Moloko

I popped into moloko one night for a pizza deal they had and because it looked pretty interesting from the outside with all of the aquariums. While the service was good, and it does look pretty cool in there, the space is poorly laid out and it’s way too loud in there and the food was just ok. Also, I’m upset to have found out from someone after my visit that the owner is apparently not a very good person for reasons I won’t get into here. I hope the staff is happy but I won’t be going back.

A very unique aquarium bar. When you drink a beer your friend make you bored and then you can enjoy the fish in tank. lol fish is better than people. JK I meant this bar is so cool and fun. Cheese bread is good. But only one restroom.

What an amazing experience all around. Second stop of our evening on our way to an event downtown Portland. We had already done happy hour a few doors down but seen this place on our way walking past and my wife and I both agreed we needed to stop in and get ourselves a couple drinks and a pizza to go. What an original and cool atmosphere this place offers. Drinks were strong and pizza was excellent. They also provide blue light glasses to compliment the black light esthetic on the fish tanks and throughout the business.

A little 'slice' of everything, see what I did there? They have mini pizza is what I'm saying. Of all the bars in Portland that are themed or struggle to find one, Moloko seems to have settled in as Mississippi Aves premier 'no themed bar'. What you'll find is a strange melange of neon lights, fish tanks, and marble busts. Throwing caution to the wind, BEWARE the SAD MAGICIAN. He must be a stray from Roadside Attraction, because his little shtick didn't fool the patrician tastes of Dr. Melo and me. I have nothing to say about the price of drinks or the quality of the food, because I come to people watch, only that the bar tenders work hard to keep the party going and the riff raff out the door. Come for the vibe, stay because a magician corners you while you enjoy a cigarette.

Pizza is fantastic, drinks are decently priced and good. The decor is definitely the main reason I go, the fish tanks and statues create such a cool vibe I can't find anywhere else

Please update your signage outside. It stated that you're open at noon on weekends but when we walked in at 1:15 on a Sunday we were turned away, in a not so friendly manner. We were still in the area after 2 but found a different bar to check out. Maybe another day I'll get to see your fish tanks.

0/10 DO NOT RECOMMEND. Avoid their happy hour pizza and breadsticks. They’re truly horrific. The plates they served the food on were actually dirty with crusty food on them (not our food). The pizza was a cracker crust (we did not order the thin crust) and it was stretched and cracked and not even a circle? There was a disgustingly excessive amount of raw flour on the pizza (see photo), the sauce tasted like a can, and the basil had basil flowers on the pizza so it was incredibly bitter. Foul. The cheesy bread was a disgrace as well, the sauce also tasted like a can. Not even worth the happy hour prices.

The vibes are immaculate, one of the coolest bars I've been to when it comes to decor and the bar itself and the staff are awesome too. The downside is there's only one bathroom. I also got charged 20 dollars for a well double rum and coke which seems absurdly high even for Halloween night.

We went in for the aquariums, and they were the highlight of the visit. You order and pickup your drinks from the bar. The cocktails were just okay. My cocktail tasted more like a boba milk tea than a cocktail (the liquor got lost in the milk) but his was decent and had a better balance in liquor and bubbles. The aquariums though are amazing! Well maintained by the owner and the fish are docile and used the people; meaning they don't hide but are swimming around. It made for a great change from the normal cocktail scene.

10/10. They don't make a bad drink here. Everything is delicious and the vibe is exceptional.

Yummy cocktails and very cool atmosphere. Like a 64 bit 80s pixelated Atlantis. The fish takes are clean and have well established slow growers in 'em looking happy and healthy. I feel like that says a ton about the staff and establishment (am I wrong? lol)

Such a cool ambiance with fish tanks, video games, and movies playing. The staff is friendly and knows how to make yummy drinks. Would highly recommend :-)

Horrible atmosphere. The food is quite nasty. Have been there more than once & everytime I've been disappointed. Service is terrible, staff are a joke.​​

I don't know how I ended up at this place lol. I was walking down the street and I was looking for a place to get food and if I didn't look through the window of this place I would of never went inside. What caught my eyes was all the fish tanks and under the water vibe this places gives. It's pretty dope, you can play some retro video games while enjoying your drinks or just casual conversation. The service was good but I never order anything lol I just wanted to see the inside, I did stayed with my group in here for like twenty mins. I would come again and actually enjoy the drinks and food. They seem to have specials certain days of the week.

