and modern (it actually felt more Asian than Italian to my sensibilities). The Saturday night we were there, it was busy and pretty loud. We enjoyed our table by the window, which we requested in advance. We parked in the adjacent Embassy Suites garage, which was validated (we still paid a nominal parking fee). It ain't cheap, but it's definitely delicious. Highly recommended! Yelp 365 Challenge #179

    (4)

  • Marissa L.

    4.5 Stars. Almost perfect, but a long wait for entrees despite a relatively empty restaurant means minus half a star. We came here for a birthday lunch and were seated upstairs. Nice ambiance and view of the Beachwalk :) Loved the selection of freshly-baked bread to start. All lunch specials include a pea "shooter" and amuse bouche; both were yummy! Our entrees took a little long to arrive (a half hour or so) but they were delicious. I'd highly recommend both the crab claw linguine and the spicy arrabiata, which has juicy, flavorful pancetta. Yum! We finished off the meal with mango gelato (also included in the lunch special price) and Birthday tiramisu and gelato. Delicious. Note: Valet parking is no longer free at the Wyndham (we didn't find out till we sat down and the three wahines next to us were talking about it), but management was kind enough to pay the parking fee. We'll be back.

    (5)

  • R T.

    Went there tonight for a birthday dinner. My girlfriend had the Zuppa Pesce Misti which she said was awesome and I had the homemade pasta with crab. This is a new menu item and it is absolutely delicious!!! The staff here is always fabulous and service is outstanding! Great for any night out!

    (5)

  • Jon W.

    Spectacular food & spot on service. The papardelle and duck with foie gras was absolutely delicious. Will definitely be going back soon

    (5)

  • ManoaD J.

    Excellent service. Meticulously pleasant ambiance. Overall will not disappoint. I would come here again but not because of the food. The food was not unforgettable, I have to say.

    (3)

  • Bao N.

    I came back to try their pasta again. I came here a few years ago n tried their uni pasta. I was impressed. This time, the pasta is still very good. I also tried their rib eye. It's very bad. In addition, the server is kinda rude. That's y it only got 3 stars this time due to bad service n bad ribeye

    (3)

  • Yuko A.

    Everything we ordered was good, but nothing was exceptional. For appetizers we got an order of the -Seafood Bruschetta (Definitely recommend this dish - good for sharing) -Insalata di rucola - Arugula Salad with walnuts, parmesan cheese, onions, baslamic dressing -Mozz and Tomato Caprese (Arancino's has fresher mozz) Entrees -Uni Pasta (Probably the best dish we had, more oomph than Arancinos) -Sardine Pasta blechhhh. Well I'm biased since I dislike sardines. - Veal Parmagiana - Alright, for the price we paid $38, I think it could have been better. There were too many fatty/hard parts on the pieces Dessert -Tiramisu - Tasted much better than it looked. Poor presentation - Cannoli - I wasn't a huge fan, prefer simple ones without the excess toppings YELP 365: 112/365

    (4)

  • Joey D.

    I lived in Sicily for tre ani (three years). This is not authentic Sicilia food. I have eaten there four times and ordered different dishes each time. I was not impressed.

    (1)

  • Shay F.

    So, I've been here a few times recently because my mom raves about their lunch specials. But I must say, I'm not nearly as excited as she is. First off, when you enter the restaurant, it smells like the bathroom. Whatever cleaner they are using, I would recommend that they change it ASAP. It's the first thing that hits you when you enter. Like...ew....bathroom smell. Then, you order the lunch special, which is cool...something like $16 or so with an appetizer, main, and dessert. The pea soup was ok, and the dessert is just pineapple sorbet or whatever flavor...but the main..... Well, I've tried many off that menu, and I have to say, I'm not impressed. It's not like WOW it's sooooo good. It's just pasta with fancy names. Yelp 365 Challenge #233/365

    (2)

  • RB19971 R.

    Good food - good value. We did the lunch special-for me it was $16 for a small salad, an espresso cup of cold green pea soup, pasta and gelato. The service was good - our waitress was friendly and happy to make recommendations and also happy to ask the kitchen if they could modify our dishes (both vegetarians). I thought it was good value for lunch and would recommend it.

    (4)

  • Helen P.

    This place is such a great find. Such good food and wonderful service. I especially enjoy the lunch menu that is available. This is a good place to dine for dinner as well, all the seating is wonderful and it's so lively. Don't forget to make a reservation, they highly recommend it!

    (5)

  • Ryan T.

    Try the Homemade Lasagna! It's baked and served in an individual bowl and made with fresh pasta and beef tenderloin (short ribs). This is as fresh as it gets. Yum! The vegetable risotto was good too.

    (5)

  • S H.

    Food is great! Bolognese is the best I ever had. The duck and lamb is outstanding. Great service! Beautiful wine list. You can also make reservations through opentable.com which is convenient. Will return.

    (5)

  • Luke K.

    Lunch specials are wonderful. Greaaaaat Pasta! AlDente to perfection. Coming back again??? Yes!!!

    (5)

  • Mari K.

    Now this is a place worth yelping about. If your'e in the mood or italian but want something much more innovative, it's definitely a worth the drive into Waikiki. Park in the Embassy Suites Parking Lot across the street from them on Lewers--they validate during dinner hours. We enjoyed a nice staycation last weekend and stopped in here for dinner. The ambiance in the restaurant is nice, with a chic upstairs area where you can see into the kitchen and an outdoor patio. We ordered family style so we could try more dishes and while we ordered several appetizers, the standouts for the meal were our entrees--the uni pasta and the Linguine e Sardine. Both were really great. The uni pasta was not too rich and had the perfect amount of creaminess to it and the sardine linguine was not overpoweringly salty--really delicious. Apparently Sicily has a heavy island influence, which is represented in their food. My only real gripe would be the recommendation that the waiter gave us on the wine. Now the wine that we ordered was good--we went with a Pinot Grigio from Italy. But any wineo knows that the price on the bottle doesn't always reflect the quality of the wine. After taking us through our choices he only recommended that we drink the most expensive wine in a way that almost came off as that he was trying to upsell and add to our bill. Not so classy. But luckily the food outweighed the waiter's mistake of not being genuine in his recommendations. I hear they have really great lunch deals here...something like $15 for a antipasti, pasta and dessert. I'll definitely have to go back for lunch.

    (4)

  • Stacey S.

    This is a 5 star experience. Starting with customer service, excellent service from the moment we walked in. Our table took a few minutes to be available so they brought out glasses of prosecco to make our wait a bit nicer. We ordered the Taormina sampler and the food was to die for. If you are looking for an excellent experience you will not soon forget check this place out.

    (5)

  • Luis R.

    Took my husband for his birthday dinner. The service was great. Staff was very attentive. I had the risotto with foie gras, it was amazing! He had the pasta with sea urchins - said he loved it. Our server brought him some tiramisu with a candle for his birthday - great touch! We are coming back before we leave.

