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1. Lolo Pass
1616 E Burnside St., 503-908-3074, lolopasspdx.com. Coffee 7 am-2 pm, cocktails 4-10 pm daily.
Lolo Pass’ open floor plan lobby is a fine place to start or end a night, but the hostel-like hotel’s main attraction is the fifth-floor rooftop, which features a fire pit, a communal guitar, its own bar and no shortage of socially distant seating arrangements. The vantage offers a unique view of downtown and the Central Eastside, with everything from Big Pink to Buckman Field visible on the scenic smorgasbord. Lolo’s house cocktails trend toward sweet and fruity, as evidenced in the pineapple-infused old fashioned, the unmuddled schnapps in the Teaches of Peaches Sex on the Beach, and the pamplemousse and aperol of the metropolitan but off-cycle Gemini SZN.
2. Botanist
910 NW 14th Ave., 971-533-8064, botanisthouse.com. 4-10 pm Wednesday-Thursday, 10 am-2 pm and 4-10:30 pm Friday-Saturday, 10 am-2 pm Sunday.
When Botanist’s original subterranean location appeared too cramped to safely host customers during the pandemic, its owners moved the operation to the prime real estate once occupied by the perennially disappointing On Deck Sports Bar. Though it can only be seen from the second story, the view of neighboring condos at dusk under twinkling string lights is pretty well perfect. Look for even more delight in Botanist’s lineup of mixed drinks, like the Triple G Mule that’s an unusual shade of pink thanks to the bar’s own pinot noir grenadine, and a tingly lemon concoction called the Bees Knees, which tastes like a Sprite spiked with honey.
3. Tope
15 NW 4th Ave., 503-770-0500, thehoxton.com/portland/tope-restaurant. 4-11 pm Thursday-Friday, 11 am-11 pm Saturday-Sunday.
While Tope is only a short elevator ride nine stories up in the Hoxton Hotel, once you arrive, it feels as though you’ve traveled much farther. Having shed the grit of Old Town-Chinatown at the ground-level entrance, the swanky taco bar almost seems to exist in its own immunity bubble. Breezy beige wicker chairs and sofa sets along with tropical cocktails like the Opening Day—a swirl of citrus, vanilla and coconut—create a poolside vibe. Even though there is no water to admire, a clear blue sky isn’t a bad substitute, particularly on a day when you can see the crown of Mount Hood peering over Powell Butte.
4. Lady of the Mountain
100 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 971-345-2992, kexhotels.com/eat-drink/ rooftop. 4-11 pm Monday-Thursday, 3-11 pm Friday, 10 am-2 pm and 3-11 pm Saturday-Sunday.
Unlike many of the newly installed sidewalk cafes, Kex’s outdoor patio wasn’t urgently thrown together with social distancing in mind. The boutique hotel—a spinoff of an upscale hostel in Reykjavik, Iceland—is one of those rare gems in the city with a rooftop oasis. Four stories up is just enough height to provide an attractive view yet still sit below most of the surrounding buildings. Lady of the Mountain possesses an impressively long wine, beer and cocktail list. To make things easy, just order the Pimm’s Cup. Arriving in a mound of pebble ice that looks like an adult snow cone, the cocktail—made of cucumber-infused gin, lemon, ginger and soda—is the most refreshing thing you could possibly order on a Portland rooftop in August. The glass will be empty in less than five minutes.
5. Migration Rooftop at Canvas
1750 SW Yamhill St., 503-939-4164, migrationbrewing.com. 3 pm-midnight Wednesday-Saturday, 11 am-8 pm Sunday.
Migration Brewing’s rooftop outpost is the peak realization of the rooftop bar. A 180-degree view takes in downtown, the West Hills and the Alphabet District. The panorama stretches all the way to the St. Johns Bridge and Mount St. Helens. After a round, it’s easy to understand why people keep moving to Portland: Above the din and discord, this city seems like paradise.