Portland is a city that loves its outdoor dining and drinking — despite its lengthy rainy season. Lifelong denizens of the maritime Northwest huddle around fire pits and sip Oregon pinot noir, IPAs, or nonalcoholic hot toddies, even during the coldest and wettest times of year. But now that sun has returned, many bars are sloughing the tents and plexiglass domes that kept their outdoor spaces dry, happily exposing some tables and lounge chairs to the elements. Our bar patio map includes hidden gardens, lush decks, backyards with live music, and cute cabanas where visitors can knock back a cocktail or nurse a beer. For more outdoor seating, check out our rooftop patio and outdoor dining maps.
Where to Find Portland’s Standout Bar Patios
Sunny and shady spots for a cocktail
Where to Find Portland’s Standout Bar Patios
Sunny and shady spots for a cocktail
Portland is a city that loves its outdoor dining and drinking — despite its lengthy rainy season. Lifelong denizens of the maritime Northwest huddle around fire pits and sip Oregon pinot noir, IPAs, or nonalcoholic hot toddies, even during the coldest and wettest times of year. But now that sun has returned, many bars are sloughing the tents and plexiglass domes that kept their outdoor spaces dry, happily exposing some tables and lounge chairs to the elements. Our bar patio map includes hidden gardens, lush decks, backyards with live music, and cute cabanas where visitors can knock back a cocktail or nurse a beer. For more outdoor seating, check out our rooftop patio and outdoor dining maps.
Baerlic Brewing
Behind the Alberta Street location of this Portland brewery, an expansive beer garden offers plenty of space, sunny picnic tables that can accommodate large groups, and shady spots under the tree in the righthand corner. Visitors can order beer from the bar, as well as food from the carts at the neighboring pod — that includes Eater 38 spot Mole Mole.
Alberta Street Pub
Alberta is home to several bar patios worth a visit — including the Hilt, Bye and Bye, and Radio Room — but Alberta Street Pub’s balance of spaciousness and seclusion puts it on this map. There’s enough room for covered and uncovered seating, smokers and non-smokers, with a stage in the corner for live music. The bar churns out plenty of whiskey drinks, mule variations, and slushies, with serviceable bar snacks like Cajun fried pickles.
The Rambler
Few Portland neighborhoods are as well-suited to bar-hopping as North Mississippi, and few Mississippi nights out are complete without a stop at the Rambler. Fire pits and a permanent patio roof keep the Rambler’s backyard bumping year-round. Duck inside the converted Craftsman for filling bar food with Southern-fried flourishes, a modest beer and wine list, and a killer happy hour margarita.
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Bar Bar
It’s hard not to include every single bar on Mississippi for this map, considering all of the top-tier patios along that street; however, Bar Bar’s is well worth a mention, thanks to its serious burgers, toasted raviolis, and black-and-white movies projected on the wall of the building next door. Sharing a space with Mississippi Studios, Bar Bar’s patio is often packed before or after shows — and on certain nights, you might spot an opener grabbing a burger after the encore.
The Uncanny
Taking up the torch — and location — of the dearly departed Psychic Bar, the Uncanny keeps the spooky vibes, iconic neon red windows, and killer patio going strong on Mississippi. Stretch out on a picnic table on the Uncanny’s long covered patio, heated by powerful overhanging heaters on cold nights, or hang out by the fire pit in the lounge-ier front yard, lanterns hanging from the western red cedar providing shade to the nearby seats. House cocktails venture off the beaten path, including a dedicated New Orleans-inspired drinks section and an uncommon number of rum-based concoctions; the food is more typical elevated Portland bar fare.
Rose & Thistle Public House
Fusing a passion for Portland (the rose) and Scotland (the thistle), the Rose & Thistle bears far less resemblance to the superficial imitation pubs that populate the states and more to the true spirit of an east Glasgow watering hole where regulars get together to watch footie, trade gripes about England, and knock back a dram. The large, multi-leveled patio has spots for sunny days and rainy ones, large groups and dates. The British beer list is one of the city’s best, the mixed drinks are strong, and the menu may not be entirely Scottish but does boast Portland’s rare Scotch egg.
Paymaster Lounge
A stroll under I-405 from the Pearl District, Paymaster is close enough to serve as a convenient after-work happy hour for downtown workers as well as a neighborhood bar for Alphabet District denizens. The large covered patio is enveloped in wood and has its own dedicated bar and bartender, along with an outdoor pool table and plenty of heaters.
Twenty First Ave Kitchen & Bar
The back patio of this Nob Hill bar known for its karaoke is a haven year-round, lined with Japanese maples, ferns, and passionflowers among its various decks. With quieter nooks and more social standing bar areas, that patio works well for a wide range of events. Pets are welcome, as well.
Tropicale
It’s easy to pretend you’re somewhere farther south while sitting on the patio of Kerns’s Tropicale, drinking a piña colada served in a hollowed-out pineapple. The bar is small, relying heavily on the spacious patio outside; here, neighborhood locals bite into hearty tacos filled with cochinita pibil, nursing Oaxacan Old Fashioneds and hibiscus margaritas.
North 45 Pub
The back patio of this Northwest 21st bar is remarkably adaptable: The removable domed cover makes the space feel cozy in the winter and sunny in the summer, TVs visible from the patio works well for weekend sports, and the brick wall looming over the space makes a fine backdrop for live music on special occasions. The drink menu is going for an international schtick, with Moscow Mules sharing real estate with tequila sours; the food menu hews closer to home, with a nice range of burgers and a Parmesan-encrusted grilled cheese.
