Arancino on Beachwalk

This is a nice place right on Waikiki strip. There’s two locations on opposite ends of Waikiki. I’ve been to both locations a bunch of times and they’re both real good! The beach walk location has lots of outdoor seating with a juice «buffet» and great selection of pasta, crepes and appetizers (they only serve crepes and breakfast stuffs before 1030a, then they switch to lunch/​pasta menu).
Japanese tourists LOVE this place! You’ll have to compete for seating. If you walk in, leave your name and take a buzzer– the waits usually like 15 – 30 minutes.
I’ve had a bunch of crepes, appetizers and their famous Uni Pasta every time I’m in town.
This is one of the best spots on the east end of Waikiki. Way better than cheeseburger in paradise, lulus, wolfgangs, tikis etc. etc.

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

Came here for my belated birthday lunch with a friend. First time here, the Food was great. We ordered tiramisu for dessert. Told the waitress that my birthday was a few days ago so she put a candle on it. When we got the bill, She didn’t charge us for the slice of cake and she gave us kamaaina discount (we didn’t know that their was kamaaina discount).With all that we ordered, our bill came out reasonable. I will definitely come back again.

I’ve heard many good things about Arancino and their uni pasta. After what felt like years, my boyfriend and I finally decided to check out the hype. Parking was $ 3 with validation and is available in the Bank of Hawaii structure which is located on Beachwalk with a ramp going downstairs.
I didn’t know how small and intimate this restaurant was. We luckily did not have to wait long to be seated, although I recommend making a reservation because there were a lot of tourists waiting as well. Our server was Yuko and she was really helpful in recommending us the Bagna Cauda as an appetizer and the Chardonnay and Primativo wines to go with our meal. When trying new places, I deeply rely on server recommendations.
I already knew I wanted to try the uni pasta or the Spaghetti ai Ricci Di Mare (which I almost died looking at the $ 35 price.) and my boyfriend got the Pizza Capricciosa (our server said that it was a staff favorite). We also got the Insalata Gamberetti e Avocado, which was the salad with shrimp, avocado, and grapefruit. Everything was mouthwatering.
And although we were so full from ordering too much food, our server somehow convinced us to get dessert. We got the Tiramisu and Crema Catalana. I loved the Crema Catalana! It was an orange crème brulee that I would absolutely recommend.
I’m glad I had such a great first experience here. the food and service was great and we will definitely be back. The only thing I may not order again would be the Bagna Cauda… it may have been a little too fishy for me, but I loved the garlic haha. Other than that, I loved everything we ordered.

I don’t come here very often because… well…it’s in Waikiki. But the pasta’s are good if not a tad high in price: portion.
Most recently, I had the «spaghetti con tobiko e calamari» in a lunch special that included a choice of garden salad or Caesar’s salad or small bowl of tomato bisque soup for $ 12.50 for kama’aina. (A not-​so-​special $ 23.95 for non-kama’aina). The soup was especially delicious, and well complemented by the complimentary rosemary focaccia bread. Make yourself an olive oil-​balsamic vinegar dip from the table-​top condiment bottles and go to work.
I’ve also had the «fettuccine alla crema» off the regular menu. The salty bits of prosciutto accent the not-​too-​thick, sweet cream sauce nicely, and crisp asparagus slivers provide a textural as well as a taste contrast. But at $ 22, a bit high for the modest portion you get.
The «affettato misto» (mixed cold cuts) app. is a small — and I mean SMALL — sampler of genoa salami, pistachio mortadella, prosciutto crudo, grana padano cheese, and kalamata and green olives. The prosciutto was good, but the mortadella was just a large slice of bologna with bits of cheese and pistachio embedded in the meat. Not worth $ 22.
Described as «lightly frozen orange crème brulee infused with grand marnier», the «crema catallana» dessert ($ 10) sounds good. While I did detect a pleasant taste of orange in the crust of caramelized sugar, the underlying custard was too egg-​y. Think sweet scrambled eggs in taste and texture. Disappointing.
I’d return for the lunch special, but the location, and regular prices keep me an infrequent diner here. Now if valet parking was included then…

