San Paolo Pizzeria — Restaurant in Honolulu

A pizzeria that delivers a slice of Brazil in Waikiki. The staff, almost entirely from Brazil, exude that unmistakable Brazilian warmth and hospitality. As I take my seat and peruse the menu, memories of São Paulo's bustling pizzerias come rushing back. With pizza toppings ranging from traditional to wildly inventive, I recall the late-night gatherings and animated discussions over Palmeiras futebol and Lula politics. Then, there’s Rio de Janeiro, with its open-air pizzerias—I can almost hear the bossa nova playing in the background. Here in Waikiki, I’m eager to see if this pizzeria can capture those cherished memories. The restaurant is spacious, complete with a bar and a live music stage, evoking the nightlife of Rio. The menu featuring a variety of Brazillian pizzas that would make any paulistano or carioca feel at home. I ordered a Brazilian Portuguese-style pizza. The first layer is the tomato sauce, spread evenly across the crust. This is followed by a generous layer of mozzarella cheese, melted to perfection. Smoky and slightly salty ham is scattered across the pizza. Slices of hard-boiled eggs are artfully arranged on top, adding a satisfying texture that pairs well with the ham. Black olives dot the pizza, providing bursts of briny flavor that contrast nicely. A drizzle of olive oil adds a slightly fruity note, giving the pizza a slight sheen. Green peas are sprinkled throughout, their sweet and tender bites adding an unexpected twist. Thinly sliced onions are spread across the top, contributing a hint of sweetness and a slight crunch. For anyone seeking the unique flavors of a Brazilian Portuguese-style pizza, this is the spot in Waikiki. For me, it’s a journey back to Brazil, offering a taste of SP and RJ right here in Hawaii. I enjoyed engaging with the staff, sharing stories and a mutual love for Brazilian cuisine...

This is such a gem as the flavors and vibe are unique to Waikiki. I was impressed with the well decorated space and the live music that just really set the tone for a great time. There were 3 others in my party, and we were excited to try out a few things.

For apps we ordered the Caesar salad, polenta fries, and parmesean crostinis. They were able to accommodate our non-meat eater by having the pancetta bits on the side for the salad. Salad was delicious and came chopped. Polenta fries were extra crispy and had a tasty dipping sauce along with it. The crostini parmiagiano was delicious with a nice rosemary kick - would've loved a marinara dipping sauce for this though. For our pizzas, we did 2 San Paolo size pizzas, each half a flavor. The first was a Margherita and Quattro Formaggi, and the second was the Portuguese and Calabresa & Catupiry. I LOVED the Calabresa & Catupiry, which is a Brazilian smoked sausage and type of creamier cheese. The thinly sliced onions on top added a nice brightness, and the sausage was plentiful. The others pizzas were also good, but I clearly had my favorite. Cocktails were pretty good - we mostly stuck to the classic Caipirinha. For dessert we had the chocolate strawberry, which was also pretty good but at that point we were stuffed on dough. I would've preferred for the strawberries to be sliced so that you could get a strawberry with every bite rather than a chunk of strawberry. Service was friendly, although I had to ask for condiments a few times and it took a while for them to check in on our table when we were hoping to order more drinks.

I appreciate that parking in the Marina garage right around the corner is validated for $5. Reservations were easy to make online, and seemed necessary for a Friday night as there were quite a few parties waiting. Be sure to check out their live...

I'm a bit 'tistic, especially when it comes to researching. San Paolo appeared on my radar as I looked into places to visit while my girlfriend and I visited Hawaii. I could not be more happy with my decision. It made our visit, even though we spent a LOT more at a nearby steakhouse that seemed, in writing, to be a better experience (it was not.)

Our server, Carolyn (Caroline?), admitted she was new but handled us so well, we had no idea. She was on it! She took care of every aspect of our night. Made us feel just... at home. She said she had been a server for many years before and it showed! My girlfriend and I even talked about her when she left.

She recommended drinks, apps, and different pizzas based on the conversation we had.

We went to a few other places that were just typical tourist spots so I haven't reviewed them. Carolyn stood out above everyone else and made the whole night so I had to leave a review. And I'm not a hardcore reviewer.

Her recommendations from the polenta (my GF told her I make really good polenta at home) to the pizzas were perfect. We let her choose our drinks after seating and she nailed them.

Polenta was awesome, it's actually fried, which I've never made or had before. Pizza combinations were unlike any other we've ever had. My advice: decide on halves!

Quality ingredients, great combinations, and well poured drinks.

Highly recommend San Paolo. And if you can, ask for Carolyn! The food and her service WILL make your stay.

Truly memorable food and service. You'll never have pizza and service like this again.

Also, she validated our parking even though we forgot all about that. We both agreed that was even more tip for her. Nailed...