Bend, Oregon, is known for its breweries and outdoor adventure. But it has a sneaky great restaurant scene and nightlife. There are a number of cool bars in Bend, OR, places you can get a cocktail or join a bar crawl.
Nicole and I love getting a drink before or after dinner in Bend, or after an active day outside. In this guide, we share what we believe are the Best Bars in Bend, OR.
The Best Bars in Bend, OR - Contents
Map of The Best Bars in Bend, OR
Did we miss your favorite place in Bend to get a drink? Did we rank something too high or low? Let us know in the comments.
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1. Velvet (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: A venue with maybe the best vibe and character in Bend, Velvet is the ultimate place to get a drink in downtown Bend.
The intimate, wood-paneled bar is not big and feels like the place to be on weekends. Furnished, of course, with velvet couches.
Their mixologists craft a variety of fresh cocktails, and they also serve local beers and wine.
This is where Nicole and I go for a drink before or after dinner in downtown Bend.
What To Expect
- Speakeasy-Style Vibe
- Fresh Ingredient Cocktails
- Great Downtown Location
2. The Stihl Whiskey Bar (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: Another bar in downtown Bend that oozes with character is The Stihl Whiskey Bar.
If you like whiskey, you’ll love this place. The selection of bourbons, ryes, and other whiskeys is stellar, and their bartenders mix up lots of creative cocktails.
This vibe at Stihl is part dive bar, part western saloon. It’s one of Nicole’s and my favorite places for a cocktail in Bend.
What To Expect
- Massive Whiskey List
- Cozy Atmosphere
- Decent Bar Food
3. Bar RBC (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: A slightly more upscale bar in downtown Bend is BarRBC.
This is the sister venue to Rancher Butcher Chef (RBC), one of Bend’s best restaurants. BarRBC opened in 2024 and is a small plates concept with a sleek bar and a great cocktail list.
If you like wine, you’ll especially like the BarRBC wine list and wines by the glass (their food is designed to go with wine).
What To Expect
- Sleek Bar and Setting
- Tapas-Style Menu
- Great Wine List
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4. Bosa (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: One of our favorite places to eat (especially pasta) in Bend is Bosa. Part of why we love it is the incredible bar and drink menu.
More specifically, Nicole has taught me to love Negronis. This classic Italian cocktail made with Campari is a staple at Bosa; in fact, they have an entire menu of Negronis to try.
Bosa is a popular place on Galveston Ave, so if you score some seats at their bar on a weekend, consider yourself lucky.
What To Expect
- Upscale Vibe
- Excellent Negronis
- Italian Plates
5. Dear Irene (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: Dear Irene is a fine dining venue in downtown Bend with an upscale bar. So if you are feeling dressy, or want to take your wife somewhere nice, it fits the bill.
The vibe is speakeasy, with dark lighting, velvet chairs, and sophisticated cocktails.
The carefully curated cocktail list is not huge but impressive. It has a massive spirits list, so it’s also a place where you can ask the bartender, “Surprise me with something“.
What To Expect
- Fine Dining Vibe
- Pricey and Creative Cocktails
- Above Average Wine List
6. The Flamingo Room (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: For a place in southwest Bend that is a bit more eclectic, check out The Flamingo Room.
While probably not for everyone, this joint is bright, retro, and great for your Instagram. There are hanging plants, artifacts, and delicious cocktails.
There always seems to be a crowd at Flamingo, and always something going on.
What To Expect
- Tropical Cocktails
- Great For a Group
- Fun Music and Vibe
7. Cellar 65 (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: It was super exciting in 2024 when Cellar 65 opened, right across the Newport Ave bridge in downtown.
This speakeasy-type venue immediately became one of the best places in Bend to get a cocktail. They serve amazing, beautiful cocktails and have a nice menu of Mediterranean small plates to accompany them.
The hardest part of visiting Cellar 65 is finding it. You want to plug in ‘Blissful Spoon’ in your Maps app. Cellar 65 is directly underneath.
What To Expect
- Speakeasy Vibe
- Top Shelf Cocktails
- Mediterranean and Moroccan Small Plates
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65 NW Newport Ave ste 10, Bend, OR 97703
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Web
- Favorite Cocktail: Midnight in Marrakesh
7. Drake (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: Drake is a downtown brasserie that is one of Nicole’s and my favorite places to eat in Bend. But it’s also a great venue if you are only out for drinks
It’s a cozy and comfortable spot on the prominent corner of Franklin and Wall St downtown. The elegant bar is simple and serves up hand-crafted cocktails, local beers, and a decent selection of wines by the glass.
So if you are visiting Bend, I highly recommend you stop in Drake, either for a meal or just drinks.
