Great little neighborhood spot near tabor. Great cocktails and well drinks. Burger is killer. Back patio is a gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Frites, Cheese Burger, French Fries
David Lawless
The cocktails and food are definitely worth the journey, but it’s the atmosphere and attention to detail that make Bellwether shine. Has the feel of a French-inspired saloon at the turn of the last century,or something straight out of Paris itself.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Kareem Alston-Rosales
Bellwether bar was mad (British accent)!Seriously, if you can get a seat inside, it's the perfect vibe. Their drinks were great, beer and cocktails. This is also the first place I've tried chicken tartare and it was impressive. The mushroom toast was also filling and artisanal. The folks working there were super helpful and helped us get a seat, it was great. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adriana Gomez
This might be my new favorite bar in town. The inside is so unexpectedly charming and has a very romantic vibe, and the drinks were creative and delicious. Reminds me of some of my favorite holes in the all in Scotland. Makes for a great date night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Julia Babcock
Buratta salad ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Burrata Salad
Amy Atkinson-Barnes
Such a fun, cozy & welcoming place! Their signature cocktails are always great & we love the food too. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
boco bill
Very nice spot with some unique food choices.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Grant Williams
The best bar in town - drinks, food, staff, and management are top notch! You cannot go wrong.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kyle Frederick
Bellwether has done a great job with their staff and it’s been a delight to enjoy the vibe. They have wonderful cocktails, an intimate warm atmosphere, and a delicious slightly crispy cheeseburger. For what they are, some menu items are a few dollars more than they should be, but that isn’t a big negative overall. Great Place!
On the surface, Bellwether is right up my alley - a cozy neighborhood bar/restaurant with great design and carefully-constructed menu - so my experience being kind of a letdown was a surprise. We came on a Saturday night and the place was full, but luckily a couple at the bar was just wrapping up so we were able to be seated fairly quickly. The bartenders were nice, and the drinks and food came out quickly. The space is beautifully designed, with oversized dried flower arrangements throughout, and a grand bar that serves as a centerpiece in the dining room. The feel is very comfortable, like a local watering hole that's just elevated enough to marry comfort and elegance. Unfortunately, when we were there, the music was blaring, and with a full house's worth of conversation noise it was very difficult to hear my friend even though we were sitting a foot apart at the bar. Absolutely killed the vibe. The cocktail I had was good, if surprisingly sweet - with brandy, mezcal, and angostura bitters I'd have expected it to be on the strong & smoky side, but the bartender seems to have gone hard on the honey so it was a little sugary for my taste. We ordered the burger (friend) and cassoulet (me) and that's where things rather fell apart. The burger is $14 and doesn't come with fries - those are an extra $8 - so if you're wanting a side you're looking at a $22 plate. The burger is solid, reminiscent of an old-school grill out complete with a sesame seed bun, and juicy, but it's literally just a burger. The cassoulet is $24 and consists of a sausage, matchstick-thin slices of duck salami, the requisite beans, and a handful of turnips. Mysteriously, the dish was ice cold, with the exception of the sausage; I was looking forward to a warming meal on a cold evening and chilled beans were not what I was expecting. I didn't feel that a sausage and cupful of beans was worth the price tag, like the burger. The food is good, but the New Portland prices don't seem reasonable. I really wanted to like the spot, but based on my experience I see no reason to return.
CJ G.
Cozy romantic hideaway with friendly service, drinks, and food. Highlights were the mushroom toast, burrata panzanella salad, and the #48 cocktail.
Whiskeystraw
We always like coming here and trying different menu items. They have changing menus to keep all dishes fresh and locally sourced. The cooks are self motivated with healthy eating lifestyles who will inspire you to taste more freshness with each visit. Our favorite adult beverages are always available and the interior is cozy like an Irish pub. The back deck is umbrella covered and makes afternoons or evenings a bright stop for conversation or games with friends and family.
They had one of the best steak tartare. Great cocktails too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: French Fries
Mary E.
Wow just wow. This place quickly became one of our new favorite finds in the Portland area, so much so that we visited twice. We came for brunch and returned for dinner (a few days later). I love the historical building it's in... big and moody, originally a pharmacy from 1912 with chill vibes and friendly faces. We sat closest to the front near a big window letting in all the sun, warming our cold skin. Shortly after sitting down we got to work and picked a fair amount of dishes and drink, including a salty lemonade which I highly recommend for my lemonade aficionados. The food was exceptional, everything we could have wanted in a Sunday brunch. I do have to say though that the bun on that burger was like a fluffy little cloud perfectly toasted on the inside and light with spring to it. Ben ended up having the burger the second time we returned and shared a few bites with me which I was more than happy to accept. The cauliflower with harissa was fragrant, mildly spicy and sweet,a crowd favorite as I was told and fully agree. Everything seasoned Deviled eggs with trout roe so delightful they'll leave you wanting more. Thank you @bellwetherbarco for everything and I'll be looking forward to next time.
