Portal Restaurant

One of the greatest pleasures in life is eating a great meal with the perfect beer. Portal Restaurant and Bar is an East Lake gem that offers this and more.

Portal is a neighborhood bar that sits on the South-East side of Lake Merritt. The team at Portal are a diverse group of individuals that operate like a family. They warmly invite you into their home and offer genuine hospitality and stimulating conversation. There are three options for seating at Portal: bar, indoor, and communal tables on their outdoor patio that overlooks Lake Merritt.

Portal is a great place to bring visiting family and friends on a warm Oakland day. They serve a well curated selection of beer that rotates frequently, along with wine and popular cocktails made with Petrov Reserve Fermented Vodka. Their food menu includes brunch and dinner items including a phenomenal fried chicken sandwich, 1/2 lb burger, and vegetarian chilaquiles. Weekend brunch at Portal is extremely popular, and wait times can get long, but you’re in luck! They serve brunch all week! Try their fantastic stuffed challa french toast between 11:00 AM and 2:30 PM Tues-Fri without the wait. They offer a snack and bar food menu from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM and their dinner menu goes from 5:00 PM to close.

They also have a variety of fun events throughout the week. Portal hosts DJs throughout the week, and on Wednesday night they have a Queer Beer event. One of their most popular event though is their Mid-day Party! This event is from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Saturdays.

Getting to Portal is really easy. They are a 15 minute walk from Lake Merritt BART and one block away from the AC Transit line 1 bus stop at International Blvd and 2nd Ave. They are also super bike friendly. Several bike racks are located in a well-lit area next to the establishment. There is no dedicated parking for Portal, but free and metered street parking can be found nearby.

This business speaks English and Spanish.