Portland is definitely a foodie destination with an endless amount of restaurants, food trucks, coffee shops, breweries, distilleries, and bars. A night out should include a visit to some of the best bars in Portland and should be part of any Portland itinerary.
US Ghost Adventures is an awesome company that offers a variety of guided tours and haunted experiences across different cities in the United States. Visitors can learn the compelling history and stories of the paranormal and the city’s darker side. Make sure to check out the variety of tours offered in [Portland] here. They are very affordable too!
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Where to Stay in Portland
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Portland hotels here! Also, check out this post with some of my favorite Portland hotels.
The following are some of the best hotels in Portland. *means it is one of my favorites!
- Hilton Portland Downtown
- The Duniway Portland*
- Hyatt Centric Downtown*
- AC Marriott Portland Downtown*
- Moxy Portland Downtown
- Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland
- Home2Suites Portland Airport
- Residence Inn Portland Airport
- Hyatt Place Portland Airport/Cascade Station
- Hampton Inn Portland East
The Best Bars in Portland
Angel Face
Cost: $
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 4:30pm-11pm, Fri-Sat: 4:30pm-12am
Angel Face is another craft cocktail bar that has a fabulous happy hour and serves some light bites to eat. The bar is pretty small and seating is first-come first served, so keep that in mind when visiting.
What makes Angel Face one of the best bars in Portland is the cocktails designed on every individual’s flavor preferences. Visitors can share a spirit and some flavor profiles with the bartender and they will create a unique cocktail just for you!
Dame
Cost: $
Hours: Thus-Sun: 5pm-10pm
Dame is the place to go if you want one of the best wine bars in Portland. Although they serve some American-Italian fare, skip the food and go for the wine. The wine list constantly rotates and they serve a lot of natural wines from around the world.
The Emerald Room
Cost: $
Hours: Sun, Wed-Thurs: 4pm-9pm, Fri-Sat: 4pm-10pm
The Emerald Room is part of the Aimsir Distilling Company. Here you can opt to try their spirits, but they have some amazing cocktails using their spirits. It is one of the best bars in Portland due to the unique cocktails, mocktails, and light bites to eat. The bar also has a gorgeous set up and is two stories, so it is usually pretty easy to get a table.
The Green Room
Cost: $$
Hours: Tues-Thurs: 7pm-11:15pm, Fri-Sat: 4pm-12:15am
The Green Room is located underneath the Multnomah Whiskey Library and is a good alternative if you cannot get into Multnomah. This bright cocktail bar serves a wide variety of cocktails.
What makes the Green Room one of the best bars in Portland is its community support cocktail program. Each quarter, they choose a local organization to partner with and donate $1 from every seasonal cocktail.
Hale Pele
Cost: $$
Hours: 4pm-12am
Hale Pele which means “House of the Volcano Goddess” is one of the best bars in Portland and my personal favorite spot in Portland. This bar has hundreds of rums to try out as well as an extensive tropical cocktail list. It also has some light island-inspired bites to eat.
This bar gets very busy, especially on weekends, so expect a wait. The tables are first-come, first-serve and you can only make reservations for a party of 8-12. For all other groups, it is walk-in only. Visit on a weeknight for a shorter wait.
Interurban
Cost: $
Hours: 4pm-2:30pm
Interurban is a seriously underrated bar in Portland that serves craft cocktails and pub-style food. It opened in 2011 and has grown to specialize in pre-prohibition style cocktails. Interurban also has a pretty extensive whiskey list, second only to Multnomah.
The bar is pretty large, so visitors should not have a problem getting a spot. Note that after 11pm, they have a special late-night menu.
Kennedy School Detention and Honor Bar
Cost: $
Hours: Thus: 5pm-9pm, Fri-Sat: 5pm-10pm
At the McMenamins Kennedy School, visitors can opt to head to one of the many bars within this former school. My personal favorites are the detention and the honor bars. Both are small and have a cozy vibe with cocktails themed to the bar.
The detention bar has some popular aged whiskeys while the honor bar offers bright cocktails. Along with cocktails, visitors can find cigars for sale and some pub-style food.
McMenamins Broadway Pub
Cost: $
Hours: 11am-10pm
The Broadway Pub is one of the best bars in Portland due to its chill atmosphere. Visitors can opt to chill at one of the comfy booths inside or outside at the outdoor patio. It is located near Hale Pele if you need a place to chill while waiting for your table there.
Multnomah Whiskey Library
Cost: $$$
Hours: Tues-Thurs: 4pm-12am, Fri-Sun: 4pm-1am
The Multnomah Whiskey Library is one of the coolest and most unique bars in Portland and a must-visit spot for any whiskey lover. At Multnomah, visitors can opt for a whiskey cocktail or order a pour of the 2,000 whiskeys in their collection.
This member’s only lounge can be quite difficult to get into without a membership, but it is possible. You can opt to buy a “Hall Pass” for $25/person which will get you a reservation. You can also try to walk in, but be prepared to wait for several hours.
The 1905
Cost: $
Hours: Sun: 4pm-11pm, Mon-Thurs: 5pm-11pm, Fri-Sat: 4pm-1:30am
The 1905 is one of the best jazz bars in Portland. Almost every evening there is some form of live jazz music. Along with some unique craft cocktails, they serve some food and are especially known for their pizzas.
Visitors can opt to reserve tickets online ahead of time for a fee. Tickets are typically cheaper during the week and will get you a spot inside. You can also opt to walk up and sit on the patio for no charge.
Nightingale
Cost: $
Hours: Mon: 5pm-11pm, Wed-Thurs: 4pm-11pm, Fri-Sat: 4pm-12am, Sun: 5pm-10pm
Nightingale is a cozy cocktail lounge featuring food from a local Mexican restaurant. It has a very chill vibe. They have some fun names for their craft cocktails and some fun slushies, jello shots, and Sangria.
Prost!
Cost: $
Hours: 11am-2:30pm
Prost! Is the place to visit if you want a German-style experience. This neighborhood pub is the place to go with a group of friends. Along with lots of traditional German beers imported from Germany, visitors can find German food and German spirits.
Tropicale
Cost: $$
Hours: Sun-Thus: 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm, Closed Mondays
Tropicale serves Latin American and Caribbean cuisine along with delicious tropical cocktails. It is one of the best bars in Portland due to its fun and inventive cocktails. You can even get a drink served in a pineapple. Diners order at the counter and then food is brought to your table. Note that this is an outdoor bar, so make sure to dress weather appropriately.
Tini’s Mini Craft Cocktail Lounge
Cost: $
Hours: Thus-Sat: 1pm-9pm, Sun: 12pm-6pm
Tini’s Mini Craft Cocktail Lounge is one of the new bars in Portland. Here, they offer a variety of unique mini (2oz) craft martinis using Dregs Vodka. Visitors can opt to have one or a flight of three martinis of their choice. Tini’s also serves some light bites to eat.
What is unique about Tini’s besides serving mini-cocktails is that they donate 100% of their profits to local charities supporting low-income youth.
Other Best Bars in Portland
There are so many amazing bars in Portland to visit during a weekend in Portland. Hitting up the bars can be one of the best cheap things to do in Portland. Other cool bars to check out in the Portland area include the Southland Whiskey Kitchen, Retro Game Bar, Bar Norman, and Raven’s Manor.
