Good spot to chill and catch up with friends. Service was quick and friendly. Food was also on point. Live music was also good. Love the fact that we can pick and choose different wines without having to wave down the bartender. read more

Happy Hour is from 5pm-6pm Tuesday through Friday where you can purchase a $50 card for $30 to try copious amounts of fermented grape juice! It's priced out by the ounce and they separate the whites from the reds and the desserts from the bolds. Make sure to keep your card in the machine as it dispenses your ounces. Cocktail specialties and beers are an option if you're not into wines. The Happy Hour menu is varied and affordable but you can order off the regular menu also. The Garlic Ahi is particularly delicious. Just get one of everything off the Happy Hour menu if you have no allergies, it all tastes great. I will definitely come back to try other menu choices. The atmosphere is definitely for a more mature demographic. Think more trendy bar than local pub. Service is quick and friendly, staff is attentive and keeps your water glass full. Parking entrance is on Piikoi and it's validated. read more

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I love the quality of the food, chill environment, great live, acoustic music, and...the wine. Nice variety of wine tasting. You can have much of what you like, and sample what you're unsure of. Defiantly my go to after work spot. read more

Came here for my auntie's surprise bday party and we had the whole ice bar reserved for ourselves. They should have put a sign out that indicated that it was a private party though, because people were just walking in, not knowing that there was party and it was embarrassing for them when we had to tell them that it was. This place has a cool concept for all you wine drinkers out there because you can sample the wine by the ounce when you buy their pre paid wine card to use. Its quite pricey though, just for the little few sips you get, so watch what you taste because you could be out in snap if you dont look at the prices above. Cocktails are also expensive, $8-9 for a martini. When they finally brought over the food, we had a tray of barbequed beef, some kind of spicy thai chicken, pork quesadilla, mini manapua, grilled cheese sandwiches, fries and edamame. The chicken was pretty good and the idea of mini manapuas was cute and it was good too. The sandwiches were good but really greasy and it was mostly bread with some cheese and ONE VERY THIN slice of prosciutto. Fries were good and edamame was plain, not even salted, but it was still good because you could taste the true buttery-ness of the edamame. For dessert we had a chocolate cheesecake cake and boy was that SUPER chocolately-richly-sweet. It had an oreo crust, with chocolate cheesecake, and a fudge topping. It was good but man, couldnt even finish it because it was too rich. If you love chocolate then this is definitely for you. As for the service, it was okay. They didnt really check up on us and mostly just came in to bring the food and clear the tray. Overall a 3-3.5 for food and service but since the concept is a great idea for all you wine drinkers out there i'll round it up. The ice bar is also fairly nice and the outside is also clean and chic and gives a relaxing vibe with low comfortable chairs. read more

Services are great. Wines are good too. However , the French fries was cold first order and second order also. This is the place to go after dinner. read more

If Amuse didn't charge their wines per pour of one ounce, I think I'd be pressing those buttons the same way I mash them when I play Street Fighter. Of course I would do this as no one was watching cause they'd judge me for sure, but you get what I mean. The self serve wine bar is really one of the best and most unique things about this place because just getting to press the button and watch the spigot dispense the wine I chose has me squealing in delight. If I don't like this particular type of wine, luckily I only have an ounce of it to drink, and if I do, I'll just reapetedly press that button again and again like there was no tomorrow. You got options here! I think the fact that they have a $50 wine card for only $30 before 7:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays really makes it a steal. Add happy hour to this equation cause it's only $5 for certain pupus and you'll be happy and full by the end of the night. There are about 80 wines to choose from and there are a few that get rotated every month so that you can really expand your wine knowledge. For those of you that are really into the reds, like me, this is the place for you because there are much bigger selection of reds than there are whites. However, don't be shy if you do like your whites because there is a good selection for you too. If youre not a wine person? This place has A wide variety of cocktails as well as a beer tap table. If you don't do alcohol, the food should be enough to do it cause man, that grilled cheese sandwich was probably the best I've ever had. Amuse is definitely a nice place with a classy atmosphere, good food, a wide variety of drinks and buttons for me to serve wine to myself. Plus with live music and cozy seating, makes perfect for a date night with the boyfriend. read more