Delightful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great little neighborhood spot near tabor. Great cocktails and well drinks. Burger is killer. Back patio is a gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Frites, Cheese Burger, French Fries
The cocktails and food are definitely worth the journey, but it’s the atmosphere and attention to detail that make Bellwether shine. Has the feel of a French-inspired saloon at the turn of the last century,or something straight out of Paris itself.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Bellwether bar was mad (British accent)!Seriously, if you can get a seat inside, it's the perfect vibe. Their drinks were great, beer and cocktails. This is also the first place I've tried chicken tartare and it was impressive. The mushroom toast was also filling and artisanal. The folks working there were super helpful and helped us get a seat, it was great. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This might be my new favorite bar in town. The inside is so unexpectedly charming and has a very romantic vibe, and the drinks were creative and delicious. Reminds me of some of my favorite holes in the all in Scotland. Makes for a great date night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Buratta salad ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Burrata Salad
Such a fun, cozy & welcoming place! Their signature cocktails are always great & we love the food too. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very nice spot with some unique food choices.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
The best bar in town - drinks, food, staff, and management are top notch! You cannot go wrong.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bellwether has done a great job with their staff and it’s been a delight to enjoy the vibe. They have wonderful cocktails, an intimate warm atmosphere, and a delicious slightly crispy cheeseburger. For what they are, some menu items are a few dollars more than they should be, but that isn’t a big negative overall. Great Place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Carpaccio, Cheese Burger, Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
Restaurantji Recommends
On the surface, Bellwether is right up my alley - a cozy neighborhood bar/restaurant with great design and carefully-constructed menu - so my experience being kind of a letdown was a surprise. We came on a Saturday night and the place was full, but luckily a couple at the bar was just wrapping up so we were able to be seated fairly quickly. The bartenders were nice, and the drinks and food came out quickly. The space is beautifully designed, with oversized dried flower arrangements throughout, and a grand bar that serves as a centerpiece in the dining room. The feel is very comfortable, like a local watering hole that's just elevated enough to marry comfort and elegance. Unfortunately, when we were there, the music was blaring, and with a full house's worth of conversation noise it was very difficult to hear my friend even though we were sitting a foot apart at the bar. Absolutely killed the vibe. The cocktail I had was good, if surprisingly sweet - with brandy, mezcal, and angostura bitters I'd have expected it to be on the strong & smoky side, but the bartender seems to have gone hard on the honey so it was a little sugary for my taste. We ordered the burger (friend) and cassoulet (me) and that's where things rather fell apart. The burger is $14 and doesn't come with fries - those are an extra $8 - so if you're wanting a side you're looking at a $22 plate. The burger is solid, reminiscent of an old-school grill out complete with a sesame seed bun, and juicy, but it's literally just a burger. The cassoulet is $24 and consists of a sausage, matchstick-thin slices of duck salami, the requisite beans, and a handful of turnips. Mysteriously, the dish was ice cold, with the exception of the sausage; I was looking forward to a warming meal on a cold evening and chilled beans were not what I was expecting. I didn't feel that a sausage and cupful of beans was worth the price tag, like the burger. The food is good, but the New Portland prices don't seem reasonable. I really wanted to like the spot, but based on my experience I see no reason to return.
Cozy romantic hideaway with friendly service, drinks, and food. Highlights were the mushroom toast, burrata panzanella salad, and the #48 cocktail.
We always like coming here and trying different menu items. They have changing menus to keep all dishes fresh and locally sourced. The cooks are self motivated with healthy eating lifestyles who will inspire you to taste more freshness with each visit. Our favorite adult beverages are always available and the interior is cozy like an Irish pub. The back deck is umbrella covered and makes afternoons or evenings a bright stop for conversation or games with friends and family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sugarloaf Chicory Salad, Cookie Sandwich, Sausage Panzanella, Chilled Shrimp Esquites
They had one of the best steak tartare. Great cocktails too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: French Fries
Wow just wow. This place quickly became one of our new favorite finds in the Portland area, so much so that we visited twice. We came for brunch and returned for dinner (a few days later). I love the historical building it's in... big and moody, originally a pharmacy from 1912 with chill vibes and friendly faces. We sat closest to the front near a big window letting in all the sun, warming our cold skin. Shortly after sitting down we got to work and picked a fair amount of dishes and drink, including a salty lemonade which I highly recommend for my lemonade aficionados. The food was exceptional, everything we could have wanted in a Sunday brunch. I do have to say though that the bun on that burger was like a fluffy little cloud perfectly toasted on the inside and light with spring to it. Ben ended up having the burger the second time we returned and shared a few bites with me which I was more than happy to accept. The cauliflower with harissa was fragrant, mildly spicy and sweet,a crowd favorite as I was told and fully agree. Everything seasoned Deviled eggs with trout roe so delightful they'll leave you wanting more. Thank you @bellwetherbarco for everything and I'll be looking forward to next time.