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1. Legion Motorcycle Company & Bar
2145 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 503-954-1546, legionmoto.co.
The bar at Legion Motorcycle Company is a "biker bar," in that it's literally connected to a garage. But it's really more of a clubhouse than a pub, and wandering in off the street feels like walking uninvited into a stranger's man cave. There's no liquor on the premises—just a rotating cast of local beers and some low-proof, wine-based cocktails—keeping the vibes placid and welcoming for interlopers.
Read the full review: Legion Is the Friendliest Little Biker Bar in Portland.
2. Someday
3634 SE Division St., somedaypdx.com.
Hidden in the back of a nondescript building, down a short, equally nondescript alley, Someday does not announce its presence loudly. The drink menu, however, is anything but minimal. Someday offers a broad but discerning choice of original and classic American cocktails—the delicious Brother's Keeper would work equally well as an apéritif or an after-meal dessert cocktail.
Read the full review: Someday Offers Shelter From the Storm of Portland's Culture War.
3. Two Wrongs
617 NW 13th Ave., twowrongspdx.com.
It's easy to mistake Two Wrongs for a cocktail bar. Really, this is more of a nightclub—albeit one with seriously good drinks. For those looking to go full baller, the $18 Big Easy is essentially a top-shelf, mixed-base sazerac. Hey, there's no cover to get in, so if you're here, why not splurge?
Read the full review: Two Wrongs May Not Make a Right, but It Does Make Some Damn Good Cocktails.
4. Cycle Dog Tavern & Dog Park
2056 NW Pettygrove St., 503-318-8066, cycledog.com.
A boozy indoor dog park? Yes, please. Moving a Frisbee-throw away from its original location late last year, Cycle Dog is now more pub than pet store, with a dark-wood bar and a surprisingly prodigious selection of canned microbrews. The "park" is really just a 60-by-40-foot pen adjacent to the bar, with a patch of synthetic turf outside for the warmer months. But let's not overthink things: It's beer plus dogs. It's bliss.
Read the full review: Cycle Dog Already Combined Recycling, Bicycles and Puppies. Now They've Added Beer.
5. Paterson
108 NE 28th Ave., 503-764-9863.
Most Portland vegan spots are dainty and delicate. Paterson is the opposite. Owned by a co-founder of the lovably skeezy Florida Room, the bar has a menu less reflective of a particular cuisine than a certain sensibility—plant-based gut bombs. The bar's signature cocktails are no joke either. The tart Camper substitutes egg whites with the water from canned chickpeas, and the Rush In is an almond milk white Russian that's sweet, creamy and plenty boozy.
Read the full review: Most Portland Vegan Spots Are Dainty and Delicate. Paterson Is the Opposite.