Novel Book Bar Is Open in Northwest Portland

A relatively new spot called Novel Book Bar has opened in Old Town Chinatown in the former Mingle Lounge space. First opening their doors last December, they offer a chill vibe in a space where you can have something to drink, eat, and relax by yourself or with friends. I had a chance to stop by and check it out, and was able to chat with Novel Book Bar’s Rolando Mingledoff—here’s what I learned.

But First, Mingle Lounge

Mingle Lounge was also run by Rolando, and was a hip hop and R&B bar that opened in 2017. It closed in 2021 after a fatal shooting there in Portland’s Chinatown neighborhood. The Intentionalist website wrote that it was “best known for its swinging bar seats and fun dancy atmosphere” (the swings are still there).

And also: “The catch? You have to be 25 or older to get in. Owner Rolando Mingledoff opened Mingle Lounge in 2017 to create a mature, elevated atmosphere where he couldn’t possibly run into his 21-year-old kids on a night out.” At Novel Book Bar you have to be 21+ to get in.

A Bit About Rolando

Rolando, who hails from Philadelphia, and came out here to Portland State University back in the day, where he graduated. He has worked at a number of restaurants over the years, including Steakadelphia. He really likes working in food and drink and hospitality.

Novel Book Bar: What’s in a Name?

Rolando chose the name Novel Book Bar because it has to do with books—there are books everywhere throughout the space. Book clubs are encouraged to gather there. Plus, the place is new (AKA “novel”).

The menu incorporates literary references, too. For instance, the cocktail menu is called “Literary Libations” and is split into “Main Characters” (cocktails); “Cellar Notes” (wine); “Bound & Bottled” (beer); and “The Sober Chapter” (NA drinks).

Book Bars

Novel Book Bar is a book bar. What’s a book bar? It is a genre of spaces outside the home that we’re seeing more of in cities. Nikita Richardson at The New York Times (gift link) wrote about book bars in 2024. They are, “cafes, bars and restaurants that invite you to sit for a while and read with no concern about clearing out for the next patron, providing the ‘third place’ we all so desperately crave.”

Rolando described Novel Book Bar as, “a place for people to just kind of chill out. I know there’s a lot of book clubs where people meet in somebody’s house. I wanted to give them a place outside the home to come out and interact with people, so everybody’s not so socially isolated.”

He added, “My thing was to get people going back outside again.”

And he’s not looking for the space to be packed or overwhelmed with people, either. He considers himself to be an introvert, but wants to provide a place to have quiet time that isn’t necessarily specific to being at home.

What Novel Book Bar Offers To Eat and Drink

As I mentioned above, they offer cocktails (boozy and NA), beer, cider, and wine. When I was there, Rolando was preparing to get ready to launch their coffee service. “Most of the coffee places shut down around five or six or a little earlier, so this is evening coffee,” he said.

They also have a small food menu called “Savory Stories.” Right now it consists of wings (“Fictional Flappers”—his favorite is the lemon pepper flavor), a burger (“Bard’s Burger”), and fries (with an option of cheese). Currently, they’re still in soft opening mode.

Drinks

And while he created the food menu, Shawn, who is the bartender, put together the cocktail menu and drink menu. They did not know each other before this project but Rolando has been really happy with his ideas and creative spirit on the drinks side. “He’s very talented over there,” said Rolando. 

On the cocktail side I noticed a Sidecar, a rum punch, a Vesper Martini (with thyme), among others. They have four wines: a red, a white, a rosé, and a sparkling, as well as a couple of French (Normandy) ciders. They also have a couple of beers (a lager and an IPA).

Saturday, Saturday, Gotta Get Down on Saturday

Novel Book right now is only open on Saturday nights from 7pm to midnight. The rest of the week it’s closed—and they don’t share the space with anyone. Eventually he’d like to be open additional days. “I think ideally, if we could do a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, that’d be perfect,” he said. “Anything more … it would just depend on how things go.”

He added, “I’m going for that specific crowd that’s active between seven and midnight—people who want to go out, but not trying to be out real late.”

The Novel Book Bar Space

The lighting is low but not dark; there are nice banquettes, upholstered chairs, and there was one TV on the wall that was muted. There is an electric fireplace up toward the front of the space.

One of the more intriguing things is the presence of swings at the bar, which, as I mentioned earlier were a feature of their predecessor, Mingle Lounge. They are anchored to the floor so you can only swing so far back and forth. I asked him about them, and he said, “I saw that in a club in Atlanta.”

I thought they were really fun to sit on and swing.

Overall he wanted to give Novel Book Bar a living room feel to it, which is why he installed carpet instead of having exposed floors of hard surfaces.

Challenges

One of the challenges Rolando highlighted was the issue of foot traffic. “I guess the biggest difference down here is that we don’t have the foot traffic that you used to see,” he explained. “Now, tonight, with the garden across the street, that’s a lot of foot traffic that’s over there right now.” “Over there” meant the Lan Su Chinese Garden.

He added, “So I’m hoping that keeps growing and keeps going. Right now, they’re the lifeline for the neighborhood.”

Favorite Part about Running Novel Book Bar

His favorite part of running Novel Book Bar, has been putting it together—from the idea stage to the implementation. He loved the back and forth when it came to considering various concepts and ways to present the space. He will tweak things over time, and is open to seeing how it all goes.

When you visit, be sure to bring photo ID—they have security outside checking it. They’ll also check your bag and big pockets. The security guys we encountered were in good spirits. The goths around the corner also made me feel at ease.

And we saw this lion on the way out.

All the best to Rolando with Novel Book Bar!

Novel Book Bar [opened December 2025]
233 NW Everett Street, Portland
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