Osteria Mozza Lanai — Restaurant in Lānaʻi

We heard the same two questions when each customer arrived: have you heard of Osteria Mozza? No. The menu was designed by Chef Silverton? OK…?

The concept of this new restaurant at the Four Seasons is fine. It’s a basic Trattoria style set in an incredible setting. The views are gorgeous. It’s a nice place to eat.

The food, however, all left the kitchen without being tasted by a chef. It’s now two hours later and we have regrets.

It started with a mozzarella menu. The mozzarella was fine but it was accompanied with an olive oil soaked bread. I love bread and it was barely edible. It needed washing down with a bottle of wine.

The pasta course was interesting. It was a single ravioli shared between two and it was still too rich. We left a half pound of butter swimming on the plate.

The fish course was the best of the three, with fish kebabs served over some grains. But it was laden with garlic. So laden that it’s clear that the food was not being tasted by the chef on the way out. So laden that hours later, I feel like I have a small rodent crawling down my throat. A rodent marinated in garlic.

To add to this, in my view restaurants need to live in symbiosis with their environment. There was nothing local, in an island that has so much to offer. Not even local fish. What a travesty.

Perhaps we are dealing with the teething troubles of a new restaurant trying to find its way. Or perhaps this restaurant is entirely the wrong concept in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And then the check comes. It’s not unexpected - you’re the Four Seasons after all - $100/person minimum for food, plus wine, plus taxes and gratuities. $400 for a couple is the low end, and you could easily breach $1000 or more for two.

That’s the nail in the coffin - if it was $100, you’d shrug and move on. At these prices it’s totally unacceptable.

My advice? Walk 50 feet to the East and book a table at Nobu. You won’t have any regrets over there.

But it does pose a problem with Four Seasons customers staying for multiple nights, because there are only two restaurants, and few if...

The service staff here is excellent—attentive, friendly, and always ready to help. However, the food falls short of expectations for a quality restaurant. The menu is somewhat confusing, and the dishes are overly simple. The dates with prosciutto were underwhelming, and the shaved Brussels sprouts felt like leftovers. The $290 tomahawk steak was particularly disappointing, as it was tough, fatty, and hard to chew. Overall, the dining experience did not meet the mark. In contrast, we dined twice at Nobu across the hall, and it was exceptional. The standout here, without a doubt, is the staff and service, but that only...

What a special dinner - the Brussels sprouts salad was divine, the caprese was unique and delicious, and the garganelli was perfect. To cap it off, the gelato pie with graham cracker crust was exquisite. But what made the night was the service - Juliet was so kind and helpful, and the rest of the staff were very attentive....