The Scene: Quarters are tight inside this bare-bones neighborhood bottle shop and wine bar. It’s encouragingly littered with maps, not to mention the line of refrigerators packed with beers, ciders, and, of course, wines from around the globe. But the enclosed, heated patio, furnished with a walk-up window, is sizable—the perfect spot to pop a bottle with a few friends, or grab a glass solo with a book. 

The Wine: Some of the most affordable glasses (and half glasses) in town. A Jean Philippe Blanquette de Limoux brut currently tops the list at $12 per glass. Also, notably, there is no corkage fee. Small producers are given special preference in sourcing, and many examples of both natural and conventionally vinified wines are abundant.

Of Note: There is no food menu, but you’re welcome to bring takeout.

1465 NE Prescott St

The Scene: Casual house party. A literal garage (the rest of the building hosts several artist studios), the space is warmed up by a few scattered rugs, plants, and bits of furniture. The anonymously named bar has grown just slightly more sophisticated in its young age: they’ve recently, and excitingly, added a bathroom—a stark upgrade from the former porta-potty out front.

Origin Story: Born of a hairbrained pandemic idea to open “some kind of a bar,” three friends with backgrounds in design and bartending collaborated to bring this Southeast Portland “wine garage” into existence.

The Wine: All wines are natural and served in squat Spanish bodega glasses called chatos, meant to prevent drinkers from taking themselves, or the wines, too seriously. A rotating menu of glass pours glows from a backlit lightbox that serves as the bar, and a modest but well-curated selection of bottles fills out a shelf behind it.

Come For: Wine tasting Wednesdays offer budget-friendly ($15) flights, often themed around a visiting winemaker or specific region. Most nights, DJs take over the space, and bites from various chef pop-ups and the Japanese-inspired food cart in the parking lot, Snackies, can be had.

916 SE 34th Ave

The Scene: The crowd is relatively young; the party regularly spills onto the sidewalk on SE Belmont, often goes late, and usually involves a DJ. 

Origin Story: An offshoot of the adjacent bottle shop, Ardor, it appears just as coolly ad hoc as it is: A cobalt blue bar top and pendant lights shining in primary colors are the only contrast to the gallery-like white walls and concrete floors, save a scant few plants.

The Wine: Expect an eternally rotating selection of strictly natural wines, from hard-to-find producers around the globe. Glass pours change daily and are scribbled on a mirror behind the bar. Aligoté from Willamette Valley winery Grape Ink was a highlight on a recent visit. Bottles to choose from are just as diverse, and you’re encouraged to find them yourself: “dig through the fridge,” a sign reads.

Come For: VHS movies playing on a loop. Watch the bar’s Instagram for regular winemaker takeovers, featured DJ sets, offsite parties, and the odd karaoke night.

4243 SE Belmont St, Ste 300

The Scene: One of the best street-corner patios in the city, opposite the Clinton Street Theater, and at the epicenter of the Clinton Street bicycle thoroughfare. Order some Tiny Fish Co. tinned fish and people-watch to your heart’s content.

The Wine: Strictly natural wines, with an exciting daily glass-pour menu and a healthy bottle list that’s also available for retail purchases. Ask questions: this spot takes a lot of the presumed exclusivity out of the natural wine game, making a wealth of natural wine knowledge highly accessible, though far from required. 

Origin Story: Revered sommelier and author Dana Frank opened this homy, eclectic bar named for her grandfather after managing some of the best wine lists in the city, including at Ava Gene’s and Dame.  

Come For: On an opportune night, you’ll find Bow & Arrow winemaker, and Frank’s husband, Scott, DJing atop the staircase that looms over the beautiful, antique-filled space. Watch the bar’s Instagram for myriad events, from chef pop-ups to winemaker takeovers. It’s infallibly a good time.

2615 SE Clinton St

The Scene: A slew of sidewalk tables and a generously sized bar indoors make up this slightly upscale bottle shop/wine bar. But don't worry—the stacks of cardboard wine cases strewn throughout the shop let you know they're more focused on the wine than your sandals and T-shirt.

The Wine: A selection of more than 800 retail bottles support a compelling rotating glass pour list, and, with more than a decade on the block, a gaggle of regulars are bound to be hanging out on the sidewalk tables on a clear day, tipping you off to their favorites.

Come For: A great pre- or post-dinner stop on SE Division’s restaurant row, with charcuterie boards, warming soups, and sometimes even pie on offer.

3564 SE Division St

The Scene: Tiny, a little zany, and open all day (“11 a.m. to bedtime,” reads the door), this vaguely primate-themed wine bar is an encouraging addition to the SE Water Avenue strip. It’s a cozy nook, outfitted with a few barstools and a handful of small tables, with a few more spilling onto the sidewalk. Bistro glasses sport a G logo—complete with eyes and stuck-out tongue—that match a very on-brand plum-purple wainscotting.  

The Wine: Exclusively natural wines from around the globe shift seasonally and are selected with an eye for keeping prices down (most bottles retail in the $20–30 range), without compromising on quality. A bracing glass of Electric Chardonnay Acid Test, from the Brand brothers’ namesake winery in Pfalz, Germany, was the perfect compliment to a recent ham and butter baguette sandwich special.

Come For: The food. It’s designed to support the wine, though it gets its jokes in without stealing the show: the tater-tot-fortified Spanish tortilla (like a frittata) is a menu staple, as is the white bean toast, served on Café Olli bread slicked with Duke’s mayo.

