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Quiet Places Made for Reading
Pair the perfect brew with great reads at these neighborhood spots.
Holly Feral
Portland’s love for books and local coffee is a year-round affair, but when the winter weather arrives, it’s hard to imagine a more enticing rainy-day activity than combining the two. Pick up a winning read at one of Portland’s many independent bookstores and curl up in a cozy corner of one of these local spots.
Southeast Portland
Oblique Coffee Roasters
Adorned with an antique piano and reclaimed wood furnishings, Oblique Coffee Roasters sports a cozy vintage vibe sure to resonate with that classic novel you’ve been meaning to read. Between chapters, be sure to inspect the German-made cast iron roaster, affectionately nicknamed “Bart.”
Find your book at: Powell’s Books on Hawthorne
Rimsky-Korsakoffee House
Rimsky-Korsakoffee House springs to life at 7 p.m., long after most other cafes have closed for the night. Draped with colorful lights along the walls and dangling from the ceiling, it’s like peeking inside a carnival big tent. Inside tip: For the best reading light, score a table by the piano.
Find your book at: Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
Northwest Portland
Dragonfly Coffee House
A cozy little coffee shop on the northeast edge of the Alphabet District, Dragonfly Coffee House is tinged with gold and lined with mythical creature-inspired knickknacks. The whimsical atmosphere creates a sense of magic and mystery that makes for an opportune setting to bust out that Mystical Mandala coloring book.
Find your book at: New Renaissance Bookshop
Northeast Portland
Case Study Coffee
Case Study Coffee is the perfect place to hunker down with a great book. Not only will the beautiful wood-paneled interior and big glass garage door keep the place full of warm, bright light, but the in-house roaster and stellar gourmet mochas (with house-made syrups highlighting fine ingredients) will also pair well with any novel.
Find your book at: Monograph Bookwerks
Rose City Book Pub
The first of its kind in Portland, the Rose City Book Pub combines the city’s love of books with the undeniable love of a craft brew. The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves boast a well-curated selection of new and used books for sale. Grab a glass of wine or a local beer and curl up on one of their comfy couches, and be sure to check the pub’s events calendar for weekly writers’ workshops, trivia nights and poetry readings.
Find your book at: Rose City Book Pub
Hot Drinks
Downtown Portland Coffee Crawl
Portland’s bean scene is as accessible as it is diverse. In fact, you don’t have to leave downtown to sample some of the best cups.
Tea: Portland’s Other Hot Brewing Scene
Tea drinkers can enjoy a favorite cuppa or sample exotic varietals in Portland’s teahouses. Chai, bubble tea and classic green tea are just a few of the many teas brewed in and around Portland.
Chai in Portland
This guide to Portland chai includes an abundance of house-brewed local brick-and-mortar options and those carrying Portland-made chai blends and concentrates.
North Portland
Albina Press
Clean white walls contrast against dark, seasoned wood in minimalist North Portland café Albina Press. Once you’ve ordered a foamy latte or full French press from the award-winning baristas, grab a bright seat near the window and reach for your favorite minimalist prose or graphic novel.
Find your book at: Rose City Comics
The Stacks Coffeehouse
Last but not least, The Stacks Coffeehouse combines the best of two worlds, encompassing both a coffee shop and a community library. Anyone can get a library card; you just have to promise to bring back any books you borrow. But with an extensive book selection, locally roasted Roseline Coffee, breakfast tacos and plenty of seating, why would you ever leave?
Find your book at: The Stacks Coffeehouse
Literary Portland
Powell’s City of Books
Covering an entire city block, Powell’s City of Books is more than a great bookstore: It’s a microcosm of Portland, packed with smart and eclectic books, gifting options, and passionate people. And, like Portland, it’s open 365 days a year.
The Portland Book Festival
Portland Book Festival (formerly “Wordstock”) returns every November with an impressive (and extensive) lineup of local and national authors.
Portland Bookstores, Beyond Powell’s
Don’t stop with the largest independent bookstore in the world; these seven other shops offer an abundance of literary riches.
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