Restaurant

Portalis offers something few other wine bars offer: beer. Elysian Porter is on tap, and a menu of bottled beers — smart enough to include Huyghe's terrific Delirium Tremens Ale — almost overshadows the more than two-dozen wines, champagnes and ports available by the glass, and the 300 or so wines available for purchase by the bottle.

Wines from Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia and Washington state comprise Portalis' diverse list. A small menu of savory soups, sandwiches, cheese plates and chocolate truffles is available, and you can enjoy these tastes in one of the most pleasant spaces on Ballard Avenue — a warm, brick-and-hardwood room lined with wine racks, local artwork and dilapidated neon signs.

It's not really a place for dinner or dessert, but if you're looking to unwind after a long day at work or enjoy a glass of port after dinner, Portalis is ideal.

By Geoff Carter
NWsource staff