    (4)

  • Rachael P.

    The food was absolutely AMAZING!!! I got the pasta bolognese and my husband had pasta with tuna. We have no complaints about either dish. Unfortunately, what brings this rating down is the service! First we ordered wine and when it didn't come 15 minutes later, we inquired and it was clear that the waiter forgot as it was then brought to us promptly. This was not the end as we also ordered salads and we never received them! Since they were not on the bill, it becomes clear that the waiter also forgot to order our salads. All in all, the food is exceptional but you will have to suffer through the poor waitstaff.

    (4)

  • Mari S.

    This place is a gem!! Fabulous menu - the Bolognese Moderna is the bomb! This is our new 'go to' restaurant when we are in Waikiki! Outstanding service, terrific wine list and great food. Mangia!

    (5)

  • Jade J.

    Many give stars review here is a little misleading in my opinion. While the location of the restaurant is very convenient since it located in the middle of the walking-shopping street, the food does not live up to my expectation. For appetiZer, we ordered steamed clam with basil and it was so so. The second appetizer we had was crema di mascarpone con gamberetri e capasante. This dish is better than the previous one but still wasn't that great for a restaurant that got the average of 4 stars review. For the main dish, We ordered uni pasta, crostacei pasta, and foie gras risotto. The uni pasta is rather bad in my opinion (compared to other restaurant I had dined in waikiki). The pasta which was claimed to be al Dante, I'm telling you it is not. The spaghetti itself is rather undercooked. As for the crostacei pasta, we are not impressed either. The sauce is a too sour. Now for the foie gras risotto, I have to say that I'm impressed with this dish. It is pretty good. The mushroom and foie gras goes well together. They managed to pull this off!! Despite the average food they have, Here is the another reason why this restuarant does deserve more than two star The service is rather bad. But I gotta note that it might be because we got a bad server. From my observation, most other servers are quite courteous and polite, while our server (a Middle Age woman) were rather rude. She actually throw the utensil on our table. This is just unacceptable for a restaurant with this price tag. And when she brought us glasses of wine. She just put everything in the middle of the table instead of placing it to each of us or at least tell us which one is which (we ordered different wine FYI) So that's basically it. I don't think I'll be coming back here again. I know it might not be restaurant's fault but for us restaurant is a place to relax and enjoy the time with our company. A rude server can ruin everything of the restaurant does not provide adequate training.

    (2)

  • Ellen O.

    I love Italian food, but Taormina was a big disappointment. The shrimp w/ fresh pasta was a very small portion and very bland -- definitely needed much more herbs and seasonings to 'jazz it up'. Other people in our group ordered different items (duck, fish, beef, lamb -- that was just 'ok') -- all on the bland side. In this humid weather, having to sit outside was not pleasant, either. Our table had lots of ants crawling all over the table cloth, and while sitting there, I was bitten numeous times. It was horrible! We had a party of 7 people and everyone was miserable in the heat. It was our first time dining there and we didn't know they'd place us in the outside area. When we made our reservations, we were not informed of any seating choice. When we saw our seating area, I requested inside seating but was denied and told it was already taken. Our server was nice, but couldn't do anything about the quality of the food and our seating location. Prices are quite high and not worth the price -- and parking is far away and expensive even with validation. The only really enjoyable thing was having my family there to celebrate a special occasion.

    (2)

  • Andy S.

    I was actually shocked at how good this restaurant was. It's in the epicenter of Honolulu/Waikiki tourism where restaurants can still be lucrative without great food. But that was not the case! We stumbled in with our 1.5 yr old and they had space, so we sat down and enjoyed a delicious meat lasagna and bolognese pasta. I mean REALLY delicious- I devoured the bolognese without saving my wife a bite- the meat was very flavorfully braised and the portion sizes were excellent. Living in SF and being spoiled with great Italian food everywhere- we have high quality standards and had no idea what to expect- but we were thrilled with what we got. They are quite expensive - 2 adult meals + shared salad and San Pellegrino was $80 w/tip (no dessert or alcohol) and not particularly child friendly (no high chairs/boosters which was surprising for their location). But the product was great and I would not hesitate to return if we had another Italian food craving while in Waikiki. 5 stars for food- 4 stars for everything else about the place!

    (4)

  • Margie N.

    Loved this restaurant!! Took my hubby out for his birthday and wanted to eat italian so I decided to try this restaurant based on their reviews. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint! Our waiter Stan was at first a bit too serious for us but as the night went on, we found that he was very attentive and very informative. He offered us multiple times their delicious breads!! I tried the squid ink pasta and that is a must to try if you are a seafood lover, just a hint of seafood flavor....yum! Hubby had aged prime rib eye and it was very soft and tasty...another yum! For dessert we had their awesome tiramisu and just so you know, I am not a person that cares for tiramisu but this one was sooooo good! We will definitely come here again and ask for Stan, he was awesome!

    (5)

  • Bob S.

    Yum! It's been several months since I left Oahu and still, I think of the meal I had here. Hawaii isn't known for delicious food, so it was so refreshing to find this place. It seems very up scale from the outside, but staff was welcoming on the inside. Despite a seemingly full house, they were able to accommodate us quickly. We were seated next to the kitchen and at first, I found the noise obtrusive, but as I listened to the kitchen communicate with the staff, I became even more impressed. These are serious professionals who care about quality and maintain open communication. I really appreciated that. The menu seems very large but there are definitely delicious dishes to choose from. From the appetizers to the entree to dessert, even a strange cocktail, all was delicious and tasty. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Frank O.

    This is a first-class restaurant. I enjoyed the seafood pasta. It totally met my expectations. I dined early and did not require a reservation.

    (5)

  • Joel A.

    Delicious but expensive italian cuisine created by a japanese chef. A few delicious and less expensive options are available however including the roasted chicken for 22$.

    (4)

  • Ay C.

    You can have really good bread and handmade pasta!!! I don't think there is many Italian restaurant which can serve really good handmade pasta like this place!!! I love their UNI pasta!!! yum yum...

    (5)

  • Tiare S.

    I requested a nice table because we were celebrating our anniversary. We were seated upstairs by the window, which was a little more quiet. The ambiance is nice but not romantic. The seafood bruschetta's sauce and foie gras appetizer was delicious. The four choice appetizer we chose: eggplant, baby octopus, ahi, beef carpaccio was nothing special. The mushroom risotto a bit salty but the piece of foie gras on too was quite large and tasty. The 21 day aged rib eye was a good size but nothing special. I was excited to try the uni pasta because of the reviews on yelp. Another disappointment. Salty and I couldn't taste the uni. They gave us dessert on the house to celebrate our anniversary. The trio of tiramisu, strawberry sorbet, and cheesecake tasted awesome and was so large that we could only finish a 1/4 of it. I had high expectations of this restaurant, but it's not going to be on my "Places to eat again" list.