Made an impromptu visit to this quirky, fish tank bar and loved it. We were a group of 11 and popped in for a couple of drinks. Loved the atmosphere with all the fish tanks, mirrors, and statues, The other patrons were nice and friendly and the staff was very nice. We got some great recommendations and think drinks were tasty. There's a small outdoor area to the back and outdoor seating in front.

The aquariums are definitely cool at your table when sipping. There was a show across the street and the lights from the aquariums caught our attention and like a moth to the flame, we were in. The drinks were good, but that was pretty much it. Statues here and there, but kinda tight space and different vibes going on. Good for a drink, didn't try anything else.

Usually one of my fav bars because of the fish tanks but this last time was disappointing service. The girl with black hair last night 7pm was so rude for no reason and put my mule in a regular glass - not the proper copper tin cup, just to be a turd. Be rude all you want but you are doing a disservice to the artwork of cocktails and fine dining. And the fish don't like your vibe either being lame like that. Still tipped, she probably needed it.

My favorite bar in Portland--beautiful and relaxing. Always great service here. Truly, it's the fish tanks that always draw me back. They are haunting in their beauty. The drinks are wonderful, too.

Nevermind the limited beer tap and decent bar food-- reef tanks at a bar is an absolute gem for Portland and I wish more places adopted marine reef aesthetic. Tanks are well maintained; owner is clearly a marine reef enthusiast. Takes me back to the days of working at a salt water aquarium store!

Coming here on a Sunday afternoon the bartender was very attentive and it was way more chill than a Friday/Saturday evening. I love the fish tanks and neon lights! Haven't tried the food but the drinks are regular.

I love the sweet dog that is always there. Unfortunately, I got sick on their pizza. I called and could not get through to them, their voicemail was not accepting messages. The pizza was horrible. I tried sending an email and my emails were blocked. I don't understand that?? I just wanted a refund for the horrible pizza. Their drinks are fine. Very dubious at best. No one to answer the phone and no one accepting emails? Good luck! Not a good way to run a business. I've been in the hospitality business for years and I would never let these things happen. They are big mistakes: bad food, no way to contact the business?? Do you do that because you get so many complaints?? Just proof that my email was blocked:

Service is always good here and the vibes with the aquariums are so cool. I haven't tried the food but they have 5$ Margherita pizza on happy hour that looked really good.

Cool bar, great vibes, and hopping on a Saturday night. Beautifully illuminated aquariums mesmerize you while you wait to put in your order at the bar. As a party of 11, we had no option but order at the bar and find a spot outside. I love this about Portland. One is able to drink cocktails outside of the establishment, making it opportune for many to enjoy time together in larger parties. Bartender was swamped, but she did her best to handle all of us. Drinks were excellent, reasonably priced, and quick to the fixings. We would've stayed here longer, enjoyed our company in this atmosphere, and run our tab amuck. Ambience is wonderful, people are super friendly, and know what's up behind the bar. Will definitely be back.

My friend and I were planning to go to the convenience store next door to grab some staples for the Air BNB we'd just checked into around the corner. We got distracted by the bar and ended up walking in and spending an entire afternoon at the bar. We had almost one of every drink, and several bartender's choices. We also had a fantastic pizza for an amazing price during Happy Hour. There are lots of spots on Mississippi to stop for cocktails, but none of them has Megan!! She's so knowledgeable, personable, and dedicated to her job (not to mention from our hometown) that we didn't want to say goodbye to her! We even popped in the next day just to say hi. Moloko and Megan for the win. We'll be back!!