I used to love this place, however that have gotten rid of the military discount as well as other discounts and shortened happy hour to 1 hour. Happy hour is now 5-6pm and unless you work directly in the area you won't make it. Disappointing!!!!! Won't be back! read more

Clean, safe, and ample parking; above average selection of savory tapas; and above average collection of vino--although in the future I would like to see more selections from France, Italy, Spain, South America, South Africa, and Portugal. Overall I was pleased, especially since Grange des Peres (a Syrah, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon cult blend from Languedoc-Rousillion-Midi-Pyrenees) was available. My only other objection is that live music in the wine bar does not work because it is so loud that you cannot have a conversation. Also, the vibrations from the large loudspeakers that are adjacent to the wine cellar presents a potentially deleterious environment for the rare, classic, and collectable wines. Just some nice mellow chillstep or chillout mixes would be perfect for both the guests and the wine. read more

Good place to just hang out, have good wine and good food. The ambiance there is chill and the right mood if you want to hang out after a hard days work. Nothing like live music. read more

Amazing array of 80 or so wines, including sakes, sherries and a couple of ports. Buy the card, put it in the machine and make your selection. Simple, right? Yes, but.... There's no info about any of the selections, other than the dimly lit labels. No fact sheets, no tasting guides. The wait staff knows a little, but the place cries out for a wandering sommelier who has it all in hand. I was lucky enough to recognize some varietals, vinters and distributors (thank you, Kermit Lynch!), but ther were many obscure wines. At these prices, though, I didn't want to run the risk of a bad choice. read more

I love the concept! I love that you can taste that expensive wine without having to buy the whole bottle. You're still gonna pay an arm and a leg though unless it's happy hour. The card is $2 and there is a $20 minimum charge on the card. Let me tell you that $20 is not enough and it goes by pretty quickly so be prepared to at least drop a 50 on your first charge or only come during happy hour. I haven't tried the food since I've only pre-gamed here before going in to dinner at Stage. The bar staff is cool and it's pretty chill with dim lighting. read more

Amuse is great for happy hour with your girlfriends. You can dress up, have a nice glass of wine, and then snack on their pupus. One of the best items is their grilled cheese sandwich. You must be thinking what? Out of all the things in the world, why a grilled cheese sandwich? The answer is simple, it has a hint of truffle essence in it!!! It is soooooooo good, it must be a sin to eat it. They also have a deal where you can spend $25 dollars (if you already have the card) and get $50 on your amuse card!! Talk about a deal!!! The wine bar is great. You can get a sample size or more depending on your mood. There is sometimes live music which adds to the atmosphere. Amuse is a great gathering spot in town. read more

Here's the concept: 1. You buy a wine card 2. You serve yourself from a selection of over 80 wines 3. They range from 80 cents an ounce to over 20 bucks an ounce. Not a wine lover? The have a bar, and a new self-serve beer tap at a few tables. It is a little overpriced, which is why I recommend coming in on wine lovers night. (Mon & Wed). Basically you get a $50 wine card for $30. But make sure to get there early in the evening because the card deal ends at 8 p.m. but of course, once you have purchased your card you are free to use it whenever. They have a pretty good selection of different events that occur weekly and monthly. If you are a singer you may want to check out open mic nights, 2nd Tuesday of every month. Also the food is pretty bomb. Get here during happy hour and try their grilled cheese, you will not regret it. The atmosphere is somewhat upscale & trendy and there always seems to be a good crowd. As with seating, its hit or miss, you may just end up standing for most of the time, waiting for a space to open up. Either way, Amuse is a great place to go to if you are looking for a trendy joint, a place to wet your wine palate, or just to grab some good food. read more

