Billing itself as a place for northern Italian cuisine, Cafe Sistina on King Street is a great place for pasta. With an extensive imported wine list and an above average collection of beer as well, Cafe Sistina is a great choice for both casual dinners and special occasions. It also has selections for those of the vegetarian persuasion as well as the omnivorous among us. While parking during the day can be difficult, parking in the evening is never a problem. The restaurant itself is not large, but not small; it is typically quite busy. The interior is decorated with paintings reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel painted by the owner/chef himself. Even on a busy night the restaurant gives the illusion of privacy for each table, perfect for romantic dates. Credit cards are accepted, and prices run from the teens to maybe $50 per person; a dinner for two including desert and a few drinks (and tip) was less than $100.
The menu is divided into three sections, from the chef’s grandmother’s recipies, to his mother’s, to his own. The organic salad as a starter was fantastic, and the penne alle melanzanne (penne pasta, eggplant, and fresh mozzarella cheese, tossed in a tomato sauce with basil) as superb. The desert, a very rich chocolate cake shared by two, was fabulous as well.
All in all, I would highly recommend Cafe Sistina for special occasions; the parking during the day is probably a significant drawback, and it’s certainly more pricey than most of the places I eat, limiting my visits there to perhaps once a year. Still, it’s a fantastic little piece of northern Italy in Honolulu.
Cafe Sistina
1314 King Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
808-596-0061
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