    (2)

  • Jamie W.

    Wow!!!! What an oasis in Waikiki! By far the best restaurant around. The menu, food prep and service were all excellent. Matter of fact, it was so good, we went back a second time two days later. First, reservations are highly recommended. But, if they say they are booked, just stop in just before 6pm and I bet you'll get seated. While they claim to be Sicilian oriented, there were numerous and diverse menu offerings to satify any palette. The two basic pasta bolognese's were both excellent, as was the lasagna and the pasta-del-mar with shrip. The house made breads and focaccia were outstanding. Even with their shockingly extensive wine list, their house sangiovese blend was top notch. This is a peaceful oasis in the heart of busy Waikiki. Way to go Taromina.

    (5)

  • Sasha L.

    Someone once recommended this place to me, and told me that they had the best pasta bolognese. I was like, okay sure sure I'll try it one day..and brushed it off. I like fun and different foods, like uni pasta. Pasta bolognese sounded boring (pasta with meat sauce). That's what my dad eats (no offense dad love you!) However. Went here and I ordered the uni pasta, and my friend had the bolognese. Lo and behold, the bolognese blew my mind. The uni pasta was good, but the bolognese.. Unspeakably delicious. I won't be snobby about dishes that sound plain anymore, because this one was spectacular.

    (5)

  • Lani P.

    We went to Taormina last night for dinner and it was good, but I wouldn't call it great. Their menu definitely caters to Japanese tourists. I had the pre-fixe 5 course menu that was $70.00. The first course was antipasto which was fresh and simple. The second course was a chilled pea soup which I found lacking in flavor. For the third course, I chose the squid ink pasta with seafood which I found had a strange fishy aftertaste. Not a fan. For the fourth course, I tried the Hawaiian tuna with beets and feta. This was my favorite course of the evening. The dessert course was tiramisu and vanilla gelato and it was so-so. I would not recommend that kama'aina eat here. I feel the food here is overpriced and you can find better Italian food on the island for less money.

    (2)

  • Radmila C.

    Randomly walked here for dinner after we missed a reservation in another restaurant. The food was to die for! Good service, pleasant atmosphere, I would definitely recommend this place to everyone, especially couples. Server Nick was very nice, polite and professional. Special 5 stars goes to him too :) mahalo and aloha :)

    (5)

  • Gala H.

    The seafood pasta (squid ink) was extremely tasty! I absolutely loved it! Service was subpar, I waited a while to get a table that I had reserved for a certain time. Isn't that what OpenTable is for? But the food was delicious

    (3)

  • Lyla D.

    I've said it before and I don't mind repeating myself...ristorante Taormina crea cuccina Siciliana perfetta in Hawaii! October 15 marks another celebratory special event in my Life. The first honored event is our wedding anniversary, 37 years to be exact, to my best confidant, friend, intellectual and emotional soulmate and Love of my Life. The second honor marks the month of October as my one-year anniversary with yelp AND this review is my 200th (yikes, I thought an update counted as new, in actuality, this is 199). To see that Taormina Ristorante is our favorite is a slight understatement as we ADORE this restaurant. What do we love about Taormina? Well, let me start by saying that it's the high food quality, flavors, fabulous service with attention to detail and ambiance. As with our previous dines, we were greeted with warmth, friendliness and professionalism by maître d'hôtel Conrad. We chatted for a few minutes as he noted our repeated dining experiences, seated us upstairs overlooking Lewers Street, and recalled the name of our previous server, Glory. Wow! What other, if any, restaurant does that? He took note that mostly locals don't regularly come into Waikiki to shop for much less dine. At which point, I said that we DO, especially for Taormina. I wasn't patronizing him and I truly meant the compliment. He took our beverage (wine) order and introduced us to our server for the evening, Stan. Within a few moments, Stan returned with our Italian vintage Pinot Grigio that was chilled to a perfect temperature. It was an ideal complement to the seafood dishes that we were set to order and indulge in. While waiting for our order we were offered bread service..you know, I was thinking "don't fill up on bread, no matter HOW good it is"! we were weakened by freshly baked, house made, warm slices of olive focaccia, cheese focaccia and Italian bread that we greedily dipped into olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. Golly, our appetizers hadn't arrived yet. Stan paced our meal from start to finish. In other words, he gave us time to savor and relax in between courses. He expertly described ingredients and gave a bit of advice about flavors that we were going to experience. Throughout our dinner, Stan return to our table and kept our water and wine glasses filled. We were thrilled with his attentiveness, efficiency and professionalism. We started our four selections from the Antipasti Misti menu and one from the hot Antipasti menu. On our Antipasti Misti platter, we were treated to marinated squid and octopus, salmon marine and eggs, prosciutto di Parma and local papaya, and creamy burrata. From the Antipasti menu, I selected the Seafood Affogatto that was heat hot crock full of shrimp, scallops, button mushrooms and broccoli in an anchovy-garlic oil sauce. It was served with several slices of bread to dip into that liquid goodness. All of the choices were so fresh and very simply seasoned. You could taste REAL food, the seafood was at its best as it is in Sicily, Italy and the Mediterranean. My husband's favorite fresh pasta is the signature Spaghetti ai ricci or spaghetti with fresh sea urchin (Uni). This pasta is popular, true Sicilian originated and decadent! The dish is fresh spaghetti sautéed with fresh sea urchin...simple, flavorful and rich. The portion is pretty good-sized for the opulent use all the fresh sea urchin. Sticking to our seafood centric dinner, I ordered beef fresh squid ink linguine (pasta nero) with mixed shellfish (frutti di mare). This dish is the epitome all southern Italian/mediterranean cuisine that is hallmarked by its use of shellfish, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. The squid ink pasta had a very FAINT salty-iodine flavor that enhanced the shellfish flavors and worked well with the tomatoes and garlic. And just when we felt that we couldn't eat anymore or have a finer experience, Stan and Conrad presented us with a complimentary dessert comprised of tiramisu plated with a scoop of gianduia gelato and fresh berries. The dessert was incredibly light, delicious and refreshing which made for a great finish to our earlier indulgences. We ended the evening with gratitude and eat deeper continued love for each other because we are soulmates...joined at the hip yet still independent thinkers. We are looking forward to sharing our lives together for many more years to come! I thank yelp for giving me a voice to share with many new friends, locally and globally, during this past year. I hope that I'll be able to continue, faithfully, on yelp.

    (5)

  • Lisa K.

    Beautiful decor, attentive service, fabulous Italian food with a hint of Japanese. Seafood Bruchetta - the scallops and prawns sauteed in wine and mascarpone cheese made me want to lick the mascarpone sauce Pomodoro - pasta was cooked perfectly al dente with tomatoes that were very sweet. Duck with a honey wine reduction sauce and garbanzos - a bit too rare for my taste (kind of like eating Bambi) but the sauce was good. Cannoli - crisp with a creamy middle Gelato - Pistachio flavor YUM Coffee - love Lavazza coffee!

