My trip to Portland was for work – I work for British shoe brand Dr. Martens – and we had our SS18 Global Conference there. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have some spare town and explore the city of Portland while I was there. This was actually my first time in North America – it’s never appealed to me that much, as coming from England I assumed the cultures would be pretty similar and I like to be thrown into the unknown. But, doubts aside, I had a blast.

Portland is small but perfectly formed and there’s definitely some cool little places to shop, eat and drink as well as fun activities. Here’s what I got up to…

EAT

Harlow

A cool vegan eatery in hip Hawthorne for when you want something healthy and nutritious.

Halsteins

Classic American burgers and out-of-this-world service.

Ruby Jewel

An amazing selection of ice creams – plus, they do a dairy-free version too.

Grassa

Pasta and salads in a cool and trendy canteen-style building.

Sizzle Pie Pizza

Some truly amazing and HUGE pizzas. A must-visit.

Andina

Traditional Peruvian fare. Try the ceviche, the SENSATIONAL lamb and their Pisco sours. Oh, and the live music is great too.

Bamboo Sushi

Cheap and tasty sushi. Try their 7 kinds of roe.

DRINK

White Owl Social Club

An authentic dive bar with great beers and live music.

10 Barrel

The only place I found with a rooftop.

Sassy’s Strip Club

The most fun ever. Fully nude, fully fun. You’ll see a great mix of people in here and tattooed naked ladies. This was my favourite place in Portland.

STAY

Residence Inn

Huge, apartment-like rooms with dishwashers, dressing rooms and desks and a great outdoor area.

Ace Hotel

You know what’s up. Great bar too.

SHOP

Dr. Martens shop

This is biased as I work for them, but the staff are so friendly. Just go in and chat.

Powells book store

The biggest and best bookshop I’ve ever seen. Just huge.

 

DO

Hire a Nike Bike

They’re orange and Nike-branded. Much better than London’s Santander ones.

Go record hunting at Jackpot records

A cute and quirky record shop. Hit the dollar bin for some bargains.

Have you been to Portland? What are your tips?