Mediterraneo Italian Restaurant

Very, very good Italian food. Not a lot of tables, with one chef and two servers. Definitely suggest making reservations. The ambiance is nice, and provides a rustic and relaxing atmosphere. We went for dinner and it was not noisy for being in a small space.
We ordered the caprese salad, eggplant parmigiana and cheese and meat plate for starters. All were very good. I thought the eggplant was especially tasty.
For dinner, I ordered the Amatriciana which has similar ingredients to a carbonara but with a tomato sauce instead of a cream sauce. A great alternative if you do not handle dairy well. The Amatriciana also has a slight amount of heat.
This is a place that has at least 5 – 6 dishes that I want to go back and try because they all looked delicious.
Tip: Not sure where it is okay to park. The restaurant itself, that I am aware of, has no parking lot. Not sure what lots in the surrounding area are okay to park. There is limited street parking and be sure you look closely for no parking signs. While looking for parking, I saw 2 tow trucks in the area and 1 was towing away a car.

Very charming place with the owner cooking the dinner — food was amazing and the wine was pretty good too. You won’t be disappointed!

Delizioso! First time trying this place for my Italian craving, and was not disappointed. But why only 3 stars? Mostly just small things that added up to a dropped star. The service there is attentive; the server did let us know food may be a bit slower due to the large party, but he’d try to have our appetizers expedited. Nice touch — I really appreciate that kind of thing. It was rather dive-​y LOUD when we went — we were right next to a rather large, raucously inebriated party. Other than that, the indoor dining area was quaintly charming. The restroom… not so. A bit of an odd mishmash — good dining and a DIY «country» restroom. Oh well; I was there for the food, right? We got started with the antipasti assortment and the crostini with sautéed porcini mushrooms. The antipasti is your run of the mill — cheeses, salami, prosciutto, olives. Good, but not mind blowing. The crostini porcini was a delight: toasted but not HARD, the crisp bread was a perfect counterpoint to the sautéed porcini mushrooms, carefully layered over a thin slice of mozzarella to keep the bread crisp. For entrées, we got the spinach ravioli and aragosta with capellini pasta. In hindsight, while fragrant, visually appealing, and brimming with fresh, well-​crafted flavors, I would say the pastas were too salty. Granted, I forgot to ask for «easy on the salt», but I was thirsty for the rest of the night. The aragosta pasta was a hit on flavor — you could taste the tender, lobster bits, fresh herbs (but mind you, it was not overpowering the lobster). The spinach ravioli were nicely done, but the buttery, richly flavored sauce was maybe a bit too much for the delicate spinach flavor. Both pastas were cooked to perfection, though! Portions were filling and would sate a hearty appetite. Also, it was very nice to see the chef (Fabrizio) come out of his kitchen during lulls and check how his patrons were liking his fare. For dessert, we had tiramisu — pretty yummy, but missing a bit of kick. It’s a good thing we shared it, as we were feeling rather full from dinner! Perhaps next time I’ll bring a bottle of vino too. All in all, definitely worth another visit. :)

We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food! We skipped the appetizers and went right to the pasta course, which is our favorite. The porcini pappardelle pasta special was fantastic! I would order it again in a heartbeat. Our boys enjoyed the Bolognese and Carbonara pastas.
Wine selection is very limited, and you have to walk across the room to the Wine Stop corner and pick out a bottle, which seems a little strange.

Nice little corner home made a nice Italian restaurant. With two Italian chefs, two waitresses, and one bus boy, they make their customer happy! Come and try their food!

Atmosphere was great, good tunes on speaker, low lamp lights, food was great, dessert too, corking fee, and espresso after dinner.

the eggplant parmesan looked more like a scrambled egg that a delicacy. Parking and setting is nicely assembled otherwise.

Mediterraneo feels a bit like Venice. Its a small, colorfully decorated space and the floor is literally sloping and creaking. The outdoor space feels intimate even though it is close to King Street.
The food is delicious! The roasted eggplant and the squid ink lobster ravioli are amazing.
The Wine Stop is adjacent to the restaurant, so you can grab a bottle of wine there. You can also buy a bottle or glass directly from Mediterraneo.
The service is great. Parking is convenient.