Came here around 730 on a Monday. We had about a 40 minute wait; no problem since we checked out the area while we waited. Got seated near the register. It’s a small place so a bit tight, but adds to the ambience. I ordered the lasagna; my wife ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. They must have lost my order because it took a half hour or so and the waitress seemed like she had to remind the back about it. The lasagna was good. The spaghetti and meatballs were bad. The meatballs were dry and had too much seasoning. The sauce just didn’t taste right. Maybe it’s our expectations, but didn’t like the dish. They gave us a tiramisu for the wait on the entrée, without us making a complaint. That was okay; might not have been feeling tiramisu at that point.
Overall, I expected more. The wait and the bad entrée made it a poor experience. I would say try another place.

CASEY, thank you for being our awesome server and making it an amazing first experience for my boyfriend and I !! Great smile, very tentative, and overall friendly, you’re the best! :))))
Went here for dinner for our first time and it was just wonderful! I called in advance to reserve dinner for 830 which is the earliest for dinner time. Anytime before that it’s walk ins only. Get there early bc people are waiting to eat! It is that amazing!!! We checked in and got seated immediately.
Restaurant is small, seating is tight, tables are literally 5 inches a part so you can hear your neighbors conversation. It’s pretty loud in there bc it’s busy.
However.
That won’t matter because food is bomb. Bread is sooooooooo warm and soft, and great with the olive oil and vinegar? ^-^ we got lobster bisque soup, so filling and creamy and yumms!!! Portion is big too, I had to share. Haha I got the seafood pasta with calamari, shrimp, and clams!!! One of the restaurants best and highly recommended!!!
I never eat italian, or I avoid eating Italian bc the pastas usually have thick creamy milky sauces that are so delish but since Im sorta lactose, I avoid it. But tonight’s pasta was light and not drowning in thick sauces so it was very delightful! ! Def coming back here again ^ – ^

Heard this place was worth a try, so we did some early morning shopping and headed there before opening. We got there at 11:10am and found ourselves the second in line. By the time the doors opened at 11:30am, there were 30+ people behind us! The hostess came out and asked us the order we arrived and immediately started a wait list! I have never ever seen that before.
Lucky for all the people behind us, we intended to order to go. We have a flight to catch back to the mainland.
So I immediately put in an order for the uni pasta to go. We paid, and were the first ones to get our food. Yay! It was piping hot, so of course we needed to eat it right away. The hubby carried all our bags as I fed him and myself on the way back to the hotel.
It was so delicious! Definitely a fast favorite. The pieces if uni were chunky and plentiful. The pasta itself was made just right. And the flavor was perfect. For a preggo like me who can’t eat raw, uni pasta is the perfect compromise. A little sweet, a lot savory, and a whole lot of uni! Next time, we’ll try the squid ink pasta too. It was a favorite when we were in Venice!

My personal favorite, attentive friendly staff, great real Italian food. Nice off the beaten trail location. Small quaint restaurant more than willing to specialize your order, (if your one of those). Try the pan fried Branzino, its not on the menu but they usually have it. Ive tried about half the menu and really no complaints. Tiramisu is the real deal.
Prices are on the high side, but worth it.

2 stars for food, 1 star for service = 3 stars
I wasn’t particularly a fan of this Arancino, but it was my first experience. We made reservations for 5:30pm knowing we could be free and quite early for dinner. We were seated in about 5 minutes which was fine and service was nice throughout the night but since the restaurant is fairly small and it got very busy, we had to wait/​flag someone down for water, extra napkins, and the check so I couldn’t say service was attentive.
The food was also slightly disappointing. The 5-​star reviews and probably the fact that I did have great pasta elsewhere and can make it has likely raised my expectations high for Italian. I ordered the spicy arrabiata with penne, but it tasted slightly like pasta sauce with siracha and the foccacia was crumbly. Do not get too excited about the affetato misto plate — it was 3 slices of cold cuts and maybe 5 cubes of cheese, a few olives and 3 small leaves of basil (
) I should have looked at the pictures of each plate prior to ordering. I expected a few small bites but for the price, but this was underwhelming. The positives were definitely the signature plantation iced tea and the seafood. According to my friend, the uni pasta was delicious as other reviewers have mentioned, so if you can eat seafood, do be sure to try this dish.
Parking-​wise, at least when we went a few months back, they do validate and there is a lot with an entrance right prior the restaurant on Beachwalk.
Likely won’t be back to this Arancino, but I will be a frequent visitor to the others!