    (5)

  • G F.

    3 1/2 stars We were dug in at the bar in Ruth Chris for Happy Hour drink specials and decided that we would walk around to find someplace else to eat. As we walked by Taormina, we decided to go in and check for availability. 15 minute wait, no problem... Just 45 minutes earlier we called for reservations and were told that the next available was 10pm. Hint: sending in your friend's lovely wife will often time produce favorable results. We started with a share plate of Uni pasta. This was good, creamy and rich. Pasta was cooked perfectly. I had one of the specials of the night which was lasagna. The abundance of beer and wine helped me to forget what the waitress said was in it, but it reminded me of boneless beef short ribs. It was good, but not great. We also had the risotto with porcini mushrooms and foie gras. The risotto was cooked perfectly and was good, but the flavor combination wasn't quite harmonious. Next up was the grilled lamb chop. 4 large chops, cooked perfectly, which was overpowered with spices. And finally was the grilled chicken. This was heavy handed with salt, but cooked perfectly and very delicious. The service was good, the food cooked perfectly, but over- seasoned. I'd rather eat over-seasoned than bland food any day. I'm sure we will be back.

    (3)

  • Beth B.

    This place is wonderful. I've been there twice, and each time my party and I have been highly satisfied with the food and wine. Both are simply delicious! The wait staff, if somewhat pretentious, are attentive, and the ambiance is nice as well. Make reservations early as they book up quickly. Also, try a Super Tuscan from the wine menu. It's worth the price!

    (5)

  • Eugene Y.

    p.r.e.t.t.y. good!

    (4)

  • Mark M.

    This place was very nice. The food was good and the service was impeccable. They were able to seat us right away in the upstairs of the restaurant. The waiter we had knew the menu very well and had a helpful comment about everything on the menu. Our glasses and bread plates were never empty. The portions for dinner were very good. I would recommend to anyone looking for a nice Italian restaurant.

    (4)

  • Popo H.

    The waiter was wonderful, very polite & knowledgeable about the menu & specials. The food was delicious & for it being a bit 'pricey,' the portion was surprisingly filling. The reason why I gave a 4 for this place was because of the tiny space it's in. When you first walk in there's hardly any space to move. There's two chairs squished in the corner for those 'waiting,' but because this place is pretty busy you will most likely be uncomfortably standing on top of someone else. I highly recommend making a reservation if not you will be waiting for about an hour. And because it is so cramped, it was a little warm. They do have additional seating in the back, so it might be a bit roomier, but we were in the front near the entrance. It is in the Wyndam hotel so you can validate for $6.00.

    (4)

  • Charlie C.

    Excellent pasta! Good ambience! They try to rush you out in 90 minutes but since we eat fast, it wasn't a problem. They did it to several other people as well that were seated near us, probably not a good policy if you want to relax and sip wine first.

    (4)

  • Jim H.

    Just opened on Waikiki Beach Walk. This high end Italian restaurant looks like it will be a great addition to the Waikiki dining scene. I just had lunch here and enjoyed an appetizer sampler called I Antipasti Misti which is a choice of four out of six choices. We had the Capreze, Caponata, octopus and artichoke and the Ama-Ebi. Small portions, very nicely done but I would pass on the ama-ebi next time (very fresh but with no shoyu just didn't go down right.) The entre was the lunch special Pasta Siciliano ($16), a bolognese with more veggies. The pasta was perfectly done and the meat sauce was excellent. Ended the lunch with a free sorbet and an espresso. Although only open for three days the service and timing of the food was very good. The place was empty though so if you hit a busy time you might have a different experience. The decor is the most impressive thing about this restaurant. Built in a weird space there is an outside area, first floor bar area and a second floor loft. To top it off they have the coolest bathroom in Waikiki. Check it out.

    (5)

  • Meep M.

    I tried their new menu a few months ago and I was thoroughly disappointed. I advise u right now to not order any of their risottos! For one thing, THEY DONT USE ARBORIO RICE! That's a main component in a risotto because it soaks up a lot of the broth! We also had the cod with fava beans souffle, which was blah blah blah. I did thoroughly enjoy their special whole squid with garlic butter sauce and white bean. I'm surprised they haven't put that permanently on the menu since they ALWAYS have it as a special. In general, i'll stick with my fav dishes when I eat at Taormina (seafood brushetta, Pescatore, and lamb chops. I do still think they have the best luch deal around, which is why I give this place 4 stars. For avg $16, u get a soup or salad, pasta dish of ur choice, and a gelato. What a great place to impress a client or friend.

    (4)

  • Larry A.

    I was back for a 2nd time in two years. I had a beet and goat cheese salad which was excellent. Then I had the catch of the day which was a gray snapper.with the crispy skin still on it-mmmmm.For dessert I had what was called the mini dolce, which had 4 small samplings of their dessert menu.Everything including the waitstaff was excellent again.I will be back again in the future.

    (5)

  • Neil R.

    A great Italian Restaurant in Waikiki. All staff were very polite and food was very tasty.

    (5)

  • K D.

    After eating at various restaurants in Waikiki, Taormina was a breath of fresh air. The lunch service was great, the food was great, and so was the wine (expensive--but a nice pour). For those who want something other than chain restaurants and typical tourist traps, this is a nice change of scenery. And having visited Italy many times, the food here is quite good, but not super cheap. After reading all the bad reviews on this place, we felt obligated to draft a review for the folks who want something other than the cheesy touristy restaurants you find all over the island.

    (5)

  • Maria H.

    Went in for lunch and we were seated by our selves looking into the kitchen. Our nice lunch turned into an hour of listening to the kitchen staff and looking at a very dirty kitchen. I don't understand why do an open kitchen unless your kitchen looks great. Our table was also the hallway to the bathroom. Well so much for a romantic lunch. I ordered the pasta with swordfish and when the plate came out the swordfish was a few tiny flakes which I could not see until a dug into my pasta. The pasta was greasy and tasteless. My husband was fair at best. We are locals and it is obvious that they are catering to tourist who have never eaten Italian food. I hope they read this and I suggest they take out that seating area in the hall to the restroom. Someone paying your prices deserves better.

    (1)

  • S. L.

    Maybe it is a tourist trap, but I loved it! I had the Sauteed cod with Fava Bean Souffle and the Lobster with Clams special. Yum. the cod was very pickled tasting, which I was aware of but if you don't love picked, do not do this dish. It melted in my mouth and the seared cod texture with the veggies and beans worked so well together. Strong tasing like I said but just so pleasant. I 'm a huge vinegar fan. My main dish had the most beautiful presentation, I didn't even take a photo I just dug in. Pasta was perfectly Al Dente, Lobster cooked to perfection and the Clams were perfect and plentiful. they fill up fast so make a reservation. The ambiance is amazing. I really enjoyed my dinner here. It was a post Birthday treat, and so worth it.