I remember passing by this place all the time when it used to be «The Wine Stop.» But I hadn’t realized when they made the owner transfer and the new owner opened up Mediterraneo.
We were looking for a new restaurant to try and we decided on Mediterraneo after hearing good reviews from friends.
It honestly has the most personable staff I have ever met. You can select a wine from the back, the owner and chef actually came out and picked for us a nice red wine in addition to delivering our food, talking to us, and taking our photo. We ordered capellini pasta with the BEST bolognese sauce I’ve ever had and a very well herbed erbe entrée with la pollo (chicken). For dessert we had gelato and my boyfriend had a very delicious cappuccino.
There’s a limited amount of seats inside (with some outdoor seating) but the ambience is great and I would love to come back here for a nice anniversary or just a fancy dinner.

Awesome! Recommended by a friend and it was exactly what we wanted. Food was amazing, authentic, and I liked the idea of getting to pick out what we wanted to drink in their wine cellar area. Entire staff interacted with us and made us feel very welcome. Anyone looking for a fun and easy date night, go there. We will be back very soon.

I used to love mediterraneo before they closed and when they reopened read some not so good reviews that kept me from going until last week.
Food was as good as it used to be, no such thing as paper plates and the place looks even better than the last one.
The menu is a little bit shorter but the food is some of the best italian food (in my opinion).
hands down they have the best Tiramisu on the island and if you get wine by the glass they really hook you up. The waitress was really nice (didn’t get your name, sorry, blonde, had a tattoo) and the owner is still himself haha
don’t make the same mistake I made of not going for a while!

The Rotary Club of Diamond Head Kaimuki was looking for a place to have Christmas Dinner. So two weeks ago I made a reservation for 15. Little did I know I called Café Miro. So, on Sunday Miro called me to confirm the reservation. Luckily that happened because I had to make reservations at Mediterraneo and cancel Miro. Thanks to both restaurants we were able to keep the original plans and thwart having to mess up our party. Unfortunately, Meds is smaller than they were before (?) and were unable to seat is all together. We took half the room anyway so that was cool. This reservation was especially great because we have folks who are vegetarian and some serious wine drinkers. I just learned there is a $ 10 per bottle corkage fee. They seem to have a nice wine collection. I bought us two lemoncellos and Darcie had a Peroni Nastro Azzuro beer.
Parking was ample and easy to find. From the moment you park toe nose is greeted by a wondiferous aroma. Funny thing this about the best water we’ve ever had save the Hilton just outside Disneyland.
The establishment nicely air conditioned. Not hot and not too cold. The plates were very cultural and the menu sparse. Not much to choose from. A good sign? Do something and do it well? I hoped so.
The kitchen was small so the waitress wanted us that due to having only one stove the food would come up gradually. The smell of roasting garlic was enough to drive us crazy and make us drool.
Some of our party ordered caprese. We ordered the Mediterranea salad. I had the ciopinno and Darcie had Norcina Risotti.
The caprese was not that good but the salad was chick full of stuff with the right amount of olive oil and lemon. I think if they offered fresh ground pepper and shaved Parmesan it would have popped. The salami and cheese was very top grade.
Stopped to take a look at the toilet. Pretty funky décor. There was a urinal, toilet and a makeshift shower with a ring hanging from the ceiling connection a round plastic curtain. I also learned that the owner/​chef is Fabrizio from Rome. It was funny because we were just talking about when Michael went to Sicily and was betrayed by Fabrizio. In any case, I looked up how to say the food was excellent and it goes like this: Il cibo era eccelente.
The risotto was done perfectly with just the right amounts of sausage and risotto. It wasn’t too salty at all. The Ciopinno which I believe mainly everyone ordered was top notch. Maybe a little too fishy for ones taste but chock full of seafood, herbs, garlic and capers.
Didn’t have dessert but it likes pretty good.

Our first visit to the «new» location. Wow, I was surprised how busy they were on a Wednesday night! A few details before I get to the food — 1) They are taking credit cards, 2) It is BYOB ($ 10/​corkage/​bottle) or they have a wine closet to select your bottle from. We came prepared for either option. They had a wine in the closet that we brought — $ 30. I paid $ 14 at Sam’s + $ 10, so we went that way.
The cioppino was excellent and he will accommodate your tastes if there is something you want to omit. I forgot the correct name for the mushroom pasta special, but it was perfect — good flavor and texture. The bruschetta, salad and bread came out early and kept us going.
We will be back!

