When a well-loved neighborhood bar shuts its doors it can be a tricky proposition to reopen them. The old regulars usually want things just the way they were, while novelty seekers and potential new patrons may well want the exact opposite. The Richmond
Bar was just such an establishment: classy enough for a date and cheap enough for a beer after work. After more than a decade of service, the bar closed somewhat unexpectedly in November 2025, leaving neighbors wondering what was next for the handsome brick storefront. The answer is the Richmond Club, which opened on Thursday, September 3. It’s an elegant French-inflected cocktail bar with a lot of the same charm as its predecessor and a significantly updated aesthetic. But if anyone can be trusted with the legacy of one of Division’s most beloved neighborhood bars, it’s Dan Casto, the owner and manager of Division’s equally popular neighborhood bar Double Dragon.
Unlike cocktail spots with similar levels of name recognition, Double Dragon hasn’t spawned any satellite locations or sister bars, although Casto says his team was keeping an eye out for a few years when the Richmond location became available. “It was important to me that whatever we did was in a neighborhood that I felt like I had a connection to and understood,” which, he notes dryly, limited the scope to lower Division: “[It’s] the only neighborhood in Portland I’ve ever lived in.”
The Richmond Club has the look of a seaside French bistro, with lots of smooth curves and cinnamon wood tones, compared to the Richmond Bar’s vaguely Edwardian aesthetic. The menu is similarly Gallic by way of the Pacific Northwest, with dishes like chicken frites and scallop crudo.
Despite the visual and culinary changes, Casto says his goal is to honor the old bar’s approachable nature above all else. “I’m focused on the utility of the neighborhood bar,” he explains, with an emphasis on creating a space where groups can roll in and hold court all night alongside solo diners who just want a cheeseburger and a beer after work.
The floorplan has remained largely the same between the Richmond Bar and the Richmond Club, with a large secluded patio area in the back and an elegant seating area up front. There’s a nice mix of cafe tables in the center for one-one-conversations and larger tables in the corners for more boisterous assemblies, and the entire layout feels very intentional and balanced.
The long walnut and tin bar occupies more or less the same spot the old one did, but the languorous curves and Art Deco valance give it an entirely new look. This is very much the sort of spot where it looks good to look good, perhaps inclined serenely like a New Wave ingenue or Marcello Mastroianni on a bar crawl. The lighting in particular is possibly the most flattering in town, especially when the sun dips down a bit and the votive candles come out.
For cocktails Casto says he’s kept things intentionally simple, with a short list of recognizable staples with minor tweaks. There’s been a bit of an arms race in the cocktail scene in recent years, with each new concoction featuring longer and longer lists of increasingly obscure ingredients, the better to reel in customers who don’t have any of that stuff at home. But Casto says the classics are the classics for a reason, and just like the old regulars there’s a demographic of cocktail enthusiasts who appreciate a light spin on proven recipes.
Southeast Division’s bar scene has many unique pleasures, from the End’s cinematic elegance to the plumes of atomized chicken fat wafting from Reel M Inn’s deeply patinaed deep fryers. Time will tell how well the Richmond Club fits into the neighborhood ecosystem, how many of the old regulars will return, and how many of the novelty seekers will stick around. But as of now, it’s an elegant spot for date-night martinis or a beer after work, which seems just about right considering what came before.
The Richmond Club is located at 3203 SE Division Street; open 4 p.m. to midnight seven days a week.
