Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better synthesis of dancing, good drinks and good music in the city than at Holocene. With a recessed dance floor and bookers who have their fingers on the pulse of Portland’s deejay scene, there isn’t much about this bar not to like. The bartenders at Holocene can make a drink that’s as swanky as the space implies. Furthermore, Holocene is filled to the brim with members of Portland’s “alternative” scene (never use the h-word, it’s 2011), and many attractive ones at that. If things heat up later on in the night, Sassy’s is right across the street.
Couture Ultra Lounge
28 NW 4th Ave.
Couture is relatively new on the scene, and used to be in a Chinese restaurant. It’s a pretty odd premise for an “ultra lounge,” but it is what it is. What you’ll find here: good deejays, a dance floor designed to accommodate lots of people yet still be small and lots of good looking folks. Yes, there’s something of a dress code, and yes your entry may or may not be up to the bouncer’s discretion, but if you’re trying to get out there and dance with some attractive men or women, you wouldn’t show up in a Hawaiian shirt and sandals. Class yourself up, soak in the dim lighting and prepare to leave sweaty.
Aura
1022 W Burnside St.
Like Couture, Aura is a dance club built into a very unsuspecting looking building. The lighting is very reminiscent of the name; a soft glow accompanies you everywhere you go—almost too soft at times, given that this place is three floors and are accessible only by stairs. What you will also find here is a kick-ass happy hour, which you can use to start off the night if you plan on making a whole evening out of the place. As at most “classy” dance clubs, you will be turned away for wearing mom jeans, but you’re trying to meet people here. That said, when you’re turned away from Aura for dress or capacity, you’re turned away onto West Burnside, so be prepared for that.
Tube
18 NW 3rd Ave.
Tube has become a Portland institution by now—everyone’s been to it, every small-town student has dragged their small-town buddies to it. Now that the glitz is hopefully gone, we can see it for what it is—a tiny little dance club with heavy, liver-breaking drinks that will keep you on the floor at all hours. Technically, there’s no dress code here, but you will get looked at funny and probably poured a weaker drink if you show up in popped collars (some friends and I actually did this once as an experiment—totally true), so, like every other bar on this list, dress accordingly. Also: Grossest bathroom ever, so be prepared for that.
McFadden’s
107 NW Couch St.
Mostly known as a mainstay Portland bro-asis, McFadden’s isn’t really that bad. Why? Because the people there are friendly and accommodating, and they love to dance! On a night out at both McFaddens and Tube, the two shockingly had a lot of musical overlap. Of course, as with any place like this, the drinks are a little pricy, but this is one of those kinds of places. With a name like McFadden’s, as with any Mc- prefixed bar, there is a hint of Irish keeping-it-realism, but that all goes away on the weekend evenings. Come check it out, you may be surprised.