I'm going to start my review by stating that I'm not a speakeasy fan... i find them very gimmicky. We walked there from our Makati hotel. It's a little off the busy part of town... for some stretches you need to walk through empty streets. It is accessed via a burger joint. If you can't find it, the local security guard will help. Drinks range from like 320-600ish pesos. So while expensive for Manila, they are cheaper than bars in coastal cities in the US. How were the drinks? Meh. Definitely nothing special. For a place that specializes in cocktails, I definitely think that they were below average. Also the presentation for the most part wasn't great either (apart from a few exceptions). Most drinks were served in a regular glass that most people would have at home. The bar Oto, located fairly close by, serves much better cocktails (and at a cheaper price with better ambiance). They also gave us a bowl of popcorn but it taste fairly stale to me. I figured it's best not to eat that... who knows how many tables it's been on before read more

I love the bar seat at ABV! I mentioned it to Lee, the owner, who said he had it custom made by his furniture guy. It's super comfy for a barstool! I could sit there forever! I will be back to get the name of that guy, Lee :) Also of course I will be back for the drinks and the burger and sausage sandwich. Goes well with whatever Ken will concoct for you. Ask him for his Jupiter Street drink. :) read more

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One of my cousins I grew up with in the US is now teaching at a university in Abu Dhabi and came to Manila on a whirlwind tour of Southeast Asia and wanted to see the nightlife of the city! I've always wanted to try ABV after hearing about it from friends so I decided to take her and her friend here. In true speakeasy fashion, this place is actually hidden behind 3 sets of doors in the already-hidden Lazy Bastard burger joint in Makati. Drinks are expensive by Manila standards but on par with the other speakeasies around the city. They are extremely well-made! My cousin and I, both southerners, were pleasantly surprised to see so many types of bourbon available in the cocktails. The classic old fashioned and Moscow mule I had were among the best I've had in Metro Manila. I also tried the Boulevardier for the first time. Definitely different and strong! We stayed for quite a while and ended up ordering 10 drinks between the 3 of us. The waiters were always attentive and even brought out a bowl of popcorn for us. Can't wait to make it back here. read more

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Ya. This spot is top notch. The bar to be at in Manila. It's #1 for drinks. Atmosphere? #1.5 (I was diggin' Curator's atmosphere more, don't hate me). The bartender & staff are super friendly. No pretentious airs. That's the beauty of the Philippines. The bartenders here support each other & refer you to other bars to try. They compete in cocktail competitions amongst each other also, yet there is no 'thou art better than thee' attitude. The bartender made a concoction for me that was lethal. It tasted quite good. He told me after my first sip what was in it. It reminded me of a long island with all the crazy liquors in the concoction. So of course, I was a bit scared to see what the repercussions would be. My cocktail was composed of rum, vodka, malt bourbon, whisky, green tea liqueur, mango liqueur, & pineapple juice. I couldn't see the brands clearly while he was making them, but there were no bottom shelf varieties present at all. Drink was enjoyable, yet its effects didn't hit me until I went to Blind Pig after. Ugh. read more

Finding ABV (short for Alcohol by Volume) is an adventure in itself. Once I arrived at the address found on their website, I was greeted by a burger and hotdog shack. Before confusion ensued, a very pretty attendant came to save the day and proceeded to ask for a password. "A glass of giggle water please," I say. And off I was ushered to enter a secret door, into an elevator shaft and straight into the 1920's Prohibition Era. ABV has got a lot in common with a famous speakeasy in New York, and I ain't complaining. I always love checking out interesting bars and restaurants in the city and ABV is high up in the list of those kinds of recent discoveries. Dressed up like a bar that can appear on the HBO show, Boardwalk Empire, ABV is quite a lovely place to be in. From its wall of liquor to its dark wooden and leather furniture, to the moody lighting and the 1920's jazz that permeates the air - the atmosphere is dusky and romantic and very conducive to a night of debauchery. The bar serves a substantial and interesting cocktail list. If they don't have what you're in the mood for, the bartender can concoct one for you. I got my usual Whiskey Sours and they were great. If your group is feeling a little bit more adventurous, they've got the green fairy waiting at the back for you (i.e. Absinthe is on the menu). All in all, I love the place and I love the drinks. I will definitely be back again. read more

ABV - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Makati, NCR

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Definitely not an easy place to find but thanks to previous Yelper sharing the tips so I could find it easily. A great place to hangout with friends after work. The ambiance is intimate, service is impeccable, and the Cocktail is truly superb. Will come back!! read more