Wonderful fettuccini Alfredo. The sauce is full of flavor and everything marries well. It was gone way to quick and the servings definitely aren’t small haha. The spaghetti con peletti was amazing as well. The sauce and meatballs paired incredibly well with the red wines they have.
Madi, our waitress, was great. She helped picked the wine and offered great food suggestions and always made sure our glasses were full. If you’re looking for great Italian in the area, try this out!

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

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

I came here for my last birthday dinner, and that uni pasta changed my life! I also took advantage of the Unilocal coupon they had, big incentive to come in and done.
It’s right in the heart of Waikiki, cute little restaurant where you are situated really close to other diners. We didn’t mind, but just a note that the tables are kind of close together.
The quality and portion size justify the price in my eyes. Husband had a lasagna that he had enough leftovers for lunch. Lobster bisque was so creamy and not fishy tasting. Uni pasta was so delish with a rich creamy, ocean taste. Wanna go back soon!

Came here just for the uni pasta after seeing all the reviews but it ended being a bit disappointing. My first try at uni pasta and im such a huge fan of uni. However, I felt like the creaminess of the sauce and butter just covered up the delicate sweetness of uni. The whole dish tasted good, but. such a waste of uni. Service was very good but be prepared for a long wait. Also expensive.

We went to Arancino for dinner on our last night in Hawaii. While the service was wonderful and the portions were huge, we were otherwise a little underwhelmed with the experience.
I started off with a glass of red wine — I don’t remember the name and it’s not listed on the website — but for $ 12, I thought the pour was a little small. We also shared a bowl of the zuppa di aragosta (lobster bisque with sherry), which was pretty good.
Entrees: I had the linguine ai gamberetti (black tiger shrimp and arugula in a tomato sauce). I wasn’t super excited by the dish’s description, but because it got such high ratings on Unilocal,I decided to give it a try. I actually thought it turned out a be a bit lackluster, however. The highlight was the pasta, cooked al dente, but the sauce was kinda bland, the shrimp were eh, and the arugula didn’t add anything valuable except, I suppose, nutrients. My boyfriend had the spaghetti al nero di sepia (squid sautéed in black squid ink garlic sauce). We both thought it was good, not great, but it’s possible that black squid ink dishes just aren’t our thing.
The place was super casual and reminiscent of an old school Italian restaurant. Casual is good, but I was definitely feeling overdressed, and I was just wearing a maxi dress and a nice belt.

Arrancino’s is the perfect example of the best of both worlds, in this case, best of both countries. A fusion of Italian and Japanese, these pastas here are amazing!!!
I had the opportunity to dine here two days in a row because I liked it so much. Service here is great albeit the busy atmosphere here. Servers checked on you but not overly much and constant refills on our drinks.
Must order the uni pasta, squid ink pasta and the owner’s favorite pizza. My only recommendation is to share the uni pasta as it can get a bit heavy for just one person. But if you love uni, eat it all!
Even the complimentary foccacia bread was soft, moist and buttery.
Perfect place for a casual but delicious date! Or just lunch with friends and family!

This is a solid 4 star Italian Restaurant. If you come on the weekend at lunchtime be prepared to wait a half hour and at dinnertime be prepared to wait an hour as every tourist and locals like me love this place. This is my second favorite Italian restaurant in all of Waikiki located right off of Kalakaua. The staff is very nice and their ticket time is comparable to any nice restaurant. I love that they bring you fresh bread with olive oil and vinegar just as every Italian restaurant should even though many just bring you butter.
Yes the uni pasta is amazing just as everyone says. My other personal favorites are the spaghetti and homemade beef and pork meatballs or if your looking for something different and dont mind a black sauce the pasta with squid served in a squid ink and olive oil sauce is great.
There is a special lunch menu (that you have to ask for) where you can get either a soup or salad and you can choose one of five pastas or one of 4 pizzas for only $ 18.95 and if your local definitely ask for that menu because they have a Kamaaina discount during lunch. I recommend this place!

