Sky-high list, sky-high views, sky-high tabs
Bellevue · Bellevue · Asian, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Ascend lands like the room itself — ambitious, polished, and fully aware of how good it looks. We're talking 400-600 selections anchored by France, California, Oregon, Washington, and Italy, backed by two named sommeliers who clearly built this thing with intention. This is not a list assembled by a restaurant that threw wine on as an afterthought.
The regional spread is genuinely strong: California heavyweights like Caymus, Silver Oak, Kistler, and Opus One share shelf space with Washington loyalists like Quilceda Creek and Leonetti Cellar — two bottles that deserve more attention than they get outside the Pacific Northwest. France holds its own with Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet and Chateau Margaux, and Italy checks in with Sassicaia. Oregon isn't forgotten either — Domaine Drouhin pins down that corner nicely. If there's a gap, it's that the list leans heavily into the greatest hits; adventurous drinkers looking for grower Champagne or left-field Italian varieties will have to dig. But for a high-end steakhouse-sushi hybrid perched on the 31st floor, the depth is real.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious commitment at this price point, with options running $14-$30. That range gives you genuine flexibility — you're not stuck choosing between one white and one red. The program reflects the broader list's strengths, so expect California Cabs and solid French options to dominate the pour list.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir — null
In a list loaded with California muscle and French prestige bottles, Domaine Drouhin is the quiet overachiever. It's serious Willamette Valley Pinot at a price that doesn't require a second mortgage, and it's the kind of wine that actually plays well with both the sushi and the steakhouse side of this menu. Order it before your table defaults to Caymus on autopilot.
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Most tables here go straight for Silver Oak or Opus One because the names are comfortable. Quilceda Creek is a Washington state Cab that belongs in the same conversation — cult status in the Northwest, cult-level quality, and still somewhat under the radar for guests flying in from out of town. If you're sitting 31 floors above Bellevue, drink the wine that comes from the dirt you're looking at.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
At $225 on the list, you're paying a significant premium for a wine that retails at a fraction of that price and has become essentially ubiquitous on every steakhouse list in America. It's not a bad wine — it's just not a good deal, and the list around it offers far more interesting places to put your money.
Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon + Wagyu Filet Mignon
Leonetti is structured enough to stand up to the richness of Wagyu without steamrolling it, and there's something fitting about pouring a Washington icon alongside one of the menu's marquee plates. This is the local bottle that earns its place at the table instead of just riding a famous label.
Monday — Half-price wine night every Monday — the single best reason to rearrange your week.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Ascend is the real deal — a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence recipient with the list to back it up and sommeliers who actually know it. The markups are steep across the board, so come with a strategy: lean into the Washington producers, grab a glass program pour before committing to a bottle, and let Monday's half-price deal do the heavy lifting if your schedule allows.
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Southern Italian
Carmine's is a dependable wine experience in a room that earns it — the Italian backbone is solid, the Marc Hébrart alone proves someone cared when building this list, and 13 by-the-glass options gives you real choices. Just mind the markups and steer away from the California name-drops.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Redmond Town Center · Bellevue · Steakhouse and Seafood
Matts' isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. The Pacific Northwest focus is smart, the by-the-glass picks punch above the room's casual energy, and $9 oyster bar pours during happy hour is a deal worth showing up for.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bellefield Office Park Area · Bellevue · Upscale American Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Bellevue is a reliable machine for a certain kind of corporate dinner — but the wine list is a profit center dressed up as a wine program, and the markups make that clear. Order the Belle Glos, catch Ruth's Hour if you can, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that actually cares.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bellevue Square · Bellevue · Asian, Chinese-inspired
On a Wednesday, P.F. Chang's Bellevue is legitimately worth pulling up a chair for wine — half-price bottles with recognizable labels is a deal you won't find at most actual wine bars. Any other night, the list is competent but overpriced for what it is, and you'd be better off sticking to the cocktails.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Lincoln Square · Bellevue · American, Global/International, Seafood
Earls Bellevue isn't going to wow any wine nerds, but it's a genuinely solid operation for what it is — fair prices, a few legitimately good bottles, and one of the best mid-week deals in Bellevue if you time your visit right. Come on a Tuesday or Wednesday and grab the Lingua Franca at half price; you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Contemporary Vietnamese
Monsoon Bellevue earns its Wild Card status: a focused Pacific Northwest wine list in a Vietnamese restaurant context is a genuinely smart move, and Wednesday half-price bottles make this one of the better midweek wine deals in Old Bellevue. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Pinot, and let the kitchen do the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.