Um. This place sucks on like 30 different levels. 1) they offer water in plastic cups and the waiters are offended when you ask for it. 2) the food is generic, costco sourced, and poorly prepared. 3) they play the music way too loud. I'm all for the club - but last time i checked this place was a wine bar...in a furniture store. read more

As a working professional looking for a spot to relax after work this place was great. As a wine enthusiast, this place was just okay. So food was just right. We ordered mainly off the happy hour menu: Grilled cheese; mushrooms; baked mussels; olive mix. We also ordered the poke. All were good, especially at happy hour prices of $5 a dish. The poke was not on happy hour but it was excellent. They mix it with avocado, a shoyu reduction and yuzu among other things. It was $13 and it felt worth it. Service was great. We sat in the white room most of the time and even though they were short staffed, our server did a fantastic job of being attentive. He had to hustle because that room was full and he held it down by himself for a good hour. Bruddah was good. Okay now the wine. I was excited walking into the joint and I couldn't wait to try as much as I could. I loaded up my cards and I was ready to sample. The wine selection appeared decent although it is tailored for the moderates, which is fine. I understand they need to pick what will move/sell, I mean after all, it is a business. I still feel the urge to judge though. Whites: There was really only one interesting white on hand that night (Chimney Rock Elevage Blanc (sav blanc and sav gris blend). Most whites were new world and/or demi-sec (semi-sweet). The few old world whites were on the sweeter side too. No minerality, no complexity, and few, if any, with any solid structure. Ah well. I think this selection of whites are purposefully selected to be more approachable and are probably their best sellers so I gotta let that be. Reds: Larger inventory of reds than whites on hand. Mostly new world, but happy to see they had some old world there. The new world selections they have are true to form being predominantly fruit driven; several fruit and oak bombs . Many familiar names from Napa, Sonoma and central California.Old world selection was thin, but I was thankful they even had some. There was a Brunello a Super Tuscan and a Bandol to name a few. Though the soter (willamette) and en route (russian river) pinots were drinking nice, i didn't really have a favorite red that night. There was a chance for me to have a favorite, maybe even two, but that chance fizzled. Here's why: All the big reds (old and new worlds) were, rightfully so, priced higher ($8 - $17 per ounce). As I made my way through them, i noticed they all were near their turning point or had just turned. Flavors were beginning to mute, oxidation beginning to set in and that shoyu essence was present. Huge disappointment for me. Four of the seven big reds I tried had started to turn, the other three were very close. My hunch is, these higher priced wines don't move as quick. They likely stay out for sale longer in each dispenser, lengthening their exposure time and slowly killing each of them. Amuse probably doesn't pull the wines timely in hopes of squeezing a little more money out of each bottle. So anyone who is tasting these bigger, more pricey wines will be tasting them closer to their worst and not closer to their best,.....giving people the wrong impression of what a better made, big, or elegant wine should taste like. Its sad to know that anyone who samples these wines, and who are not familiar with wine, will now have the wrong idea about what good wine should taste like. Such a shame. So the question is, how do we represent these better made wines so they're enjoyed the way the winemakers intend them to be, and at the same time protect the profits of the retailer/bar owner ? I feel for both sides because I do appreciate Amuse and their efforts, yet cannot stand by the fact that many of the their bigger wines are not being represented well. What do we do? Amuse still gets 4 stars from me because there still are several other wines to enjoy, and the ambiance, food, svc and live music are great. I'd go back again for sure, but I probably will be hesitant to try any wine I feel has not been selling quickly. read more

This place really wow-ed me. Has a great atmosphere, can be causal or more dressed up if you like and of course the best part is ALL THE WINE. lol. Seriously so delicious you should try as many as you can I highly recommend just getting the card. read more

This is an awesome place to get a glass of wine, or two or five ;) ! Pay for a card and walk around sampling all the different wines! The brussel sprouts are to die for!! I've never had em better anywhere else in 30 different states! Highly recommend read more

Went to Amuse Wine Bar with some coworkers and this place is under advertised on purpose so you may not have heard of it but such a cool place. Happy hour had some really good and delicious appetizers and they have many different wines that you can taste per ounce by using the inspiration card. Definitely will come back. Service was iffy but the food and wine were good. read more