Pope House Bourbon Lounge
A table on the wraparound porch of this converted Victorian is a hot commodity, a verdant and serene place to spend a happy hour knocking back $7 whiskey sours. If those spots are all taken, it’s plenty lovely in the surrounding garden, vine maples supporting string lights as the sun sets.
Dirty Pretty
Tucked behind this East Burnside cocktail bar, the patio at Dirty Pretty is a hidden gem just a few steps away from the ever-popular Rontoms. Its tiny wooden cabanas provide shade on sunny days, a cute spot for couples to cuddle up on date nights; on busy summer nights, the outdoor bar serves fun cocktails incorporating pho-washes and Japanese curry, as well as the summery Guava Wars with rum and passionfruit.
Rontoms
Just around the block from Nong’s, and just steps from several other Eater 38 luminaries, Rontoms is an ideal place to start or end an evening out. The vast patio consists of a covered section with possibly the highest patio roof in the city, along with a large deck dotted with leafy trees and umbrellas providing cover. Rontoms’ bartenders are no slouches and will mix creative originals or expertly crafted classics. Sunday nights often feature concerts on the patio, so plan accordingly.
Wayfinder Beer
This Central Eastside brewery offers a gorgeous wooden deck that succeeds in creating a cozy space in the middle of an industrial district. Perched above the street up a small flight of stairs, the Wayfinder patio offers a combination of wooden banquettes, fire pits, and tables for a space that feels inherently social. Outside its strong lineup of beers, you’ll find a handful of cocktails and a German-inflected menu — the pretzel here is a particular standout.
Momo's
It would be unfair to call Momo’s a dive bar, since “dive” can convey some degree of aesthetic apathy on the part of the owners and clientele. Nothing could be further from the case for Momo’s. What the leather-and-velvet Momo’s has instead is sprezzatura, a studied carelessness — a most Portland of traits, fusing sincerity and irony indistinguishably — that makes it one of downtown’s most essential bars. Clientele will range from Portland State University students to neighborhood retirees to pre-gaming concert-goers. Order drinks at the bar; long lines are common on weekends. But when space is available on the partially covered, heated patio, it’s well worth the hassle.
Bellwether Bar
The secret garden of a backyard at this Tabor neighborhood bar is a real beauty, where wisteria and cherry trees bloom depending on the season. The wooden deck leads to a stone patio where locals sit under umbrella-shaded tables, lit by string lights and candles as the sun goes down. Alongside a strong slate of cocktails, the bar’s team always selects a cool range of beers for the draft list; the kitchen is also delivering food way above its pay grade, from sour cream and onion deviled eggs to smoked pork chops with rhubarb and roasted shallots.
A Roadside Attraction
A Roadside Attraction is a dreamlike discovery on first visit, a surreal oasis in an already unconventional town. Patrons enter through the lush patio, full of twists and turns, hidden nooks, and inviting crannies. The decor, both inside and out, is as if a Victorian junk shop were dynamited next door, with each heirloom landing in unexpected but somehow ideal places to create a hypnotic atmosphere. The patio roof is just as eclectic with sections of metal, trees, and bare patches for your ideal sun (or rain) exposure. The regulars ratio is especially high here, with bartenders familiar with more than a few patrons’ usual drinks. A Roadside Attraction is cash-only, with an ATM onsite.
Nathan Williams/Eater Portland
White Owl Social Club
One of the livelier spots in the crowded inner east side bar scene, White Owl Social Club customizes its large patio — uncovered in the precious sunny months, covered with a fire pit in the rainy season — making it a welcoming spot all year long. After a series of pop-ups, White Owl’s kitchen is now in the hands of the Chém Gió team full time, offering Vietnamese drinking food. White Owl hosts DJs for both free sets and more prominent ones with cover charges — plan ahead for weekend nights by checking the bar’s Instagram account.
The Richmond Bar
The Richmond Bar’s intimate patio centered around a single, circular fire pit makes this spot one of the best rainy season venues in stereotypically introverted Portland to meet new pals — what more timeless setting to make conversation than huddled around a warm fire? (For those out with existing friends or dates, heat lamps are happily available at other tables). Creative house cocktails and draft beers are supplemented by a healthy whiskey list. The small but hearty menu of pub fare is highlighted by poutine and hand pies, filled with your choice of boar or butternut squash.
The Richmond Bar
Thunderbird Bar
A handful of outdoor tables line Foster Road by Thunderbird’s main entrance, but the real draw is the larger covered patio — often one of Foster-Powell’s most happening spots. Affordable house cocktails include the longtime favorite Impala (effectively a paloma but with mezcal) and a deep rotating draft list. Vegan food is the kitchen’s specialty, but hungry carnivores are affordable three beef burger options. The nearby Carts on Foster pod sadly closed in 2023, but hang around T-bird long enough and you might just meet a dancer on break from next-door Devils Point.
Bible Club PDX
Bible Club’s Prohibition-era schtick may intoxicate some and irritate others, but those in the latter category can find relief in knowing the late-season-Portlandia bowties and waxed mustache vibe is largely limited to the interior — the patio plays it fairly straight, with smooth-edged modern picnic tables and a dedicated, albeit somewhat more limited, bar outside. And don’t let the Boardwalk Empire decor deceive you, these bartenders are elite and make some of Portland’s best original and classic cocktails. The patio offers covered and uncovered sections and features regular DJ sets and live music — check Bible Club’s Instagram for upcoming performers.
