Bellwether Bar Fell Fully Formed into Portland’s Pub Scene

The climb up Southeast Stark Street to 60th Avenue is steep. But in some ways that just makes the little pub at the top of the hill all the tastier for the effort.

Bellwether Bar opened at the beginning of August and honestly feels like it fell fully formed into this world. At golden hour on a weekday, it also feels not completely of this world.

Though there wasn’t any wildfire smoke in the air, the backyard patio of Bellwether had a hazy, romantic light. Diners ate at picnic tables shaded by taut white umbrellas, surrounded by freshly planted flowering bushes and strands of fairy lights.

Indoors, hulking dark wood pub booths lent a level of seclusion despite the main room’s expected tall-ceiling din. No specific conversation stood out from its neighbors, but with ceilings like that you’ve got to expect a semi-constant roar. The front door that Bellwether left open to Stark probably didn’t help with the acoustics, but the breeze path from the entrance to the patio flowed nicely past the salvaged oak bar.

The regal-looking bar occupies approximately a fourth of the front room and seems to pull people into its gravity—though the bar itself has no seating. It’s the place for ordering and cocktail mixing, so there’s always some energy behind it, the cocktails at Bellwether being one of the bar’s main purposes.

Bellwether’s cocktails are named in an egalitarian manner, numbered from 1 to 8. The 1 is a perfect summer cocktail: rye whiskey, vermouth, cranberry grenadine and salt, served with a curled lemon rind. Not overly sweet, the tangy little number is like a loud, talkative friend whose energy you can’t help but find cheerful.

The menu’s craft ales and wine selection are also on point: Ex Novo Eliot IPA and Rosenstadt Kölsch both on draft when we visited, among others. Where Bellwether’s cocktails eschew clever titles, their wines pick up the slack. The selection includes an Orange Wine for Beginners and an Orange Wine for the Brave. For our purposes, we enjoyed the Adventurous Red, which was earthy and juicy without overpowering any of our snacks.

Snacks are where Bellwether really holds down its food menu. For entrees, there are only three options—a bacon cheeseburger, pan-seared chicken thighs, and a completely lush vandouvan curry, served with spiced creme fraiche.

The portions aren’t overwhelming, and we recommend splitting and sharing with items from the small plates menu. Seeing as Bellwether brought in Olympia Provisions chef Alex Yoder to plan its menu, we shouldn’t have been surprised that the meat plate was a delight of fatty, pickled, mustard flavors—easy to mix and match. The chicory salad was light and sturdy, but the blue cheese dressing gave rich hints throughout. It was like being haunted by something savory in a bright forest.

If this review seems like a rave, that’s because it is. I can’t remember the last pub I liked as much as Bellwether. What it brings is at the top of what casual dining can be and flirts with breaking through to something finer.

DRINK: Bellwether, 6031 SE Stark St., instagram.com/bellwetherbarco. 4-11 pm daily.