Rigo

Extraordinary experience at Rigo this week! For our one-day visit to Oahu and tour at Pearl Harbor, I dug deep into researching restaurants for dinner. I didn't want to be in a hotel (which dramatically reduced options). Since we love the food in Spain and Italy, I locked into Rigo. Best decision! Mickey expertly guided us through the menu and we loved every bite! Started off with a half order of jamon bellota (tip: get the full order) and patatas bravas. Shared the Australian lamb chops, the divine red king crab and jumbo shrimp paella, pizza Bismarck, crème brûlée, and chocolate cake. Wow! So good. The pizza was the best I've ever had in my life, same for the crème brûlée. Besides the wonderful service from Mickey (and truly every person at Rigo, including manager Jimmy) the decor, atmosphere, and the neighbors at the next table, made the evening unforgettable! My foodie daughter wasn't a fan of Honolulu until Rigo, now she's all in to visit again. Me too! Thanks, Rigo team!

It was a nice surprise! We loved everything we ordered. We ordered several appetizers and a paella to share. It was all very tasty! A bit pricey but everything is nowadays! I would go again and try something I didn't get to eat! And the grilled octopus again!

I believe we first went to Rigo’s about a year/year and a half ago. Absolutely delicious. Stunning decor. The staff are absolutely amazing and attentive, like nothing can compete with that. We go back and forth a lot on the Shrimp Ajillo and which restaurant of ours does it better, but if you get a chance to try it here (get a side of the garlic Parmesan Bread) it is to die for, seriously. Flavorful, little punch of spice, and the juice soaking into the bread is an unbeatable combination to start your meal. The paellas are well made and any drink you choose of created with passion. The only reason I have four stars is because I tend to stick with what I always order the first time, and I unfortunately have had a declining experience with my pork cutlet that’s supposed to be a chef’s special. The first time I had it phenomenal. Hands down the best of the best. But at this point I’m chasing the flavor that once was on our third visit. The meat was surprisingly tough and the lemon sauce very watery. But as always I am too over the moo with the Gamba Al Ajillo and staff to really be upset about. The Margherita Pizza that we took home was 10/10 even the day after if you wanna give their pizzas a try. Would definitely recommend a stop in, even by the bar, if your in the Kapahulu area and haven’t been.

We had a very enjoyable early dinner here. Tapas were very good, especially for O’ahu. Its squid ink paella was quite good. The eggplant was a favorite for our small group. The omelette (tortilla) was very tasty. The cocktails were pricy, but decent. The service was very friendly and attentive. The whole dinning area was airy and comfortable. The parking was $5 plus tips. Or you can just park on the street where there were many spaces available when we arrived at 4:30.

So far, my favorite Italian place here. Even my Asian dad who generally doesn’t like Western food likes their pasta! Food: The pasta noodles are made from scratch which has this Al dente texture and flavor that your typical grocery boxed pastas can’t replicate. Last night, I got their carbonara with portobella fritto. It was super creamy and I like how the portobello frits is lightly fried. My friends got bologna and arrabbiata with smoked mozzarella which were also solid choices. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of their pasta choices. Although the portion of the pastas looks “small,”it’s actually filling since it’s very heavy and the big plate gives the illusion that the portion is small. Another must-try is their bismark pizza that has truffle oil, funghi, and a runny egg in the middle. Super flavorful especially since they use wood fire to bake it. Service: our server was very friendly and well-spoken. Atmosphere: slightly more on the noisy sound so you may have to talk a little louder when dining with people. The decor I would say is kind of like casual fine dining? The bathroom was really nice! They have a bidet and the toilet paper is super soft thick. I think it’s the charmin brand lol. Parking: I went during dinner so their parking lot was valet. I didn’t want to pay so I parked at Safeway right across the street. But during lunch hours it’s not valet and it’s free self-parking.