Chinatown's Warmest Bet for a Solid Pour
Chinatown · Honolulu · American Brasserie · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 3, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Livestock Tavern’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Livestock Tavern lands in Honolulu's Chinatown with a polished, whiskey-forward bar vibe that signals cocktails-first and wine-second. The wine program appears to cover the expected bases — Italy, France, California, New Zealand, Germany — which is a reasonable spread for a seasonal American brasserie. It's not a wine destination, but it's not an afterthought either.
The regional breadth here is genuinely decent for a Chinatown tavern: the list touches Old World stalwarts alongside New World options, suggesting someone made considered choices rather than just calling a distributor rep and saying 'send whatever.' That said, with no deep-cellar ambitions and a bar-forward identity, don't expect rabbit-hole browsing. The list likely skews toward crowd-pleasing varieties — think approachable reds and whites that work alongside the smoked prime rib and braised beast dishes. Gaps in grower Champagne or esoteric natural pours are probable, but the bones are solid.
By-the-glass details aren't publicly documented in enough specificity to make confident calls on count or rotation. Given the brasserie format and lively bar scene, a workable pour selection is almost certainly on offer — just don't expect a rotating by-the-glass program with weekly surprises. If you're unsure what to order, ask the bar staff; they tend to know the room even if they're not deep-cut wine geeks.
The Bottom Line
Livestock Tavern is a genuinely good neighborhood hang with a wine list that supports the food without embarrassing itself. The pricing skews steep for Honolulu (not unusual in Hawaii), and the program won't wow a devoted wine nerd — but if you're going for the smoked prime rib or the tavern burger, there's something on this list that'll do the job. Go for the atmosphere and the kitchen; treat the wine as a reliable co-pilot, not the main event.
· Honolulu · Steakhouse
Morton's Honolulu gives you a competent, Cabernet-saturated list that will reliably satisfy the guest who came for a big steak and a big red — just don't expect any surprises, and watch the markup on the entry-level bottles. Send a friend here if they want comfort, not if they want discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Latin American / Tasting Menu
El Cielo earns its reputation on atmosphere and food, but the wine program is a black box — and in a city where you're already paying tourist-tier prices, a list you can't see or trust is a list you should probably skip. Order a cocktail and save the wine night for somewhere that wants to earn it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikīkī · Honolulu · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Waikīkī is a dependable splurge for steak night, but the wine list is corporate comfort food — Napa-forward, markup-heavy, and unlikely to surprise you. If wine is the point of your evening, this isn't your destination; if steak is the point, it'll get the job done.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Waikiki · Honolulu · Seafood / Steak
Chart House Waikiki is giving you a safe harbor, not a destination — the list is functional, the by-the-glass selection is surprisingly broad, and a couple of smart picks exist if you know where to look. Come for the ocean views and the fish; just don't expect the wine list to match the scenery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Honolulu · Honolulu · Hotel Wine Bar
Vintage 1901 is a well-organized hotel wine bar doing exactly what it should — giving visitors something better than the minibar without demanding too much effort or knowledge. The port program is legitimately great and worth your time; the rest of the list is competent, if a little sleepy on value.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Rooftop Wine Bar
Tchin Tchin is a perfectly pleasant place to drink wine with a view, and nearly everything being available by the glass means you can graze without committing to a bottle. Just don't come expecting discovery — come expecting a solid pour and a great sunset.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Shirlington · Arlington · American Brasserie
Carlyle won't change your relationship with wine, but it won't ruin it either — and on Tuesday, when everything on the bottle list is half off, it briefly becomes one of the better deals in Shirlington. Come for the prime rib, order the Jordan, and call it a good night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· San Francisco · American Brasserie
Zuni Café's wine list is a small, sharply focused document with a clear point of view — if grower Champagne and thoughtful California whites are your thing, this list will make you very happy. Markups keep it from being a steal, but the curation earns its keep.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Fox Point · Providence · American Brasserie
Red Stripe is a reliable neighborhood anchor with a list that covers the bases without taking many swings — markups lean steep, but the by-the-glass depth and Albariño-lobster combo alone make it worth showing up for. Send your friends here when they want wine to complement a nice dinner, not steal the spotlight.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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