If you walked down NW Lovejoy on July 9, you might have done a double-take. It looked like a scene you’d come across in some far-flung city, like Milan or Copenhagen—a churning crowd of well-dressed guests, sipping wine and spilling out onto a sunlit street, the energy effervescent. In reality? Everyone was toasting to the opening of Bar Noto, Northwest Portland’s newest hybrid wine bar and boutique.
“I’m still smiling when I think about it,” says Bar Noto’s owner and namesake, Gloria Noto. “It felt like one big neighborhood dinner party. I remember thinking, ‘Okay…maybe we really have something here.’”
The massive turnout—and steady stream of customers in the weeks since—proves that Portland is hungry for a combined, cool space like this.
“We wanted to build somewhere people could shop, have a glass of wine, discover new designers or buy beautiful vintage, listen to good music, and run into friends,” Noto says.
Bar Noto is the brainchild of Noto and her wife, Azsa West. The space—and what they stock—feels elevated and unlike anything else I’ve seen in Portland, probably because it’s so dialed into their distinct style. But it’s approachable too, like walking into your chicest friend’s apartment and having them pour you a glass of wine while you shop their closet.
Skylights softly filter the sun overhead. Cafe tables are tucked into a cozy corner by the oversized windows, looking out onto the tree-lined street. Paintings from local artists Victoria Dusseau (of Maps Music) and Tylor Rogers (of Arium Botanicals) sit atop simple wood shelves. Chrome stools are nested under the bar, while ornate champagne buckets and large, sculptural blooms (by Colibri, Noto’s neighbor in the Film Exchange Building) sit atop it.
Outside, foldable tables in “Bar Noto blue” (a bright, Aegean shade) line the block. Passing kids will pick up and move pieces on a chess set that’s set up on a blue plastic milk crate—one of those daily, neighborhood-y interactions Noto has come to enjoy.
Sourcing apparel, jewelry, home goods and accessories for the shop is a personal process for Noto. A collector her whole life, she hand-picks items that feel soulful, well-made, and a little unexpected. That philosophy is apparent on the racks and tables—a vintage mesh jersey hangs next to a pair of rhinestone-trimmed capris from London brand Amylynn, Murano glass candlesticks nest next to a book of queer love letters, and Italian leather loafers sit atop cinder blocks—but there’s also a pair of bright red jelly sandals across the room. It’s a heady mix of high and low, classic and eccentric.
“I don’t really shop by category, I shop by feeling,” she notes. “It has to make me stop for a second.”
She scours estate sales and eBay for vintage finds and brings back ceramics and other treasures from her travels. The shop also carries contemporary brands, like local handbag company KOZHA NUMBERS, and hard-to-find European designers, like Iranian-British brand Yuzefi.
“I’m drawn to designers with a clear point of view,” Noto says. “People who make things because they’re obsessed with what they do, not because they’re following trends.”
Noto grew up in an Italian family, and she and West spend summers at their place in Puglia. The pair actually designed Bar Noto’s logo together during their most recent trip there, inspired by two angel tattoos Noto has on her shoulders. They added a shopping bag in one hand, a wine glass in the other. West then hand-wrote the lettering that appears on the door and the menus.
However, the ritual Noto relished most during their time in Italy was aperitivo hour—and it became the core inspiration behind the entire concept of Bar Noto.
“It’s not about rushing, it’s about lingering,” Noto says.
Part of the fun in this early stage of Bar Noto is the chance to interact with the owners. When West isn’t working as a full-time CCO, they help Noto pour wine and hang with customers. Noto and West are friends with the team behind Buona Notte wines, so they’re either pouring their wines or a mix of Puglian wines from local distributor Chausse Selections.
Meanwhile, Noto might be plating small snacks like chips topped with comte, peppers, olives, and salami, or sardines served with crackers and a lemon wedge. The duo is also testing “Bar Noto After Hours,” where they’ll extend until 10 pm and have a DJ come spin.
Before opening Bar Noto, Noto owned an iteration of the same boutique, called Studio Noto, located in Old Town, around the corner from independent magazine shop Chess Club and outdoor concept store Landdd.
“Sadly, the safety issues became impossible to ignore,” she says. “I knew it was time for the next chapter.”
Noto started scouting for new locations this past spring. When she walked into the Film Exchange Building on NW 19th, it just clicked. The space had previously been a cafè, and then a store that sold karate uniforms, or “gi.” But the original bar remained, which got Noto’s wheels turning. She hadn’t even finished touring the space before she proposed her idea to her new landlord. Thankfully, he was in.
“Between the beautiful bones of the building and that incredible sidewalk, I immediately thought, ‘This wants to be a wine bar,’” she says.
Before Bar Noto and Studio Noto, Noto had a career in Los Angeles as a professional makeup artist and entrepreneur. She started her beauty brand, NOTO Botanics, while living there and still maintains a flagship store there by the same name. Bar Noto is an amalgamation of it all—everything she’s created and everywhere she’s lived.
“It has a little California confidence, a lot of Italian hospitality, and is finding its place in Portland,” Noto jokes. “But, really, it’s about creating spaces and experiences where people feel good.”
Bar Noto, 1932 NW Lovejoy, open Wed-Sun 11am-7pm, @bar_noto_pdx