What To Expect
- Cozy, Elegant Bar Area
- Downtown Location
- Hand-Crafted Cocktails
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801 NW Wall St, Bend, OR 97701
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Web
- TripAdvisor Review
- Favorite Cocktail: Ken's Old Fashion
9. Prost! (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: Do you like German beer? We all know Bend is a craft beer town, but for me, German beer has always been the gold standard.
The best place for German beer in Bend is Prost!. This German bar and restaurant pours a large selection of imported German pilsners, lagers, hefes, marzans, and Oktoberfest beers.
The menu of German food is great as well (all the classics like Wienerschnitzel and Bratwurst).
It’s also a great place to watch soccer in Bend.
If you are wondering, ‘prost!’ means ‘cheers!’ in German.
What To Expect
- Selection of German Beers
- German Food Menu
- European Sports Bar Vibe
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40 SW Century Dr #140, Bend, OR 97702
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Web
- TripAdvisor Review
- Favorite Drink: Spaten Lager Draft
10. Sidelines (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: Another great spot for watching sports is Sidelines on Wall Street in downtown.
Sidelines is a classic sports bar with lots of TVs and a great bar food menu. Try the wings or nachos, and pair it with whatever local craft beers they are serving on tap.
While we haven’t tried it, Sidelines has also built a reputation for serving one of the better breakfasts in Bend.
What To Expect
- Plenty of TVs for Sports
- Lots of Draft Beers
- Classic Bar Food Menu
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1020 NW Wall St, Bend, OR 97703
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Web
- TripAdvisor Review
- Favorite Drink: Local IPA On Draft
11. River Pig Saloon (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: This is a real gem in the Box Factory in Bend. River Pig Saloon is a rugged place that feels like an upscale saloon.
I love the cocktail list at River Pig, and the bar food options make for a great meal or an accompaniment to your drinks. It gets boisterous on weekends if you like a place with some atmosphere.
If you are wondering, River Pig refers to the timber workers of the past that guide logs down rivers to mills. Those guys definitely needed a drink at the end of the day.
What To Expect
- Lively, Saloon Atmosphere
- Impressive Cocktail List
- Great Bar Food
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555 NW Arizona Ave Ste 40, Bend, OR 97703
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Web
- TripAdvisor Review
- Favorite Drink: River Pig Old Fashion
12. Hawkeye and Huckleberry (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: Nicole and I love this restaurant. We think it’s one of the best restaurants in Bend.
But Hawkeye and Huckleberry in southwest is a great place for cocktails as well. The front bar is modern and sleek. On warm days its faces outside for an al fresco vibe.
Hawk and Huck serves up a tantalizing selection of drinks. The cocktail list is creative, and there is plenty of whiskeys and tequilas to accompany the interesting beers and wines on the menu.
This ‘lounge’ is a great place to eat, drink, or just hang out.
What To Expect
- Incredible Food Menu
- Modern Western Vibe
- Serious Cocktails
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225 SW Century Dr #1052, Bend, OR 97702
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Web
- TripAdvisor Review
- Favorite Drink: I'm Your Huckleberry
13. San Simón (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: San Simon is a small, eclectic bar on a side alley in downtown Bend. This candle-lit venue focuses on Latin-inspired drinks and simple but delicious bar food.
San Simon is a great place for a pre-dinner drink if you have reservations downtown. The rum, tequila, and mezcal cocktails seem to be their strength.
They open everyday at 3 pm and have happy hour specials until 6 pm.
What To Expect
- Latin-inspired Cocktails
- Stylish, Eclectic Interior
- Small Plates
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845 NW Tin Pan Alley, Bend, OR 97703
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Web
- Favorite Drink: Fernaiquiri
14. Astro Lounge (Bend, OR)
Why We Love It: Another cool downtown spot to get drinks is Astro Lounge. This place has been around in Bend for years (early 2000s) and has a loyal local following.
It’s a casual place for cocktails, beers, and nightlife. It’s likely to have a DJ on weekends, and trivia or karaoke any night of the week.
If you are doing a bar crawl in downtown Bend, make Astro Lounge one of your stops. Maybe the last stop.
What To Expect
- Chill, Divey Vibe
- Late-Night Spot
- Affordable Drinks
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939 NW Bond St, Bend, OR 97701
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Web
- TripAdvisor Review
- Favorite Drink: Mirrorball
The Bend Bar Scene
When people think of drinking in Bend, they usually think of breweries. But Bend’s bar and nightlife scene is underrated and reflects the town’s relaxed yet energetic vibe.
Downtown Bend especially has a great concentration of bars and restaurants that make for fun nights out. Most of the recommended spots on this list are in downtown Bend.
But you’ll also find some fun spots for drinks in the southwest Century Dr part of Bend (Hawkeye and Huckleberry and The Flamingo Room), and on Galveston Ave (Bosa).
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