I came here yesterday for a girls night with my friends, and I have to admit that I love it! The atmosphere is so modern and chill. The service was a little bit slow but it was a Friday night so I'll let them pass on that one. There was complimentary valet which was pretty cool. Happy hour is amazing because most of the drinks that are originally $8-$10 are available for $5! So if you can, go during the week between. 5-7 p.m. I ordered the sexy back, which was probably my favorite drink I had that night, and the love potion no.9 which was a very floral gin drink, wasn't very fond of that one. I was gonna get an amuse wine card to do some tastings, but I figured I'd wait because there are some really good deals on other days of the week. So weekdays are best. The food is also pretty good. The mini grilled cheese was also featured in the happy hour menu for $5, it consisted of havarti cheese and a white truffle essence. So delicous! I also ordered a caesar salad, dressing was good, other than that it was your average caesar. The mushroom crostini was beautiful, it had mushrooms and goat cheese with a balsamic reduction. That was delicious! My friend had the fries with the garlic aioli, which for some reason was highly addicting. I was also lucky enough to try the brie plate and the mussels which were also very good. Over all I give this place it's props for atmosphere, well made drinks, and food! Definitely worth a try. read more

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8/30/07: Picked up a friend from the airport and we headed to this winebar for a drink. It was my first time to the Design Center, didn't get to see much of the other (modern furniture) stores since we were arriving at 10pm and everything was closed. Free garage parking (right off Piikoi), one enters directly into the building from the garage, the wine bar is on the second floor facing Kapiolani Blvd. We opened up a tab, grabbed a couple white wine glasses (tried a few reislings and gertz's) - pretty neat setup - neither of us had ever seen anything like this. With your tab open, you get a "credit card" that you slide into these wine cases (white wines are in a refrigerated case) and simply press a button to dispense the wine you want. One ounce is served with each push (price is right next to the bottle), press several times if you want the normal 5 ounce serving. I enjoyed it, the format gives you lots of flexibility to try a large variety - probably a great place if you have a large group of either undecisive or high maintenance friends. We were chatting for only 20 minutes when the attendant came around for last calls! Place closes at 10:30pm (Thursday night), alittle early I thought. If you're looking for normal sized drinks, it'll be cheaper elsewhere, if you're looking for somewhere with atmosphere check this place out. Anyways, we checked out shortly thereafter. I closed out the tab and left a normal tip. Hey, what does one tip when you self serve your own drinks? Hmmm. read more

Enjoyed the Happy Hour specials.....good food and $30 wine card!!! Awesome live music as well! Waiter was initially helpful but as night got busier, we saw less of him. Would have also liked a little more knowledge on wines from our waiter. Will still go back though! :) read more

Fun place to sample all kinds of interesting wine. Very noisy, though. Music too loud. Not a really relaxing vibe. Pupus are good. Seating looks cool, but not really comfortable or conducive to talking story--weird configuration in that little room off to the side. Overall, still worth checking out. Go early and get a discount/better deal on the wine debit card for starting your wine sampling adventure! read more

I loved the atmosphere of this place! On a Saturday night there was a live musician who apparently wasn't the regular person that plays. There was a wide selection of wines and the food was also really good. It was a good place to for a girl's night out and even an intimate date. Definitely going back! read more

Awesome place.. pour your own wine!! I love it.. A little bit hard to find, but once you do you will be very happy

Love love this place! The wine carousels are fun especially if you charge your card on bonus nights. Their food has improved substantially since the early days and I recommend the grilled cheese, sliders and bread & cheese. read more

Great happy hour from 5-7. Lots of appetizers and drinks to choose from. Cool, relaxed, and contemporary atmosphere. Wonderful wine selection. Great place to hang with your girls. read more

