His review is a review based upon not being able to get into this evidently super exclusive club. We are from SoCal. Not much opportunity to come here. We were in town for my hubby's birthday. We did some shopping downtown...saw some of the sights...and put our name in for the Library. Two to three hour wait. Okay...most of the best places in Los Angeles don't take that long...but sure, we're game. We decided to go to dinner to kill time. Not much to eat within walking distance...so we went to a bar first. Managed to kill an hour and a half. Then dinner. Another hour. No call. It was getting late and we were getting tired of killing time. The shops were all closed. We ended up going back to the hotel. 5 hours later...we finally get a phone call that our table is ready. Seriously. What the.... read more

Loved the food, fish and chips was good along with the whisky. However, it is way too expensive than other bars in surrounding areas. But this place is better than the irish bar I went in Portland read more

Super cool bar in Portland. Upon entering the bar the first level looks unassuming and just rather regular. Arrived on a Monday evening with a Portland-based friend who was excited there was no wait to go to the second level. Upon walking up the stairs to the main bar I was so impressed by the atmosphere! I didn't look this place up before we decided to come here and this place has such a cool vibe. The bottles of whiskey and other libations line the walls and the library feel is fun and sophisticated. This would be a fun spot for a date! I tried a Penicillin and it was delicious and ginger-y as it should be. The drinks are made table-side - almost like table-side guac which I found unique and a bit humorous. This is a cute (but sort of extra) touch. Service was also excellent - everyone was very kind and helpful. Definitely check out Whiskey Library when you're in the area! read more

With a wait list 1500 people long, I can definitely see why! What an incredible, classy, sophisticated and well run establishment. We ended up going for my husband's bday on a whim. with no reservations. Well, guess what, RESERVATIONS would be smart or wait 2 -3 hours! If you are lucky. We ended up getting there shortly after they opened and so our wait was about an hour. We waited in the Green Room, downstairs and had some drinks and a meat tray and oysters. The oysters were just amazing! Very well prepared Miyagis with no brininess and the mignonette was not too overpowering. The meat tray was a small platter of dry salamis and cottos, along with a prosciutto and other salami options. MAN, it was good! It was pretty funny however, hearing someone offer the hostess money to get them and their friends upstairs faster. Her response showed the class and sass of their place when she stated, "Sir, you couldn't pay me enough to possibly lose my job!" RIGHT ON GF! We got a seat upstairs at the bar and I have to say, when they opened the doors at the top of the stairs and we walked in, I think my husband and I thought we were in Scotch heaven. The doors parted, the lights shined down on all the libation goodness and the smell of oak and fine woods lingered in the air as we drifted to our seats in a haze of awestruck longing and a bit of drooling at the same time. The leather couches, the big tables and all of the grandioseness (is that a word) of just being here was perfect. We want to join the list and become members. Cross your fingers for us and wish us luck. We had a few rare scotches and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We meant to stay and have dinner, but we had a few drinks and before we knew it, we were ready for bed! lol. Sweet dreams MWL, WE SHALL SEE YOU SOON! read more

Multnomah Whiskey Library - A few rare amazing scotches. - Lounges Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

