Where to Find Portland’s Coziest Underground Bars
"Many underground bars trade in nostalgic prohibition fantasy, a sanitized visit to the 1920s with art deco aesthetics and cocktail prices that would make Al Capone blush. Not so at Gil’s Speakeasy Tavern, which is unabashedly a Portland dive bar that merely happens to be below ground. No secret knocks or hidden doors here, Gil’s opens directly onto the sidewalk of southeast Taylor, inviting passersby (and inhabitants of the apartment building that sits above it) to drift in for cheap drinks, relaxed vibes, and talkative regulars. Well-worn living room furniture sits near a pool table, an original Pac Man machine, a CD jukebox, and plenty of video poker." - Nathan Williams