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We were given instructions by friends to look for the restaurant Lazy Bastard, enter a makeshift elevator, and give out the password. Although slightly baffled, we followed the instructions and went inside the restaurant. We were greeted by a lady who escorted us towards a mysterious door. Low and behold, we were inside a posh looking 20's bar. Everything from the music, the decor, and the ambiance looked like it was bursting out of a classy 1920's speakeasy cocktail bar. I immediately loved it. Their cocktails are all delicious, making them so easy to down. I guess that was the whole point behind their carefully crafted concoctions. In typical fashion, before the boyfriend and I left, we decided to order take out. The food menu had caught our eye as soon as we entered and it took all of our self-control to wait until the end of the night until we ordered. Their food menu was simple, hotdogs, burgers, and a few other comfort food crowd pleasers. I had a cheeky bite off of my friends grilled cheese sandwich and it was nothing short of delicious. I was excited for our order. As we took a bit of the hotdog sandwich with arugula, parmesan cheese, and honey, suddenly our fuzzy drunken haze faded and we both knew one thing, we both would be back for more. read more

ABV - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Makati, NCR

Easily understand how this bar made the Top 50 Cocktail Bars in Asia!! Gorgeous bar , super friendly staff , and fantastic drinks !! Loved the vibe and the music , and the booze selection was super impressive read more

ABV - Loved this room !! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Makati, NCR

Absolutely the best bar in the Philippines. I'm not a local per se, but I've tried a few of the bars in Manila that are similar. I always ask for my first drink as a classic daiquiri to gauge the bartender's skillsets, and whether or not they can balance the alcohol, sour, and sweet. Needless to say the bartender delivered on that and it gave me a bit of hope for the bar scene in Manila. Recommendations for the boozy types: Old Fashioned ( we came on Father's day, so the Old Fashioned was 350 pesos.), Rusty Nail, and I've had the best rendition of a Penicillin so far here. What are you doing? Drinks na tayo! read more

Absolutely the most impressing bar I've ever been to from a level of service, knowledge and quality of drink. A must for people who truly appreciate a top notch cocktail. read more

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Awesome place! One of the best bars, if not the best, in the Philippines. I asked one of the staff to surprise me with a drink after having a couple and I had a peaty-like old fashioned. They'll make you a drink that'll make you want to drink another! read more

A group of good friends - one from the States - and I visited ABV barely a week after its inclusion in Asia's Best Bars 2016 as no. 14. (The Philippines has one other bar on the list, The Curator, which ranks no.16) Congratulations, guys! We'd just had a satisfyingly good dinner in Salcedo, and ABV turned out to be a great follow-up. We piled into one of their round cubicles, helped ourselves to the free popcorn, and sampled one round of drinks, which included a classic Whisky Sour and a White Lady. ABV's take on the Whisky Sour includes bitters and some orange rind. I had the White Lady, which had some frothy egg white on top. I liked eveything about the drink, including presentation with the ABV stamp on it, but was on the fence about the egg white. Too trendy for me, but I'm letting it pass. Manila's chic crowd comes here all days of the week, and the bar gets full, but not too much so. It's cozy, with its cubicled sofas, dimmed lighting, and stunning with an elevated liquor showcase in the center of the hall. The music is played at just the right volume. Access this gem of a bar via Lazy Bastard, the burger joint out front. read more

As I was Yelping my way for a drink on a Wednesday night to catch up with a friend, I stumbled upon ABV. I had viewed ABV a couple of times on Yelp but had yet to try it out. Tonight was finally going to be the night. As the other reviews say, find the sign that says "Bacon & Burgers This Way" and as you enter, turn immediate right, jump, slide, squeeze, and crawl through the mazes to get to the door, and ring the doorbell on the left side. Try to act cool as a cat when you walk into the burger joint (I miserably failed and had to ask where the door was).. Once you are inside, welcome to one of the nicest bars in Manila with Great Gatsby/Moulin Rouge/Mad Men theme. The drinks were extremely well-crafted, the bartenders exceptionally cool, and happy to talk and share their wisdom. I'll be looking for an excuse to come back here. Nothing short of impressive. read more

Easily understand how this bar made the Top 50 Cocktail Bars in Asia!! Gorgeous bar , super friendly staff , and fantastic drinks !!

