Food

The doors to The Flamingo Room, San Simón’s sister restaurant, opened just over a month ago. The cocktail bar is tucked in a pocket on Bend’s west side next to Bend Izakaya Ronin with a menu similar to San Simón and a vibe all its own.

After walking through the ornate door frame on the siren red brick building, I found myself in a space the bar describes as “vaguely equatorial.” Plants seep out of every corner of the skinny long room with bar stools lined along one side and a half booth on the other.

The Tamingo Flepache ($8) cocktail on the happy hour menu was mixed with housemade tepache — a drink typically concocted with pineapple and brown sugar. It was strong, fruity and followed by a spicy finish.

In the fashion of San Simón, I was given an order slip to select small bites from several categories. The categories were split into dips, nibbles, conservas and chocolate. After some consideration, I chose snap peas ($3) and pickled carrots ($4) to dip into a fig and olive tapenade ($7) and onion cashew dip ($6). All snack trays are served with kettle or plantain chips on a portable tray.

The fig and olive tapenade had all the salty juiciness of an olive tapenade, with a touch of sweetness from the fig. The onion cashew dip was smooth and creamy with caramelized onions and a subtle flavor.

The pickled carrots were still brining in a mason jar. When I didn’t end up finishing them, the server offered to package them up for later. Over the next couple of days, the leftovers made a lovely addition to salads.

I finished the evening with a handmade chocolate bar ($7) by Fawkes Confectionary. I opted for the white chocolate with tangy mango and dried pineapple. The geometrically shaped bar was drizzled with pink and yellow. The bottom was dipped in a chile pepper seasoning balanced by the creamy sweetness of the chocolate.

Service

For a recently opened establishment, the Flamingo Room seems to have it figured out already. The bar is fully staffed and the servers are welcoming.

Atmosphere

Potted plants in retro cans were meticulously placed throughout the bar. A rotary phone with a long cord and a vintage cash register decorated the space.

A shelf suspended above the bar under a skylight, cascading plants and a ceiling painted pastel green gave the impression there was no ceiling and that I was instead dining outside.

More info

Location: 70 SW Century Drive, Suite 130, Bend

Contact: 541-323-0472, @theflamingoroombend

Hours: 4 p.m.-late Tuesday-Sunday

Price Range: $3-$75

Happy Hours: 4-6 p.m. daily

Happy Prices: $8 House Old Fashioned, red and white wine and housemade tepache

Cuisine: Cocktail bar