Anvil Bar and Refuge

I went during happy hour but before the crowds arrived. The bartender was great and had a few recommendations. The tall drink was the bartender's creation with whiskey. I got the cider, which was not great but got the job done. I preferred the cocktail drink. I wish I paid more attention to what was in it. It is a nice place to work and read during the day

Came out here with my girlfriend and tried so many different drink combos along with great conversation. The drinks are on point and staff was great I would come again for a good mood

A+ for ambience! Dim lit, midtown vibe. It was packed when we first got there around 11:30pm Saturday, by 12:30 had half cleared out and seats became available easily. Its a small bar, not a lot of parking so suggest ride share drop off. Restrooms were super clean, single private style, kinda hard to find tho, no signage. Drinks: ate well and artfully presented! I ordered "The brave" first off their Anvil Originals menu. Second time having a mezcal signature cocktail and I just don't like them. This was very smoky mezcal forward. I missed the curaçao completely. It was hard to finish for me, so recommended only if you know you like mezcal. It's served room temp also.Then had a Pimm's which I make at home. Theirs is very cucumber forward but delightful either way and well presented!Friend introduced us to the Mexican Flag (of menu now, they rotate drinks, but you can still order). Hubby had Old Fashioned but he wasn't super impressed but that's his drink so he's picky with them. Then he tried the Mexican Firing Squad of their Featured Classics Menu and enjoyed that one. If you're from out of town and in the area you should definitely stop in and experience it! The bartenders go through a rigorous testing, and they're famous for the prestigious process, which is how we're learned about the bar, so they have consistent drinks and well prepared no matter who mixed it!

Am I even a REAL Houstonian if I've never been here?! LolI came here with a group of friends, after another friend's bday party.Service- our bartender treated us right, IYKYK! I'm glad we got the perfect seats perched at the bar. Place was poppin, as it should on a Saturday night.Drinks -folks that can whip up both on and off menu drinks, love it. I feel like at least 1 maybe 2 were off-menu. I have zero complaints, but also zero recollection of the name of my cocktails, ha!The parking sucks, but don't let that stop you.

Great drinks for sure! Didn't help that a couple was basically having sex in the booth next to us but i don't judge bc if that's your vibe then you go for it! Got pretty loud and get there early for a booth or bar stool. Overall great vibes.

I've never been much of a drinker because I dislike tasting my alcohol. I happened to stop here as I was in the area after a work event, needless to say I'll be a regular! They really know how to make a drink! I ordered my first drink from the menu but the following two drinks I asked my bartender to "surprise me" and omg! so good! The place has lots of bar seating plus booths/tables. The vibe is dark but sexy? Not sure how to explain it haha. Also the bartender asked my name and remembered mine plus 15 other peoples and made the entire interaction better. I only planned to drink 1 drink since I was alone but he kept me engaged he was really friendly and knew his drinks. If you are looking for a good drink this is the place l!

Bad Setvice. I waited for my drink while other people who arrived after me were getting served.

Went here with a group of friends after a dinner, cocktails were good but it was a bit small and crammed inside with not many options for seating. Wish they had a bigger space. Better for a date or smaller group.

Elegant, eclectic, young, loud but fun. Artisanal, artistic cocktails or just a beer on tap. Come here for the drinks, stay for the people watching! Bar service can take a minute as the place is almost always packed three deep so be prepared to wait a little, but the service, once received, is attentive and moves quickly.

Anvil is, without a doubt, my favorite cocktail bar. And that's not just within Houston. The consistent quality of their cocktails is simply unrivaled. They have a rotating selection of featured cocktails, but half the time I order from their list of 100 classics because they craft them to near-perfection (sometimes perfection, if I'm being honest). Yesterday, I tried a new one containing shōchū, reposado tequila, and black sesame... my adjectives wouldn't do justice to the simple elegance and brilliance of that cocktail. They don't offer happy hour nor outdoor seating. There are probably ~15-20 seats at the bar and then 8-12 booths along the windows, each of which fits 4-5 people. The bartenders are always amazing, their knowledge of the craft is impressive. At the end of the day, Anvil isn't trying to rope you in with trendy fads nor great deals. But I suspect you'll be back for a return visit, because they're serving the highest-quality cocktails in town