Porta Via owner Peter Garland opened the Bar Room adjacent to his Canon Drive restaurant in Beverly Hills. Designed by his wife, Jill Garland (who also owns a vintage jewelry boutique across the street), the Bar Room offers cocktails, beer, and wine along with small plates of popular Porta Via dishes in an upscale, pub-like setting. The space is available for buyout starting at $5,000, and the total capacity is 80.
The venue has a glass-topped communal table made from an old iron door with room for 10. There are two rooms covered in wallpaper with contrasting colors and patterns, with configurable lounge seating. Small plate offerings include ceviche, chicken taquitos, burgers, sweet potato fries with blue cheese sauce, and grilled pizza.
“We wanted a sexy yet comfy lounge in what has become known as Beverly Hills’ restaurant row," said Garland, who started Porta Via as a takeout sandwich shop in 1994, in an announcement. “We see the Bar Room as a casual neighborhood spot that feels like your own living room, where people can drop in for drinks and light fare until late in the evening.”
To allow the Bar Room to maintain its own identity and attract a younger, later crowd, Garland did not build a door between the Bar Room and Porta Via, which expanded from a one-room café into a two-room restaurant in 2007.
