Bellwether Bar — Restaurant in Portland

So let me start off with I do love this place and it has great ambience and the food is very tasty! Here is my problem, for the prices of drinks and food I want to be waited on. For the initial cocktail I’m fine ordering at the bar but with all the people running around why can’t they have someone come to my table and SERVE me? Once I made my initial order I wanted another glass of wine. I had to get up from my dinner and company and go stand in line to order another glass of wine. So annoying. I asked the mgr the reasoning behind this process and she told me they weren’t expecting it to be busy like this on a Thursday. I also asked made a comment about the service and if they thought they should expect a 20% tip? I asked isn’t it like this on Friday and Saturday and she said yes, but still asked me if my complaint was about being served, which was yes, to which she still never gave me a straight answer. Again, the food is great and the ambiance is nice as well as the cocktails (my martini was amazing), but my bill was $160+ for two people who stood at the bar and had to get there own water. I’m dumbfounded, not only at her answers and lack of caring to my concern but the prices associated with her lack of concern. Granted, everyone was very pleasant and my food was great but I just want to know if this lack of service is the new norm? Btw I work in the service industry and we pour waters and hand our customers menus at their tables, as well as WAIT on them, and out drinks are handmade, and food is delicious and plentiful. I’m sorry. It I’m just a little miffed and what I experienced here. Not to mention I had to got back to the bar to close out my $160+ tab before I left....

Alright, alright - I have to do the annoying thing and say that I rarely ever leave reviews. But for this place, I had to.

My husband and I wanted somewhere low-key and not extraordinarily expensive to celebrate our anniversary. This fit the bill entirely. A really sweet older building with a lovely patio.

We were pleased to see they had NA options - the salty lemonade was exactly what we were looking for - not overly sweet, just refreshing.

As for the food - we ordered the peach & heirloom tomato panzanella, the harissa cauliflower and the steak frites. Each dish was well rounded and had the perfect amount of brightness and balance. We'll be thinking of the panzanella especially for quite a while. It was summer on a plate. The steak frites were cooked well and the duck fat aioli completed the savory dish.

Can't forget to mention the staff. All were kind and inquisitive. We didn't have to wait long for food or drinks either.

You know a place is good when it inspires you to make something similar at home. We immediately started pondering after a few bites. To sum it up, don't sleep on Bellwether! We can't wait to...

Bellwether Bar is located in the building that my grandpa Leo Verbon had his naturopathic hospital in the 1940s and where my mom was born in the family residence above in 1949! My mom and my two sisters were delighted to find the Bellwether when we came to Portland to visit the building. We had an excellent dinner and my mom and sisters loved the drinks from the bar! They have gluten free options and my celiac was not aggrevated by the dish I ate (yay and thank heavens!). The inside is super cool and beautifully done with a lovely patio in the back. From there we could see the crazy high stairs and rail my mom would swing on at age 1! Yikes! She also managed to climb up to the roof and was rescued by the firemen who just happened to see her from next door. So as you are dining on your fabulous meal and imbibing on delicious cocktails you will know a secret history of where you are! Last but definitely not least were the amazing people who work there! So kind and amazing energy! I wish I had...