    (4)

  • Likes T.

    Went there for lunch and had a good lunch special that included soup or salad, choice of pasta and gelato. I had the spaghetti siciliana and it was really good. I would go back for the lunch, probably not dinner because it's pretty pricey but good service and food.

    (4)

  • Karen M.

    We had made reservations over three weeks ago along with a specific table. It was our anniversary and we chose this place to come. We arrived 15 minutes early, only to find out that our table had been given away. They were no apolgetic in the least and tried to seat us in the first row of the banquet area - very noisy. The manager and the person trying to seat us were VERY RUDE and CONDESENDING. We will never come back and are telling our friends that go to Hawaii fequently not to go there also. No stars for this place or their attitude and quite frankly, the food is so-so. Wildrose

    (1)

  • Megan D.

    One of the best meals that I have ever had. I had the Taste of Taormina - it was delish! I highly recommend to everyone.

    (5)

  • Kim J.

    Top notch restaurant. Great portions, great presentation of food, great service. I had the appetizer mussels made with a white wine garlic broth. Very healthy, not a lot of butter. It was enough for a meal. My husband had lasagna. Not traditional lasagna. It was baked in a small round casserole dish. The sauce was made with cream, and white wine, and it had small chunks of beef in it, not ground beef. It melted in your mouth, very rich. The atmosphere was quaint, loved the smooth jazz christmas music as we watched to shoppers outside our upstairs window seating. Can't wait to come back to this little ditty when we visit again.

    (5)

  • Richard G.

    The prices were simply too high for value received. No kama'aina rate available. Cheapest wine by the glass is a Pinot Grigio at $10; the others are generally $18-$23 per GLASS. You do not want to see the prices per bottle! Antipasti prices, primo and secondo course prices were again stratospheric for small portions. The dolce misti desert sampler was $15 for four pretty small nibbles of sweets. On the plus side, the food was indeed tasty and the seafood was fresh. Wehad the two opakapaka offerings and both were well prepared and attractively plated. But unremarkable - nothing that hasn't been done better by others. Service was polite but neither personable nor especially welcoming. There was a pretty clear attitude that the restaurant was focusing on Japanese tourists - I guess the strong yen/dollar exchange masks the high prices. Overall, it was an OK dining experience. But for an outdoor patio meal costing $150 for two (1 glass wine each),we were left wishing we could have spent that money in other places. Oh yeah, the parking is an additional $6 with validation for 4 hours.

    (2)

  • Deb D.

    Back again cause I was in the neighborhood. The food here has always been great especially the pasta which is cooked perfectly. Service was not great and could use a little help ... no one checked on our table. Maybe it was bad timing but I always had to flag someone down when we needed something.

    (4)

  • Val P.

    Had seafood linguine in a white sauce that was truly excellent. My only criticism was that it was a rather small portion. I recommend this restaurant, but if you're really hungry, tell them not to skimp on the portion at the time of ordering. Pasta is such a low overhead item and very small portions really aren't economically necessary.

    (4)

  • Jessica L.

    Maybe my standards are too high bc I am Italian. This place is very cute with a great location and the food was perfectly fine. BUT it could have been so much better - I found the strange "Italian" concoctions made for Japanese tourists too weird - sea urchin spaghetti. That was the other thing this place only has 2 kinds of pasta noodle - spaghetti and rigatoni. Also, ANYTHING served with mozzarella comes in a small ball form on your dish - obviously they buy bulk spaghetti and mozzarella balls. My prosciutto was not fresh and came with balls - melon balls and mozzarella balls. My pomodoro was SOOOO garlicy and floating in oil/canned tomato sauce. Wine was good but very pricey for a glass. My server was very very nice but as the high rated Italian place in Waikiki I expected a lot more.

    (3)

  • Osvaldo F.

    For me, one of the best restaurants I had find in Honolulu. The food is delicious and service is very good, well, I do not know if the chef is Italian, but the food really tasted italian, and you better believed me, "I'm an Argentinean with Italian blood". Its hard to find good Italian food on the Island, so try Taormina, you are going to love it!

    (5)

  • Aristotle M.

    Tasty, classy, and rather expensive, though not obscenely so. If that's what you're after, this place is for you. There was nothing about this place I found unsatisfactory, and the uni pasta had the perfect balance of creaminess to uni.

    (4)

  • Cecilia D.

    I made a reservation at Taormina to celebrate a birthday. The hostess and waitress both greeted us with a smile. We reviewed the wine list (WAY to pricey selections imo!). Most selections were upwards of $100 with a few at $500+. I ordered a glass of the Franciscan merlot ($12), while good, was skimpy on the pour. The menu was lovely. To start, we had the seafood bruschetta. All I can say is that we almost licked the sauce off the plate. It was THAT good. We chose the veal siciliana and fungi porcini risotto with foie gras for our entrees and both were excellent. I really wanted a good risotto and it was delicious. We agreed this would be a place to definitely come back to again.

    (4)

  • sky i.

    If there is any lesson I've learned in my brief foray into Yelp, it is this: Sometimes you should visit a business more than once before you write a review. And so it is with a heavy heart I've had to downgrade a restaurant after a second visit to Taormina, to whom I had enthusiastly given 4.5 stars earlier. The encore dinner began promisingly with the scrumptious Seafood Bruschetta (Chopped prawns and scallops sautéed with white wine, mascarpone and sun dried tomatoes arranged on crispy garlic toast). The dish had great hearty flavors that leaped onto your palate. The next item, which stood out like a man's erect nipple through a silk shirt (and not in a good way), was the Steamed Mussels simmered in white wine and garlic. The weak broth seemed watery and couldn't disguise the distinct fishy, bitter after taste of the mussels, which made this dish easily the worst of the evening. The Veal "Siciliana" (breaded cutlet baked with mozzarella, smothered with oregano tomato sauce) was just as delicious as before and my Grilled Beef Tenderloin with marsala wild mushroom sauce was good enough to elicit a mild applause from my tastebuds. My greatest disappointment rested with my wife's Lobster Risotto. On our last visit, I gushed over this dish like a lovesick eight grader proclaiming it was the best risotto I EVAH had. Well, this time around, the risotto was undercooked and semi-crunchy. I knew something was wrong when our entrees arrived so quickly after our appetizers were served...not enough had time elapsed for the rice to absorb the rich broth. I'm willing to bet big money a different, less caring chef prepared our meal tonight since our last trip here. If that's the case, they should fire this b@stard and hire the old guy back ;-)

    (3)

  • Erin J.

