Those living in inner Kerns have likely been wondering what’s up with the bar and bottle shop on the corner of NE Davis and 6th Avenue. First, it quietly opened as Bota Bar in January 2017, but according to the owners, it had to delay announcing its opening when the Delicato Wine Family who owns the Bota Box wine brand threatened legal action over the name. Now renamed Bar Botellón—and somehow snagging the barpdx.com web address in the process—it’s set to officially begin pouring May 6.
As a bottle shop, Bar Botellón brings a decidedly European focus on high-value, gas-station-pump-style wine fills. Owners Alan Hill and Benjamin Allen tell Eater they are committed to pricing growlers of wine lower than they retail for in bottle-form, something they say other wine-fill shops do not always do.
Currently, 25 taps pour wines, sparking wines, beer, cider, and saké, with room to install 25 more. The bottle selection clocks in around 300, and there’s a full bar, with a focus on terroir-driven whiskeys.
That entire selection is available for onsite sipping, and every drink at Bar Botellón comes with a free bite of Spanish-inspired food, with a full menu of globally influenced plates on offer, too. Regular "kitchen takeovers" featuring local cooks and chefs are also planned.
But the first thing to likely grab your attention when you walk through the door is the decor, which Allen and Hill outfitted themselves with mostly reused materials. The 1364-square-foot space seats around 30 and takes inspiration from Northern Africa, with things like white-washed brick benches. Many seats in the lounge are on different levels, “so not everyone is sitting on the same plane.” And big windows run along two sides of the venue. “It’s like the Nighthawks painting [by Edward Hopper],” says Allen.
Until the grand opening, Bar Botellón is open at 606 NE Davis St. Tuesday through Sunday, from noon to 10 p.m. Starting May 6, the hours will change to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