Ah. Drinking alone is one of the greatest things you can do when travelling. Make no mistake, Lester and Ken will swoon you with drinks -- but only if you ask them to. Sit at the bar and just talk to random people. Fun times. Fun times. No reviews on the food. Why eat when you can drink like a champ? The bill wont be cheap, but it is totally worth coming here for drinks. read more

A glass of giggle water, please! ABV or Alcohol by volume is a recent addition to the growing "secret bars" in Makati. They are called speakeasy, after the secret bars during the alcohol prohibition era in America! These places usually require a password to get in, but here, only a select few do, and ABV is one of them. Not to worry, they post their passwords in the website, anyway. :) ABV is a whole different bar experience-- it's private, cozy and best of all: smoke free. If you want to feel like a Don off the Godfather movies, this is the place to be. The place is swanky and elegant, all the booths are leather and everything is cast in low light. The prices are steep at around 400 pesos per drink, and more if you decide to get a shot off their wide range of spirits. (They have a damn decent collection of whiskey!) So if you value privacy and want to drink out without having to mingle with commoners (like the Mafia Don that you are), ABV is the place to be. (And if you want to order some thing from Lazy Bastard, by all means. You can be a pig of a Don and not have anyone pass judgement. After all, that's a 25 year old Yamazaki in your tumbler. What better food to pair it with than a bacon wrapped kimchi dog?? )) read more

This is a place you need to go to in order to indulge in a few guilty pleasures. This is a speakeasy so you have to first find the place. Enter The Lazy Bastard Restaurant, and after you enter take an immediate right through the door you see. You will enter what looks like an elevator, but alas it is not, that would make this place 6 stars if it was. Buzz in and you will enter a nice, cozy bar. My friends and I started the night with some hot dogs and absinth. That right there is a winning combination. These hot dogs though, are not just any old hot dogs, they are bacon wrapped. I know, just won you over there. They have a dog here for anyone...unless you are vegetarian or vegan, which they might have, but I would not ever ask. There are several types of absinth here, so as the waiter about them and then watch the magic as you order. They do a great job explaining the alcohol while they put it together in front of you. After this great start we moved onto cocktails. Here is where the fun begins. They have a menu with drinks listed, but if you are more adventurous just tell the bar tender what type of alcohol you would like to have and they will make you a drink. They may ask if you want it refreshing, or citrusy or they may just bring you a delicious drink. We have 6 different drinks ranging in alcohols, gin, tequila, whiskey, and everyone was delicious. This is a must go to bar if you are in the area and want to spoil your tastebuds. read more

Yet another addition to the speakeasy culture that is growing in Manila. This one, however, is the best one yet. it more clearly resembles those found in America where the speakeasy started during the Prohibition Era. There is the facade of a diner (with yummy and unique burgers, dogs and grilled cheese) and then the secret doors and secret password required to enter. It's a tiny place that's packed with character. Dimly lit with era music and masculine interiors, dark wood and leather booths with some 1920's decor to add flair. The servers are fairly knowledgeable about drinks, to my surprise. Ours knew what was in every drink and knew exactly how to describe the drinks to us. She was spot on with the drink I ordered. I can't remember the name, but it tasted herbally. Sounds bizarre, but if you prefer less sugary drinks and some thing that might possibly seem healthy, then this is your drink. You can just ask for the herbally drink. They will know. If their uber creative drinks don't suit your fancy, go for a classic, they are just as well made. I love that there's yummy greasy diner food just outside so when you're in dire need you can simply order from the waiter or grab a to go bag on your way out. This place is a must if you are a cocktail snob or just want a cool place to hangout. read more

You see that sign on the corner screaming "BACON & BURGERS THIS WAY"? To a well trained eye (fine, or to someone who's been there before) it also says awesome bar is here. Come inside. Eat. Drink. Be merry. ABV was introduced to me by a friend's sister who frequents the place and knew that I enjoyed my fair share of specialty bars and speakeasies. So my friend and I find ourselves nomming on burgers at Lazy Bastard and asking to go into the bar afterwards. There's a not so secret door, you'll probably notice it, or I just asked one of the staff if we could go in. Slide the door open, push of a button, a buzz, and then bam you're in. Don't forget to shut the doors behind you. ABV itself is very dimly lit with the ambient lighting being some low ceiling lights and tea candles on every table. It keeps the speakeasy feel of not really being able to clearly see who's inside the bar. It's a nice and cozy atmosphere, great for talking and just nursing a drink. Not any of that tugs tugs club stuff. I will say that it gets quite loud on the weekends when more people pour in and I think it kinda kills the mood but oh well. They have a good selection of drinks and food on the menu (I heard the menu is now complete as of yesterday May 27th according to their Instagram page). The food is somewhat similar to what Lazy Bastard offers although there are some slight tweaks. If you don't want a drink from the menu, you can always ask the bartenders to make you something else and you can specify what you like. To be honest, I've only ever gotten Old Fashioneds and whiskey highballs here but I do appreciate that they ask me how I like it. I also appreciate that they use (what I believe is) the correct kind of ice for the Old Fashioned. The staff is quite knowledgable about spirits and that's great for those of us who aren't too familiar with them. Takes an edge off the intimidation of a bar. I do have to say that parking is an issue. Both Lazy Bastard and ABV only have 2 allotted parking spaces around the building. There is street parking and you'd have the pay the guy who watches the car but better safe than sorry. They also have a smoking patio right by the entrance so not sure how some people feel about that if the smoke goes in or not. read more

