San Paolo Restaurant
Waikīkī pizza-and-wine restaurant with a Brazilian-Italian fusion identity. Expect a sit-down meal built around specialty pizzas, plus pasta, brunch, and desserts.
- dine-in
- reservations
- wine program
- brunch on weekends
San Paolo Restaurant is a Waikīkī pizza-and-wine spot with a clearer point of view than the average tourist-area pizzeria. Its Brazilian-Italian fusion identity gives the place personality, and the menu goes well beyond standard red-sauce staples with specialty pies, pasta, brunch, and dessert pizzas. For travelers who want a sit-down meal that feels a little more distinctive than quick pizza by the slice, San Paolo stands out.
What San Paolo does best
Pizza is the headline, but the appeal lies in the concept behind it. San Paolo leans into Brazilian-Italian fusion, using long-fermentation dough and imported ingredients to build pizzas that feel thoughtful rather than routine. The signatures include Brazilian Four Cheeses, Chicken with Catupiry, Portuguese pizza, Beef Mignon Supreme, Prosciutto di Parma, and Funghi, along with seafood options and dessert pizzas such as banana and cinnamon or pistachio.
The restaurant has also expanded into pasta, appetizers, salads, and brunch, which makes it more flexible than a one-note pizza parlor. That broader menu is a real advantage for groups, especially when not everyone wants the same thing. Wine is part of the identity too, so this works well as a dinner spot rather than just a casual carb stop.
The experience and setting
San Paolo feels built for a more deliberate Waikīkī meal. It is full service, takes reservations, and has the kind of setup that suits date nights, family dinners, or a group sharing multiple pies. Live music and validated parking add to the appeal, especially in an area where parking can be a headache.
The atmosphere is shaped by the restaurant’s story as much as by the menu. Owner Andre Alves De Moraes has framed the concept around the history of Italian immigration to Brazil, and that heritage shows up in the food and branding. The result is not a generic Italian restaurant dressed up for tourists; it has a more specific identity, and that gives it some welcome texture in a neighborhood full of obvious choices.
Caveats to keep in mind
The main tradeoff is value. While the business is tagged as inexpensive in some listings, the actual menu reads more like a midrange sit-down restaurant than a cheap pizza shop. Many pies land in the high-$20s to mid-$30s, with larger specialty options climbing higher. That is not unusual for Waikīkī, but it is worth knowing before heading in.
There is also a stylistic tradeoff. San Paolo is broader and more polished than a classic old-school pizzeria, so travelers looking for a very narrow Neapolitan-only experience or a fast, low-frills slice stop may prefer something simpler. The menu’s range is part of the appeal, but it also means the concept is less minimalist than some pizza purists may want.
Who it is for
San Paolo is best for travelers who want a dinner-forward pizza place with drinks, a little polish, and enough menu variety to satisfy a group. It is also a strong fit for brunch on weekends, when the kitchen adds items like omelettes, pancakes, and local touches such as a pão de queijo waffle.
It is less ideal for anyone chasing the cheapest bite in Waikīkī or a very traditional Italian-only format. For everyone else, it offers a lively, locally rooted alternative that feels more considered than the typical hotel-zone pizza stop.