77 SE Yamhill St

The Scene: It’s a journey crawling into the depths of this semi-literal wine cave, which is at the end of a winding sidewalk behind a suspect gate on Alberta Street. Despite the trek, it’s busy. Make a reservation if you can. The unfinished concrete walls and ceiling are interrupted by the odd drainage pipe and a few alcoves. One, which you might call a “chamber,” sits a few feet above the rest of the space and houses a single table—a semi-private lounge, though you do have to scale a small wall to get to it.

The Wine: Jeff Vejr, the proprietor, who’s also the winemaker behind Golden Cluster, is usually tending the bar. Follow his lead through Languedoc, France; Langenlois, Austria; and into the Columbia Gorge.

Come For: French disco, the French-heavy wine list, and the menu starring five variations on the grilled cheese sandwich.

1719 NE Alberta St

The Scene: Oysters and bubbles are the draw at this tucked-down-an-alley natural wine bar. What might be the longest list of tinned fish options in the city and a much longer wine list make Bar Diane a go-to west side spot for a classed-up happy hour, night cap, or multicourse dinner. 

The Sustenance: Oysters aside, a light, seafood-forward dinner menu pulls from cuisines around the world: think poached carrot salad dressed in nutty salsa machita, and, on the slightly more substantial side, braised octopus legs spiked with Calabrian chili and green olives.

The Wine: Four sparkling wines are on offer by the glass, and the bottle list adds more than two-dozen additional bubbly choices, from balling-out true Champagnes, like Vouette et Sorbée’s brut nature ($220) to several more affordable pét-nat and méthode traditionnelle bottles.

Of Note: For a more casual visit, pop into Bar Diane’s all-day sister cafe and marketplace next door, Négociant.

Entrance on NW 21st Ave through the gate next to 645 NW 21st Ave

Origin Story: Soon after opening in 2016, this intensely wine-focused restaurant pivoted to a community model, hosting regular restaurants-in-residence, some of which stuck around for years. (It’s since taken over a good chunk of the same block as the Dame Collective.)

The Scene: What hasn’t changed is the devastatingly gorgeous room and its allegiance to natural wine. A gallery wall of paintings and ephemera wrapped in ornate frames, dotted with trinkets and notable bottles of wine, hangs over a small window into the kitchen.

The Sustenance: Depending on the day of the week, food from two distinct menus emerges from said quant little window: swoon-worthy, Oaxacan-leaning bites from chef Lauro Romero’s Clandestino (Monday–Wednesday) or a shifting menu of lighter Italian fare (Thursday–Sunday) grown from chef Patrick McKee’s former pop-up, Estes. Think squid ink pasta with prawns and spicy tomato sauce, truffled chanterelle risotto, and broccolini in an almond-caper vinaigrette.

The Wine: The worldly wine list is consistent for each menu, with an eclectic selection by the glass, and an expansive but practical bottle list with a soft spot for PNW producers, such as Maloof Wines, Monument, and Hiyu.

Of Note: Reservations recommended, especially if you’re bringing friends, though sneaking in for a seat at the central bar is doable.

2930 NE Killingsworth St

The Scene: Mountains of aggregated candlewax, warm wood, and an abundance of hanging plants give this classy alcove inside the Coopers Hall event space on NE Broadway Street an exceptionally intimate feel. The casually dressed and personable staff don’t hurt, either.

Origin Story: Heavenly creatures—owner and sommelier Joel Gunderson’s nickname for his beloved bottles—is by far his most intimate project to date. Gunderson is known for introducing kegged wine to a slew of Portland restaurants and writing the wine list at St. Jack for years. By contrast, this is the small place he carved out to serve bottles from his personal collection, wines often too limited to pour in a larger setting.

The Sustenance: St. Jack chef and owner Aaron Barnett consults on the bar’s menu of smartly elevated snacks: French ham and shards of pecorino, Tim’s potato chips with whipped camembert. Paired back entrees, like a piece of poached black cod or a braised short rib, anchor the menu, for those looking to make a meal of it. 

The Wine: The list veers French, offering everything from Domaine les Terres Promises’ crisp Bandol rosé to Burgundian aligoté from the young French winemaker Fanny Sabre. But there’s also room for local curios; they’re currently serving two pinot noirs by the glass from Tualatin Hills winery Grape Ink.

2218 NE Broadway St

Origin Story: Formerly Café Castagna, once sibling to the now-closed fine-dining tasting menu spot, Castagna, OK Omens is today the sole outlet for an abundance of talent. It’s also a gorgeous, airy, plant-filled dining room.

The Sustenance: James Beard–nominated chef Justin Woodward is behind the full-service dinner menu of playful but meticulously refined modern American fare.

The Wine: The tremendously food-friendly wine list is thanks to sommelier Brent Braun. The by-the-glass menu bursts with written, exuberant descriptions of the wines on offer, and isn’t shy about telling you what to pair them with: chilled red blend from Jura, France? “Pair with crispy duck leg,” warm-spiced and served over red wine–stewed flageolet beans.

Come For: An upscale, sit-down meal that nails the details without taking itself too seriously.

Of Note: Braun is also the winemaker behind Post Familiar, a winery known for collaborations and experimenting with coferments and nontraditional grape varietals. He has ideas about how to drink his own wines, too. Of his Tempranillo-Riesling blend, a collaboration with local winery Cutter Cascadia: “Pair with chugging on the patio.”

1758 SE Hawthorne Blvd