Hawaii's most ambitious by-the-glass program
Waikīkī · Honolulu · Modern Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed StripSteak Waikīkī’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open the wine list at a steakhouse on Waikīkī expecting a wall of Napa Cabs and maybe a token Chardonnay, and instead you get 66 by-the-glass options. Sixty-six. That number stops you cold. This is not your average resort steakhouse wine program — someone actually thought about this.
The list spans Champagne (Michel Gonet, Moët, Gosset), white Burgundy territory via Billaud-Simon Chablis, Alsatian-adjacent Germany with Dr. Loosen's Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett, and a red lineup that runs from Sokol Blosser Oregon Pinot to Turley Zinfandel to Chateau de Pez St. Estèphe. There's even a Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas in there, which is genuinely exciting to find poured by the glass in Hawaii. The gaps are real — no meaningful Italian reds, thin on South America beyond a Zaha Malbec — but the breadth across regions and styles is legitimately impressive for a hotel steakhouse. The old-world presence keeps it from feeling like just another California-heavy list.
With 66 pours available, this is essentially a wine bar that also serves ribeye. The range by the glass is the whole story here — from a $23 Dr. Loosen Riesling to a $46 Gosset Grand Rosé, you can build your own tasting menu before the bread basket arrives. The pricing by the glass runs steep, as you'd expect in Waikīkī, but the selection more than justifies the browse.
Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Riesling 2021 — $23/glass
One of Germany's most respected single-vineyard Rieslings, poured by the glass at a price that doesn't embarrass itself. Off-dry, precise, and a genuinely smart call next to anything rich or fatty on the menu. In a program full of $30-plus pours, this is where your money goes furthest.
Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits Grenache 2020
Most people at a steakhouse are reaching for Cab, which means the Santa Duc Gigondas sits there quietly at $28 a glass being completely underordered. This is serious southern Rhône Grenache from a domaine that punches well above its profile in the US — garrigue, dark fruit, texture. Skip the safe bet and drink this.
Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut
At $37 a glass for a wine you can find at any grocery store in the country, this is the most transparent markup on the list. The Michel Gonet Blanc de Blancs is right there for $34 and is a vastly more interesting bottle. Moët at this price point is just paying for the name.
Chateau de Pez St. Estèphe Bordeaux Blend 2017 + Dry-aged prime ribeye
St. Estèphe has the structure and tannic grip to actually stand up to a serious dry-aged cut without getting swallowed by the fat. Chateau de Pez is a reliable, classically styled Bordeaux — earthy, firm, built for red meat. This is the steakhouse pairing the list was quietly waiting for someone to order.
The Bottom Line
StripSteak Waikīkī pulls off something genuinely rare: a hotel steakhouse wine program worth paying attention to, built almost entirely around an extraordinary by-the-glass selection. The prices reflect the zip code, but if you're eating steak in Waikīkī anyway, this is the room to do it in.
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Plays It Safe
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Basic Stemmed
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Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Latin American / Tasting Menu
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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.
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Willing but Green
Occasional
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Crowd Pleasers
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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
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· 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
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