Skip to content
Travel Portland logo

The Official Guide to Portland

  • Attractions
    • women dances with large fans outside on a city street surrounded by people in colorful dragon costumesView All Attractions
    • Museums
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • people dining at picnic tables in front of a food cartView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • aerial view of downtown area with buildings and roadways, bridges crossing a river to a smaller set of buildings that expand into the distanceView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • RegionView All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
  • Plan
    • Light rail train car driving past people shopping at an outdoor marketView All Plan
    • Portland Maps
    • Portland Visitor Center
    • Where to Stay
    • Tours & Itineraries
    • Transportation
    • When to Visit
    • Accessible Portland
    • Portland Weather
    • COVID-19 FAQ
    • Safety in Portland
    • Plan a Meeting
  • Events
  • Search
Primary Menu 31 Events Near Me content loading animation Search
  • Attractions
    • women dances with large fans outside on a city street surrounded by people in colorful dragon costumesView All Attractions
    • Museums
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • people dining at picnic tables in front of a food cartView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • aerial view of downtown area with buildings and roadways, bridges crossing a river to a smaller set of buildings that expand into the distanceView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • RegionView All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
  • Plan
    • Light rail train car driving past people shopping at an outdoor marketView All Plan
    • Portland Maps
    • Portland Visitor Center
    • Where to Stay
    • Tours & Itineraries
    • Transportation
    • When to Visit
    • Accessible Portland
    • Portland Weather
    • COVID-19 FAQ
    • Safety in Portland
    • Plan a Meeting
  • Events
  • Search
an old, golden cash register on a bar countertop with bottles and a large mirror on the back wall an old, golden cash register on a bar countertop with bottles and a large mirror on the back wall
i
Portland bar Bible Club is adorned with American flags and vintage Prohibition signs.
Credit: Ryk Maverick
Culture / Food

Portland’s Best Themed Bars

From Hawaiian hideaways to clownish cantinas, these drinking destinations are guaranteed to entertain.

Updated Oct. 2, 2023 4 min read

Ambiance can be just as important to a bar’s appeal as its menu, and sometimes you want more than just a drink — you want a full-blown immersive experience. Take a break from the real world with the help of these themed bars in Portland.

Explore Portland With Near Me Now

Are you in Portland or visiting soon? Our Near Me Now web app will lead you to some of our favorite neighborhood spots.

Visit Near Me Now

Hale Pele

Whatever the weather outside, you can step into a tropical paradise at Hale Pele, where the tiki drinks range from creamy and fruity to tangy and literally on fire. A volcano rating system denotes how close each drink will get you to blowing your top, and though it’s tempting to start strong, sipping a mild piña colada while taking in the ambiance (we’re talking floor-to-ceiling Hawaiian island theme, complete with periodic “thunderstorms”) will have you swaying like a palm tree in a warm breeze. As a delightful touch, the whole place smells of baking spices and burnt rum, thanks to liberal use of cinnamon on top of their fiery drinks, which launch sparkling flames high enough to tickle the faux-thatched ceiling.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hale Pele (@halepele)

Funhouse Lounge

If you’ve ever dreamed of running away with the circus, Funhouse Lounge is your bar. Main-stage entertainment on weekends runs the gamut of “fringe” theater and includes burlesque shows, stand-up comedy, improv performances and live game shows. In the adjoining Bar and Clown Room, grab a beer or a shot and admire the dozens upon dozens of (semi-creepy) clown portraits that line the walls.

Tighten your corset, lace up your boots and get ready to dance.

The Coffin Club

The Coffin Club

Tighten your corset, lace up your boots and get ready to dance at The Coffin Club (previously known as Lovecraft Bar), Portland’s premier horror-themed bar. Live and DJ-ed goth, industrial, new wave, EBM and electro music fills the eerily lit space, which is centered on a small dance floor. Surrounded by paintings of “Cthulhu,” H.P. Lovecraft’s tentacled beast, child-sized coffins and voodoo shrines on all sides, the bar serves cocktails, beer, an impressive tea list and seitan sandwiches from local company Snackrilege.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Coffin Club (@coffinclubpdx)

Ground Kontrol

Nothing beats making friends over a game of four-way Pac-Man. Like a living museum of ‘80s and ‘90s arcade games, Ground Kontrol combines your favorite thing about being a kid (gaming) with your favorite thing about being an adult (drinking). Have an argument to settle? Pop a couple of quarters into the Marvel versus Capcom machine and let Wolverine do the talking.