I’m generally amorous towards anything involving uni, and equally sl-​tty when it comes to pasta, so you can imagine my gastronomic libido going berserk when it comes to the uni pasta at any of the three wonderful Arancino locations in Honolulu.
Location/​Parking: Arancino on Beachwalk is the most «casual» of the three restaurants, and there is no need to dress up for dinner. It’s located on Beachwalk in Waikiki, in the very visible Bank of Hawaii Building, where you’ll want to park. Mind you, the underground lot is a bit confusing, so drive slowly in there. Like many underground Hawaii parking structures, this lot is a tort attorney’s dream.
Ambiance/​Service: AoB is very small. Imagine a dimly-​lit, one-​room trattoria with charming, chalk-​written outdoor menu nestled in between some happy little Bob Ross bushes. Super quaint, right? And it’s located right next to a Japanese soba restaurant. Ah, Hawai’i, u so eclectic.
The wait-​time is what some might deem «outrageous,» but I call «worth it.» You might wait an hour around dinnertime, so if you haven’t got time to kill, do make reservations. I feel like AoB is SUCH a nifty idea for a first-​date place, because 1) you can always stroll around Waikiki if you’re waiting for a table and 2) the food is guaranteed to ignite conversation. Very small tables. The seating is very «intimate» in the sense that you get to be intimate with the diners next to you, too. A plus if you’re curious about what everyone else is ordering!
The service is great. Friendly, patient and attentive. The servers know the menu by heart.
Food: Order uni pasta on your first visit. If you don’t like uni … shifts uncomfortably* … well, there are a host of other delicious things for you to order. The food is Italian at heart, tapped politely by a magic Japanese wand so that the resulting dishes are a little more delicate, and a lot more delicious. You might try the rigatoni with pancetta and maui onions, tobiko calamari, or squid ink pasta. For the traditionalist, spaghetti with meatballs is outstanding. The pizza gorgonzola e mela come with a lovely, tiny jar of honey, which is meant to be poured lasciviously over the thinly sliced apples and rich cheese atop your hot, hot pizza. Other good options: lasagna, mushroom risotto.
The salads are worth overlooking. Skimpier than a Papa John’s pizza with a single pepperoni and on each sad slice, don’t be surprised when your green salad comes with exactly two grape tomatoes cut in half, one shred of prosciutto, and five mouthfuls of «nalo greens.» I once ordered the anchovy salad, and my anchovy «filet» was an inch long, placed alongside a croûton which dwarfed it. It was hilarious cutting it in half with my dining buddy so we could both have a nibble.
The uni pasta here is inimitable, and deserving of its accolades year after year. It took me five visits to be able to order anything else other than the uni pasta.

On my solo trip to Honolulu, I found this through my friend, Unilocal.This is what you get if Italian and Japanese food got married — uni pasta! $ 32 — pricey but worth trying if you love uni.
Tips: Make reservations if you can or put your name down and be prepared to wait. I didn’t mind the 1 hour break that gave me the opportunity to stop by Tiffany’s, which is just down one block.
The focaccia bread is AMAZING. Soooo soft. One of the best I’ve tried.
I also ordered the arugula and procuitto salad, two of my favorite things. The dressing was very light and tarte! Its made with red wine vinegar, tomato sauce, olive oil and garlic, as I was told by the sweet waitress. However, next time, I would order it with the dressing one the side. As I got into it, I felt there was too much dressing.
And a chianti red wine that was delicious.
Arigato! Grazie!

Das kleine italienische Restaurant ist sehr überschaubar, die vielleicht knapp 20 Sitzplätze lassen vermuten das die Reservation fast ein Ding der unmöglichkeit ist — so wars dann auch. Reservieren war möglich, jedoch wurden wir über eineinhalb Stunden lang vertröstet. Die Pizza des Hauses war gut, von der Grösse her und geschmacklicht. Die Atmosphäre ist sehr gemütlich, dennoch kommt man sich ein wenig abgefertig vor — das geht bei mir, zumindest wenns um gemütliches Essen geht, gar nicht. Das italienische Bier ist sehr zu empfehlen.