Coquelico Will Open at Portland Art Museum Later This Year

The news came out last week: a new eating and drinking establishment is coming to the Portland Art Museum, and its name is Coquelico. This bistro was born of a partnership between PAM and Providore Fine Foods, and looks to open in September.

Museum Grounds

Most recently, the cafe on location at the Museum was called Museum Grounds (that’s a nice play on words). From what I can tell, it closed around the time of the pandemic, and honestly I am not sure if it ever re-opened. I think I had a coffee there once. Online reviews are mixed.

An Oregon ArtsWatch article from 2023 gave the impression that it was Museum Grounds that would be the on-site cafe at the Museum:

“Just as importantly, on its back side, facing Southwest 10th Avenue, the Rothko is set back farther from the street, leaving ample room for an outdoor plaza connected to the museum’s store and existing café, Museum Grounds, which will have a new wall of glass to the outside. It’s a little touch of Paris, and likely to make the café more of a destination for the non-museum-going public.”

Obviously, that has changed.

The Location of Coquelico

You’ll find Coquelico located at the new West Plaza at the Mark Rothko Pavilion, “with windows onto Southwest 10th Avenue and doors that open for al fresco dining and imbibing on the plaza.” A new museum gift shop, aptly called “Shop at PAM,” will be adjacent to Coquelico and they will “provide a continuous, flexible use space for Museum programs and rental events.”

The West Plaza will also offer Museum entry from SW 10th Avenue.

What’s Up With the Name, Anyway?

Coquelico—pronounced ko-KLEE-koh (a hard “q”)—is derived from the French word “coquelicot,” a shade of red. It’s the color of the reddish-orange wild corn poppy. Its connection to Mark Rothko is that it is a palette found in his famous color field pantings.

This is just one other way to commemorate his influence in the art world and his connection to Portland.

Providore Fine Foods

This popular marketplace on NE Sandy Blvd and 24th Avenue is home to a number of smaller businesses inside—Rubinette Produce Market, where you can get finger limes in the winter; Little T Baker, which makes fantastic baked goods and a much-beloved baguette in my household; Arrosto, which makes a chicken salad that always tops our salad lists; and others. They have curated a great group of food producers and purveyors and that commitment to excellence will no doubt find its way to Coquelico.

What To Expect at Coquelico

According to the press release I received, Coquelico will be “an experiential, modern European bistro offering an inspired, simple menu.” You’ll be able to enjoy food and drink throughout the day—breakfast and lunch, as well as dessert. Along with a standard menu, they will have some seasonal offerings on the menu, too—and those will be inspired by exhibitions at the Museum, which I think is a poetic kind of thematic vehicle to bring together art and food.

They will offer coffee service all day—they’ll use Spella Coffee beans. They has created a custom roast that you can only get at Coquelico and Providore. Other drinks you’ll find will be wine, beer, vermouth, and non-alcoholic cocktail options in the afternoon and early evening.

Some of the edible things you’ll find on the menu (you’ll be able to dine in or take away):

• Toasted house loaf with ricotta and caramelized honey
• Lyonnaise salad
• Tartines
• Seasonal pavlovas

“Food is art, and we hope that people will come and see some really beautiful art, and then sit down and have a continuation of that on the plate,” said Kaie Wellman, co-owner of Providore.

This partnership is another win for downtown Portland. On the one hand, you have the Portland Art Museum, a cultural hub. On the other hand you have Providore with its already-established partnerships and connections with local food producers, and a track record of providing high-quality product. It’s the proverbial “two great tastes that taste great together”: mixing one of Portland’s prime cultural institutions with one of Portland’s sources of excellent food is something that’s worth celebrating.

And Brian Ferriso, Portland Art Museum Director, acknowledges that with this: “Kaie’s creative approach to food and inclusive hospitality align perfectly with the Museum’s. She also believes in Portland, with a deep connection to the vibrant food scene and cultural vitality that has made the city so special in recent decades.”

A Few Thoughts on the Neighboring Behind the Museum Cafe

There is a sweet little Japanese cafe located on SW 10th Avenue, just across the street from PAM, called Behind the Museum Cafe. It’s one of my favorite spots in all of Portland. They serve coffee, a variety of teas, and Japanese foods—sweet, savory, sandwiches, miso soup, and more (here’s the full menu). It’s a peaceful place and a great place to go and contemplate things.

When Coquelico opens up, they will face each other—literally. The fact that they offer different things I think is in their mutual favor. Since I originally wrote this piece, I heard from Kaie, who told me, “We will not be serving any Asian teas, matchas, or chai so as not to compete, and we encourage customers to support Behind the Museum Cafe.” I love Behind the Museum Cafe and am happy to see this support coming from the Coquelicot corner.

Look for Coquelico to open in mid-September; that’s before the Museum’s grand campus reopening on Thursday, November 20. 2025.

Coquelico [opening mid-September]
1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland
Instagram

Updated August 14, 2025.