I really wanted to love this place as I've enjoyed Casanova's in Makawao (no longer affiliated) for decades. The location isn't ideal, but I've learned that ambiance isn't everything. However, the service was unfortunately a significant detractor. I understand staffing is incredibly challenging right now, and I've been there myself, running my own restaurant. It was Valentine's Day and a Friday, but the restaurant wasn't overly busy, and the regular menu was being served. Our server's style was...unusual. A strange combination of hyper-formality and rushed inefficiency. While he moved quickly, he only focused on one table at a time, leading to long waits. His overly enunciated, theatrical delivery felt performative, yet his actual service was lacking. Getting menus took ten minutes, and we had to flag him down twice to order drinks (he began walking away after I ordered mine and never even glanced at my husband). My negroni, delivered by a random runner, was unfortunately not good (erm, possibly even worst ever), and it after another several minutes I gave up and went to the bar myself. We ordered appetizers and mains together, anticipating another wait. While our waiter did check in, he didn't really listen. Dessert menus weren't offered; he seemed surprised we even wanted them. The food itself was okay, but not outstanding (for instance, the sauces offered with the seafood grill were better suited to other proteins so we stuck wit the drawn butter that came with the lobster). I suspect this restaurant might be better suited for business lunches or after-work drinks. It's just not the right vibe for a date or special occasion. I sincerely hope Giovanni (or whoever is managing the place for him) can address the service issues, as the potential is there. read more

I have been going to this restaurant since they opened and have always said I never got a bad meal from there until recently. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana from the appetizer menu and was extremely disappointed. The eggplant was cooked unevenly and was very tough. In the future I will stick with what I know. read more

Had HH drinks and ordered the spinach walnut salad and linguine vongole. The mojito was strong so asked for extra lychee syrup and it was fine. The salad was decent and the vongole was good. I wasn't that hungry so this is a blah review, but I'd go back another time if in the mood for Italian while in Maui. read more

Always great Happy Hour carafes of mojito, margaritas, or wine. The pizzas are great too. We always her their friend calamari!

It was 6p and OpenTable had seating from 6:45-8p, so I was happy to have gotten a reservation on short notice. Unfortunately this particular experience was disappointing. I usually come for happy hour or sit at the bar. I've even had a moment where the bartender spilled our drinks on us but the food & experience made up for it. So it's a bummer that my dinner experience was poor all around. The menu read "Black pepper dusted seared Ahi Sashimi" however it had large pieces of peppercorns on the sashimi. This totally killed my palate and overpowered the Ahi. The clams/mussels & ravioli were ok, could have used more flavor. My water cup sat empty for the remaining 26 minutes of our night. I even stopped eating at this point. I don't like to judge the state of busyness based on empty tables but I would say it wasn't busy since I observed my server frequent/hang out at the bar for moments at a time. In addition the host & another server gathered at the bar as well. Once my server made it over to me, I just requested the check so we could leave. The french fries were the best part of our dinner, it's not hard to please a 4 year old. read more

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Extremely mediocre food. We keep going back in hopes that it will improve, but we are disappointed each time. Tonight it felt subpar to Olive Garden. Hopefully they can step it up because it has nice potential. read more

Sat at the bar for dinner greeted everything was great it was a slow night. Bartender wasn't very friendly service was slow. Food was not that great either tipped 20% because that's who we are. Hadn't been at this location in quite some time won't be going back, Makawao location only. read more

Was looking for a nice Italian dinner for my birthday trip. We don't have any good Italian in Hilo. Definitely try the tapas menu. The lasagna was so so good. This place was amazing. Beyond expectations. Service was on point, friendly and helpful. Desert was great. Get the tiramisu. read more

