3. Cafe Sistina

Overcooked pasta!! The pasta is cooked ahead of time and reheated to piping hot before it comes to the table, which results in soft pasta unless you happen to order just as the pasta is being cooked. The owner states that he has been doing it this way for 20 years and refused our request to cook our pasta at the time of order. We were told ' the pasta was cooked just 10 minutes ago' and reassured that it was 'al dente' and of course it came to the table overcooked. Even his delicious sauces can't make up for the soft noodles. They were increasing rude to us after we sent back the dish. We ordered the fresh papardelle which is only available in one dish and that was fine.

Very disappointing. I would have given this place 1 star but the tiramasu and espresso were very good. The Spicy Tutto Mare was below average. The risotto in the dish was more like a regular rice than it was like a risotto. The calamari in the dish was prepared perfectly, though. The gnocchi with Lamb Sausage was not good at all. The gnocchi were overcooked and undercooked (if that is possible). What I mean is that some of the gnocchi were undercooked and some were mushy and overcooked. The lamb sausage tasted more like regular sausage than it did like lamb. I would not recommend this restaurant to my friends. Maybe I should have stuck with the things on "The Contemporary" part of the menu rather than "The Cutting Edge" section. BTW - I did enjoy the chef's murals on the walls.

Authentic Italian, the best we've found on Oahu! The murals are awesome as well. This is a delightful place to meet business clients and friends for lunch and a treat for dinner as well. The wine list is exceptional and a great value.