Hawaii's Most Unexpected Wine List, Full Stop
· Honolulu · Vietnamese · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 3, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Pig and the Lady’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a Vietnamese restaurant in Honolulu and the wine list opens with Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé and a Hungarian pet-nat. That's not an accident — someone here actually cares. At 27 labels, this isn't a deep cellar, but it's curated with a point of view you rarely see at this price point or cuisine type.
The list leans hard into whites and sparklings, which makes complete sense given the food — bright, acidic, aromatic wines that can actually keep up with fish sauce and herbs. You've got Loire representation via Domaine Pierre Martin Sauvignon Blanc and Domaine Huet Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec Chenin Blanc, a Paltrinieri Lambrusco that no one expects to see in Hawaii, and a Selbach Riesling Kabinett that's been cleverly named 'Ahi' — a wink to the local audience. Reds are thin but intentional: Soter Planet Oregon Pinot Noir and a La Quercia Montepulciano hold down the red column without overshooting. The Champagne section features three labels including Laurent-Perrier Blanc de Blancs and Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé — aspirational bottles that read as genuine enthusiasm rather than upsell bait.
Thirteen pours from a 27-bottle list is an unusually high ratio — nearly half the cellar is available by the glass, which is a gift. Prices run $10–$16/glass, with the Selbach 'Ahi' Riesling at $12 being the obvious entry point and the Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc and Soter Pinot Noir both available at $16. There's even an alcohol-removed Mionetto Prosecco at $15 for the sober-curious crowd, which shows some range in thinking.
The Bottom Line
The Pig and the Lady is running one of the most thoughtful small wine lists in Honolulu, and the fact that it's attached to a Vietnamese restaurant makes it even more interesting. If you show up expecting a standard Southeast Asian wine afterthought and find Domaine Huet Chenin Blanc and a Hungarian pet-nat, you should probably order both. This is the Wild Card badge in its purest form — surprising, intentional, and worth your attention.
Waikiki · Honolulu · Steakhouse
BLT Steak Waikiki is a competent, crowd-pleasing steakhouse wine list in a setting where you're mostly paying for the view and the popovers. If wine is central to your evening, call ahead and ask what's actually open — the list's documented depth isn't enough to guarantee a great bottle without some homework. Come for the porterhouse, manage your wine expectations.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Hawaii Regional
Mud Hen Water's wine list is small, smart, and priced without the island markup you'd expect. It won't overwhelm you with options, but the options it has are well-chosen — and the ability to glass-pour every single bottle means you can explore freely. If you're eating there, skip the default and work through the whites.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Chinatown · Honolulu · American Brasserie
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.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· 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
Atlanta · Atlanta · Vietnamese
NAM Kitchen is doing something genuinely unexpected: running a thoughtful, fairly priced 68-label wine list inside a Vietnamese restaurant, anchored by a strong sparkling section and some legitimately food-smart white wine choices. If you're the kind of person who wants a real glass of wine with your bún bò Huế, this is worth knowing about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Vietnamese
Ba Bar is the kind of place that makes you rethink what wine belongs next to a bowl of pho — and gets the answer right. It's not a wine destination, but it earns its Wild Card badge by caring more than any Vietnamese street food spot has to.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
University Avenue · Minneapolis · Vietnamese
Ngon Bistro isn't a wine destination, but it's doing more than its genre requires — fair prices, a Gruner that earns its spot, and a list that at least tried to match the kitchen. Come for the pho burger, grab the Gruner, and be pleasantly surprised.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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