Montrose cocktail bars Anvil and its little sister Refuge are easily two to the best bars in the city. Credit: Photo by Jesse Sendejas Jr.

Best Bar Montrose: Anvil

First opened in 2009, Houston’s O.G. cocktail bar is aging like a fine wine…or a fine spirit, rather. Over the years, Bobby Heugel and co. have managed to tip-toe the line between keeping things utterly classic and fresh feeling. That’s thanks to a smart, eager staff (and training program) and combo of staple and seasonally re-imagined drinks. Sip perfect gimlets and sidecars, go for one-off beverages made special by things like honeysuckle and sherried cream, and visit Refuge — Anvil’s sibling establishment that’s part high-end cocktailery and part coffeehouse — for the city’s finest martini, dreamed up by Heugel himself.

1424 Westheimer
anvilhouston.com

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