OK Omens is a stylish spot with a chic atmosphere, serving exquisite wines and thoughtfully crafted small plates, perfect for an elegant yet relaxed outing.
"OK Omens is one of the best places to drink wine in the city, thanks to award-winning sommelier Brent Braun’s fun, voice-y by-the-glass list. “Tastes like eating an almond croissant in the middle of a peach swamp,” Braun writes, describing a Hungarian Furmint. Riesling lovers, this is your spot, with nearly a full page of listings to choose from, including many bottles over a decade old. But the food is no afterthought; after all, OK Omens originally grew as an offshoot of Castagna, the now-closed, trailblazing fine dining restaurant next door that opened in 1999. Chef Joseph Papas recently took over the kitchen, with a menu that might include mussels in escabeche with roasted chicken fat, kelp-cured raw trout with grilled toast, barbecue mackerel, and steak Diane. Don’t miss dollar oyster happy hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday." - Katherine Chew Hamilton
"Award-winning sommelier Brent Braun of Castagna busted out his collection of the good stuff when OK Omens opened in the summer of 2018, but he did so with an eye toward affordability. The bright, breezy wine bar and “neo-bistro” offers an astonishing collection of wine-geek bottles at reasonable prices. Summertime sees open-air dining on the outdoor patio lit by overhanging string lights, while in winter, diners retreat indoors to the sleek and stylish plant-filled dining room. Riesling lovers will find OK Omens a hard place to beat (there’s a full section entitled, “Good Lord, I think we need some help drinking all this riesling”), and the by-the-glass menu — which features pairing suggestions and delightfully inventive tasting notes —and knowledgable staff ensure that wine drinkers of all varieties will find something they’ll love." - Zoe Baillargeon, Alex Frane
"This Southeast Portland restaurant and wine bar can feel awfully luxurious with its bowls of green garlic soup, halibut with mussel jus bisque, and American wagyu steaks — however, its happy hour is a strong alternative for those wanting to inhale oysters alongside single-digit glasses of Mosel riesling. OK Omens offers $1 oysters from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., plus cheap snacks like $4 fries; wines by the glass, picked out by lauded sommelier Brent Braun, are only $9, and cocktails are $2 off. Plus, whole bottles of riesling are 25 percent off, for those wanting to use their hour wisely." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Maya MacEvoy, Eater Staff
"With counter seating and small plates, wine bars are a natural fit for those flying solo. Ok Omens, an airy, light-washed space with concrete floors, is a great spot to chat with the knowledgeable staff to find wines by the glass — whether wild and funky or classic and traditional — to pair with chilled oysters or a small bowl of warm cheddar beignets that need not be shared." - Nathan Williams, Krista Garcia
"This Southeast Portland restaurant and wine bar can feel awfully luxurious after bowls of green garlic soup, halibut with mussel jus bisque, and American wagyu steaks — however, its happy hour is a strong alternative for those wanting to inhale oysters alongside single-digit glasses of Mosel riesling. OK Omens offers $1 oysters from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., plus cheap snacks like $4 fries; wines by the glass, picked out by lauded sommelier Brent Braun, are only $9, and cocktails are $2 off. Plus, whole bottles of riesling are 25 percent off, for those wanting to use their hour wisely." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Maya MacEvoy
