The 3 Best Italian Restaurants Around the Maui Area

Italian restaurants bring comfort, craft and a sense of gathering to Maui’s dining scene. In the Best of Maui readers’ choice contest, locals voted for the places they trust for handmade pasta, wood-fired pizzas and regional dishes that balance rustic tradition with thoughtful technique. Italian cooking thrives on simplicity and quality ingredients, and these restaurants reflect that approach through menus designed for both casual meals and lingering dinners.

Sale Pepe Pizzeria E Cucina blends Neapolitan-style pizza with classic Italian comfort dishes. The restaurant highlights its use of imported flours, long fermentation and a wood-fired oven to create pizzas with crisp edges and soft centers. Alongside the pizzas, the menu features house-made pastas, antipasti and entrées that follow straightforward Italian traditions. Its emphasis on simple ingredients and careful preparation gives the food a warm, homestyle feel rooted in regional techniques.

Marlow centers its identity on wood-fired cooking, offering pizzas and seasonal dishes built around local ingredients. The restaurant showcases dough made through long fermentation, producing pizzas with depth of flavor and a distinct texture. Its broader menu includes vegetable dishes, shared plates, pastas and entrées that shift with what is available. The combination of a modern atmosphere and a focus on craft makes the dining experience both inviting and refined.

Matteo’s Osteria offers a menu inspired by the flavors of Italy’s wine-country regions. Guests will find handmade pastas, seafood dishes, risottos and antipasti designed to be shared or enjoyed as part of a multi-course meal. The restaurant also highlights an extensive wine list with selections chosen to match the richness and nuance of its dishes. Its mix of classic preparations and a warm, osteria-style setting creates a relaxed but thoughtful dining environment.

– Thanks, ChatGPT.