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1. Lovejoy’s Tea Room
3286 NE Killingsworth St., 503-567-7888, lovejoysportland.com.
Yes, you can drink things other than alcohol. This giddy tribute to British tradition has an exceptional tea list, with over 40 options, including the requisite CBD-infused offering. While it can be overwhelming, starting with the Light Tea or Healthy Tea is a no-brainer. Pair them with an oven-fresh scone made in-house, then follow with a deceptively nuanced cucumber sandwich.
Read the full review: Lovejoy Tea Room Is a Delightful Homage to English Tradition in Northeast Portland.
2. Retro Game Bar
6720 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 971-271-8079, rgbpdx.com.
Did Portland really need another nostalgic beer-cade stocked with the games currently rotting in every Gen-X'er and borderline millennials' parents' attic? Of course it did! This newest one makes up for its unimaginative name with a true dedication to the concept, with Nintendo 64s and other ancient systems hooked up to vintage TVs and drinks with names like Ocarina of Thyme and Kirby's Adventura Grande.
3. Assembly Brewing
6112 SE Foster Road, 971-888-5973, assemblybrewingco.com.
From the massive four-section mural showcasing the brewing process to the affordable $5 pints and square-shaped, Detroit-style pizza, Assembly owners George Johnson and Adam Dixon, have created a craft beer haven for the city's working class.
Read the full review: Assembly Brewing Brings Working-Class Craft Beers and Detroit-Style Pizza to Foster-Powell.
4. Five & Dime
6535 SE Foster Road.
While you won't find shelves stocked with cheap talcum powder and undergarments, the new bar along the Foster-Powell corridor reflects the prices and spirit of a 20th-century trinket emporium. The room intermingles sophistication with subversion, mixing jade shelving stocked with leather-bound books with a neon ombré portrait of Rasheed Wallace, while the cocktails—some themed after the Neil Gaiman's American Gods—also balance tradition and irreverence.
Read the full review: Five & Dime Channels the Spirit of an Old-Timey Discount Retailer into an Irreverent Cocktail Bar.
5. The Vern
2622 SE Belmont St.
The latest preservation project from Warren Boothby and Marcus Archambeault is Hanigan's Tavern, better known to Portland barflies as the Vern. As they did with Sandy Hut a few years ago, the city's pre-eminent dive bar whisperers scrubbed the carpet, opened some windows and doubled down on the wood-paneled rumpus room vibe, all without disinfecting the room's grimy soul.
Read the full review: The Former Owners of Club 21 Revive Classic Southeast Portland Dive Bar the Vern.