First of all… I love the China wear that decorates the table and the food comes on real plates. I mention this because my fiancé and I had 2 hours to kill after dropping our daughter off to her choir practice before her performance. We didn’t want to lose our parking so we looked for something within walking distance.
We almost deferred eating here because of the reviews on the cheap dining ware. But if you can read past that most Unilocalers complimented the food.
I got the squid ink pasta with calamari $ 24 and he tried the rigatoni bolognese $ 16. Pasta done just right a little over el dente on both. You can taste the seafood in the dish I had and the fresh tomatoes add just the right pop. The bolognese is simple just the way it should be, allowing the natural flavors of the sauce and meat to be the dish.
Perfect atmosphere for some wine. Dark and small, less than a dozen of tables. I will be back to try some other items like the lamb.

This place has been on my places to try list since it was at the old location, but I never got the chance. Last night, my husband and I were deciding whether we should be economical and stay in for a home cooked meal or take the lazy route and dine out. I started scrolling through my million Unilocal bookmarks, and remembered Mediterraneo Restaurant had reopened at the cute little house-​turned-​wine cellar. Okay so now I had it in my mind that I wanted to eat pasta (and drink wine). All thoughts of frugality went out the window. When a girl starts thinking carbs, she must have carbs (in the form of pasta or alcohol).
Parking was easy to find in the small lot located next to the restaurant. Of course, it’s King St. so plenty of street parking available too. Seeing the previous reviews that this place was cash only, we were going to run across the street to the ATM. Okay so when I say «we», I mean I sent my husband across the street. As I was waiting, I saw that there were MasterCard/​visa stickers on the door. SCORE! They now accept credit cards. I beckoned my husband, and he runs back over. Eh, a little extra cardio before dinner never hurt anyone.
Upon walking in, we were greeted by the server, who was able to seat us right away. With less than 10 tables on the interior, it was a very intimate setting. Definitely had a family-​owned, homey vibe. Don’t worry about wait times, there is ample outdoor patio seating also available. We were able to order our food in a timely manner: eggplant appetizer, amatriciana with angel hair pasta, and pollo erbe. While we waited for our food, we went to go pick our bottle of wine from their mini «wine cave» in the back. We went for the Cab from Sicily, which we were told was the best wine for its price range. Plus, it was a screw top, so we decided if we couldn’t finish the entire bottle, it’d be easier to take home.
When we got back to the table, the bread was out already. Mmm, warm, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside bread. I could eat these all day. Our appetizer came out soon after. I thought it was a bit salty, but my family has a history of hypertension, so I never add salt to anything. Needless to say, my salt threshold is very low. My husband enjoyed the dish though, so he finished it up. There was a party of 6 ahead of us, so we had to wait awhile for our entrees, but we expected this. No big deal. It was date night, and my husband and I had fun talking about anything and everything. We’re both so busy with work that we don’t really get to connect like that very often. About ¾ of the way through our wine bottle (I must measure time in amount of wine consumed because I really wasn’t keeping track of any real measurement of time), our entrees arrive, and it did not disappoint! Chicken was nice and tender, with a very bold Rosemary flavor, which I loved. Pasta was nice and light… I love lighter pastas over heavier, creamy ones. Also, it comes with bacon, so really, what can go wrong? Pasta and entrée sizes were large. We were able to take home enough leftovers for at least a full meal.
After all that, we decided we could squeeze some dessert into our bellies. We went with the tiramisu, my absolute favorite. Real lady fingers, espresso, mascarpone. None of that fake, yellow cake bs you sometimes see at Americanized Italian restaurants.
Our bill came out to about $ 75 (before tip) for a bottle of wine, appetizer, pasta dish, meat dish, and dessert. We felt it was a good value for our meal.
Come here for a nice, intimate date night. Although the space is small, this restaurant can handle larger parties, and would be perfect for a birthday or holiday get together. Don’t come here if you’re wanting a quick dinner or have somewhere to be afterwards. I was thinking whether this place would be good for a first date. If the two of you click, then it’s a great place to really get to know each other. If you don’t click, well, it may be a painstakingly long dinner. It’s a gamble, but hey, there is plenty of wine and great food to pass the time, even if your company may be suboptimal.
We will definitely be back. I can’t wait to try some of the risotto. Oh, and next time we’ll try some of the other highly recommended wines, because it turns out we had no use for the screw top after all.