I liked a lot about this place, but there were certainly quite a few things I think they could improve. Multnomah Whiskey Library certainly offers an experience that goes above and beyond the standard "cocktail" experience, but you might want to know a couple things before you come here. Here's what I liked: 1) The selection: If you can't find something you like here, you are probably very hard to please. Yes, they have a "War and Peace" sized book of all the different whiskies, ryes, and bourbons that they offer, but there is also a ton of other types of drinks, including other types of hard alcohol (vodka/gin/tequila/etc), wine, and beer. There is also a large food selection, although the vast majority of it has dairy (incase you are allergic like me). 2) The cocktails: while the "Old Fashioned" here is not the absolute best I've ever had, it's firmly in my top 5. Bartenders roll a mini bar around and make your drink right in front of you, no matter where you are in the "library." Pretty cool. 3) The prices: For this type of super hip/fancy place, I was expecting much worse. $11 for a house cocktail is quite reasonable when you consider both the quality of the drinks and the experience. 4) The service: great bar tenders and assistants, fast service, but they also left you alone to enjoy your drink once you got it. Well done here. Now, here's what could be improved: 1) The wait: Everyone else talks about this, and I will too. Two things sort of bothered me about this: the total time, and the misestimation of how long I would be waiting to get in. My total wait was around 1:45, and that was for one person (although it was also at 9:00PM on a Friday). I was originally told that my wait would be a little under an hour, but it ended up being almost double that. Parties of 4+ people were being told that their wait would be 3+ hours, which might have translated to much more than that if their experience was anything like mine. MWL offers a service where they will call you when your place is ready, and you have 15 minutes to show up. This is both good and bad. It's good because you can go do something else while you wait (or go home or to your hotel if it's close). However, it's bad because almost every party took the full 15 minutes to come back (I know this because I was standing out front for almost an hour and watched the process a few times). This meant that many spots were sitting open for 20+ minutes in between parities, which means longer waits. 2) The system of seating: The seating here can be sort of awkward. To begin, all seating is assigned (ie you can't just stand at the bar or in the corner) in order to preserve the ambience of the "library" setting. There are a few different types of seating, including "library" style study tables, a bar, and then a few "sitting room" type setups with couches and chairs and tables in the middle of them. I was seated at a single chair around one of these tables. Eventually, after sitting empty for almost 20 minutes (see above about the callback system), the rest of the tables and chairs filled up around my table. However, the setup was almost too intimate for three groups of people who didn't know eachother, especially when you consider that they are trying to make this place more empty than it would be if everyone could just get in. If I had a big group, I would totally enjoy taking up one of these seating arrangements. But for a single, couple, or group of 4, you are just too close to other parties for a bar that's supposed to be intimate. Bottom line: great drink selection, good service, and great prices, but the whole seating and waiting system could use some improvement. read more

Multnomah Whiskey Library - Lounges Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great atmosphere of Prohibition Era and jaw dropping selection of alcohol! Good club feel and late night hang out with buds ;) read more

See all

Beautiful library room upstairs in which to enjoy a great whisky or cocktail. I had a Weller bourbon, my wife had the Bees Nose and we shared the cheese platter. Loved it. Kind of like the Flatiron Room in NYC. read more

See all

Overpriced and not exactly a blow your mind Bourbon, Whiskey, selection/menu. I would think for the prices there would be more things that you just can't find easily, pretty much everything on the menu can be purchased at your local liquor store. And don't accidentally know more about Bourbon and Whiskey than your server... Craft cocktails were very good. read more

One of the best experiences ever, I come from a culinary background and the food, drinks, and service was magnificent. The detail that went into explaining every single dish and drink was beyond excellent. I'm looking forward to return and enjoy every bit of it again. read more