Such a fun vibe! Lots of aquariums, cool led lights and statues. Lots of seating, inside and out. The pizzas are great and they had fun drinks some I haven't seen in other places. The service is friendly and the owner has a calm happy pup around. Pretty sure all tables have access to an aquarium

If Ariel ever felt homesick after becoming a full-fledged human, a trip to Moloko would likely hit her hard in the feels! This place has a great vibe. Dark, sub-aquatic lighting and color tones, blacklights reflecting off the scales of luminescent fish and sea creatures in the numerous saltwater aquariums scattered throughout. Great cocktails at great prices. We'd just eaten sushi down the street, so we didn't try any of the various snack foods available, this time around. The bartender was friendly and sociable, and was able to churn out several drinks in a flash. My wife was particularly taken with the ambiance here, and observed the exotic fish with rapt attention for most of our visit, pointing out unusual patterns and markings, as well as some of their funny little quirks and behaviors. If you're looking for a place to chill out, vibe out, or pass out, Moloko is where I would weigh anchor. The closest thing to Davy Jones' Locker without, you know...dying.

The ambiance is amazing every time I come in, the cocktails are amazing, and I'm a big fan of their cheese plate One of my favorite restaurants to go to in the beautiful street of Mississippi District

I wanted to commend the man that was working on July 21st, Thursday night. We had a big group of about 14-16 people, most of whom were from out of town for our wedding. They wanted to go bar hopping so we started off at Bar Bar where there were many bartenders but they all had the worst attitudes when serving us. It made us feel uncomfortable and no amount of tips and service we paid them that night would make up for how they made us feel. The groom and I were extremely embarrassed that we started at Bar Bar with our guests. We left and went next door to Moloko where we jam packed into the small space they have and where they only had ONE bartender. He served us kindly, was extremely fast and never once huffed or puffed like the bartender next door. We spent the rest of our money there and made sure he was tipped for his service that night. Thank you for treating us with respect!

Really cool bar. Came here with a group of friends while we were out one night after a conference, and they were impressed with my choice (thanks Yelp!) - so if you want to impress your out-of-town friends you should come here for a unique bar. Awesome fish tanks all around that are lit up in neon/monochromatic light, and there's a table we sat around with a mesmerizing sand fixture with a rolling magnetic ball - sort of reminded me of a Japanese garden hōkime ripple pattern. Drinks were quite strong, they have a nice assortment of drinks based on different liquors, including Mezcal.

This is a fun place to visit on a Saturday night. Although it feels crammed on their patio and in the outdoor back space since they try to fit all their cool decorations. I simultaneously enjoy it but feel cluster phobic if I get too drunk. They have nice clean simple happy hour cocktails, but their signature hitchhiker cocktail is to die for. (And I hate vodka) bartenders are pretty attentive, even the bar backs will help you if the bartender is busy.

Service was fine, went for happy hour to get some drinks and pizza. They dropped part of our pizza on the floor so they said they'd get us another one, which they didn't end up ever doing. We didn't mourn the loss of our pizza because it ended up being pretty terrible. Fish tanks were cool.

I go there for a drink after work from time to time. The bartender Braden always has great cocktail suggestions/creations, and he makes a helluva good martini, one of the best I've had, and I'm a snob about my martinis, so that's high praise. Also, the fish tanks give great ambiance, it's like being in a kind of psychedelic aquarium.

So disappointed in this place. Food was actually pretty good but drinks were ok and the service was bad. The bar downstairs was horrible. My gf was at the bar for 30 minutes and she was ignored by all the bartenders.. We are American/mexcican so idk if that's the reason but they were serving their friends and ignoring us. We left after 25 minutes waiting for the bartenders to acknowledge us. If French people think all Americans are the same that's why ever thinks the French are rude and i didn't think that. I loved Paris and most of the people were great. This is the only place we got bad service!

I'm giving it a three for now only because we didn't get to try it, me and my son and my daughter-in-law stopped in really quick on our way to have lunch and we were going to sit down and have a cocktail and then we noticed they have beautiful fish tanks everywhere And we realized it's a gaming bar. I had never been to one of those before and it was pretty awesome. You sit at a table go up to the bar they give you the controls, set your screen to your game and there you have it cocktails, food and gaming? I thought that was pretty awesome, next time I go back will definitely try.we had lunch reservations and it was almost time so we had to leave but I know my son will go back since he lives out there in Portland. If you're ever out there I recommend you try this spot; all you gamers out there!

This is a really fun, really quirky place right on Mississippi. They have a great little happy hour with some solid food and drink specials. Covered, heated outdoor seating is nice to take in all the happenings of the neighborhood. The inside is tastefully colorful. I loved the aquariums as well as multiple tv's, some even offering customers Super Mario Bros! This is a great little spot and if you haven't been here give it a try and have some fun times and great drinks!

