I have been a long time customer of the Verbano location on King Street, but it has been quite some time since I dined at their Waialae Avenue spot. Verbano is a small two-location restaurant franchise that serves good Italian food in an intimate setting.
Inside Verbano on Waialae
Both locations are dimly lit, with most of the light coming from a flickering candle on your tabletop. Once the sun sets that restaurant has a pretty romantic atmosphere, but remains relaxed and casual as well. The restaurant is almost always filled with the faint aroma of Italian cooking.
Verbano’s menu encompasses a wide variety of Italian dishes, but most customers choose to partake in the pasta selections. Unlike many Italian restaurants, Verbano offers two different portion sizes to each dish, affording customers with lighter appetites the chance to order a smaller portion. In addition to the extensive menu, Verbano offers a selection of wines and other cocktails from the bar.
As soon as we walked in we were seated immediately and presented with menus. Having been to Verbano many times before, I was familiar with the menu layout which separates the various forms of pasta by the type of meat used in the dish. Beef, veal, poultry, and seafood are the primary divisions on the menu.
Verbano’s House Bread
With any regular menu item Verbano provides a complimentary loaf of house bread. The bread at Verbano has always been great! Our bread (and subsequent loaves) was fresh and very hot, with a perfectly crunchy exterior. This bread is perfect for dipping in leftover sauces.
Clam Casino
Typically I have not ordered appetizers at Verbano, but tonight I decided to give the Clam Casino a try. These clams are simply cooked in a sauce of garlic, olive oil, butter, and wine. The wonderful flavor of the sauce goes well with the clams (and the house bread).
Caesar Salad
The Caesar Salad was a bit small for the price, but was fairly good in taste. If you are not a fan of Caesar salad dressings that incorporate anchovies, this particular salad is probably not for you, as the taste of anchovies is very prevalent.
Chicken Casino
The Chicken Casino is a mixture of chicken, spinach, mushrooms, and garlic tossed with spaghetti pasta and an olive oil sauce. This was a small portion, which still proved to be quite filling. While the overall taste of the dish was good, I think that a little more sauce could have been added as at times the pasta was a tad dry.
Pollo Alla Puttanesca
The Pollo Alla Puttanesca features island fresh chicken prepared with potatoes and onions. The pasta is topped with a sauce made of butter, olive oil, and capers. The individual pieces of chicken were very delicious, having that great “island fresh” taste about them. The ingredients were seasoned well, and the simple yet tasty sauce over the pasta was a great compliment to the dish overall.
Final thoughts: If you are looking for a venue to enjoy Italian cooking with an more private or casually intimate setting, Verbano might be a good choice for you. Service was excellent, tending to our table with great diligence. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very appropriate for a date or casual dinner with friends. While the food is at times varying in taste, overall I’d say that Verbano does a fair job in preparing their dishes.
| Service: |   |
Above Average |
| Food: |  |
Average + |
| Atmosphere: | |
Above Average |
| Overall Value: | |
Average + |
*Star ratings are based in comparison to similar establishments.
Verbano Ristorante Italiano
3571 Waialae Ave # 101 Honolulu, HI 96816
Phone: 808.735.1777
Monday-Saturday: 11AM-230PM for lunch, 5PM-10PM for dinner
Sunday: Dinner only 5PM-10PM
Tags: Hawaii Food, Hawaii Food Review, Verbano, Verbano review, Italian food hawaii
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