Bistro Casanova - Tapas ! - Mediterranean Near Me - Kahului, Hawaii

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4/25/24 Drinks took 35mins to get to our table. I don't understand this. The restaurant was not busy, the waitress took forever to take our dinner order and kept forgetting about our table. No one cleared our plates that were empty for a long time. The staff seemed to just be having fun goofing off all night. And we still left over 20% tip because we know they need the money. But god damn man. So careless and no pride in their work. The food was same as always. The thing is, I have always supported this restaurant. They use to have this waiter who was bald that was such an aggressive over seller that we could never enjoy a meal with out him pushing us to order a lot, it was super transparent what he was doing...anyways he's gone. TYJ, but every single time I come to this restaurant which has a good location, the service is horrible. I'm seeing this island lose a lot of business not because food prices are high...if there high then raise prices fine...but the number one thing I'm seeing is how bad the service is and lack of care in restaurants now days. I don't feel bad about this review because I have supported them time and time again and still same results. I will never eat here again. read more

Can you say delicious?!? We booked reservations and was quickly seated upon arrival. It is spacious with plenty of places to sit and spaces between tables. There are a decent amount of options for drinks (with full bar), appetizers, main course, and dessert. The service was top notch. Food was delicious and I just had a sense that I needed to have the cheesecake and WOW just WOW. Not sure what made it different than others I've had through the years, but it was amazing! Definitely order that. I'll wait. No seriously I'm waiting....I'll finish with this: go eat some good food! read more

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When we got there there was a little issue in how many in our group but they made it work. We sat outside which wasn't an issue we were celebrating a birthday. So we figured this place would be nice and food . Waiter asked if we are ready to order since they do have a bigger table to attend seemed very rude and rushed. Food came out it was ok except For all the burnt potatoes we got for The price that we paid definitely should Have been better quality and service . I won't be coming back here ... read more

Bistro Casanova - Burned potatoes - Mediterranean Near Me - Kahului, Hawaii

Awful experience at dinner. Seated OK and order taken after short wait. Two appetizers ordered don't arrive until 1/2 hour later, with apologies that the kitchen was "backed up." Didn't get main course until an hour and a half after being seated. For all that, the food was acceptable at best. Scallop and clam dish was overcooked and clams were clearly old. Carbonara rigatoni cane with fettuccini instead, which was better. Spaghetti would be better yet. And yes, the charge for balsamic vinegar is $3.00 and you won't we told that when you ask for it. Needless to say we won't go back. read more

I had dinner at the Bistro f to celebrate my birthday. The hostess and waitress were friendly and efficient. I ordered a Caesar salad with anchovies which was fine. I ordered Paella and this is the only restaurant that I know of that serves it. It serves two and comes with scallops, large shrimp, mussels, clams, chicken drumsticks, calamari, sausage with tomatoes over saffron rice. It was served in a hot skillet. The seafood was excellent, the chicken was tender and all was flavorful. I was somewhat disappointed with the rice which was slight watery and overcooked. The ambiance was busy but not loud, it was quiet enough to have a great conversation. An enjoyable meal but expect to pay some good money for good food! Enjoy! read more

Guysssssss, upcountry's (Makawao) Casanova's is amazing; but Kahului's location is not it. I'm telling you, it was so bad my sister had to hit up Koho's right after. The bread was bad and idk how you mess up bread. We got their mushroom pasta and we've had it before and this time it was horrible. There was no seasonings; no salt/pepper. The restaurant was empty, and we should've known then. Drive the extra 30mins.... (P.S. we are not picky, but when hamburger helper taste better, that's saying something... not even being petty ) read more

Food was not fresh. Did not inform us that when you split your check automatic 20% gets added salad came 10 minutes after everybody was done eating, wouldn't go back to this restaurant again not for $125 for two meals read more

