The Hopes End Portland, OR City Guide
With its all-encompassing misty mornings and dreary, rainy evenings, we find Portland, Oregon to be our West Coast urban escape. Dark forests and dew envelops a city filled with robust art, food, music, and architecture. If you’re anything like us—which we bet you are—you’re constantly searching for your next dark adventure. Look no further. With worldly food, a distinct history, unique inhabitants and remarkable nature, Portland is a city Hopes End is proud to venture to, time and time again. Read on to learn how we relish the great Rose City, but don’t be afraid to choose your own mischief.
-Best, Hopes End Wine
Best Places to Eat and Drink
Food Carts
After a night of wickedness, the food trucks around Portland are a feast for the eyes and stomachs. Find food trucks on this map and let your intuition lead you to the best bites. If we can recommended a few, grab falafel at Wolf and Bear’s or a bulgogi bowl at Kim Jong Grillin and bring home to eat with your favorite wine (Hopes End Wine, that is). Click here to view the food cart map.
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214
The Lovecraft Bar is a horror themed bar that pays tribute to the world of the weird, the macabre and horror in music, movies, art, and literature. Ladies and gents, we are tempted. From the timeless unknown depths of the eldritch in classic horror tropes to more modern twists of macabre and Tim Burton-esque dark, romantic humor, we feel right at home.
Guero
200 NE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97232
Once a cart, now a restaurant, Guero is where our enchantment with Mexico can finally rest. The menu focuses on Tortas — a Mexican sandwich — that are messy, loaded with flavor and the perfect option to pair with a bold red.
PAADEE and Langbaan
6 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
When you need a kick of Thai flavor and comfort food wrapped into one, you go to PAADEE. From Som Tum Issan (papaya salad) to Kor Muu (kurobuta pork jowl), this is as real as it gets. Don’t miss Langbaan, the small restaurant located inside Paadee. Where the name comes from the Thai word for “back of the house.” You won’t be sorry.
Explore Portland
The Society Hotel Rooftop Lounge
Visit the Society Hotel (or stay) for their incredible rooftop deck. We indulged in the 360-degree views of downtown, the Lan Su Chinese Garden, the Willamette River, and Cascade Mountains – and on a clear day (we must say, not our favorite in the Pacific Northwest) you can even view Mt. Hood. This spot is best enjoyed with your partners in crime and a bottle of Hopes End Wine.
Explore Sauvie Island
Ten miles north of Portland is Sauvie Island, home to mysterious woods and long beaches. A serene oasis from the city and the perfect spot to enjoy a bottle of Hopes End, paired best with Jamon Iberico, a baguette from Ken’s Artisan Bakery and Caveman Blue Cheese from Rogue Creamery.
Create at ADX Makerspace
417 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
ADX is a makerspace housed with a Southeast Portland warehouse. We find this space to be the perfect spot to unleash our creative endeavors, work with our hands and design functional, artistic pieces in their shared wood and metal shops. Check out the gallery, stop by for a happy hour and create with Portland’s maker community
Scout Forest Park
The dark, overgrown greenery of the city is best experienced at Forest Park. The expansive park features over 80 miles of trails situated on the Tualatin Mountains that overlook Northwest Portland. Strap up those black leather boots and hit the Lower Macleay to Stone House trail. The building is a remnant of a Works Progress Administration–era structure built in 1936. Now it stands with its walls covered in lichen–a little haunting, a little mysterious, and the perfect spot for a picnic. Along the way, you’ll pass by innumerable shades of green, a Monet worthy stream, and the country’s tallest fir tree within a city.
Click here to find trail maps and directions.
Where to Stay
The Society Hotel
The Society Hotel is authentic Portland: creative, boisterous, irreverent. Once a sailor’s hotel, the revamped building is minimalism at its best and outfitted with vintage pieces. Tucked away in the historic neighborhood of Old Town Chinatown, this is the spot where weary and adventurous travelers meet.
Jupiter NEXT Hotel
800 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
This Jupiter Hotel embodies Portland and is kindred spirits with Hopes End. “Our community of travelers is adventurous. They are curious. They like fun. We love being their gateway to those experiences in Portland.” Stay here and get a glimpse of Portland’s unique arts and music culture. There are community spaces throughout the hotel including an open workspace, a gallery, and a music venue. Choose from rooms that are suited to the night owl, the minimalist, the socialite, or those looking for luxury.
The Ace Hotel Portland
1022 SW Stark St, Portland, OR 97205
The Portland Ace Hotel is the original and flagship location of all the Ace Hotels that mark the country. We stay here because this hotel encompasses everything that we love about Portland in one place: hip decor, awesome music, dark vibes, handmade bikes, its own Stumptown Coffee Roasters and is located just down the street from Powell’s Books and Jackpot Records.
