Young couple Niko Tiutan and Alex Atienza have moved entertaining and serving drinks from their home into a cosy and modern space in Legazpi Village, Makati
Contrary to what one might think, Niko Tiutan and Alex Atienza— partners in life and in the recently opened Ito Space— are not big on the nightlife scene. “We actually love staying at home,” Tiutan candidly explains, “which is why we preferred to have our friends just come over.” Atienza admits to being quite the lightweight when it comes to imbibing alcohol, which is usually half a cocktail. “When we go out, Niko would usually have, like, two and a half drinks,” she says almost sheepishly.” Two drinks for him, plus the other half of mine.”
To them, it is the art of entertaining that is truly intoxicating, preparing for and sharing with their friends the different beverages they have discovered during their travels. They do not have a culinary school background—in fact, their first brush with the beverage industry was when they operated a coffee business on campus as part of their Ateneo business course thesis. From there, Tiutan developed his barista and mixology skills working for a year in Toyo Eatery. But most of their shared knowledge truly comes from their actual experiences exploring the cafes of Europe, scouring tea shops in Japan, and immersing themselves in the burgeoning mocktail scene in Copenhagen. All that, plus a lot of watching YouTube videos. Then, they applied their learnings when preparing drinks for guests at home, which became such a lucrative endeavour that it birthed the idea of bottling their beverages. “One time, Niko was so busy just making drinks for everyone that he was not able to sit down all evening,” Atienza laughs. “So we thought that we should just start bottling them already so as people arrive we just have them grab a bottle.”
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This eventually evolved into a business called 35cl Cocktail Co which served a purpose, especially during the pandemic. But, selling bottled drinks does not coincide with the couple’s principles. “I like standing behind the bar and talking to people about the drinks,” Tiutan admits. “Aside from sharing our new discoveries, there is also an exchange of knowledge and experiences. That is very much what this is about.”
Ito Space is called that precisely because it is a beverage space—just a bar, seven seats, and a tiny lavatory that is clean, ergonomically designed, and complete with creature comforts that will put much fancier establishments to shame (Heated toilet seat, check. Aesop room spray and exfoliating hand soap, check.). The Japanese-designed interiors are sleek, warmed by vibey yellow bulbs and raw, unfinished stone.
This unique (first of its kind in the Philippines) beverage-tasting program is by reservation only, with a couple of seatings in the afternoon and at night. During the day, guests choose from tea or coffee flights accompanied by a snack. In the evenings guests are pampered with a slew of craft cocktails and low-ABV drinks from the cocktail flight or drinks-tasting menu that will hopefully prime their guests for their respective dinner plans elsewhere. The experience lasts for around one and a half hours and makes for an excellent start to your evening.