Was a little strange to sit in a such a nice room and eat off paper plates.
Had the pasta carbonara. Portion was a bit small. Good though.
parking is easy in the lot next door.

I enjoyed Mediterraneo at their old location and was sad when it closed. So when I saw reviews pop up for Mediterraneo at a new location, I was ecstatic! The new Mediterraneo is where the Wine Stop used to be. I really liked the Wine Stop so I was sad to find out that they have closed. It appears Mediterraneo may have acquired some wine from the Wine Stop because there’s a small room in the restaurant that has bottles of wine you can buy to accompany your meal.
A lot of the previous reviews mentioned dining with paper plates but I am happy to report that as of August, Mediterraneo has reverted back to actual plates. They were still cash only when we went but hopefully that will change soon. There is a small parking lot to the right of the restaurant on Hauoli Street. Otherwise, you can find street parking in the area.
The food is as delicious as ever. I ordered the Ravioli Funghi, which is my go-​to dish here. The sauce is lick-​your-​finger-​good and the ravioli warm and pillowy. Everyone else thoroughly enjoyed their dinner as well. The birthday girl got a complimentary tiramisu and a song from the chef owner and staff. Get the tiramisu here – it’s very good!

We didn’t get to eat here because they didn’t have a spot for us but how we were treated when we got there was odd.
We walked in and 3 workers ran by us, not saying anything but meeting our eyes. We just stood there since we figured someone would help us. Few minutes went by with everyone starring at us with no one helping. Finally a girl comes in from the front door and looked confused at us and asked «um, can we help you?»
… Ok. Not really sure why they’d treat potential customers that way.
We’ll try again sometime and hopefully I can update this review.

I am writing this review about a year from when we went to Mediterraneo so take that into account. My husband is Italian (not Italian-​American) and I lived in Italy for 6 years. We know how Italian food should taste and I think that is important to state. We normally refuse to pay for Italian food because it is always so expensive and we can cook it at home. BUT we decided to try this place.
The vibe was definitely odd. The owner is SUPER odd. The service was just like in Italy: inattentive. We waited a good long time for our food and we were about to lose our patience when it finally did arrive.
It was, however, very good. I ordered a simple tomato and basil pasta (best way to find out if it is authentic Italian vs. Italian-​American) and it was delicious. Quite different from how we make it so that was exciting for us. My husband ordered a veggie pasta with eggplant. He loved it. So, the food is authentic. We are vegetarians so did not order anything else.
The espresso was not very good (dang it!), but since the best espresso on the island is made in our home, we can live with that.
About when it was time to leave, the owner approached our table and my husband said something in Italian to him and another 25 minutes of strange conversation followed with the owner pulling up a chair and talking to us of Rome and what it is like to be an Italian businessman in Hawaii. He cursed a lot in Italian, which was to be expected. :)
We would definitely give the place another try but realize that we have a lot more patience for Italian idiosyncrasies than most others do. Probably more than the place deserves because a plate of tomato pasta, albeit delicious, should never cost the $ 16 we paid for it (forgive me if that is not the accurate price, but it is close).
A note on the new location and the paper plates I read about: Italians dislike eating on paper plates. Meals are a serious business. That has to be a short term solution. I would expect this to change sooner rather than later.

My experience here was unlike any other. In short, it was bizarre.
On the one hand, I found the food to be very tasty (and I usually don’t like Italian food). On the other hand, the service was just weird.
There were a lot of foreign servers when we were there. They stood around our table, hesitant to approach us, but eventually did. Given that all the menu items were in Italian and given the language barrier, it was hard to figure out what the servers were trying to say. So much so that we resorted to using Google to figure out what was on the menu. Eventually, the chef and owner came over and explained every item on the menu to us.
All of our food was served on paper plates. Bread and olive oil, paper plates. Pasta, paper plates. Cups, plastic. Utensils, plastic. For regular restaurant prices at $ 12 – 18 per dish, it was REALLY weird that they would serve food with disposable dishware. It does not make for good Instagram photos. Lol.
The food was made fresh by the owner, but came out surprisingly quickly. There was 6 of us, and he was the head chef there (and possibly only chef). I ordered a pasta dish with bacon and veggies. It was surprisingly tasty, though a little on the salty side. I went with a group of friends who each ordered something different and I have to say the food was pretty good. The chef is slightly heavy handed with the seasoning though.
There is ZERO ambiance at this place, so please, please, please do not take your girl out here for a first date. It’s not that kind of restaurant. If you’re simply looking for good Italian food and good wine (wine shop is right next door), give Mediterraneo a try. I’d suggest take out. Dine-​in is just awkward.