See all

This place is arguably more library than bar- minus the books. If you are looking for some quiet drinks with your guys, on a couch by the fireplace come here. If you are a bachlorette group of 7 women wanting dinner and drinks and laughs this is not your place. The crowd is a little older and a little more male. The lighting is very dim. Our group of 7 secured a private room upstairs. The journey to get to our table was one of the highlights of our time here. This place is a small door almost hidden by construction and looks like it should be a hole in the wall. We were lead upstairs past a closed door into a room with a fireplace, some couches, and library shelves filled with alcohol and ladders. The look of this place is perfect. Then we are lead to our own private room in the back. Let's talk about food! The fried cauliflower was amazing and the fries were great! Those two things were among the favorites. The cheese board was ok but the 6 cracker/ pieces of bread and the jam/honey that came with it were the best part of the platter. The Mac and cheese is very salty. There was hardly any cheese, just pasta. The $100 ribeye is huge but out of the 7 girls I was the only one who enjoyed it because although we ordered medium rare, our cow still had a heart beat. There is no way anyone could call the bloody carcass on our table medium rare (picture included) luckily I don't mind my meat dripping blood, but I was the only one and I can't eat 3 pounds of meat by myself so unfortunately a lot of food got wasted. Drinks- the first drink we had was very strong. Any drink that does not need to be shaken is made table-side. After our first drink I think they were worried about us talking too loud in the library and the drinks became more mild. Atmosphere- as I mentioned previously the crowd is groups of older males bonding over drinks. It's a very quiet/ chill setting. If you have the private room you are expected to stay in the private room. Two girls from the room walked out to go talk to one of the bartenders (yes it was a bachlorette party dare). The rest of us stood up and went to the doorway to watch because of course we would. A female waitress comes up and asks if she can help them. They say no thanks and she reminds them that our group has the private room and therefore must stay in the private room/ fancy prison cell. They come back and we are confused. We ask our waitress what thats about and she says we are making the other patrons uncomfortable. Interesting because at least 3 guys accidentally walked towards/ almost into our room and no one stopped them. Hmmmmm. Oh well we let it go. Then she suggests a "ratchet" "club" down the way because she "knows how LA girls are" and asks us to buy her a drink multiple times. She was nice and sweet and to be honest I get it, I would need a drink also if I worked there. Before we leave we ask our prison guards/ personal bartender if we can take a picture in the main part of the room on our way out and he says sure but feels the need to remind us not to climb the ladders or go behind the bar. Ok deal. (I feel the need to point out that none of us are drunk and we are youngish professionals in our 30's. The craziest thing we have done so far is two of us have walked out of our private room, and one of us did dance a little (nothing stripper or inappropriate like) inside our private room. I guess those two things gave them reason to worry about us crazy troublemakers. You are a business and people pay a lot for their food and drinks here, we spent $600 here, we get it, we know! We walk out to get the picture and being a group of 7 females all heads turn and look at us. I don't remember the last time I felt so famous. Guys are pointing and smiling and nudging each other. We ask our waitress to take our picture but I think she may have been upset we didn't buy her a drink and says she can't and is too busy. So we ask the nearest guy if he wouldn't mind taking our picture He giggles excitedly and seems like he can no longer speak as he nods yes. 4 pictures of his fingers later we decide to call it a night and go home to our our own comfortable couches where we are not making other people uncomfortable. We went in with such high spirits and left feeling like we were crazy hooligans. read more

See all

Since 2013, the Library tends to give one a feel of the old "Speak Easy's" of Old! Ambiance, variety, decadence and a staff that knows everything there is to know about whiskeys! read more

See all

Agree with the other reviewer who said, it's not a bar, it's an experience. That is 100% true. We stopped in for a drink at the downstairs bar around 5 pm on a Sunday, but they offered us a table in the Library. We took it and wow was it cool. Overwhelming choices to say the least. My husband's cocktail was made table side... mine was made at the bar and brought to us. Both were wonderful. We didn't eat -- just had drinks. But if you like cocktails and don't mind spending a bit for a good one, you should definitely try to get a spot. read more

The upstairs lounge is for members only, but we buy a hall pass whenever we visit, which allows a non-member to visit for two hours mid-week. We enjoy the cocktails, and this time we had dinner there as well. The vegan risotto was tasty, and so was the bread basket. The pickled vegetables were powerful :-). My husband said his steak was cooked perfectly. Definitely order the roasted cauliflower. read more

Experiencing this majestic place is so worth the wait. Try to come on a less crowded night - but be forewarned that wait times can be very dynamic. I called ahead and was told there was no wait at the time but when I arrived we were at almost an hour wait. And that was a Thursday night! We were seated in the Green Room while we waited and got some bites - crab dip (the pieces of toast were so crisp and flavorful), some cauliflower (was okay) - and a couple drinks. Once we got upstairs and the doors were opened i was amazed at the atmosphere. It totally makes sense why they limit the traffic flow - it allows for the best experience of those in the library (and it really looks like a library :)) and it is the best experience! The staff is very attentive and knowledgeable, which I always appreciate in cocktail places. If nothing on the menu calls to you, you can have a conversation about flavors you like and they can make you a custom drink. I LOVED it. The room is dimly lit but cozy and it really feels like a parlor. Great place to catch up with friends. read more

The decor and the whiskey selection is amazing and other than that this place is not worth the pretentious attitude of the staff/hostess. We waited several hours. I respect the "full service experience" for the clientele upstairs but when you see that is empty- that point is moot. When we asked for an update it is like we asked them to sacrifice their first born. When we finally made it upstairs, they watched us like hawks and the staff was whispering behind our backs because we asked why were waiting downstairs if it was totally empty upstairs. Take your fancy bar cart and shove it. Save your time. Save your money. read more

