Happy Hour at Altabira City Tavern is the latest hot happy hour in Portland. Located at 1021 NE Grand Ave, it’s location makes it right next to the Max stop for the Oregon Convention Center and perfect after an event there or before or after something at the Moda Center a block or so away.
Located on the sixth floor of the boutique hotel Hotel Eastlund, it offers not just a hip indoor bar area that continues the contemporary cool look of the hotel inside, but also an outdoor rooftop patio to appreciate Portland sunshine and is ready for cooler weather with heaters and fire pits. Seating at the Altabira bar and patio are on a first come first serve basis, and this outdoor happy hour is a hit so expect to see lots of beautiful people along with the beautiful view!
Beware though that with it’s location so close the convention center, you can see a small rush of big groups looking to network and have a bite/drink around 5:45 or so when conferences typically end during a weekday, so the outside can get busy. But, there were plenty of seats for smaller groups still available at the bar.
The Happy Hour at Altabira is is Daily between 4PM – 6 PM. Here are some examples of what I’ve tried and adored from their happy hour menu:
$7 Pizza Special (half off from the regular Tavern Menu)
I was particularly enchanted with the Spinach, Walnut and Blue Cheese Pizza though the Roma Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Pizza was also enjoyed. These pizzas are enough for 2-4 to share.
Don’t overlook the Citizen Baker Pretzel with Spicy Beer Mustard and Pimento Cheese if you want something small and it goes great with their big beer list that includes 14 beers and 2 ciders almost all from Oregon (1 was from California).
A lot more messy but pretty tasty is the Smoked Chicken Wings which can be found on the Tavern Menu and also on the Dinner Menu though the best deal is of course at happy hour.
More substantial happy hour offerings include an Altabira Cheeseburger on Brioche Bun and a Smoked Brisket Sandwich with Spicy Cole Slaw.
For cocktails, I tried Altabira City Tavern’s cocktail Sandia Mountain with Vodka, Fresh Watermelon Juice, Lemon and Lime and the Summer Squall with Coruba Dark Rum, Ginger Beer and Pineapple Juice. For happy hour, be sure to ask what the special cocktail of the day is – one time it was this tasty coconut cinnamon beverage!
I also have tried some dinner starters:
Cornmeal Fried Local Oysters with Spicy Remoulade were light, crispy, perfectly executed (note: the photo is for a platter that is more than one order, it’s not an individual order).
Country Style Pork Pâté are a great appetizer as wellthat when I had it, had a crust around the pate of bacon. Yup. Note: the photo below is for a platter that is more than one order, it’s not an individual order).
It’s nice to see the Near SouthEast Side starting to come into it’s own instead of being just a bunch of generic convention center hotels. With the completion in the future of some high rise condos in the area, this is going to be a happening neighborhood that has the convenience of easy access to highway and public transit and some pretty sophisticated choices such as Altabira.
In walking distance/a stop or so away on the streetcar are neighboring hot restaurants like Renata, Kachka, Oso Market, Mirakutei, Simpatica, Nong’s Khao Man Gai, the bars of Coopers Hall for wine and Loyal Legion and White Owl Social for beer all to the south within 1 mile, and Reverend’s Nat’s, Upright Brewery, Ox Restaurant, Toro Bravo and more to the north within 1 mile makes this area by the Lloyd District an up and coming neighborhood.
Welcome Altabira City Tavern to the area, I believe many convention center goers are so happy to finally have a destination right here for them besides the usual chain, and they thank you!