Right in central Kahului... unassuming and small kine hidden... you'll find Bistro Casanova on the first floor of a business building. I've actually been to this building before as my financial planner is in the building, but I never noticed this restaurant. Once there, our party had no wait as our host made reservations in advance. With that said, it is important to note that I didn't pay that evening. So that makes a big difference when reviewing. As value is not heavily weighed when making judgements. We promptly arrived about 10 minutes before the end of happy hour. We weren't attended to until literally a minute after happy hour was complete. My friend pointed that out to our waitress and she kindly accommodated one round with happy hour specials. I got my mojito and was happy. It's served in a carafe... so doubly happy They serve bread. Lots of it. I know, that seems like a standard thing to do... but some places don't anymore and when they do, it's barely enough. So I was carbo happy I ordered the cioppino and was worried that it wouldn't be enough (I have a manly appetite)... but it was perfect... and I ordered more bread to sop up the juice. Mmmm I was full and feeling happy with my mojito. But I wasn't quite done yet. I ordered dessert. The tiramisu. Gotta. Wouldn't be complete without it. I'm happy I wore pants with an elastic waist because I ate everything. Not a morsel left behind. I really enjoyed that evening. It's 4 stars and not 5 because it was really good.... but nothing stellar and unique. 5 stars are seldom given out so a 4 star from me is a heavy YES. DO IT. Don't think about it, you'll be satisfied and not leave upset. Which is a lot to be said in these times. read more

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Everything about Bistro Casanova is a win! Their staff is friendly and efficient, the food is outstanding and the location super convenient. Love it! read more

Tonight represents what I think. A happy hour is supposed to be good food good drinks, good service we sat in the outdoor table. The manager was making sure that her orders were taken. The staff were relatively present in enjoyable and the food is consistently good at this restaurant. read more

I had the $32 chicken Parmesan after a long day at work for the first time. . It was ok, but i was expecting to have it over noodles at an Italian restaurant. It came it a few veggies. I am so amazed at the small portion! Could be some way better!!! read more

Bistro Casanova - a person eating a meal - Mediterranean Near Me - Kahului, Hawaii

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In every way, Bistro Casanova was best meal we had in our entire week on Maui. We shared the sharable sized Mauka* Grill Plate.

Headed back to the hotel from dinner and words can't describe how amazing this place is. Every single member of our party of 6 (including 3 picky daughters) loved their dinner. The pasta is fresh and homemade by Pasta Chef Emanuele, who came out to check on all the tables. He was extremely kind and let us know he had only been the chef there for 6 weeks - so if you read old reviews that are negative, ignore them! He is awesome! Our server, Chanelle, was very attentive to all our needs and did so with a smile. Have someone needing gluten free pasta? We had one in our party order gluten free pasta and she said it was the best ever. This place is in an office building, so it's kinda hidden, but it's cute and comfy. We will be back next time we come over to Maui. read more

We visited this restaurant the food was good. It was very nice sitting outside for a change. Prices were slightly pricey. My chicken parm was tasty. My husbands lamb chops were very good. read more

Bistro Casanova - Lamp Chops - Mediterranean Near Me - Kahului, Hawaii

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An exceptional Restaurant. We come here whenever we can and the food is just exceptional. I love the UpCountry Salad with Fish and my husband loves their Black Linguini with Seafood. Their Pasta is always fresh as is all their food. They have Aloha and their Service and Food is always really Excellent. We never go anywhere else for Lunch because it's the best. Seating is available inside and outside so on nice days, we sometimes go outside. read more

Good food and drinks the best happy hour in town. Plenty of parking and great atmosphere read more

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Went to Casanova around 6:10. If their website mentioned happy hour we would have shown up earlier like everyone else already there. The Caesar salad was good but my raviolis were bad. Very little ricotta cheese, mainly poor tasting spinach. Sauce watery and not tasty. My guess had the clams mussels dish. It was ok but not as good as most places and way overpriced for portion. Staff nice. Ambiance extremely plain. There must be better options nearby. read more

Would give it 5 star if it had atmosphere. Thet can't help where they are : in a large building like an office complex. that being said, the food is excellent. We had the lasagna and the quinua salad. Service 5 star read more

This was a great spot! Try the "Kaeser" salad with grilled shrimp! They have mastered the ceasar dressing for sure! The crab cakes were divine! I tried angel hair pesto and prawns but the pasta was not flavorful. The happy hour is a short window but the way to go! The sign said " daily" but SADLY they were closed on Sunday. We did go twice because it was very great service and great drinks and food. If u choose a flavor for your margarita there will be an extra 2 dollar "not mentioned" charge on your bill. I had blue berry and its worth it, even without being told about the extra charge... OH and try the fruit crepe for dessert! Excellent! read more

