Formaggio’s Wine Bar

Photo courtesy of Oncle Tom (Flickr)

The other day, my mom and I were driving around the city trying to find a good place to have dinner.  It took me a while to think of a good spot, but thankfully I thought of Formaggio‘s, a hip wine bar that’s tucked away from the hustle and bustle just a few blocks from Waikiki.

There’s really no way a tourist would be able to find this place, as it’s on the bottom floor of the Market City Shopping Plaza and there’s only a black tinted window with an “Formaggio‘s” and glowing open sign to draw in its customers.  Right now, Formaggio’s is a local haunt, but that doesn’t mean it can’t become a great spot for tourists too.

I like to call it the ‘cave” because upon entering you have to walk down a narrow hallway and then into a den-like space where there is a wine bar and several intimate tables for diners.  Despite not having windows, the place is actually quite comfortable and has a nice glow.  The ambiance is really quite perfect for a dinner date or a drink and dessert.

There are special dishes written a chalkboard, and all of the dishes are between $8-15, which is a steal considering they serve hard-to-find dishes like escargot, crabcakes, and fondue.  As you would guess, the wine selection is quite extensive (but it’s also quite expensive — I ordered a 6 oz. glass of red and it ended up being $20!), and the desserts are quite yummy.

I hope this place gets some tourist exposure, as I’d like to see it stick around.  It seems to get its fair share of frequent customers, though, and its sister restaurant in Kailua (more of a restaurant — with big windows) is also quite popular for brunch.