What an amazing collection of Whisky. Largest wall of whisky I have ever seen! Located on the second floor. I did not get a chance to get seated here because the wait was over 2 hours but I still came up to take a look. Large bar with spaced out seating, but it was limited. I was in awe of how many bottles they have. Definitely will be on my list of things to do if I ever come back to Portland. read more

See all

Everything about this place is magnificent, great ambiance. Music is great lighting is perfect and ugh can't say enough about decor. Unlimited whiskey dreams! Great service our service was amazing and helpful in helping choose just the right one for me. No complaints find this little hidden gem and try it ! read more

Multnomah Whiskey Library - Entrance - Lounges Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

After dinner, we made a stop at Multnomah Whiskey Library. Highly recommend putting your name down before dinner as the wait on a weekend was 3 to 4 hours! A great place for after-dinner drinks.. such an extensive whiskey menu and their whiskey wall behind the bar is amazing! As if we weren't already full from two dinners, we ordered "snacks": Grass Fed Beef Short Rib Tartar and Fried Cauliflower.. both so good! My friends tried a variety of whiskeys but honourable mention goes to the Hardy's Noces D'Or XO.. a great recommendation from the staff, who were all very knowledgeable about whiskey. I'm not much of a whiskey drinker, so my drink was the OG Cocktail. read more

Multnomah Whiskey Library - Lounges Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Been here a few times. A friend has their yearly membership. Last time I was there we waited for about 40 minutes to be seated at a half empty room, on a completely empty community room table corner, in the high traffic side. The "wait for no reason rule" was fun at first, but now it's going from "prestigious" to annoying. No complaints on the actually food/drinks, but was difficult to wait for a waitress to come up to you, and the seating was subpar. All in all, this place is amazing for menu items, but a hit or miss when it comes to service and seating. Even with the membership. read more

Please make a reservation or be prepared to wait! Once seated, the experience begins... Host was very polite. Appreciate someone who can play Tetris with time and with the amount of seats. Much appreciated! The staff was friendly! The knowledge! We sipped & tried a few recommendations! When I have friends in town or when people ask me where to go in Portland, MWL is always on that list! THANK YOU & CHEERS!!! read more

See all

I am not a fan of whiskey but the experience and the interior design was phenomenal. We ended up sharing a flight of whiskey just to try different ones. The bartender was very knowledgeable and gave us a history lesson of the revolution of whiskey. We also told him that we are not accustomed to the taste of whiskey so he gave us really easy, light ones to try first. We ended up ordering an Old-Fashioned after the flights, which was really smooth and good. My favorite ones out of the flights were the Irish and Japanese Whiskeys. The scotch and American rye whiskey were too oakey and strong for me. read more

Multnomah Whiskey Library - From left to right: Irish, Scotch, Rye, Japanese - Lounges Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I won't do this location any justice, it's expensive and you need a paid reservation but the library upstairs will make Morgan Freeman cry and in turn babies be born. A unnecessarily secure restroom is down the hall. The check in desk will take your coat and this exclusive feeling club will allow you to have a seat at a table couch or bar. Our bartender Ross took us on a historic journey through the world of whisky. Of about 1500 I only tried 5. It was my birthday celebration so I had the whiskey cake which whisked me away, a true delicacy except for the rock candy that gets stuck in your teeth. Wasn't feeling that part. The meat and cheese board available to order is nicely priced especially with the superb quality of the cheeses and meats. I can not recommend this place enough, our bartender made a good experience great and the best part of Portland trip. read more

See all

Amazing place. Great service. Awesome cocktails. Must try. Overall place is great. Beautiful ambience. read more

Still sexy after all these months... Well, I guess they've only been open a couple of months, but nowhere is the veneer wearing thin. Excellent service, fantastic spirits selection, and while I haven't had a lot of the food, everything I've had has been tasty. The bartenders here provide another level of quality, knowledge and service. I never hesitate to lean on them for recommendations from the whiskey bible they call a menu. And I still have yet to wait more than 30 minutes to get in. I guess it's because I am strategic about when I go. Hint: Weekend nights and prime-time drinking hours will net you a long wait. Go enjoy a Glencairn of whiskey at 930 to cap off your night. Or show up early and go drink at Kask/Tasty while you wait. They'll call you! And the hostess is very sweet. Be nice to her. read more