If I had to sum this place up in one word, it would be: RUBBISH.
Food was MEH. I ordered veal Marsala and the breading was not crisp but a bit soggy, and the dish was SUPER SALTY. My husband ordered the sausage pasta and that was a bit better, but not worth the charged price.
One waitress for entire restaurant. Slow and impersonal service. I would expect that from a $ 12 pasta place but if you are charging $ 24 and $ 28 and basically on the same level as an assagios, you will need to step your game WAY up.
Owner showed favoritism to other couples. (Translation: racist. My husband is black and was the only black patron there — now I see why that might be. Everyone else knows better!) owner spent ten minutes talking up one table, giving recommendations, personally bringing their food out, etc, even opening the door for them when they left. We got a «veal Marsala» when the owner basically dumped the dish on our table and got away from us as quick as possible. Three other separate tables came in, and all got personalized service and greetings and cheerful banter from the owner. Absolutely unacceptable. Will make sure to tell any friends who want to go to steer clear and go somewhere that appreciates business regardless of color, gender, age, or whatever other unprofessional hang ups someone might have.

He’s back! Mediterraneo has returned! He is back from Italy — starting from scratch, but so Ono!
Humble beginnings — will enjoy watching it blossom!

So glad this place is opened again, not so glad I have to write another review for it. I will do my part to spread the good word about this incredible Italian food though.
Having felt morally defeated after learning that Mediterraneo was closing down to go through a move, I was worried that I may never get to experience this place again. To my delight, they opened their new venue recently and offered the same great food in a new environment. The new location is bigger and has more room between tables. The parking is much easier as well. There is no need to master the 24 point turn to fit into the parking stall. The same great staff are present and they are serving up their food on paper plates and bowls.
I am still a huge fan of the bruschetta as it is garlicky and fresh and served on warm crusty bread that absorbs the olive oil and tomato juices perfectly. My only complaint with the new location is that the bruschetta is now served with only two pieces instead of four. They did lower the price to $ 6 though. They still had my favorite entrée as well — the gnocchi gorgonzola. It is creamy and cheesy and the gnocchi are soft and extremely filling. If you ask for some bread, you can enjoy the sauce if you have already finished the gnocchi.
Although it doesn’t quite feel as rustic as the old location, I am a fan of the new building. There are now some outdoor tables to enjoy the sounds of King Street while you enjoy what I feel is the best Italian food on the island. I would highly recommend this place as it offers great food at great prices from great people.

This is my favorite place for Italian!
Are you sure, Aline? You don’t mind ordering wine by the bottle? You can eat off of paper plates with plastic utensils and pour your wine into plastic red cups? You are able to communicate your wants and order to the staff?
I don’t mind but you should be aware in case it’s your first time.
I love the food. I love the owner. I love the wait staff. They sell by the bottle because they’re a wine retailer. The plus is that the bottle prices aren’t jacked up. That tiramisu needs more booze but it is delicious. There’s parking over the fence next door. They nicely remodeled the old Wine Stop to have light wood interior which brightens up the space.
I’m been a fan from the beginning and still am.

The little house on South King Street with gnocchi and risotti. That’s all you need to eat. Well, that’s what I ate and enjoyed.
Luckily, this place was able to find a new location to reopen. Parking is on Hauoli Street behind the place and is a small lot.
There’s indoor and outdoor dining. I was disappointed that they are cash only so I hope that will change in the near future. I also hope they will change to dishes soon too, currently they use paper plates. While the food is great, I’m not fond of going to a restaurant and eating on paper plates. You also had to buy wine by the bottle and couldn’t buy by the glass or BYOB. The prices were decent but not cheap.
We got a salad which was ok but nothing great. The gnocchi pesto was on point. The gnocchi had great texture and the pesto was fresh and bold. The mushroom risotti had a little spice to it and had a little more rice texture than I like but had a great rich flavor to it. We didn’t get to try dessert since we were too full.
The service was great; the owners are very friendly. Overall, I would come back after they iron out a few things since the food was pretty good.