    My hubby and I were walking around Waikiki, trying to decide what to eat for dinner. All I knew is that I was fairly sick of Asian food, so we decided to try Taormina. I had no idea what to expect, but we were very pleasantly surprised! Because we got there fairly early (6:30pm), we were able to get a seat on the patio without a reservation. I have extremely high standards for Italian food, and we were definitely not disappointed (and believe me, I have been disappointed many times before with italian food). We started with the Beef Carpaccio (probably one of the best we've ever had), and I had a lobster pasta special which came with a shell of lobster with linguine and clams in a delicious white wine and olive oil garlic sauce. My hubby opted for the ahi tuna which he savoured. Our server was very attentive and also made the time to make small talk with us which was nice. I would give this place 4.5 stars - my only suggestion is that the pour on their wines was skimpy.

    (4)

  • Satoru Y.

    Pleasing but not astounding. I've been looking forward to coming here for quite some time now. I've heard many good things, and I was anxious to try out the restaurant. I overlooked my preconception, bordering on stereotype, of Japanese chefs being too controlling in their take on Italian cuisine. The decor was nice, sleek and modern, and the layout was good. We had a bit of a spacey host, and she forgot that we were ahead of some other people that were waiting for a table as well. Once we were seated, I was anxious to see the wine list; which is impressively diverse and thoughtful. Expectedly, the food menu was more targeted on seafood. I was eyeballing the Rigatoni Arriabata or the Lamb Chops dish, but I had to try the Uni Pasta. We began the meal with a selection of antipasta, you can choose four selections out of a menu of six. We decided on getting the Caponata, Ama Ebi, Squid & Octopus, and the Octoupus & Artichoke. The Caponata was a delicious blending of vibrant flavors. The Octopus & Artichoke had rich flavors and good textures. The Ama Ebi was also very good, very succulent. I felt that the weakest link was the Squid & Octopus, which I found boring and lacking some sophistication. All in all, the antipasta dishes were a little above average, but nothing too mind-blowing. The flavors did seem confined; too controlled. Uh oh. I was personally craving some kind of meat sauce, so we ordered the Bolognese. This was definitely my favorite dish that we ordered. This was the one dish that I felt that the flavors actually began to sing together, and were not too controlled. It was one of the better attempts at Bolognese that I had in Hawaii. The meat sauce was a great combination of hearty, and subtley sweet, flavors. The shaved Parmesan on the top added a great richness to the dish. Uni Pasta was a bit of a disappointment. There was a nice smokey flavor to the dish, and it had a wonderful richness to it. Again, the pasta was perfectly al dente. However, I was dismayed to the overall result. There was a definite lack of seasoning, and there was not much helping to enhance the flavor of the Sea Urchin itself. Besides the Sea Urchin, I could taste the garlic, and lovely olive oil; but that was about it. There weren't many herbs helping to drive the flavor. Besides that, I kept thinking in my head of how the dish could greatly benefit from the addition of something like Lobster; or even some Shiitake Mushrooms (keeping in the spirit of Fusion) for that matter. I also think that Squid-Ink Pasta would have been a great revision to the dish. The lack of a sauce seemed a mistake, given the minimal amount of seasoning. As for wine, I lamented ordering red wine during the seafood fest that we had: a nice Riesling would have been a much better choice. My girlfriend and I hastily ordered red wine without thinking. On a side note, I did wish that the restaurant had wine pairing. I had a good Super Tuscan blend. Nothing too memorable, but still it was flavorful. However, the Pinot Noir was fantastic: one of the better Pinot Noirs I had in a while. It was a smooth, full-bodied, medium-rich wine. I wish that the food would have been as good as the wine that I had that night. Too controlled and sparsely seasoned, the food reminds me how I'm hesitant of Japan-native chefs' takes on Italian cuisine.

    (3)

  • Hidetsugu T.

    Near Halekulani Hotel, on the first floor, still-new italian restaurant had a nice atmosphere for dinner unlike the other casual dining. two shared a rucola salad and lazagna, which was fair big baked in a deep pot, and had some dessert to satisfy not-so-hungry appetite. We actually wanted to have some pizza, but no pizza was on the menu. Meals tasted fine, and enjoy the wine!

    (3)

  • Alyssa K.

    Delicious! Excellent Service! We ordered: Reisling: Best I've had. 4 appetizer starter: - octopus/squid with lemon - shishamo with olive oil - mozarella with tomato - garlic cauliflower (YUM!) Arrabiatta - Delish! Ahi - delicate! Tiramisu: melts in your mouth!

    (5)

  • Tao M.

    This my current favourite Italian restaurant. For those of you who have travelled you will agree with me that Taormina's food is very authentic. I especially love their seafood bruschetta. Its a variety of seafood prepared warm in a cream sauce over bread. Also try the lobster spaghetti. Ohno! Service is great, modern interior.

    (5)

  • Kat N.

    Came here for a late dinner with two other people. Service was prompt and we were seated in about 10 minutes. Comfy seating and atmosphere. The caprese appetizer was okay. The tomatoes tasted better than the buffalo mozzarella. Not bad but not great. But the rave is for the uni pasta and pescatore pasta. Both pastas were perfectly al dente and tasted perfect. The uni pasta was lightly creamy and the uni was fresh and sweet. The serving is huge and the menu suggests sharing with another person but I could have shared that with two people. Pescatore pasta had plenty of seafood and the sauce was very tasty. The grilled tuna was so-so though. Also not bad but not great. We were too full to eat dessert after all those carbs.

    (4)

  • Levy O.

    Loveee Taormina! Sexy name, sexy decor, excellent foods! Been here 2x. Went there first time on their first opening week. I had to say I was impressed yet bit skeptical. I was thinking..hhmm,of course it's good coz they're probably busting their butt off trying to make great impression on their first week. Then I went there again for Christmas's eve dinner with a group of family. Man...it was still gooood! I don't normally eat lamb but that night I decided to try their lamb chop and their specialty dish, Uni Spaghetti. I have to say , both are equally very very good. I can say that's the best lamb chop I've had. And the thought of having raw uni with your pasta sounded gross in the beginning but the Uni spaghetti is so creamy and tasty..you won't be dissapointed. In short...fabulousity wrapped in one! Yay Taormina!!!

    (5)

  • Hillary M.

    I didn't necessarily think Italian when I went to Waikiki, but so many locals recommended this place we had to try. Very attentive service, nice menu, quite the wine list!

    (4)

  • Rabii Z.

    I went there with my wife we are both vegetarian and we don't drink alcohol, it's a classy place but it's not pretentious. We had the vegetables Risotto and the shrimps with mozzarella pasta. The food was so good and light not fatty nor huge. Then we ordered the tramisu and it was amazingly made with no alcohol and it WAS SOOOO GOOOOOD. I really recommend this place to people looking to eat at a trendy and classy place and serves Sicilian food with their own twist.

    (5)

  • Pat S.