Pretty good pizza. The prosciutto pizza is pretty dang good. I just had the bubbly to drink so you can't go wrong with bubbly (imo).. space is pretty cool with all the fish tanks and Greek statues likes around, it made the place so charming and fun at the same time. The service was good. Overall a good time and I'd definitely go back for that pizza. Ps: I didn't have a photo of the food sadly.. but take my word it's, good.

Still my absolute favorite cocktail bar on Mississippi! Interesting drinks, good staff, REALLY interesting decor.... Especially, the well cared for salt water fish tanks that are in every direction.

Mississippi is a wealth of night life! I had no idea that Moloko existed until we walked past it last night. This place is a new favorite for us. First, the coral aquarium tanks are so much fun to watch! I spent a good 15 minutes just staring into the tank. Second, cocktails are tasty. I had the Beet It, which had beet infused bourbon, lemon, orange, ginger, and absinthe. It was deliciously fresh and herbal. I loved every sip. I also loved that they had a section of non alcoholic cocktails (which you could spike for $3). They also sounded pretty good and were right up my alley. Third, they have old games up on TVs by the front door, where you can play from two different tables that are good for groups. We played Dr Mario and a few arcade shooters. It was awesome that they had two controllers so we could play against each other. Fourth, drinks are not that expensive. They have a section of $7 cocktails and also do a happy hour. For food, they have an assortment of paninis, which were smelling great. I assume my friend enjoyed his, because I didn't get to taste any of it! We will be back.

Staff are nice and chill. The bar is nicely decorated with a couple fish tanks, contemporary art pieces, and some digital panels and moving gifs. The tables are quite dirty though and quite humid inside. They have two tables with Mario so that's cool. If the place is a bit cleaner and the ac is better, I can see myself spending a couple hours in there with friends having a few rounds of drinks. They do have pizza too if you get hungry, but there's lots of our restaurants and bars on the same street. Street parkings all around

Happy hour every day from open-6pm is genius. I ordered the HH margarita and it was so good. They infuse their own alcohols here and also use fresh lime/lemon juice which makes such a difference! You can also get tajin instead of salt on the rim. Would definitely go back to grab a $4 margarita pizza with the margaritas next time. There's a great outdoor seating area in the back and inside is super cool cause there is a fish tank on almost every table. Also there's a cute dog ruby that loves to hang around for pets.

Very cool vibe for a bar with its aqua lighting and fishtanks casually on the tables. However, I was excited to try the Yes Please! drink and was disappointed. Lavender and elderflower are two of my favorite flavors and this drink was not good. The prosciutto pizza was great however.

Really cool concept for a bar and a cool spot to bring a group/friends visiting from out of town. How often do you find fish tanks lining the whole place!? Definitely saw Dory and Nemo in some of the tanks. If that's not enough they have a surprising back area and tables out front if you can't find one indoors. Dimly lit but the tanks light up the whole place. Bar is right at the center and drinks and they have standard well mixes, beers on tap, and even some specialty drinks. Tried the bees knees here and it wasn't the best I ever had but OK if you want something on the sweeter side. I also noticed they had food as well like pizzas and bites which looked pretty tasty, but we didn't get any this time around. People were ordering things though which is always good to have the option to munch on things while enjoying your drinks!

Did some bar hopping in the area and this was my favorite spot. Very cool and unique bar. The bartender was really nice and easy to talk to. Plenty of tables to sit at and admire the fish tanks.

great sport, super fun vibe, love the fish, love the area, love the drinks and pizza was really good

New to the area and this is our new favorite spot! Brayden and Abby were our bartenders for the night and they are AMAZING! Super knowledgeable and kind!

LOVED IT! Excellent old fashioned and the decor is one of a kind. Highly recommend this fun, classy, creative spot.

Good drinks! Hip atmosphere. A bit on the divey side but still cooool. The aquariums are cute and the fish look healthy, adorable snails and blacklit living (!) coral.

The atmosphere and ambience of this place is great. Staff is very friendly and welcoming as well. We spent almost 3 hours here and didn't even know how quickly time went by. The back room is very cozy and is able to seat a large party. Recommend the New York whiskey sour. That was the best drink we tried there.