I have learned that if you happen upon a room with an unmarked door, it is not always in your best interest to enter through it in haste. Especially in alleys. You don't want to find yourself in an illegal trafficking outpost, nor an opium den, nor an institute of organ harvesting. This secret Prohibition-era whiskey bar was divulged to us by our dining companions, Mr. and Mrs. X (not their real names). The X's assured us that here, we would unearth some of the finest distilled beverages invented by man, and it wouldn't cost us an arm and a leg (or a kidney). Near the entrance of a historic building on SW Alder Street, we located the creaky flight of stairs leading to the promised nightcap nirvana. With youthful arrogance, up the stairs we went, culminating at the nondescript door of the 1500-bottle Multnomah Whiskey Library. Tentatively, I knocked on the door. No response. Like Dorothy arriving at Oz, my resolve intensified. I knocked even louder - this time with a varied tempo that I envisioned a secret door-knock might be like. It worked! The door cracked open, and a well-heeled hostess appeared. She informed us that "members" were allowed in without waiting, but we would have to wait about an hour. What? I asked about the many obviously available tables and seats. These were "reserved". Many more questions popped into my head. Was I now supposed to provide some secret pass-code like: "The red robin crows at dusk"; or "Whiskey nerds rule"?. How does one become a member? WWDD (What Would Dorothy Do)? During this period of pondering, the hostess shut the door in my face. Refusing to quit, the only option at this point is to wait out the hour as non-members. While hanging with the other shut-outs in the hallway, we learned that the waiting list to become a member is over 500 long. We watched many others arrive absent the secret knock and pass-code, disparagingly turning around and going home. The words of my great grandmother cross my mind and totally make sense now: "Knowledge is power". "Let others figure things out". "Illegal trafficking is a high-risk, low reward business". Grandma knew some sh*t. After about a 30-minute wait, we were granted access. Part upscale speakeasy, part gathering-spot, part lustrous hipster hangout. Dark, windowless, with a sophisticated but romantic glow fed by candlelight and fireplaces-- you can't help but survey the floor-to-ceiling walls of rare, seasonal, and specialty whiskeys and spirits. Your eyes move across the room to some very luxe leather sofas and chairs for "members" to enjoy. We were escorted to the bar and it's less-glitzy, un-padded chairs. Coach-class is still very pristine. The vibe was sophisticated, the bartenders were wearing sick vests, and the vast library-book-sized menu of whiskey selections was impressive. You would assume that they carry every whiskey made in the world, but the bearded bartender educated us. What they carried only scratched the surface of all procurable firewater. The most popular drink? The Old-Fashioned. Don Draper's favorite. America's first cocktail, prefacing the Martini and the Manhattan. So that's what I'll have, with various whiskeys of course. And the best part? While here, the clock ticks backwards and you are taken away to another time and place... a time of Scott and Zelda, Hemingway, Picasso, Louie Armstrong, and Cole Porter. But, should we worry that Eliot Ness is gonna suddenly bust open the door and interrupt this whiskey-induced merriment? Nope. Now that Prohibition is up for repeal, he's shutting down the opium dens and organ harvesting joints in the adjoining back-alleys. #SecretBar #EliotNess #DorothysDrinkingStory #MrAndMrsX read more

