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The still-under-construction downtown Ritz-Carlton may be all glass and steel on the outside, but once people are indoors, the property wants them to feel like they’ve just slipped into a woodland oasis.
This week, the company announced the name for and concept behind its future lobby bar: Meadowrue, a folk tale-inspired, “flora-forward space located just through Forest Hall.”
Now, all of that may sound a little too precious (or like Mike Bennett’s next cartoon exhibit) for a luxury hotel chain that’s more likely to conjure up images of 10-foot crystal chandeliers, marble bar tops and dark wood paneling. But planners apparently decided to lean into the whole “whimsical-outdoorsy Portland” aesthetic—albeit one with an upscale twist—which at this point, is always in danger of coming across as a bit tired. However, artist renderings of the bar indicate that the room where visitors are most likely to get their introduction to the Ritz-Carlton will be a stunner—perhaps the most opulent in town.
A variety of hanging plants with dangling foliage displayed in newly released images do lend the lounge a certain rainforest-like vibe, while an emerald-colored bar extends the green hues to the floor. The pendant forest is interspersed with warm lighting, ensuring it doesn’t come across as too dark and foreboding, and a live-edge slab of wood serves as a bar-side table and lounge centerpiece.
Meadowrue will function as a coffee bar during the day and serve products made in state, like beans from Portland’s Coava Coffee Roasters, which created an “Urban Forest Blend” for the new Ritz-Carlton property.
In the evening, the focus will turn to cocktails, five of which are made exclusively for the Portland location. One of those, Aviation Variation, naturally includes locally produced, Ryan Reynolds-famous Aviation Gin along with brioche-infused Amontillado (a dryer sherry), Crème de Framboise and lavender bitters.
Ritz-Carlton hasn’t released many details about the food menus just yet. So far, it’s teased two morning offerings (a quiche with Southern Oregon-sourced goat cheese and a blueberry parfait studded with hazelnuts and hemp seeds) and two for evening (house salmon rillette with fish from Josephson’s Smokehouse in Astoria and Olympia Provisions charcuterie). But the bar will be more of a place to grab appetizers and drinks rather than full meals. For the latter, you’ll want to head up to the 20th floor’s full restaurant, Bellpine.
Meadowrue is scheduled to open in late fall, along with the hotel.