Paolo's Bistro - Orchidlands Estates

We were there less than 15 minutes....There were two bugs on the table (only in front of MY plate), they were running out of food, and the waitress accused us of being underage (even though all of us had our ids including our designated driver who wasn 't drinking). After half of our group left (because we refused to eat there) the other half was pressured and guilted into ordering more! We were told we were lucky to be there and we wouldn 't get this food anywhere else except italy, but I wouldn 't even drink the water. ZERO stars.

Seriously, an Italian restaurant in Pahoa? Yes, and it's fantastic. Very quaint dining room and great service. But the real star is the food. Forget about the online menus as Paolo decides what he's cooking based upon what he buys and is inspired to make. And he's a character too. Hopefully you'll get to experience not only his food but also a lovely discussion.

Paolo's was recommended by a friend as a great Italian restaurant. We ordered ravioli bandiera for appetizer, pappardelle and cacciucco alle livornese for main course. Fir a start, the lights were flicking in the salon and came to a complete shut down at the area we were sitting at. We could hear very loud noises coming from the kitchen, from Paolo looking for his new knife through pans and other silverware. It took one hour for our food to arrive, all together. The cacciucco was tasteless, the appetizer and the pappardelle were overcooked. Overall, a very bad experience. We are not coming back

EXCELLENT Italian food cooked by Paulo himself. The atmosphere feels like my Nani's home with clean cotton tablecloths for each new table of guests, the aroma from the kitchen wafting through, the old time photos and art...this is homey and humble, the waitress is more like a beloved sister as she takes care of everything in the room. The BEST Italian food I have had in a very long time, and I live near San Francisco with lots of choices. Highlight for me was the seafood linguine with homemade squid ink noodles. $48 total for two dinners and a shared divine tiramisu.

This is only the second time I can remember being moved enough by a meal to write a yelp review. Paolo's is the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy. If you're ever anywhere on the Big Island it is worth the drive to Pahoa. You should call for reservations but my friend and I were lucky to stumble in to an inadvertantly open door as they were prepping for evening service. The waitress, Jennifer, was in the midst of (very politely) telling us they were booked for the night but Chef Paolo interrupted and insisted she seat us in a small table in the corner. We then got to watch Jennifer and Chef go about the business of opening up the place and their banter alone supplied as much ambience and charm as any fine dining experience I've had. Eventually, Jennifer was done with opening duties and on to hosting. She took exquisite care of us even as the other eight tables quickly filled with guests, most of whom appeared to be repeat customers. My friend had stuffed mussels and I had the fish of the day but that hardly begins to describe the meal. Chef Paolo tweaks the menu every day based on what's available at local farmer's markets and naturally in-season. He also handmakes his own pasta. He is from a small village in Italy and has lived in the islands for decades and the result is fantastically fresh amazingly authentic Italian food with local flavor spikes like squid ink. And don't get me started on the tiramisu--a dish that even good Italian restaurants manage to eff up regularly, imo--the lady fingers's texture was precisely spongey enough and the sweetness to alcohol ratio in the flavoring was flawless. I doubt I will eat this well in an Italian restaurant for several years, unless, of course I can find my way back to Pahoa (or perhaps Naples) in the meantime.