Anvil Bar & Refuge

Anvil Bar & Refuge

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Located in the heard of Montrose, there is Anvil; the progenitor of Houston’s craft cocktail movement. Anvil offers over 100 drinks on their menu that highlights different specialties

 

The mixologists were incredibly skilled. They always nail it with their recommendations. The service was slow. It took us around 15-20 minutes to order/get our drinks, but it’s due to the volume of customers they had during that night, and also because all the preps for the drinks were made at the moment. That’s why those cocktails are always fresh and amazingly good.  However, this is the only place we would dare wait so long for a drink. We had to give them 4 moons because even the wait can't turn us away.

 

There was a mix in the crowd (like always). There are days that this bar gets way too crowded, but this time, people came in and out the entire night, so there was always space to walk around. The volume of the music was adequate. We could have a conversation and at the same time enjoyed the background music.  The only thing we do not enjoy about this area in Montrose, it is the parking situation. They have two valet parking companies, which we recommend you to use instead of parking on the streets (the level of vehicle towing is high in this area)

 

Anvil is definitely one of our favorite places in Houston to go for fresh craft cocktails. The cocktails may look a little bit pricy, but their distinct and unique tastings make each penny valuable. 

 

If you have missed this little trendy bar, we suggest you to stop by during the weekend and enjoy one of their magic cocktails. 

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Service: 4/5

Ambience: 5/5

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South side

dry gin, lemon, mint

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This cocktail was a recommendation from one of the mixologist and we liked it, but it did not buy us 100% because of its strong taste.

 

This cocktail was complex, strong and refreshing. A little too strong for us, but if you are into gin, we recommend it to you.

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Drink: 4.3/5

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Pimm’s Cup

pimm’s N 1, lemon, dry gin, cucumber, soda

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Everytime we visit Anvil, Pimm’s cup is always a must. Going to this bar without ordering this cocktail is a waste.

 

A delicious drink which had a fresh end thanks to the cucumber. The level of alcohol of the Pimm’s Cup was perfectly hidden by the soda, cucumber and lemon that made us order this cocktail constantly.  

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Drink: 5/5

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Stone's Throw

Stone's Throw 

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As soon as we walked into Stone's, we knew  that we found our new spot for cocktails in the Montrose area. This new Montrose neighborhood bar is exactly what the famous Westheimer drinkery curve was missing. 

When we walked in, we felt in love with the high energy and the dark architecture the bar offers with its chandeliers, high ceilings, dark wood, black booths and its iron works all over the bar. With only a few weeks open this place gets packed on a weekend. Even though this bar  offers plenty of seats downstairs and upstairs, by 10:00 pm, all the seats and booths were taken already. Fortunately, we were lucky enough to get a table upstairs which was more than perfect because we could see the entire bar from our spot. 

The ambience was amazing. It gets a little bit loud because of the crowd, but if it bothers you, they have a small patio with several tables outside. 

Even though we loved this bar as soon as we walked in, we though that we would have to wait so long for our drinks, but we did not. The three times we went to the bar for drinks, we did not wait longer than 5 minutes to be served. 

If you have not visited Stone's Throw yet, we highly recommend you to stop by this new neighborhood bar and try their fascinating cocktails. 

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Service: 4.5/5

Ambience: 4.7/5

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Ginger Roger's

gin, ginger liqueur, lime juice, agave nectar, mint, house made ginger beer

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This drink only needs 3 words to be described... Fresh, delightful & divine. If you are into Gin, you definetely have to try one of this Ginger Roger's at Stone's Throw. 

The freshness and the acidity of this drink went flawlessly with the Gin.

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Drink: 5/5

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Santa Poca

resposado tequila, aperol, hibiscus liqueur, lime juice, agave nectar

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When we asked the bartender which cocktail was the most popular, he recommended us Santo Poca. We said Yes! 

The Santo Poca was so good and delicious that we ordered it twice. Because drinks based on tequila are difficult to enjoy, we though we would not like it, but this drink was our Fav. We will definitely order it again on our next visits...

We totally recommend you to have and enjoy this amazing mix of tequila and the aperitif Aperol at Stone's Throw 

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Drink: 5/5

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Julep

Julep

Southern Cocktail Bar

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Clumsy Butcher Team scored again.

Julep! With a subtle feminine touch by co-owned Alba Huerta, this new bar on the lower Washington corridor offers a sophisticated vibe and different variations of Southern cocktails in addition to a limited #beer selection.

If you are familiar with Clumsy Butcher ( HayMerchant, Anvil, PastryWar, Okra ) you already know what to expect... Julep gives you the same relaxed and #chill vibe. The wait for a drink is the same as Anvil or Pastry war  since the drinks are made with fresh ingredients. However, the service was faster than we thought. 

If our CocoDrinkers are in the mood of crafted cocktails and a laid back night, we totally recommend you to stop at this new spot on Washington ave.

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Service: 4.5/5

Ambience:  4.7/5

Creole Crusta

short and sour with el dorado 5yr rum, red pepper infused clement creole shrub, lemon and burdock & dandelion bitters

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Since two of us were in the mood of sweet drinks, the mixologist recommended us this beautiful craft cocktail of rum .

This drink was complex, strong and delicate at the same time. Each sip was enjoyable and full of flavor .

However, it had a high end of sweetness , so probably a drink or 2 might be enough if you are not in the mood for sugary drinks. 

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Drink: 4.7/5

Sparkling Julep

sparkling 100 gamay wine, pierre ferrand 1840 cognac, mint and turbinado

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If you are into cognac you will fall in love with this drink like 2 of us did. With a strong infusion of cognac and hints of fresh mint and lime, this drink is definitely the best option to soothe your cravings of a well made summer drink.

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Drink:  4/5

Bosta Wine & Coffee

Bosta

wine & coffee

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Food is not the only thing we love in Houston, coffee and the coziness of each shop is also among our favorites. Bosta, a new  adorable café, has recently opened its doors to all the coffee-drinkers in the Museum District. A great location if you are interested in working for hours or simply having a quick coffee with an old friend. If work is your thing, then rest assured that you will have plenty of tables and outlets to choose from.

Those more interested in socializing can take a more comfortable route and lounge on one of the sofas or enjoy a beverage at the circular bar located in the center of the shop. Also, the light background music gives you a relax and comfortable ambience. 

Bosta has a nice staff but not overly attentive. The service is kind of confusing once you walking in. You are not sure if it is self-service or a la carte. Finally, after 15 min we found out it is a la carte.  For being a new business, customer service was not their forte. It should be stronger. However, we would like to give them a second try.

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Service: 2.3/5

Ambience: 5/5

Marinated Kale Salad

chile, lemon, dried fruit & red onion

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Panini and snack plates available. At the time, we were looking for just a snack and the kale salad was just that. We would definitely order this triple threat again as it was tasty, fresh, and healthy. It was also a perfect size for a mid-day bite.

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Dish:  5/5

Cappuccino

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One word, Disappointing!!!. Our coffee was COLD! We don’t even know how a coffee shop can get this part wrong, but they did. Luckily we gave them another chance and got our hot coffee after returning the original order. Limited sugar selections so bring your own sweetener if you like your coffee with anything other than brown sugar.

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Dish:  1.3/5