I'm pretty damned impressed with this place. I had no knowledge of the MWL, but a good foodie-friend had read about it's opening a while back. Once it's presence was made known on Portlandmonthlymag.com, she insisted we make it our mission to find. She doesn't do YELP, but mentioned that if she were to write a review, she would mention that it's not really somewhere to meet new people. I would have to agree. It's somewhere you meet up with people you already know. It's very intimate, as I would have expected. My visual before going was a bunch of sophisticated old men, sitting around drinking whiskey and smoking cigars. Instead, the bar was filled with a set of well dressed 30-50 year olds. The 'Library" decor consists of floor to ceiling walls of whiskey bottles and the servers use rolling ladders to get to them. The chandelier in the center of the room is gorgeous and gives a feminine touch to an otherwise masculine atmosphere. Seating is mostly comprised of sofa's and coffee tables, so I felt like you stepped back into a Humphrey Bogart movie and was in a large den of some old mansion. I printed off directions and was able to find the very discreet entrance rather easily. Once through the hall and up the stairs, I was put on a 60-minute wait list. Considering I have waited that long for the Spaghetti Factory before, I was willing to wait that long for a fine establishment like this. The gal that took my name suggested we get a drink elsewhere and got my number, saying she would call when our table was ready. Like clockwork, my phone rang in 60 minutes and we were shown to a sofa in front of the fireplace. 2 of us sat on the brick hearth (we'd been offered chairs) and 2 got the couch. We were off to a really good start, considering I'd seen reviews from the night before - where people were told the wait could be up to 3 hours. My drink order was the "Toronto". All I really cared was that it was made with whiskey and would be slightly sweet. The menu said it was flavored with honey. I could taste that, but there was also a slight tinge of cinnamon. Normally, that would be great, but that nasty cheap "Fireball" whiskey had ruined me on cinnamon, so - in hindsight - I would have ordered something else. However; the servers bring a rolling cart to your table and make your drinks in front of you, which was a very nice, personal touch. So that I would be okay to drive (the drinks are rather strong) I ordered their mac and cheese (it's called something cooler, which I can't remember). Yum! It was sprinkled with ham and was super cheesy, just the way I like it. Before we knew it, 2 hours had passed. Time flies when you are having fun. Good company + lovely surroundings = immensely enjoyable evening. read more

I have an aversion to places where you have to stand in line, make appointments or generally plead with them to take your money. Multnomah Whiskey Library is just so damn charming though it seems worth it. The library is indeed extensive, a vast wall of beautiful amber bottles glinting and winking in the light. You share small seating arrangements with other people and that makes for a nice little bit of conversation, assuming you're not trying to be private. We had some beautiful old fashioneds, created table-side by a kind and knowledgeable mixologist. Their book of booze is weighty and the price tag is also pretty hefty but it's worth it to sink in those big leather chairs, sip on a smooth drink and feel shut away from the rest of the world. read more

See all

I Wanted to love this place, was at the top of my list of places to go in Portland. We didn't make reservations, we just showed up at 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon and figured we'd try our luck (we were a party of 2). Staff at the door were very friendly and let us now it would be a 15ish min wait to access the Library (we were told it was busy and that they were waiting for people to leave so they could find a spot for us). We had a drink in the green room (small bar downstairs that is used as overflow / waiting room pre Library seating). We waited about 20 minutes before we were told that space was available. The Library it self is awesome. Visually stunning, the attention to detail was meticulous and the atmosphere / ambiance is spot on. You are definitely transported to different time and the menu lacks very little in terms of whiskey options. The downside for me : the Library was maybe half full when we walked in - after waiting 20 minutes. We asked to sit at the bar (which had plenty of seats available) but were told we needed to sit at a table (our table was set up Living Room style - long coffee table with couches on either side and comfy armchairs at either end). All seats at our table were open so one of us took a corner of a couch and the other took armchair. Again we were told we couldn't do that and we had to sit on the couch. Lots of positives here, if you have the chance you should go and check it out. It is worth the visit / experience. Just keep your expectations within reason. For me though, it was all a bit too pretentious and I felt like it was trying a little too hard. read more

For the whisky aficionado, or just a lover of fine bars. First and foremost, the Whiskey Library does not live up to the reputation of snooty staff. The greater, the waitress, and our bartender were all cheerful and friendly. The Whiskey Library is THE place to go to drink in class. I arrived 30 minutes before opening and there was already a small line forming. By the time the place opened the line had stretched down the block. The Whiskey Library primarily works on reservations, so if you don't have one, be sure to arrive early, and expect to have a time limit on your table. Your server will remind you when you have to leave when a reservation is about to arrive. My party had no reservation and had a two hour time limit. Needless to say, we didn't need that much time to enjoy some excellent liquor. After walking up a steep stairway, I entered a gigantic room with two walls filled with beautiful bottles of whiskey from floor to ceiling. Ladders on wheels dotted the walls allowing the bartenders to reach the top most bottles, truly a top shelf in all sense of the phrase. You get a thick book filled with every whisky in the establishment and a thinner book containing wines, beers, and mixed drinks. After placing your order, your personal bartender arrives, making your drinks in front of you. It's a personal touch that I appreciated and really added an extra bit of class. Expect to pay a little extra for the fine drinks and ambiance. Class up your drinking experience as a must visit for tourists of drinking age. read more

