Nightclubs and bars in Portland

I love this place. In a neighborhood known for high prices, you can still get a $3 drink.

Okay, so you can only get that deal Mon-Fri 5-8 pm, but still... Located in the upper portion of an old Victorian house on NW Glisan right before you get to 21st (walking distance to one of Portland's two HI hostels), this martini/cigar bar has a great martini menu. My favorite is their lavender martini, but they have quite a few to choose from.

Ah, and one of my friends that likes chocolate has said their fondue for two is almost better than sex. ;)

Dress Code: Dress code??? This is Portland. Dress codes barely exist.

This is a good club if you're looking for something a little quieter than the SILVERADO. Complete with pooltable, dart boards and video poker machines, this bar is the place to go if you're not looking for a huge crowd on the weekends but still want some fun in that otherwise dull weekend.

Dress Code: Clothes are a good idea!

2 more images

Portland City Grill is located on the 30th floor of the US Bancorp Tower, better known as "Big Pink", the second tallest building in Portland. It's often described as the restaurant offering the best view in the city, and it's especially popular for happy hour. We showed up on a Wednesday night and the place was packed! Judging by the way people were dressed, most of them had obviously come straight from work, but the atmosphere was still pretty casual so we didn't feel out of place wearing jeans. Of course, all the tables by the windows were taken but when I asked a couple if I could squeeze in just to take a picture, they actually invited us to take a seat since they were about to leave (score!!). I ordered a sunberry martini while Sylvain went for a mojito, and we also ordered some happy hour snacks - the mini-burgers were especially good, and although drinks were more expensive than what we paid elsewhere during happy hour, it was totally worth paying a bit more to enjoy the view of downtown Portland at night. No wonder it's one of the city's most popular spots!

Dress Code: Semi-casual

My friend Sylvia presented a paper at the Jane Austen Society of North America AGM we were both attending and to celebrate how well she did, we decided to head out for a glass of wine before the closing banquet. We followed the concierge's recommendation and walked over to Southpark Wine Bar. Southpark is actually divided into two sections: there's a seafood grill and a wine bar. Both offer a really nice ambience, perhaps less casual than other places we'd been to, but still affordable and the staff was very friendly. We ordered some marinated olives and fried chickpeas (only $4 each and really good, especially the chickpeas), and sampled a couple of Oregon wines that our waiter recommended. I very much enjoyed the loungy atmosphere of the place, and Southpark turned out to be the perfect place to celebrate, chat and relax once the conference was over!

Dress Code: Dressy casual?!

1 more image

Kells Irish Pub is supposed to be one of the best Irish pubs in the United States (at least according to food critic Tom Horan), and it certainly is one of the city's most popular nightlife spots. I think what's made this pub a favourite with locals and visitors alike are its great happy hours followed by live Irish music every night of the week - so if you ever find yourself in Portland, say, on a rainy Tuesday night, you always have a place to go for good food and entertainment! We stopped by Kells for happy hour early on a Friday night and already the place was getting crowded, and there was a nice atmosphere all around. There was an impressive selection of appetizers offered at only $3 each, so my friend Sylvia and I decided to share a plate of Irish nachos (like regular nachos but with deep-fried potato slices instead of chips) and the gorgonzola spread. Both were really good and very filling! We washed it all down with a few pints of Black & Tan, and although we couldn't stay for the music session (we had a date with Darcelle that night!), we did hear some of it on our way back to the hotel and the band sounded amazing. This is definitely a place I wouldn't mind visiting again on another trip!

Dress Code: Casual

4 more images

Darcelle XV has been around for an impressive 37 years, and Darcelle herself turned 80 years old in November 2010. But this Las Vegas-style cabaret show is so much fun, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's been running for so long. We attended the 8:30 pm show on a Friday night and the crowd was large enough to create a nice atmosphere, but at the same time it was small enough that the performers could interact directly with the crowd - a young man with nice curly hair was especially popular with the ladies! And even I got to exchange a few words in French with Darcelle :o) The show includes a good mix of stand-up comedy and music, with the cast impersonating the likes of Cher, Liza Minnelli and a rather unforgettable rhinestone cowboy. As the MC said, bring your camera and make sure to take pictures because no one will believe you were there - definitely something fun and different to do in Portland!

Dress Code: Casual

I was refused admission to a couple of bars on Saturday because I did not have appropriate id. I had my EU driving license and while that was fine for most places, a couple of places (one of them was Dixie) said that by state law the only acceptable id for non Americans is a passport.

3 more images

The Bagdad is one of Portlands old movie theatres, dating back to a time when live orchestras were required as musical accompanyment to silent films.

The theatre was purchased by the McMenamin brothers and added to their now substantial empire of old buildings that have been restored and renovated to a condition that appeals to more modern audience.

What was once the dressing room for the orchestra is now the "Backstage Pub" and other drinking and establishments are part of the same building.

However, by far the largest purpose for the theatre remains: enjoying a movie. These days, however, about half of the seats in the theatre have been removed to make way for tables, and beer and pizza are available for purchase - as well as a number of other beverages and food common in any McMenamin's establishment.

Movies are second-run, so chances are what you are seeing here is something you have already seen, or maybe it is out on DVD already. However, at $3 a movie (the prices have been the same for years) you can barely rent the thing for what you can see it here.

The name of the theatre comes from the age of film when movies transported people to exotic, far away locations. The entire theatre has been decorated to inspire thoughts of a grand Middle Eastern palace or Turkish bath house, or some other such grand building of the Middle East.

While the movies are the primary attraction, check the schedule on the web site, as there are other special events here. In the past, this has included authors from Powell's Books (Powell's Books on Hawthorne is basically across the street), presentations on solar power, and various other one-time showings. At one time the Battlestar Galactica TV series was showing on the big screen on Friday nights. Big sports events may also make an appearance here on the big screen.

As the facility serves alcohol, those under 21 are usually excluded from entering. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, from time to time there are "Mommy Matinees" ("Crying babies are welcome" says the advertisements) or other special showings in which the facility is open to all ages.

Dress Code: Pacific Northwest Casual: wear some sort of clothing. The theatre (as are virtually all public establishments in Multnomah County) is non-smoking.