Solid pours, zero pretense, good vibes
Kakaʻako / SALT · Honolulu · Hawaiian-inspired / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Moku Kitchen’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Moku Kitchen isn't going to make you put down your phone and pay attention — but it's not trying to. This is a casual, wood-fired, neighborhood spot in Kakaʻako, and the wine program matches the room: approachable, unpretentious, and built for people who want something cold and easy alongside their burger. What surprises you is how fair the pricing is, especially for Honolulu, where everything costs more and no one apologizes for it.
We're squarely in recognizable-brand territory here — Joel Gott, Meiomi, Kim Crawford, La Marca. If you've been to a casual chain restaurant in the last decade, you've seen this list. There's no deep regional focus, no indie producers hiding in the back half, and nothing that's going to make a wine nerd linger. The California and broader New World selections cover the bases — Cab, Pinot, SB, bubbles — without any real surprises. It plays it safe, but it plays it competently.
Glass pours run $9–$16, which is genuinely reasonable for a Honolulu restaurant, and the selection covers the main bases without overcomplicating things. Don't expect a rotating program or any seasonal additions — what's on the list is what's on the list. If you want variety week to week, look elsewhere; if you just want a decent pour at a fair price, you're fine here.
Meiomi Pinot Noir — $14
At $14 a glass for a bottle that retails around $18, you're actually beating retail on a pour — which almost never happens at a restaurant. It's not a serious Pinot, but it's fruit-forward, easy-drinking, and genuinely good value for what it is.
La Marca Prosecco NV
Most people walk past the bubbles at a burger-and-pizza spot, but at $12 a glass — below retail — La Marca is a legitimately smart order. Crisp, light, and it cuts through the richness of anything wood-fired on the menu. Order it and feel slightly smug.
Imagery Sauvignon Blanc
With Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc on the same list at similar pricing, Imagery is the third-string option here. Kim Crawford is the known quantity for a reason — better fruit, more consistent bottle to bottle. Unless Imagery is priced notably lower, there's no reason to reach for it.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Crispy Brussels Sprouts
The bright acidity and citrus snap in Kim Crawford cuts straight through the char and any richness in the Brussels preparation, and it keeps the whole thing feeling light. It's a casual pairing, but it's a correct one.
The Bottom Line
Moku Kitchen isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable neighborhood spot that doesn't gouge you — and in Hawaii, that alone earns real points. Send a friend here for dinner, not for the wine list, but tell them the prices won't sting.
Kahala · Honolulu · Italian
Arancino at The Kahala is doing something genuinely unusual for a hotel-adjacent Italian restaurant in Hawaii — it's built a list around obscure Northern Italian producers that most diners won't recognize, and that's exactly the point. Markups are on the steeper side and we can't vouch for glassware or staff knowledge from the available data, but the wine selection itself earns respect. If you know your Nebbiolo from your Barbera, this list rewards attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Seafood
Mina's Fish House isn't building a wine program — it's building a dessert wine moment, and that is a genuinely uncommon thing to find at a restaurant of this profile. If you're eating dinner here, you'll need to source your table wine elsewhere on the menu or order cocktails; this list doesn't cover that ground. But if you want to close out a Four Seasons meal in Honolulu with a glass of 2013 Tokaji Aszú or something out of the Madeira cellar, this is a quietly excellent place to do it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian
Quiora isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't need to be — it's a 22-label Italian restaurant list on a rooftop in Waikiki with an ocean view doing the heavy lifting. But the list is genuinely considered, the glass-pour selection is deep for the size, and pricing is fair by hotel standards. If you're eating here, drink the Tintero rosato or the Selbach Riesling and enjoy the sunset.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian / Californian Coastal
Botanico is doing something genuinely unusual for Waikiki — building an Italian-forward wine list with real regional depth and mostly fair pricing in a place where restaurants routinely treat wine as an afterthought. The by-the-glass program alone is worth a seat at the bar. If you care at all about what's in your glass, this belongs on your radar.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Hawaii Regional
Moku Nui is a casual Hawaii Regional spot that has no business running a wine list this thoughtful — and we mean that as high praise. Fair glass prices, a sommelier clearly making intentional choices, and enough variety to reward the curious drinker. If you're eating here, skip the default beer order and let someone at the table order the Vouvray.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Seafood
Azure is a genuinely lovely place to drink wine — the setting does a lot of heavy lifting and the France-Italy-Hawaii focus is a sensible match for the island seafood menu. Just go in knowing resort markup is real, and if the tasting menu with wine pairing is available, that's likely your best shot at getting something memorable poured without having to guess blind from the list.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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