The Hoxton is Portland’s newest addition to a downtown that is famous for chic hotels with fun dining options, so we had to go check it out!
We decided to start at street level, by visiting Lovely Rita- a classic lounge with an industrial mid-century flair. Neither of us will ever turn down the temptation of oysters on the half shell. With $1 a pop Shigoku and Kumamoto on the happy hour list, we didn’t have to skimp. We paired that with a delicious bottle of Brut Rose for a proper celebration. As the oysters and bubbles had only whetted our appetites, we also added on the Calamari Fritti, with pickled peppers and lemon aioli. The calamari was crispy and the peppers were a great addition. We wished that the lemon aioli had been a little bit zingier to pack a perfect punch.
Now that snack time was done and our bottle empty, it was time to head up to the rooftop taco bar, Tope. The decor at Tope was airy and bright, like a greenhouse or atrium that happens to serve margaritas. We also ended up with a fantastic table, right at the edge of the rooftop for sweeping views of the city and the river.
We started with the aforementioned margaritas because, how could we not? I got the Spice Gurl as I like my margaritas on the hot side and Jessica went with the traditional. Both were lovely and refreshing. For food, we decided a share-it-all feast was the way to go. We ordered the Chorizo Queso, the Caesar, the Smoked Spare Ribs, Shrimp Ceviche, AND the Dungeness Crab Tostada. We were fans of all of the food, but a few of the dishes really shone. The Smoked Spare Ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender with a smoky chipotle sauce that complemented them perfectly. The Dungeness Crab Tostada was my personal favorite, piled high with sweet lumps of crab meat with little bursts of tangy roe. All in all an excellent spot to enjoy some tasty vittles with a view.
We weren’t able to check out the basement speakeasy bar 2NW5 this time, but if it is as quality as the other dining and drinking spots in the Hoxton, we are sure to be pleased.
Have you checked out the Hoxton yet? You can see the full menu, hours, or book a room over on the website. What did you think? Let us know in the comments!