Leather and whiskey and bears, oh my! The ambience in this testosterone cave is a marriage of old world stateliness with warmth from overstuffed leather armchairs and couches strategically placed just far enough apart so that you never feel like your neighbors are intruding. You'll notice right away the grand wall of beautiful bottles of precious booze stacked all the way to the tall ceilings. The sliding ladders of polished brass are gorgeous. It's truly a sight to behold. Whether you are a whiskey connoisseur or a novice to the nuances of this prized elixir, you will be impressed. The menu of some 850 types of whiskeys is vast and can accommodate most any budget. One of the highlights of a visit here is watching the expert staff wheel over a booze laden cart and prepare your beverage table side. Now, we all know Portland is known for its low standards when it comes to our attire when going out for drinks/dinner, which is really quite unfortunate. I am not sure if MWL has a posted dress code but do yourself and the rest of us a favor, save your ball cap and cargo shorts for the brewpub. Put on a jacket or your nicest flannel. Cheers! 2015 - Review # 21 read more

Listed as one of Thrillist's "21 Best Whiskey Bars in America," MWL is about as close as you can get to feeling like part of the 1% without going broke. Like most secluded bars, it only has a small sign above a door that leads through a long hallway. Once inside, you're instantly transported into the 1920s. Servers with finely crafted mustaches and carefully ironed vests pushing portable mixology stations. Plush couches, a fireplace, library desk lamps, chandeliers and portraits of famous whiskey connoisseurs admiring your taste. On top of that, you have two walls of 1500+ bottles stacked on 6 layers. Most are whiskeys and the rest are spirits you would find at any typical bar: gin, vodka, tequila, etc. Selection ranges from your typical Jack Daniel's to the highly exclusive John Walker that runs for $834 a glass (only 330 bottles ever made). Cocktail selection is minimal, but they can whip you up any drink you want based on your tastes and price point. Their Brown Derby is fantastic, as well as the Diamondback. Prices are average at $12-14. For those complaining about long wait times and membership, deal with it. An experience like this comes at a price. We came on a Saturday night, put our names down, and waited for about an hour and a half. There are plenty of other bars within walking distance where you can wait it out and enjoy your time. Membership doesn't let you cut in line, it only lets you reserve a spot in advance (along with some other perks that are totally not worth $600). The experience is so bougie, it can get overwhelming. However, it's a must if you're in Portland. read more

See all

Go late - you won't wait (long) for what feels like a VIP experience! Taking the advice of other Yelpers, when I was told at 11PM on a Saturday that "there were no guarantees" for walk-ins that evening, I put my name and phone number on the list and went for a walk with my friend. At 11:30PM, I was called to say that a space had opened up. When I walked upstairs to the library, I was very impressed with the wall of spirits and the careful curation of the portraits on the wall. My friend and I were seated in a set of comfy armchairs, assigned a food server and a bartender, and provided with an overwhelming list of options from the wall. We both decided to leave it to the experts and do flights with three half-pours. We explained to our bartender what types of flavors we enjoyed, what regions we were curious about, and most importantly an upper limit on our budget. She quickly went to work pulling drinks off the wall, and encyclopedically gave each of us a masterclass on each of the spirits she had chosen. Her knowledge and service were both very impressive, and we had a wonderful time enjoying the complexity of each of our tastings. It was very cool that some distillers make barrels especially for the library; there is a chance here to taste beverages you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. I also tried a delicious chocolate whiskey mousse cake for dessert: it was very rich with lots of different textures. After our experience, I could tell why they want to keep the crowds to a minimum in the library - the vibe felt cool but quite private with stellar personalized service. If you are looking for a truly educational and enjoyable experience with some unique spirits, get your name on the list. read more

We were told by friends from Portland to try this place. They heard great things about it. We put our name on the list and we were called in after approximately 20 minutes. The place is gorgeous inside, fireplaces, gorgeous chandeliers. a super tall wall lined with whiskey and famous portraits of presidents line the walls. We were seated at the bar - this was great to be close to the action and to talk with the staff about the different whiskeys in the library! The more comfortable seating appears to be reserved to those who are members. I could see the irresistible charm of joining the place. We were pleased to be able to check it out - a true experience for a more sophisticated explorer! read more