A great selection of Philippine-esque cocktails (which is to say there's a lot of over-the-top mixes). If that's not your angle, they also have more classic cocktails, and a wide selection of booze if you want to be more exact. Also a good selection of beers, including some local ones. The people are great to chat with on a number of wide topics and they know their booze. The popcorn they bring you is addictive. If you want something more, you can get anything off the Lazy Bastard menu (they share kitchens), as well as some steaks. To get to the place, when you walk into the Lazy Bastard, take the sliding door immediately to the right. When we went, we just walked in and sat the bar. read more

This is a quiet intimate dark space. It has an old school feel with leather couches and dark woods. Great place to bring a date. The staff are friendly and accommodating. If you cant pick a drink they will ask you what you preferences are and decide for you. Ive tried most drinks here and cant recall having a bad one. On par with speakeasies ive been to in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Hawaii in terms of ambience and drinks....with the prices to match. Definitely more expensive that other bars in the area but worth the splurge. read more

I love ABV, it's a little pricey, but its a first-class experience through and through. It's an awesome speakeasy experience. It has a great ambience and the team is first-rate. I always make it a point to bring friends from out of town here. read more

Amazing place! Lester made the most AMAZING drinks! Super cool hidden bar. My favorite so far in Manila

Awesome hidden gem. Beautiful ambience, very friendly and knowledgable staff.

A speakeasy bar that's not really speakeasy, ABV has gotten quite a traction the past few weeks as that secret place right beside another secret place which serves good burgers aka Lazy Bastard. Since the two joints are owned by the same group, ABV also serves the notioriously bacon rich burgers of Lazy Bastard. While it's does seem kind of weird to see people eat burgers wrapped in aluminum foil in a prohibitionist era inspired bar, you'll soon get used to it. The atmosphere is dark as the primary lighting source of the place are candles. The room is surrounded by quite a selection of liquors. It's simply fascinating to look around the place. The interiors are well designed and finely detailed! I got the whiskey sour (P340) and it was pretty standard issue. I have yet to try the other cocktails from their extensive list and I'm looking forward to it. The place gets packed quite easily so I suggest you get in at around 11 pm to reserve seats. Good experience overall. read more

ABV - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Makati, NCR

Some people are born to do exactly what they end up doing, and having known one of the proprietors of ABV for a decade, it's of no surprise that he's turned his obsession of high-quality cocktails into a reality. The goal here isn't to "be the best cocktail bar in the Phillipines" or "in Asia," but rather to be the best in the world. There's enough written on Yelp about what the bar provides in terms of drinks and service, but what needs to be stated is about ambition, that ABV's goal is to become the best anywhere--and that's something you have to admire and respect. read more

This is a true 1920 style speakeasy, with a great atmosphere. The specialty drinks are reasonably priced, and the burgers are awesome.

They make a top notch old fashioned - better than most I've had in Los Angeles. Small place with a somewhat intimate setting. Burger was great, tater tots were just OK. read more

Manila's new bar scene has become a whole lot more intimate. "Speak easies" have replaced dance floors and I guess people like that considering the growing number of these hidden bars around the Makati area. A new addition to this growing crop of drinking places is ABV or Alcohol By the Volume. While that sounds like a bad frat house idea, ABV isn't about big kegs and monster mugs, but rather more about the kinds of alcohol they have. From craft beers to imported liquor (spotted some Hibiki on my way out a while ago), your options are limitless. And like the fanciful bars that it follows, your barista is an expert so just tell him what you like and he can whip up a cocktail off the menu just for you. Sure it's pricey but it's the experience and the ambience you pay for. Plus, there's no better way to end a burger meal at Lazy Bastard than with a couple of drinks from this joint. Oh, and it's password protected so make sure to get your hands on the password to get in. read more