The Top Five Places to Drink in Portland This Week

Your weekly Buzz List.

(Rocky Burnside)

 1.  R&R

716 NW 21st Ave., randrpdx.com.

Overhauled from a Belgian bar into a faux-beachside resort, R&R borrows elements from your Hawaiian vacation Pinterest board—palm fronds, piña coladas, poke—and brings them to life. And if that's not enough to curb your seasonal affective disorder, an LED sunset repeats every few minutes. It's summer somewhere, right?

Read the full review: Do You like Pina Coladas? Then R&R Might Be Your New Favorite Bar.

(Rocky Burnside)

 2. Whiskey Club

818 SW 1st Ave., 503-894-9059, whiskeyclubpdx.com.

In Portland's competitive strip club scene, you've got to have a hook. Whiskey Club markets a pseudo-speakeasy vibe. It's the rare club that encourages you to grab a drink and chill awhile. Even rarer, there's a skylight above the VIP couches, meaning, depending on the time of day, patrons can either see natural light or the stars while getting a private dance.

Read the full review: A Strip Club Mini-Renaissance Is Happening Downtown. We Went to Two New Clubs to See If They're Worth Your Hard-Earned Singles.

(Rocky Burnside)

 3.  Bar Diane

2112 NW Irving St., Suite 105, bardiane.com.

Truly great wine bars are defined by a spirit of generosity—generous with knowledge, generous with accessibility and, yes, generous with prices. On all these points, Bar Diane is a major success. It strikes a fine balance as a wine bar that rewards expertise yet feels accessible and affordable no matter your starting base of wine knowledge. Nearly every bottle is under $60, save for the smart, concise selection of Champagne and occasional ringers from winemakers like Ridge and Paolo Bea.

Read the full review: Northwest Portland Wine Lounge Bar Diane Rewards Connoisseurs Without Alienating Newbies.

(Henry Crommet)

 4.  Bible Club

6716 SE 16th Ave., 971-279-2198, bibleclubpdx.com.

Enter a time machine to the Prohibition era where the drinks artfully pack a punch and the period décor is strictly, sumptuously on theme. Drinks like the Suffragette (pisco, ginger syrup, lavender bitters, sparkling wine; $13) are served in antique glassware with a Gatsbian garnish, accompanied by a reliable lineup of upscale bar fare like bruschetta, a smoked pork plate and a mean charcuterie board with burrata cheese ($18).

Related: Prohibition-Themed Bar Bible Club Serves Cocktails That Are as Drinkable as They Are Stiff.

(Andrea Johnson)

 5.  Bar Dune

638 E Burnside St., 503-236-6464, bardune.com.

The new venture from Sizzle Pie's Matthew Jacobson has a name that nods both to the dusty expanse of the American Southwest and Frank Herbert's sci-fi masterpiece, yet it doesn't fully commit to either theme. There's one thing Bar Dune has going for it, though—grasshoppers. They're served here with avocado, corn tortillas and ribbons of mild cheese, along with cocktails like Life After Paris, a deft fusion of tiki and Toulouse-Lautrec based on pineapple rum, absinthe and Amaro.

Read the full review: Bar Dune Would Be a Fairly Standard Cocktail Lounge, Were It Not for the Grasshoppers.

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