I would rated 0 if I could. We were at the bar around 4pm and they told us to come back around 8 to 9. After couple hours of hanging around the area, we got to the bar around 8:30pm. We checked in with the sever and checked with her to see where we were at at the time. She suddenly told us we have to wait another 3-4 hours in order to get us a spot because another 9 people group just checked in. When we asked her when did they tried to reserve the a table, she couldn't tell. She just said they came before 8:30. We gave her our phone number when we reserved the table and she promised she would called if there is a table available. The server could have told us that there were other huge groups in front of us and we would probably need to wait more than 4 hours to get a table. We were not informed and the server lied to us about the wait time. It is such a terrible experience and extremely unprofessional! There are so many other places you could go in Portland to enjoy your time with your friends! AVOVID this place!!!!!! read more

It's my first time in Portland Oregon and I heard this is such an amazing place , I called and said I was coming in for my birthday a week ahead and they said I can't make reservations . They told me Sunday should be super busy but on a Monday we should be able to fit one person The person on the phone never told me there was a membership club who always get first reservations And I think that's extremely unprofessional especially someone from out of state coming on his birthday and called in a week ahead I even asked about the small sofa seats they have towards the back and they said those are reserved? Even if it's just one seat? Very extremely unprofessional Why can't we do negative stars on this app yet ? read more

Warm cozy atmosphere and best bar in town for whiskey lover. Bartender was very nice and awesome! read more

Holy Grail of alcohol. There's more than just whiskey here! This place can be a little hard to find because there is no sign that points to where it is. The entrance is a door that leads you upstairs to the real entrance. Luckily, I came here on a Wednesday night with my boyfriend and we didn't have to wait at all. I've tried coming here multiple times prior, but on a weekend, and the line was soooo ridiculously long. It has a low key, sophisticated vibe. There are couches, tables, and seats at the bar. So depending on the size of your party, it might be difficult to get a seat on a weekend. People actually have a membership here! It's pretty insane, but I guess for a whiskey connoisseur, it's worth it. I'm not much of a whiskey person, so I ordered a drink off their cocktail menu. It was SO refreshing. I wish I remembered what it was :( it had gin and whiskey... Anywho, a MUST for anyone visiting Portland! read more

Multnomah Whiskey Library - Lounges Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Wow, what an amazing place! It'd would be easy to miss if you were just walking by, in fact we did walk buy without noticing the whiskey library. The wait can be very long on a weekend, luckily we were able to stop by on a monday and were told it'd be a 45-60 minute wait. Luckily the wait ended up being less than 30 minutes so we were seated at the bar in no time. Once inside, it's very dark and oh so masculine. I feel like this is what man heaven must be like. It'd be so easy to loose track of time in there, the only natural light comes from a stained glass skylight. Never fear if you aren't a whiskey drinker, they have plenty of other alcohol there for you. They have a selection of cocktails, beer & wine as well. My husband decided he'd like to try a flight of scotch. They have no set flights, they are all "build your own". He told the bartender what his favorite scotch was and she built a flight around that. She even gave him a little glass of water with an eyedropper so he could add just a splash of water to his scotch. It actually kind of made me wish I liked scotch! If you are in Portland, the whiskey library is a must! read more

See all

This place was a major let down for us, Great ambiance but questionable service service. We had a dinner reservation but we're moved to lounge couches and tv table trays with not enough seating or proper areas to eat. I asked for a house champagne was charged $20 a glass. We later asked about the charges and the guy acted complacent and walked away: Orders for food were taken inconsistently instead of all at once so food came out within 1-2 hours of each other. Very disorganized it felt and vegan menu lacked any type of flavor was a little surprised for the prices they charged read more

If you like sampling whisk(e)ys, enjoy and "old-timey" bar/lounge vibe, and like great food and service, this is the spot for you. They have over 1000 different brands and varieties from all over the world. I don't have the budget to go too crazy with expensive drinks, but even the recommended drinks are fantastic. Food was surprisingly good, a big step up from typical "bar food". Our server was fantastic, attentive and funny. I guess this place can get pretty busy, and it did start to fill up by the time I left, so maybe get there early as they don't take reservations for non-members. read more