Party Lifestyle

Portal to Paradise

Written by The Stallion

This article first appeared in the Sep/Oct 2014 issue of World Gaming magazine.

The Stallion has been invited to hundreds of exclusive parties, but sometimes he likes to let his hair down and have some good old-fashioned weeknight fun with his friends. In Portal Wine Bar he may just have found the perfect place for locals and visitors alike.

Portal Wine Bar
Rua Direita Carlos Eugenio 86, Taipa
Telephone
+853 2882 7109
Open
11:00 to 01:00 (7 days)

One day around noon, this Stallion was strolling around downtown Taipa with my good friend The Panda when we stumbled upon a bar that was just opening its doors – Portal Wine Bar. This made us very excited, because we had built up quite a thirst on our travels and most bars in downtown Taipa don’t open until late afternoon or early evening. The style of Portal Wine Bar would best be described as simple and leisurely and I immediately added it to my list of places to go for a relaxed drink and a chat with friends.

The Panda waddled in (of course, I cantered in) and we chose a small bar table although there were plenty of other seating options such as dining tables, a big U-shaped couch or even sitting at the bar itself. I noticed a temperature-controlled wine cabinet behind the bar and had a look at the drink list. Only then did I realize this was a specialty wine bar – I guess the name should have given it away – with wine ranging from MOP$25 per glass of house wine to Reserva 2006 and Meruge which are over MOP$1,000 a bottle. In total there are more than 20 kinds of wine on offer. Besides wine, there is also a wide range of other drinks including various kinds of beer, cocktails, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks such as coffee, juice and soda. The food here comprises your typical bar snacks such as pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches and various fried snacks. You can also find different kinds of Hookah here.

Portal Wine Bar isn’t what you would describe as luxurious. The color of the table cloths, chairs and couch combined with the music and overall atmosphere give a real retro, 70s feel so it’s not exactly at the forefront of fashion. However, for many of us that’s a good thing and this Stallion found some surprises he has never come across at any of the more pretentious bars in and around Macau.

For starters, Portal Wine Bar has five different theme nights each week and if you go to all of them you will still experience something different each time. Monday night is “Game night” where the bar sets up free games such as poker, board games and darts. Wednesday night is “Ladies night” and from 21:00 to 00:00 they offer three types of alcoholic drinks, which change from time to time, for ladies to enjoy for free.

Then there is my favorite each Thursday, “Dancing night”, where the dining tables and chairs are moved off to the side to create a large dance floor – perfect for horsing around and strutting your stuff to the great music. There isn’t even one specific style of music – just tell the staff what you want to hear and they will play it for all to enjoy!

Live band Zico performs here from 19:00 to 22:00 every Friday night to help guests relax after a busy week of work, while Saturday night provides the chance to express yourself through karaoke with a small stage for guests to show off their singing skills – even if those skills don’t really exist! In addition, the second Thursday of every month is “village night” – a night for the locals – with guests offered free drinks from 18:30 to 20:30.

The Stallion couldn’t help but notice that a lot of the guests at Portal Wine Bar are regulars and the wait staff chat away and treat them more like old friends than customers. For those who enjoy their fitness there is a treadmill beside the stage, which doesn’t sound like a great mix when drinking but proved too enticing for this proud Stallion, who jumped on board to give it a test drive. The bar manager walked past and laughed, “Some guests love it!” He obviously appreciates that a majestic creature such as The Stallion always has a passion for something fresh and I certainly enjoyed the leisurely and intimate atmosphere of this bar immensely.

I might be an experienced party animal, but it’s not often that I walk out of a bar with a smile on my face as big as this one. As Arnold Schwarzenegger always says, I’ll be back!