    I have to agree with the first reviewer. I went 2 weeks ago for lunch with a large group. The first thing that struck me was the labyrinth setup. There were lots of small spaces tucked away to eat. I prefer this over most restaurants which are essentially a giant warehouse with tables. Next thing that impressed me was our server. He was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and was very perceptive about what each individual would like or need. It helps that they have high-tech help in the form of wireless communication with the kitchen. When the place is busy the server never has to leave his tables. What good is all that without awesome food? We had a mix-n-match set of 3 Misti, so we tried all the appetizers. The Ebi were good, but not for the squeemish. I had a dinner entree instead of the lunch set. The Bucatini Fresh Sardine. Fantastic. Fresh-made fat noodles (all their pasta is made in-house from scratch) done perfectly with bits of sardine. Not the greasy little things you see on pizza, big fresh pieces. The sauce was perfect, not heavy and with an intense flavor. Of course we all had dessert too. I had the Cannoli, which is served on Pistachio gelato. Plus a double espresso. What a beautiful combo. The only quibble with the whole experience was the shell. On my first bite I was hit by a surprising amount of grease. Maybe the oil wasn't up to temperature, allowing it to soak in more than it should have. I also got to try the Tiramisu, which was delicate and subtle, exactly as it should be. All the above equals the best Italian I've had in Hawaii. Of course you pay for it. But it's worth it.

    (5)

  • Nirav B.

    Found out about this place online, and was pretty excited about it. Unfortunately, the service was not warm (not a lot of smiles, not very attentive--probably would have gotten a second glass of wine if someone would have asked), and the food was mediocre (like regular pasta).

    (2)

  • Fiona F.

    I have to say that this dining experience was not a good one for me. After explaining to the waiter that I do not eat dairy products, I ordered a pasta to share with my husband. The waiter told me he checked with the kitchen and that none of their pastas had cheese in them but that they added it afterwards. When the pasta arrived, I tasted cheese. My husband thought maybe it was garlic and spices??? Look, just because I dont eat cheese now doesn't mean I've never tasted it. I don't know what happened. Either the waiter didnt check with the kitchen or they put cheese in my food or they used cheesy utensils. Anyways, after a couple of bites I stopped eating it but the damage was done. I spent the next two days of my vacation in bed with a migraine and upset stomach. It was not an ideal way to start my vacation.

    (1)

  • Sergio L Y.

    it was a refreshing experience at Taormina. This is not your typical Sicilian food. It has a lot of Japanese influences. I would give credit for their hard works and effort, but they have a long way to go for the good result.

    (3)

  • Aya S.

    My friend from Tokyo had suggested we try this place out since she had worked with the exec. chef and the manager (both from Japan) before they moved to HI to open this restaurant. My husband and I felt like Italian and though it was still 4:30pm (when you're on vacation, your hours are all screwy), we decided to try it for a very early dinner. The place is very pretty and there's alot of attention to detail, everything from the silverware to the patio furniture and the restrooms, even. The menu is very enticing. We had the Prosciutto with Mozzarella and Melons, Organic Salad with Blood Orange Dressing, Seafood Pasta Pescatore, and Spaghetti Bolognaise. Everything was tasty and fully seasoned and yet not overwhelming. Very refined. We were happy we stopped by there. We left without dessert mostly because I wanted to get some shave ice elsewhere but otherwise, we would've stayed and had some here.

    (4)

  • Jesse W.

    11/5/09: Quick lunch with a couple friends that was made relatively easy with the adjacent valet parking arrangement. We stopped in around 12:30pm and secured one of the window tables upstairs with a nice view of Lewers Street and the stores across the street. Very quaint, modern atmosphere and didn't have too much of the tourist rush inside. We were seated quickly and after quickly ordering the daily fresh pasts special, were treated to a selection of homemade focaccia breads. Most people in the restaurants were Japanese nationals, I sense that this place must be on their to-eat list. The pasta dish was well prepared, the noodles cooked very well as expected. No qualms about coming back, well maybe if I was paying - since its a bit on the pricey side!

    (4)

  • Maria K.

    I've eaten here three times now and for the most part have loved the food. Only once was I not happy with an item, and it was removed from our bill without even asking. For the most part service is good, however it can take awhile for the food to come out.

    (4)

  • Wendie J.

    I ate there a few months ago, but i was talking about our experience with a friend and realized that i had not written a review. The food was filling and delicious and the service impeccable! We had 2 appetizers and shared an entree and it was perfect. I loved the 3 choices of bread and the wine list was extensive and nicely matched to the menu. We were celebrating our anniversary and they found us a separate table kind of away from the others and brought us a very delicious dessert. I would eat there again and again, but make sure it's early- it seems after 6pm it gets hectic and service slows down. We got there at 5pm and it was really nice and leisurely- probably b/c it was a slower time of the night. I would not bring children. This is an adult restaurant, not a lot on the menu for a child. We may bring our son, but he's a very adventurous eater as he wants to be a chef- but i saw small children in there and i could not think of anything they would have eaten. And the layout of the restaurant is not really conducive for having a kid at your table. Tables are pretty tight and close to each other. This is a restaurant to meet friends, have a romantic dinner with your hubby or S/O, or to meet your girlfriends for a girl's night out. Leave your kiddies at home- IMHO. :D

    (5)

  • Lauren C.

    My roommate and I kept passing this place all the time on Lewers and we always said we would eat here....and we did! Its hard to find good Italian food on the Island....so try this place out! We had a late dinner and got to eat on the Patio, which was sooooo nice. As I can remember the staff was friendly even though we rolled in tipsy at 9:30 at night. Taormina for sure hit the spot!

    (5)

  • dannydan d.

    My bf and I came for the Uni Pasta. We're fan of that lil slimy yellow stuff, so we had somewhat high expectation. We came without reservation and they made us wait for like half hour. There were 2 tables empty right in front when we got there and they actually sat us in one of them after waiting for 30 min. what was that about? The waitress was so sweet, nice and very attentive to our needs. We ordered the steamed mussels, but since they were out of it, she recommended the steamed clams. We were surprisingly delighted with our order. The clams were fresh and just delicious. For main order, we had the uni pasta. It was... hmmm... mf bf gave 5 out of 10 and I gave like 6. The uni sauce was yummy, but it's heavy and from all the uni stuff we ever tried, this wouldn't be memorable at all. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly and the sauce itself was good, but they just don't feel like a good combination. So yeah... it's not entirely bad or good, so 3 of 5 then :).

    (3)

  • Teena S.