I was absolutely fascinated with this wine concept of purchasing a "wine card" depositing monies, and pouring my own ounces of wine. This enabled me to try various selections of wine. I think the person who came up with this innovative idea is truly a genius. The entertainment by Keola Vai (he plays Thursday nights) mixed with the very tasty food, was the perfect end to my very busy productive day! I live on Maui, and can't wait to go back and bring friends. Wish we had this on Maui!! read more

It was all right. I went for happy hour on a Thursday and the $5 cocktails deal was nice. I tried the li hing mui one (Mui Drop, I think) and I think I expected it to be better than it was. The oysters were good, but they took a while to get me my order because they couldn't find me. Waiters were nice. read more

took me a second to find it, didnt realize i had to go into inspiration first then goto the 2nd floor. great wines, gets really pricey if you're not there for happy hour. a little awkward seating as it's pretty open and you're not sure if you're in a hotel lobby or getting drinks with a friend in a private space read more

I went here a week ago because I have wanted to check out the wine. It was really fun to try the wine sample taps. They also have some good happy hour foods, that aren't crazy expensive. It seems to be a busy, happening place at happy hour. I'll be back to check it out again. read more

I had long ago bookmarked Amuse Wine Bar as a place to try, but with two kids I didn't think I'd ever actually get there. Luckily, the stars aligned. Wife didn't have to work and a babysitter was willing to watch my kids. Amuse Wine Bar has great happy hour specials. Their specialty drinks were $5 which is a great deal because they usually sell for $9-$10. We ordered 3-4 pupus and it seemed that each was better than the last. The service was excellent and there was plenty of seating. They even have live music every night beginning at 7. They validate parking so make sure you park in their lot. This place can be difficult to find (in the middle of a furniture store), but the trip is well worth it. read more

Went tonight. The manager was lousy. I'm half Japanese and this place felt absolutely awful. The red wine was way way overpriced for above room temp. YUK. They don't restock near the end of the night even at their prices so I could get some taste of something I want. No value, not worth it-- except a machine serves the bottle. Pretty F'n lousy, and I've worked in a French wine bar with over 400 wines and a cellar. read more

First time visiting yesterday and love the concept!. I enjoy wine, but not necessarily having a full glass. For me this concept suits me better, kinda like the way I like to eat, a little bit of everything rather than 1 large entree. Wait help/servers were always around, inquiring if you wanted more food, how everything was, etc. Couldn't ask for better service. There's nothing worse than having to flag down staff for a water refill or wanting to order more food, definitely NOT the case here. Had a totally enjoyable night and will certainly come back again! Also, I'm coming back for the grilled cheese sandwiches!. Goes read more

I have come here many times and have had great experiences! I was a little disappointed when trying over the last couple of days to buy 2 wine cards. I was given a bit of the run around and the manager on duty was too busy to help or speak to me. Maybe it's been a rough week. But it is leading me to take my party to another location. read more

The menu choices were nice, and the grilled cheese with prosciutto and truffles was really divine. There was really a diverse wine selection, but one ounce is so tiny! Very nice atmosphere! read more

Next time they have to put a sign that says "use a cup", comeon man... 7-11 lets me drink right out of the faucet

Music, wine, & friends - doesn't get much better! Professional & courteous staff are very helpful & know their stuff. Haven't tried their food yet as we went after they stopped serving food, but enjoyed the experience. The place is a little small so it gets crowded quick, but it's fun all the same. read more

I love wine, but wine in a dispenser? Not so much. The atmosphere isn't great, makes the entire wine tasting experience cheap. The food was so so. One time experience is enough. I'd rather go to Formaggio or Du Vin. read more

Amuse Wine Bar is a fun place for pau hana. Great interior-- sleek and modern and parking is a breeze. Service is weird-- kind of hit or miss. We really liked the $5 drinks and pupu menu especially the grilled cheese sandwiches-- oh my, so delicious, and I'm uber-picky about sandwiches. Tons of fun and definitely recommended. read more

We held my sons 30th birthday here. Super cool atmosphere, the staff was helpful and served us well. Everyone enjoyed trying out the different wines. I would definitely recommend this place to hang out. read more