The Curator Coffee & Cocktails

Tucked away on a quiet corner of Legazpi Village in Makati, The Curator Coffee & Cocktails is a dual-personality hideaway: during daylight hours it presents itself as a refined third-wave coffee shop; come evening, a sliding door at the back opens into a dimly-lit cocktail lounge beloved across Asia. Daytime: The front portion of the space is bright (in contrast to the bar area), with clean lines, minimalist seating, and a focus on high-quality coffee. Baristas here treat espresso and pour-overs with precision — ideal whether you're after a quiet morning brew or a laid-back, contemplative coffee break. Nighttime: As day turns to night, The Curator transforms. Through a modest entrance — often easy to miss if you're not looking — you enter into a cozy, low-lit back room: the cocktail bar. Here, communal tables invite mingling, while bartenders craft cocktails with flair, sometimes inviting guests to describe a flavor mood and building a drink around it. The cocktail menu itself is part of the charm. Drinks are not just recipes but stories — many are inspired by notable figures or themes, described with flavor “maps.” Whether you're sipping a carefully balanced Old Fashioned or a house-infused creative cocktail, there's a sense of intention and craft in each glass. Despite its modest footprint, the place has earned international acclaim: The Curator has been consistently ranked among Asia's 50 Best Bars since 2016 — often cited as the premiere cocktail bar of the Philippines. The vibe is understated yet stylish: polished concrete floors, minimalist wood and metal furniture, soft lighting, and a calm atmosphere by day that shifts to a more intimate, social energy by night. Frequent guests appreciate that the bartenders and baristas treat both coffee and cocktails with equal seriousness and warmth. Whether you’re in the mood for a meticulously brewed flat white mid-morning or a handcrafted cocktail at 11 pm, The Curator delivers. It’s not about loud music or flashy decorations — it’s about good drinks, quiet conversation, and a sense of discovery: the thrill of finding a hidden gem, and the reward of returning again.