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I had a wonderful dinner on Thurs. Aug. 22nd at Bistro Casanova in Kahului, Maui. First off, our waiter Edward was genuinely friendly and engaging. When I asked what his favorite dishes were, I could tell he was a real "foodie" and was well informed about the selections. I ordered Cioppino, one of my absolute fave Italian dishes - and WOW! It was so delicious! I've had Cioppino in many different Italian restaurants across the U.S., Canada and Italy. This was the best I've tasted and I made sure Edward let the chef know. Since I was celebrating my birthday Edward brought me a tiramisu and even lit the little candle on the table to sing Happy Birthday. Very sweet, very attentive and such an asset to this restaurant. read more

I have not eaten here in a while. The last time I did eat here the food was decent. This time I was hoping it would be good maybe even great. I was wrong. We were greeted immediately and the hostess asked if we had reservations . We did not but we're seated immediately. So I saw that as a good sign. We were given our menus by the host but no one mentioned any specials or happy hour. The waiter came by and asked if we wanted drinks or any thing other than water. We ordered a coke and a drink from the bar. We were brought 2 cokes and the bar drink. That was when the server said oh yeah it still happy hour. He then asked if we were ready to order and we decided to go ahead. On the menu it said the paella was the bistros signature dish. Honestly it was the worst paella I have ever had it was soupy and tasted burnt. The chicken was grilled but fairly tasteless the sausage was good and the seafood was ok. The rice however was not fluffy and had an underlying bitter charred flavor. We also had to ask for bread and when it came it was cold and tough. The bolognese pasta was not very good also. It had a dry but kinda flavor less taste to it. It was not a great experience all the way around. Seems more like a bar kinda vibe. Definitely not worth what we spent for a family night. Definitely recommend the up country Casanova. Better food and service. read more

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Absolutely one of the best Italians Meals I have had here in Hawaii. I feel like I am back home in New Jersey eating my Moms Home Cooking. Absolutely Superb. read more

Found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try. The pictures looked pretty good. I was staying at the Courtyard by Marriott near the airport and their shuttle brought me here. I had trouble deciding what to get so narrowed it down to a few choices and the server helped me pick. Bread comes with your meal, which was some focaccia, taro rolls and these cheesy bread sticks that I liked a lot. Got the clams and mussels in white wine and garlic ($14) as my appetizer. Comes with two pieces of toasted bread. I found this dish rather bland and even with some salt and pepper on the table, wasn't able to give it much life. Generous on the shell fish though. As my entree, I got their Fettuccine Al Sugo D Agnello, fettuccine with lamb shoulder ($18). Now that was a delicious bite! Love the consistency of the pasta, the sauce was packed full of flavor and the lamb was just so tender and fell apart in your mouth without much effort. If you check in on Yelp, you get a free tiramisu for dessert. I was way to full to have dessert. Plus I don't like coffee so tiramisu isn't high on the list. Cocktails were $12 so I stuck to water. Service was courteous but lacked personalization. My water was kept filled and was checked up upon. I guess I've been spoiled with places where you could tell the server really enjoyed their job or took time to make a connection, which makes the dining experience memorable. There were seven parties out of 25 tables, that I could count. Food took over 30 minutes to come to the table, perhaps all was made to order. I would go back to try other things. read more

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Worst service ever at this restaurant. I have been here many times before. Had a guest visiting from Kauai So embarrassed was a bad experience. Food was excellent Water server was the hardest working person in the place. Did not get our drinks until 45min after sitting down. We even got our food dishes before the drinks. I won't be back here again Telling people to not go to Bistro Cassanova. read more

Great service, delicious food, reasonable prices. Definite yes on recommended!! Pasta was al dente,perfectly cooked. Sauces were flavorful. Salads were fresh and perfectly seasoned. read more

