Élan is a late-night French-inspired wine bar at 1236 Waimanu Street in Honolulu, upstairs from Hangang Korean Grill House, near Ala Moana Center. It soft-opened on Halloween night. The room has a U-shaped bar and a few café-style banquette tables, with about 28 seats.
There is no printed wine list. Guests tell the server what they usually like to drink, and the team pours from a collection of about 160 bottles, mostly French with some Italian and Spanish wines. Abraham Kim, a former sommelier at R. Field Wine Company, leads the wine program, with help from master sommelier Patrick Okubo. Most plates are à la carte and made for sharing; opening-night dishes included a crab roll, truffle arancini, a burger, steak au poivre, ravioles in clam beurre blanc and poularde vieille.
Élan is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. Reservations are not taken; seating is first-come, first-served. Owners Jared Brown and Levina Moy opened the bar after closing Little G Café and Fat Cheeks earlier in the year.
Featured in Oahu Local: Élan, a Late-Night French Wine Bar With No Wine List, Opens Near Ala Moana.