ABV Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in Taichung

I saw some reviews from months ago that talked about the average food quality, temperature of the refrigerator, etc. I want to address those specifically and say why I give this five stars in light of those reviews. I think part of that was starting a new business and trying to balance everything out.

First off: the beer refrigerator. I am a beer snob (not in the sense of “I won’t drink that beer,” but really love and understand and know about good beer) and I take my time to decide what I want. I have had probably 90% of the beers in the fridge they have. So I take time to look and really decide what I want to try. After a few minutes, I was starting to feel cold. I am used to Ohio and feeling snow and being fine. Not saying it was that cold. But I am at the restaurant, just finished my beer, and the bottle that was sitting at my table the whole time is still a little cold. This is actually my third time here this week and not had a problem with the beer temperature. So, at least in October, it is a good temperature. They may need to rethink the summer months, where the complaints happened. For now, it is fantastic. Even on a busy holiday weekend night when there were no open tables when we first walked in.

Secondly: the food quality. It’s not the best western food I have ever had in Taichung. I’d recommend Deli D., Sicily Italian restaurant, or Jerry’s House for that. With those you are paying a bit more for the food. (Not a lot more, but enough to make the price make sense). But this place is a block away from TGI Fridays, the food is better, and the price is honestly cheaper overall. One review posted the beef stew while talking about much of the food being over cooked or dry. What I got now, months later, was surprisingly moist. The beef stew melted in my mouth. I was not a huge fan of the lemon flavor, but that is just a preference thing. I would get that dish again. I decided to cut into one piece of the beef and it had a slight hint of pink, like it was not quite medium well, but it quite medium. But it just melted in the mouth.

The pizza was ok. I wish it were better. But it is not bad to have with beer, which is sort of the goal overall. It is not bad as a meal either. Just not something I would be excited to see. But would gladly eat, especially with beer.

The staff knows their beers well enough to help me with selections at times, which I have to say is impressive enough for me.

So:

—I have no idea what their beer refrigerator is like in the summer. They may need to adjust that. But for the autumn, it seems to be great.

—it seems their food has improved from when they first opened. It is definitely better than many other (often Foreign-run) western restaurants out there in Taichung.

—The staff knows their main product: beer.

My only criticism came today: but after 3 visits in a week. The staff seems to not be checking on the tables much at all. I have finished my meal and nobody has asked yet if I anted anything else, or tried to upsell me on a dessert. So I might just finish with a few more beers and head to bed. Wondering if someone will suggest a good dessert before I decide to just settle on the candy bar I have at home. Time will tell. But the service could maybe be better on this slow night. They were on top of things the other two times I was here when it was busy. It is important to keep up on that even on slow days. I actually called their phone number to place my first order today. I feel more like a burden asking them for more things than them wanting to offer. But that is my...

It was 10:30 PM, and I was looking for some light food and drinks near my hotel. Unfortunately, most places were already closed, and I didn’t have many options. That’s when I stumbled upon ABV Bar & Kitchen, and I’m so glad I did.

Though there weren’t many people at that hour, the staff welcomed me warmly with big smiles. The first staff member who greeted me faced some challenges conversing in English, but she went the extra mile to use a translator and tried her best to communicate. That effort was truly commendable and left a great first impression.

The bar boasts an impressive selection of over 700 beers, and you’re absolutely spoilt for choice. They had everything from IPAs to Pale Ales, Pilsners, Ciders, Belgian beers, and many more from all over the world. Pairing their beer selection with their Mediterranean cuisine made for a unique and delightful experience.

As I relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere, two other staff members took the time to interact with me occasionally, which added a personal touch to my visit. The male staff member thoughtfully recommended beers based on my preferences, and the other female staff member engaged me in a lovely conversation about life in Taiwan. Both of them were fluent in English, which made the experience even better.

Overall, I had an incredibly pleasant time at ABV Bar & Kitchen. As it was my first time in Taichung, this place left a lasting impression. I’ll never forget the warmth, effort, and genuine hospitality of the staff. I will definitely return, not just for the extensive beer selection but because of the wonderful experience I had. Highly...

First time at ABV & Kitchen (and I hope it won’t be the last time)

FOOD: We ordered 4 things COLD TAPA: Oktopus - We didn’t like it. Nothing special. The oktopus was ok actually but maybe we were expecting something more. We wouldn’t order this again. HOT TAPA: Pork Clam Soup - It was good. The soup was yummy with an unique taste and the pork was made inside the clam. And all the taste mixed. So good I can order this again. RAVIOLI: The sauce was good and heavy. I could eat only the sauce 🥹. Ravioli itself nothing special. BEEF PLATE: The beef was tender and juicy. The truffle sauce made a good match. I could ordered again. But it’s just a beef. My friend, who is Taiwanese, just said a humble “ok”. The portion also not that big (price 440 NTD), but for the cost benefit sounds fair.

SERVICE: They were kind and professional. They explained the menu and also they helped us to order the beer. They always look at our tables to control if we have finished or not to take our plates back to the kitchen.

MENU: Incredible perfect. Everything in Chinese and English. And all dishes had their own picture on the menu. This restaurant is totally foreigner friendly. They have many other options: brunch, pizza, soup, other tapas, …. BUT the main product is the beer. They have a plenty of beers and they you go to choose your beer in a cold refrigerator.

PRICE: 1628 兩位

EXTRA POINT: The environment is so nice with a beautiful decoration. There is also big projector to watch some sports.

I hope I’ll return soon to ABV...