Bar Scorpio: Cocktails, Hot Dogs, and Dessert in Portland

Scorpio constellation for Bar Scorpio. — The constellation Scorpio includes that very bright star on the upper right side of the image.

A new bar called Bar Scorpio is coming to SE Hawthorne and SE 37th Avenue. It will open in what was most recently home to the La Familia Cider taproom, and before that the taproom for Portland Cider Co. I spoke with Bar Scorpio’s owner Aurelia Bardel last week about the new bar—here is what I learned.

Bar Scorpio: What’s in a Name?

Aurelia said that naming the place started with a little bit of a moment of a panic, but she ended up with a great name for a bar. “I am a Scorpio and I really relate to the vibe of this sign. I feel like it’s always got a mysterious, sexy energy, and I wanted to do a nice, chill, low-lighted bar that is just very dark and vibey.”

She added, “Especially here in Portland, I feel like everybody is kind of into astrology. I’m having fun with things like that.”

Fun fact: I’ve had my astrological chart done (twice) during my lifetime, and I learned that my rising sign is Scorpio.

Aurelia continued, “I’ve heard a lot of jokes lately where people are like, ‘Oh Scorpio is gonna be crazy!’ But it’s not really going to be too astrology-focused. But I might have some rotating moon cocktails and play with that a little bit.”

Some Determining Factors in the Bar Scorpio Space

Aurelia says the space is small but she’s leaning into that. “I wanted to do something intimate, a little bit quirky” she said. Creating a date night vibe is on her mind, too.

And because this location has had a couple of cider businesses in it, the taps remained. “I was definitely gifted a lot of taps!” exclaimed Aurelia. “We’re currently trying to figure out how to make use of that.” Things they’ve considered putting on tap are kombucha, beer, and cocktails.

She wants to have some outdoor seating, too. “I’m going to build out one of those street patios,” she explained. There may a future pool table, too.

She also mentioned that she has a bunch of star pendant lamps she’s installed, hanging from the ceiling. “When you go in there, it kind of looks like you’re under the night sky,” she said. “It’s really relaxing.”

Aurelia’s Background in Food

Aurelia told me that she’s worked in the food service industry for some time, and has ten years of industry experience under her belt. One of the local places she worked at was Holy Ghost (next door to BBANG!)

She seems very happy to be back in Portland (she was living previously in Bushwick, Brooklyn) and to be able to open this bar. “It’s been a dream of mine to open my own spot. It’s the right time to do it.”

Food

Along with the aforementioned small space comes a small kitchen. “I have the most ridiculously tiniest kitchen you’ve ever seen!” she exclaimed. “It’s like my nook. And I’m a bartender—I’m not very good in the kitchen.”

Her solution for the food menu? Hot dogs. “I’m going to have a full hot dog menu,” she said. I think hot dogs are having a moment right now, ngl.

“I’m also going to try to do desserts,” she explained. “I really want to cater to that date night crowd, especially because I have a lot of two-tops in there. So there’s going to be some fun treats, as well.” Late night dessert is hard to find, so this is great news. It’s one of her favorite things to do, have something sweet late at night.

“I think desserts are the best,” she remarked.

Opening Details for Bar Scorpio

She hopes to open mid-July, and so far things are on track. Most of the construction is gone, and the OLCC licensing is moving along. “I just need to decorate and wait for them to give me to go ahead,” she remarked.

She pointed out that the space has had multiple approved liquor licenses in the past. “So I don’t there’s going to be any issue,” she added.

As far as the days of business, she plans to be closed Monday and Tuesday, and open Wednesday through Sunday. She’d like to be open from 4pm to 1am, with Friday and Saturday open until 2am. She’ll also see what works best for them and adjust if necessary.

Some Final Thoughts

She’s trying to adapt to this space and make adjustments that she thinks will help Bar Scorpio be successful for the area, all while creating its unique identity. She’s been doing a lot of tweaking, and I imagine she will continue to do so until she hits that sweet spot she’s yearning for.

She continued, “I really miss spaces like this in Portland. I try to decorate everything from estate sales and from local artists and such. There’s going to be a lot of intention within the space and in the energy I’m hoping to bring to the neighborhood. But yeah—I kind of just want it to be a quirky little spot with cocktails and hot dogs and desserts.”

All the best to Aurelia and her team and they get ready to open Bar Scorpio!

Bar Scorpio [projected opening July 14, 2026]
3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
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