Bible Club

As much a Southern, pre-Prohibition-era museum as it is a bar, the Bible Club takes vintage Americana to a whole new level; almost everything in it was made in the United States at least 80 years ago; even the nondescript yellow house in which it sits dates back to 1922. The bar has a low-key, speakeasy vibe, serving beautifully crafted cocktails on lace doilies so precious that your grandma would shout “Amen!”

Speakeasy-Style Bars in Portland

Get a taste of Prohibition-era cocktails (legally, of course) at speakeasy-style bars in Portland.

Read more

Creepy’s

This singular Central Eastside bar was founded with the goal of giving customers “something to look at at all times.” Mission accomplished — at Creepy’s, some of the stuff even looks back. Circus monkeys clap sporadically, questionable taxidermy lends an air of quietus, and a riot of clown imagery rounds things out. The crowning achievement is a giant painting of John Quincy Adams whose motorized plastic eyeballs scan the room at a nearly undetectable crawl. All this is more than enough to warrant a drink; choose from the expected beer-and-shot specials or creative cocktails. If you’ve managed to maintain an appetite, the menu includes fried chicken and Taylor Pork Roll sandwiches as well as deep-fried whole peanuts and sriracha hush puppies.

Wyrd Leatherworks and Mead Bar

The name is pronounced “weird,” but it’s not that kind of Portland bar. Come Vikings, come elves, come mages, to Portland’s first medieval-themed mead hall and leather shop. Opened in Southeast Portland’s Woodstock neighborhood in 2020, Wyrd could pass for a tavern in the Middle Ages (or Middle Earth) were it not for the fortunate lack of, say, diphtheria. Order from an array of meads brewed on-site and from other local meaderies — BYOV (vessel); drinking horns recommended. The menu stays on theme with Nordic-inspired stews and meat and cheese plates. Wyrd’s retail side offers handmade goods like bracelets, belts and intricately engraved drinking horns.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wyrd Leatherworks and Meadery (@wyrd_leather_and_mead)

Craft Spirits, Food, Weird

Other Bar Bests

If you're looking for other vibrant spirits, check out more of Portland's best.

More craft spirits
a group of people enjoy drinks on a rooftop bar patio overlooking the city

Portland’s Best Rooftop and Patio Bars

Whether you're looking for a cocktail bar, a brewpub or a dive, enjoy your favorite summer beverage at one of Portland's rooftop bars or outdoor patios.

a bartender prepares a drink

Portland’s Best Hotel Bars

Some of Portland’s most destination-worthy bars just happen to be attached to some of the coolest hotels in town. Here’s where to check in for the night.

a beer sampler tray with six shot-glass-sized glasses

Portland’s Best Boozy Flights

Sip your way through budget-friendly tasting flights of local wines, beers, ciders and spirits.

A couple enjoys a meal and beer at a restaurant.

Date Night Ideas in Portland

Planning a romantic evening in Portland? We have date night ideas, activities and adventures for couples with all sorts of interests.

Portland’s Best Tequila Spots

Gear up for warm weather with Portland’s top tequila offerings.

a vintage Portland Trail Blazers glass sits on a bar with rows of bottles behind it

Portland Sports Bars

Whether you're cheering on the Timbers and Trail Blazers or rooting for your own hometown heroes, these local watering holes promise giant screens, great suds and friendly fans.

a crowd of people dancing at a night club

Portland Karaoke Bars and Nights

Choose from private suites, pop-up events, tiki drinks and Chinese food as you select your ideal Portland karaoke venue from among the city’s top spots.

Was this page helpful?

Visitor Information

visitorinfo@travelportland.com
1-888-503-3291 (toll free)
503-427-1372
Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Portland Visitor Center

1132 SW Harvey Milk St #104,
Portland, OR 97205

Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

guide cover with images of sights around Portland; the white stag sign, the Tilikum Crossing, and food.

Map & Guide

Pocket-sized brochure guide and map.

Get the guide

Screenshot of hand holding mobile phone with Near Me Now Map on the screen

Near Me Now App

An app to explore the best of Portland.




Newsletter Signup

Get your guide to Portland's events, attractions and news.

Follow Us

  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Information For

Local Businesses
Media
Meeting Planners
Travel Industry Professionals
Event Organizers

Brought to you by

Travel Portland Logo

We are a promoter and steward of this evolving city and its progressive values, which have the power to transform the travelers who visit us.

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Español
  • Français
  • Deutsch
  • 日本語
  • 汉语
  • 漢語
  • 한국어
Copyright © 2023 Travel Portland
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Copyright Policy
Visit The USA Logo