    We found our experience to be very different from the negative reviews we read here. We arrived at 5 p.m. as we are early diners. Happy hour was still in progress until 5:30 so we had 3 appetizers for $5 each, and drinks, beer at $3 and cocktail of limoncello and ? for $5. The cocktail was wonderful and served in a tall glass. The appetizers were not small by our standards and quite delicious; carbonata, served chilled with eggplant and olives in a tomato sauce, caprese (3 slices) and squid and octopus marinated. There were 3 kinds of bread offered with the oil and balsamic vinegar. We ordered spaghetti bolognese, classico, and spaghetti bolognese new world. Unfortunately, the waiter told us the new world will not be served after June 1 when the new menu comes out. They are both outstanding. The classico is served with spinach linguine, and has the most flavorful tender beef in an awesome sauce. This beef is not ground beef but comes from a roast of some kind. The new world bolognese has a flavor of sauce cooked for a long time with a touch of brown sugar glazing. For dessert we shared the cannoli and it too was very good, made with marscapone, not ricotta, served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. We will definitely be back. The service was the best. We sat on the third floor overlooking Lewers street and the view was wonderful. Since we live here, we have eaten at a lot of restaurants in 8 years and can honestly say, we think that Taormina's is one of the best.

    (5)

  • Jirarat S.

    I had lunch here the other day with girl friends. It wasn't horrible and it wasn't spectacular. I ordered the linguine di mare, which was linguine pasta with mussels, clams, shrimp, sundried tomatoes, and tomato chunks tossed in a light garlic-y oil. It was good but left a strong garlic aftertaste. There was nothing really special about it...I could've made the same thing at home. It came with a soup or salad and dessert. I got the salad and it had a nice citrusy dressing (blood red orange). The dessert was kiwi gelato. It even had the kiwi seeds in it, which would stick to the back of my throat so I had to keep drinking water as I was enjoying my gelato. It was $16-17 for lunch which isn't too bad. The service was good and the staff were friendly. It should have been since we were the only group in there for a while. We sat in the upstairs section by ourselves so it was quiet and chill. I would probably come back to try something a little more exotic and flavorful.

    (3)

  • a b.

    One of the best restaurants i have ever been to. The food was amazing and the best wine list I have seen in some time. The staff was professional and service was perfect.

    (5)

  • Richard O.

    Great location. Great inside decor. Great food and I am a picky eater. I had the Fresh Clam Pasta (Vongole) and my wife the simple Fresh Tomato and Basil "Pomodoro" and both were very true to their titles. I also had the Curry flavored Cauliflower fritter which was interesting to find in an Italian restaurant. It was very tasty yet bland (if that is possible) as one would expect of Cauliflower. Could have used an accompanying sauce. I would order it again. The wine list is expensive yet the waiter found us a great bottle for $39 (Sedara 2005, Nero D' Avola from Sicily) that was good. Enjoy. I will go back.

    (5)

  • Liz W.

    You definitely need to go there for lunch. Their lunch special has a soup or a salard, a pasta dish, and a dessert. It is only around $15. Everything is so tasty, including the starter bread.

    (5)

  • Nadine M.

    On our last day of vacation in Waikiki, my parents surprised my husband and I with a generous gift certificate from Taormina along with a dinner reservation right after their dinner experience there, as they raved about their dishes. The cuisine at Taormina is pleasantly light and really refined. The Lobster cocktail appetizer was like a bowl of treasure: under the Lobster shell I uncovered some very tender scallop medallions with a touch of caviar, Kalamata olives, asparagus spears and crisp lobster meat. The Foie Gras Risotto was perfectly cooked with wild mushrooms, topped with a seared Foie Gras steak drizzled with a Balsamic vinaigrette. All the dishes we had were like a work of art both esthetically and for the palate. The desserts (Tiramisu, Canolli, and Gelato with espresso shot) were good but not outstanding. We definitely enjoyed the "wine and dining" experience as we left the place delighted, pleasantly feeling "almost full" with a teasing desire of wanting to eat more.

    (4)

  • Matthew C.

    I had reserved a table at Taormina 1 month in advance for my girlfriends birthday. I felt we were seated last minute and without much thought as to where we would be sitting. They sat us by the large window fronting the entrance of the restaurant. We had the occasional tourist or two walk by, and come close to the window trying to see into the restaurant. (How rude.) After being seated 3 different people came to greet us, and asked for drinks. I think they were confused as to who was serving us. One of the males, very sweaty with an accent seemed pushy. He seemed to be rushing us on our selection of wine. Finally after our selection of a bottle of 2004 Chianti Classico was made, he tried to bring a 2005 bottle of Chianti out and served it. I felt they were trying to "pull a fast one". I hate that. The food was mediocre. We had also ordered the appetizer sampler, which seemed to be all premade and cold. I could picture someone scooping it out of a poke' container straight onto the plate. The Veal Involtini was very very invol"tini", slighty dried out, with a taste that wasn't worth the price. The Uni pasta was supposed to be the signature dish. In my opinion, i've had better pasta at the spaghetti factory. The noodles were done right, and the taste grew on you.. but it wasn't something that stood out. The dinner with tip came to about $170 with tip. We did NOT enjoy our first time dining there, and there will NOT be a second time. We were so turned off from the place we walked to Roy's down the street and had some dessert there. I'm very glad we did.

    (2)

  • Carol Z.

    Another Great Dinner We are not local but come here for great food when in town. The wait staff is attentive( Marina, you were perfect......just right)' the food is always great, and Daniel, the manager makes you feel like he is inviting you into his home. Great evening all around. Thanks!, Email Address EMAIL PASSWORD RESET Return to Login

    (5)

  • Ed C.

    Excellent food and service. I ordered the homemade lasagna and was fully satisfied. Remember, don't fill up on the bread and save room for dessert.

    (4)

  • Janet E.

    I really like this place. It was supposed to be a fusion of italian and Japanese. I felt it was more Italian though--but loved that because I love Italian cuisine. Service was super attentive, but sometimes it was a little too attentive. The complimentary bread and oil was good. We ordered a clam dish as an appetizer and it was really good. For an entree, I ordered the squid ink pasta. It was DELICIOUS! The pasta was fresh, the seafood was fresh, and the flavor of the sauce had a little bit of a spice. So yummie! Can't wait to come back here again!

    (4)

  • Sparkles H.

    It was a great experience to eat here while we visited Waikiki. They have some unique dishes to try. We had the appetizer sampler - a choice of 4 appies from a list. All were well prepared and tasted great. We also tried the squid ink linguini - which, IMO, sounds more interesting than it tasted. Pretty typical in taste but neat that the noodles have squid ink. The sea urchin pasta was really good. It wasn't overly powerful in taste but just a good amount of urchin aroma. The cream sauce on it was very light. For dessert, we had the tiramisu and it was delicious.

    (4)

  • Mako S.

    every dishes that we ordered were amazingly delicious!! This place is a bit pricy just for normal dining out , however it is really wonderful to have this kind of special dinner for a special occasions such as anniversary or birthday of someone special. I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone who are looking for a wonderful moment with a wonderful person :) My most favorite dish was their seafoods !!

    (5)

Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.

Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.

Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : No
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Validated
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Dressy
    Ambience : Romantic
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Categories

Italian Cuisine

The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.

Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.

If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.

Taormina Sicilian Cuisine

Share with your social network

WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES

Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online

Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.

© 2024 Restaurant Listings. All rights reserved.