Arden Wine Bar and Kitchen

Arden Wine Bar and Kitchen, commonly called Arden, is a restaurant and wine bar in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District. The business presents itself as a Pacific Northwest dining destination built around wine, an open kitchen, and a compact, intimate atmosphere. Its name refers to the Forest of Arden associated with William Shakespeare. The restaurant occupies a space that previously housed Coppia, placing it within the changing restaurant landscape of northwest Portland. Arden has operated as both a wine-focused bar and a full-service restaurant. Its dining format has included à la carte dishes and a tasting menu, allowing the business to serve both casual drinks and snacks as well as more structured meals. Reported menu examples include chorizo sausage, truffle pierogis, and fennel salad. The combination of wine service, small-plate-style offerings, and chef-driven cooking places Arden between a traditional wine bar and a destination restaurant. The restaurant's physical identity is central to its positioning. Portland Monthly has characterized Arden as cozy and candlelit, with seating at the bar providing a direct view of the open kitchen. This design supports the brand's emphasis on hospitality, culinary preparation, and an intimate evening experience rather than high-volume or strictly formal dining. Kelsey Glasser owns Arden. Sara Hauman served as the opening executive chef, and Erik Van Kley became chef in 2019. The change in kitchen leadership was part of Arden's ongoing development, while the restaurant retained its broader identity as a wine-oriented Portland dining venue. Arden has received substantial local and national editorial attention. In 2018, The Oregonian included it among Portland's best new restaurants and best new wine bars, while Portland Monthly placed it on a list of the city's best new bars. In 2024, the restaurant appeared in Wine Enthusiast's national selection of the 50 best wine restaurants in the United States. It was also featured in several Eater Portland guides covering the city's leading restaurants, Pearl District dining, tasting menus, prix fixe meals, and romantic restaurants. The Oregonian additionally recognized Arden in its downtown Portland restaurant coverage and in its Readers Choice Awards. Beyond regular service, Arden has participated in community-oriented and restaurant-industry events. In 2024, it hosted a fundraising dinner and reunion connected with Little Bird Bistro, a Portland restaurant that had closed. Reference material also identifies Arden as a participant in the 2026 We Are Rip City campaign, a coalition effort involving local restaurants, community organizations, and other businesses in support of a Moda Center renovation project. Arden's role in these activities extends the brand beyond food and beverage service into Portland's civic, cultural, and hospitality communities.

Arden Wine Bar and Kitchen is a Portland, Oregon restaurant and wine bar located in the Pearl District. It operates in a site formerly occupied by Coppia and takes its name from the Forest of Arden associated with William Shakespeare. The business is owned by Kelsey Glasser and developed as a Pacific Northwest dining venue centered on wine, an open kitchen, and an intimate atmosphere. Sara Hauman was Arden's opening executive chef. Erik Van Kley became the chef in 2019, marking a documented change in kitchen leadership during the restaurant's early development. Arden has offered both tasting-menu and à la carte formats, giving diners a choice between a more structured meal and individual dishes. Reported food offerings have included chorizo sausage, truffle pierogis, and fennel salad. Its bar and dining-room design have been described as cozy and candlelit, with bar seating overlooking the open kitchen. The restaurant gained recognition soon after opening. In 2018, The Oregonian listed Arden among Portland's ten best new restaurants and ten best new wine bars. Portland Monthly also included it among the city's fifteen best new bars. These early mentions established Arden as part of Portland's notable contemporary restaurant and beverage scene. Arden continued to receive attention in later years. In 2024, The Oregonian included the business in its coverage of downtown Portland's best restaurants, and Arden ranked first in the newspaper's best restaurant category in its Readers Choice Awards. Wine Enthusiast named Arden among the 50 best wine restaurants in the United States in the same year. Eater Portland featured the restaurant in guides to the city's best restaurants and food carts, Pearl District restaurants and bars, tasting menus and prix fixe dining, and romantic restaurants suitable for dates. These listings reflect a reputation based on both food and beverage programming rather than wine service alone. The business has also participated in Portland's wider hospitality and civic community. In 2024, Arden hosted a fundraising dinner and reunion for Little Bird Bistro, a defunct Portland restaurant. Reference material further identifies Arden as a participant in the 2026 We Are Rip City campaign, which brought local restaurants, organizations, and other businesses together in support of a Moda Center renovation project. Arden therefore functions not only as a dining brand but also as a participant in local restaurant culture and community activity.

1. 2026Participation in We Are Rip City

   Arden is identified as a participating local business in the We Are Rip City campaign supporting a Moda Center renovation project.

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2. 2024Little Bird Bistro fundraising event

   Arden hosts a fundraising dinner and reunion connected with the former Portland restaurant Little Bird Bistro.

   Source
3. 2024National wine-restaurant recognition

   Wine Enthusiast includes Arden in its selection of the 50 best wine restaurants in the United States.

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4. 2019Erik Van Kley becomes chef

   Erik Van Kley takes over as chef after Sara Hauman's period as opening executive chef.

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5. 2018Early Portland restaurant and bar recognition

   The Oregonian recognizes Arden among Portland's best new restaurants and wine bars, while Portland Monthly includes it among the city's best new bars.

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6. Arden opens in the former Coppia space

   Arden begins operating as a wine bar and restaurant in Portland's Pearl District, in a location previously occupied by Coppia.

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An intimate, chef-driven Portland wine bar and restaurant combining Pacific Northwest dining with curated wine service, tasting-menu options, and an open-kitchen experience.

• Wine programWine service

  Arden's core offering is a wine-centered bar and restaurant experience. Wine service is paired with a chef-led menu and an intimate dining-room setting, positioning the brand as a destination for both wine-focused visits and complete meals.

• Tasting menuRestaurant menu

  Arden has offered a tasting-menu format that presents a more structured progression of the kitchen's cooking. The tasting option complements the restaurant's wine program and distinguishes Arden from a conventional bar serving only individual snacks or small plates.

• À la carte menuRestaurant menu

  The à la carte menu gives guests flexibility to order individual dishes alongside wine. Reported examples have included chorizo sausage, truffle pierogis, and fennel salad, illustrating a menu that combines substantial savory items with vegetable-focused preparations.

• 2026We Are Rip City

  Portland, Oregon

  A local coalition campaign involving restaurants, community organizations, and other businesses in support of a renovation project for the Moda Center.

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• 2019Change in kitchen leadershipOther

  Arden's opening executive chef was Sara Hauman. The restaurant later appointed Erik Van Kley as chef.

  What changed. Erik Van Kley became chef in 2019.

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• 2026Arden joins We Are Rip City campaign

  Reference material identifies Arden among Portland businesses and community organizations participating in the We Are Rip City campaign supporting a proposed Moda Center renovation project.

  Campaign
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• 2024Arden hosts Little Bird Bistro fundraising dinner and reunion

  Arden hosted a fundraising dinner and reunion associated with the former Portland restaurant Little Bird Bistro.

  Other
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• 2024Arden receives national and local restaurant recognition

  Arden was included in Wine Enthusiast's list of the 50 best wine restaurants in the United States and appeared in several Eater Portland and The Oregonian restaurant guides and awards.

  Other
  Source
• 2018Arden recognized among Portland's best new restaurants and wine bars

  The Oregonian included Arden in selections of Portland's best new restaurants and best new wine bars.

  Other
  Source
• 2018Arden appears in Portland Monthly's best new bars coverage

  Portland Monthly included Arden in a list of the city's fifteen best new bars.

  Other
  Source

1. Arden Wine Bar and Kitchen