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Out on the TOWN
Whether you’re checking out the live music scene, or dancing the night away on a neon-lit club floor,
Portland’s nightlife combines the energy and accessibility of the big city with the congeniality of a
small-town community.
Photo: Chris Lawrence, Wharf Street, Portland
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Along the lively streets of the Old Port
you'll find waterfront bars, such as the
Irish pub and restaurant Ri Ra, where
visitors can enjoy a beer while observing
lobstermen surveying their catches. The
Arts District, affectionately referred to as
“Uptown” by locals, offers a myriad of
venues in which to discover a local band
or attend a themed party. Uptown Portland
is undeniably a more artsy part of town,
whereas the Old Port is plain entertain-
ment and energy. Uptown Portland
mingles dance clubs with artist talks,
community events, film screenings,
and theater events; the Old Port invites
visitors to drink, dance, and bring in the
summer, the weekend, or a vacation.
Near Exchange Street, the Old Port’s main
thoroughfare, experience beer gardens and
microbreweries with an old-world feel
such as Bull Feeney’s, with its turn-of-the-
century Irish pub décor, and Gritty
McDuff’s where you can choose from a
variety of fine ales, all brewed on site, while
people-watching from a cozy booth. For
live music any night of the week, and
fresh off-the-boat “pub style” seafood, visit
Andy’s Old Port Pub. Dockside, Portland
Lobster Company also offers nightly live
music; grab a cold one at their outdoor
tented bar and enjoy some of the best
views in town while the night fills with
foot-tapping sounds.
If a quieter evening is what you’re after,
the Top of the East at the Westin Portland
Harborview Hotel offers spectacular views
of Portland in a romantic atmosphere.
Plop down in a comfy armchair and enjoy
a cocktail while seated by a floor-to-ceiling
glass window, the lights of the city in full-
view. Another great spot to sip in comfort
is MJ’s Wine Bar where you can also enjoy
live jazz every Thursday and Sunday night.
A short stroll from the Westin takes
visitors to the Uptown scene—artsy bars
with a more urban feel, a variety of music
and art venues, and gallery openings. At
the Dogfish Bar & Grille, the live music is
mostly acoustic blues and jazz, and the
atmosphere is casual and laid-back; art
lines the walls and old records and record-
players invite visitors to wax nostalgic.
Local 188, or “local” as it is affectionately
referred to by the …well, locals, epitomizes
the rare character of this city’s nightlife:
there is small-town community here but
the décor, the food, the liveliness, hints at
big-city life, at a worldliness that is unmis-
takably urban yet authentically Portland’s.
In the peak summer months don’t miss
the Thursday evening Alive at Five free
concert series in Monument Square where
you can enjoy popular bands as the summer
sun wanes. Use the grid on the opposite
page as well as the Free Outdoor events
listed on page 52 to help you choose the
right entertainment for your night out
on the town.
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