PROTIP: Bars in Oregon have to serve food as long as they're serving alcohol. As a result, some of them have amazing food.
PROTIP: You can't buy alcohol (other than beer or wine) anywhere else but a state-controlled liquor store. Most of them are closed on Sundays and close around 7pm every other night of the week.
- The Night Light - This was our favorite bar just before we moved to Italy. Right in the heart of the quiet Clinton district (where we were living at the time).
- The Doug Fir Lounge - I hate to use the word swanky again but that's the only way I can describe it. The entire place is built to look like a log cabin. Used to go here all the time. Pretty good bar. The restaurant is open until 3am (or at least was when I lived there) and has some DAMN good gastro pub style food. The halibut fish and chips and burger are insane. Funny enough, I saw the GitHub guys here (including maddox and Tek I think?) after Railsconf 2008.
- Bunk Bar (also called Bunk Sandwiches I think?) - pretty awesome spot, great sandos for lunch.
- Grand Central Restaurant & Bowling Lounge - Think Mission Bowling Club but way bigger.
- The Goodfoot - one of my favorite bars in all of Portland. Rigtht around the corner from Ken's Artisan Pizza. The art on the walls is usually AMAZING. They have Fish Tale Amber on tap which was my fav while I lived up there. There are a few pool tables and there's an electronic/dance club downstairs.
- Dig a Pony - awesome western style bar. Really good drinks, plenty of room to sit usually. They have DJs a few nights a week.
- Backstage - Bar behind the Bagdad theater (which is also AMAZING) off Hawthorne. Super tall ceilings, rooms at multiple levels, pool tables. Pretty good food, tons of beer (most of which they make).
- Greater Trumps - In front of Backstage. Whiskey and Cigar bar.
- Kask - behind the restaurant Grüner. Think Bourbon and Branch or 15 Romolo style cocktails. They know their shit here.
- The bar in Portland City Grill - on the 30th floor of what we called "big pink" downtown, this place isn't really the type of crowd we hung out with but the view is worth every minute. Worth at least enjoying one slightly dirty vodka martini while sitting at a window seat. Think financial district piano bar.
- Living Room Theaters - never been, but I think it's BYOB and you just sit on a couch and watch a movie with friends or something.
- Gilt Club - Tim Burton style charis and theme sorta. Really good drinks. Also has really good food. Pretty sure this place was in the first episode of Portlandia.
- The bar inside Jamison - Great cocktails and selection of liquors.