Molokai is so cute and a great spot for delicious drinks. I got a strawberry margarita and a tequila sunrise- I was genuinely shocked at how good both were! The bartenders were really friendly and the back patio was an awesome place to enjoy good cocktails and good company on a summer night.

Super fun. Laid back. Find a good drug and chill. Pizza is better than good. Drinks are inventive. Staff look like people you want to be friends with.

This is the coolest bar ever. So many aquariums with amazing specimens inside. Good music, great atmosphere and lighting and they often play anime on the projector. A must visit in Portland

Pretty damn good cocktails. Didn't get to try the food but can't wait to come back! We tried the bees knees and Potion #7 and they did not disappoint

I absolutely loved this bar. Their drinks were excellent, definitely recommend the tequila sunrise and pacific cooler. The tanks of fish were so pleasant to look at, super unique thing about this bar. I loved the atmosphere of it as well.

Completely brilliant -- good seats and great food, plus lots of pretty fish! Pleasant ambiance as well. Did think the wait service was a tad long, but you can't have everything and the rest was lovely.

This is a super cool bar and had a unique vibe. The drinks were pretty good and made well. The pizzas we had were phenomenal! My only complaint would be that the bartender wasn't super friendly the night we went and seemed a little annoyed any time someone ordered a drink. But I will definitely return for the pizza!

My friend and I came in last night around 7. It wasn't super busy so we decided to sit at the bar. We waited a decent amount of time before the bartender decided to even acknowledge us, just so we could ask for some menus. When we finally were able to order I could barely get our drink orders out before he was walking away and I had to quickly order the pizza we were getting too before he was completely walking away from us. Typically I'm used to bars asking us if we would like to be on the same tab or keep a tab open, but if he hadn't asked that directly I would've let him know. But I never got the chance to. The bartender was being friendly and talking and laughing with everyone else at the bar but my friend and I were hardly acknowledged. As he finished each drink he basically was just dropping them down in front of us and rushing away and then did the same thing with the little device to pay. Both of our orders were on the tab so I decided I would just pay for it and my friend would get the next drinks. I had already come into the bar with the intention of tipping in cash so for the transaction on my card I put no tip. If the bartender had slowed down once to give us some amount of attention or conversation or anything I would've been able to hand him a cash tip, but that didn't happen. Unfortunately instead, the bartender decided to pick up the pay device, see that I hadn't tipped on it, and then as he was walking away once again instead of talking to us directly, loudly and sarcastically announce in front of everyone at the bar "thanks for the tip!". Even with the minimal interaction, I always make it a point to tip. I understand having bad days and not being in the mood to talk or be friendly, but the bartender had been friendly with everyone else sitting there and had never even given us the chance to have a good interaction with him. Overall I was just very confused wondering if there was something we had said or done that had upset him but the only interaction we really had was simply us stating our order? I've been racking my brain to try to figure out what we could've done to upset him in the first place before even getting to the tip issue but I've never had a situation like this and I can't think of anything we could've done as we were polite and very much just staying to ourselves. After this happened, we felt very uncomfortable and decided we would just go elsewhere for more drinks. We got our pizza from the person making them in the back who was very kind. We asked them for to go boxes because we were uncomfortable just sitting there to eat our food. They were super sweet to us even in just those short interactions and it was so relieving after the bad experience with the bartender. We actually ended up walking back to where they were and giving them the cash tip that was intended for the bartender and thanking them for being so kind because my anxiety was so high after the interaction with the bartender that their kindness was very needed and appreciated. Overall, the drinks were good and the portabello pizza was really good. The service was just off for us.

We stopped into this bar after spending a bit of time at another bar a few doors down. It was a Thursday night and things on Mississippi were pretty mellow, as was the vibe at Moloko. They were playing some good music and the lighting from the fish tank set a nice mood. I ordered a drink with lavender infused alcohol and an ice cube with edible flower inside. Generally, I love anything, food or drink, with a hint or taste of lavender. This one, though, was not great. It tasted a bit like medicine and the alcohol was a bit overwhelming. Overall, nice environment on a mellow night with attentive staff.