I still love the food and the service at the bar during happy hour from Ahnjahlee was awesome. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be dining in anytime soon due to our recent experience. Our anniversary dinner plans in Wailea got cancelled since there was an accident on the highway. We didn't have reservations at Bistro Casanova but decided to see if we could grab a table if we showed up at open. The hostess greets us and tells us that our options without a reservation were to sit at the bar or wait 30 min. We opted to sit at the bar and began ordering happy hour cocktails. 5 min later an older Caucasian couple without reservations walked in and were given an option to sit at a table on the patio. We were irritated but maybe someone cancelled a reservation. Shortly after, another young local couple without reservations walks in and they're shown the bar as well. At this point we were seeing a pattern. Not sure if the hostess is racist, an ageist or just discriminates against locals, but this was unacceptable. We would have left after our first round of drinks if it wasn't for our amazing bartender. She was attentive, drinks were delicious and calamari came out quick. If it wasn't for her turning it around and providing great service, the hostess' poor service would have ruined our night. read more

Absolutely terrible service from a waitress named Rose tonight. My daughter, son-in-law and husband actually used the b word in the car when we left! They have never said that about any waitress. When my daughter and I asked a few questions about the menu, she sarcastically laughed at our questions and talked down to us. She never smiled. You can tell she hates her job. When my husband complained about the Bigoli neri al Salmone she didn't care at all. In fact she proceeded to tell him it had squid ink in it. She didn't offer to not charge him because two people at the table only ate two bites of this dish. We remember this restaurant having more class and better bread, better dishes, better drinks. Rose is rude and mainly because of her we will never be back . read more

Really disappointed. Waited awhile for entrees to come, and when they did, the lamb was very over cooked. Would have been nice to at least get offered a refire, but didn't get offered kept them barely ate them. Rice was super dry. Steak was cooked as requested, and server was nice, none of that was her fault. But toward the end a busser showed up to take our plates away and smelt like marijuana REALLY REALLY bad Like he just got out of a hot box, def won't be going back read more

We have been coming there since the first week. Today we had the absolute best service EVER! Not kidding you. Professional, prompt, informative, responsive! All of the above and more. Thanks Riley. It's certainly over due. Mahalo Maureen read more

Come for happy hour, stay for dinner. The carafes of cocktails or wine and various tapas for happy hour are a super good value. And the array of fresh pastas on the dinner menu make for a tough decision, but you really can't go wrong with whatever you choose. The service was accommodating and excellent and we were treated very well by Sal. Can't wait to come back! read more

I love their happy hour! Mojitos and the spinach, sausage and mushroom pizza are excellent. The Lasagna tapa and Bolognese entree is our favorite!!! The manager, Jill is always there pleasant and sweet. Mike the bartender is amazing. Do make a reservation though because lots to of regular customers and they do get busy. read more

Where do I start, this business is advertised as a upscale location. That is definitely not the case as most were in tshirts and the waitresses were in tights and whatever else. Walking up the lady cleaning the tables gave us a look of what I can only describe as contempt, at worst disgust. Walking in the first thing asked after 4 minutes was "Do you have a reservation", at which point I said yes and showed my phone with the reservation. That took a second for them to confirm. Dear OWNER- The staff turned away 4 parties, 1 party was 2 people, the rest were large (4+) and the staff turned them away saying they were short staffed and were not taking walk ins. There was a annoying loud customer, literally screaming at the top of his lungs and the staff said nothing to him which just made it irritating to eat. The food came slow, but one person in the party had to ask for butter with their lobster, and my steak was tough and rubbery. When the waitress came and saw I didn't eat it she asked if it was ok, I said no it is over cooked and that was the last I heard. When they came to clean up the table the manager saw them taking the steak which was about 85% uneaten and asked what happened and the waitress said "He said it isn't good"....manager walks away. Then they have the nerve for a party of 5 to charge 18% gratuity, when we felt ignored and the drinks were super slow just like the food. $60+ tip for substandard food and service, I think not. The business model seems good, but the execution is the issue. Separate the bar versus dining area, have patrons who are drinking separate from those who think they are coming to a more then casual establishment. So much potential, but it missed the mark for me. read more