Bars and Clubs in Manila

Are we doing this? This page hasn’t been updated in years, and why would it? After TIME Club was shut down by the idiotic Duterte administration (well, every GOV worldwide is idiotic, to say the least) in 2018 or 19 for alleged drug abuse, one of, if not the best club in all of Manila was taken away from us – full stop! Go straight to the bars >

Fast forward! Aside from the establishments that survived the despicable lockdowns, we have seen a surge in new openings, especially in the Poblacion district in Makati. I will be adding to this list over time, at least that’s the plan.

This guide – if you can call it that – is more for the lone wolves, and of course it’s all just my opinion. You may think a place is class, while I think it sucks ass. Ultimately, you can have a decent time anywhere if you’re out boozing with a few mates.

Bars to Kick Off the Evening

• Pablo Bistro (Salcedo Village, Makati)
• Black Bird (Makati Avenue)
• Shooters (Poblacion, Makati)
• Dillingers (Greenbelt, Makati)
• Go straight to the late night bars and clubs >
• Go to the rooftop bar entries >

The entries were last updated in October 2024.

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Pablo Bistro Bar and Restaurant

• Where? Salcedo Village, Makati
• Entrance fee: None, of course
• Average prices: 370 to 380 PHP for a pint, 380 to 480 PHP for a glass of wine, 350 to 470 PHP for cocktails
• Address: L. P. Leviste Street, Bel-Air, 1227

Let’s kick this off with something unconventional! Undoubtedly, this is one of my favourite joints in Salcedo Village (still within the Makati district) and the whole of Manila. Most of the other bars in that area are either not particularly spectacular (Rue Bourbon Bar, for example, is okay at best) or can simply F-off. In any case, Pablo Bistro, which is connected to the Picasso Boutique Hotel, is definitely different, albeit a little on the expensive side.

A great place to start the evening – the bar in Pablo Bistro.

Whilst I would argue that it’s hard to find good restaurants near the corporate franchised-to-shit high street complexes, Pablo’s food is exceptional in comparison. Seriously, it’s really quite good, because you can definitely taste a certain finesse in the dishes (same with Black Bird). Their US Tenderloin Pintxo (steak bites on toast with some kind of gravy – now unfortunately replaced by miniature burgers) was ‘to die for’. Yeah, these cheesy synonyms suck, but in this case it really was. On another note, their staff are great too.

As for the beers, their wife beater – pardon me – Stella and Sapporo draught is top notch. You can even opt for local beers (it’s not on the menu though). Of course, there is also a good selection of wines and well-made cocktails / long drinks. Ultimately, Pablo Bistro is a great way to start your evening if you like this kind of place.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Pablo Bistro: Well, it’s not really a place for that purpose, but I dare say it’s more than suitable to take a date there.

The Bar at Black Bird Restaurant

• Where? Nielson Tower, Makati Avenue
• Entrance fee: None, of course
• Average prices: Maybe 250 PHP for a Pale Pilsen, average of 550 PHP and higher for a glass of wine, 480 to 680 PHP for cocktails
• Address: Nielson Tower, Makati Avenue, Bel-Air, 1227

Fair enough, I haven’t been there for a while, but Black Bird – or rather their bar area – is a place with a good atmosphere. Yes, it’s classier and so are the prices. But honestly, the food is good.

Apart from the relaxed outdoor terrace, the bar in the entrance hall can hold its own with any high-class hotel bar. And yes, they even serve local beers like Pale Pilsen, so they don’t insult your taste buds with (oh-so-fashionable) overpriced craft beers or foreign branded piss that no one with two brain cells wants to drink anyway (for example Budweiser and Heineken).

If you want to chill a little before you go hunting for the ladies, this is a good place to start. Of course, this is certainly not a hole in the wall or a party place!

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Black Bird: Again, it’s more of a place to take a date (or girlfriend). If you manage to pull in there, respect!

Shooters Sports Bar at Red Planet Hotel

• Where? Poblacion, Makati
• Entrance fee: None, of course
• Average prices: 120 PHP for a Pale Pilsen
• Address: E. Mercado Street cor F. Calderon Street

Shooters, which is located directly below the Red Planet Hotel, is a good place to have a few beers and a bite to eat. The stuff I tried was indeed not bad. There’s really not much to say about this one because it’s a typical sports bar (with two pool tables) that charges reasonable prices and occasionally has a happy hour – if not daily, as far as I know.

Shooters is your typical sports bar, located near all the other bars/clubs in Poblacion.

The crowd is mixed. Everything from the odd freelancer lady (as in hookers, but that sounds a bit harsh) to a few trannies and a couple of old dudes can be found here. The place gets fairly busy, so it’s worth having a few beers before moving on. But that’s not to say that Shooters isn’t open until late.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Shooters: Considering the fact that the crowd is very mixed, I wouldn’t rate the chances of success so low. But I’m not speaking from experience. Just go there, down a drink and see what happens.

Dillingers 1903 Steak & Brew at Greenbelt Mall

• Where? Greenbelt, Makati
• Entrance fee: None, of course
• Average prices: 120 PHP for a Pale Pilsen
• Address: L3, Greenbelt 3, Esperanza Street, San Lorenzo, 1223

Following the demise of epic bars Café Havana and Spicy Fingers, Greenbelt mall has finally become what the local authorities/corporations probably had in mind all along: offer up the last few bits of real estate for the high street franchises to take over.

Well, I’m not the biggest fan of malls, but Greenbelt is still one of the best. But when it comes to partying or chilling out with a few drinks, a mall and even Greenbelt is not exactly the most exciting place these days.

One, if not the only establishment that has survived and represents something of a bar, is Dilingers in Greenbelt 3. It’s been around for ages and was refurbished in 2024. While it was a little rough around the edges before (in a good way), it now looks more like a hotel bar. Well, at least the bar has stools, I’ll give it that. But really, this is just a place to start a night out if you happen to be in the area.

As for the prices, they are reasonable considering the circumstances, and apart from the obvious wines and spirits, both local and foreign beers are on offer. There are also Salsa nights once a week in what used to be a somewhat secret room. I haven’t been there recently, but apparently it’s pretty busy at the weekends. I would argue, however, that this is more on the easy going side.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Dillingers: Hard to tell. Neither can I speak from experience. Give it a look during the weekend if you are in the area and see for yourself.

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Late Night Bars and Clubs

Of course, there are some good and less impressive places. When it comes to Makati, where most of the establishments featured here are located, there are now various smaller bars (like WYP) as well as larger club-type venues (like Octopus).

Needless to say, most places play brain-frying Hip Hop / R&B all night long, but there are exceptions, such as some that favour electronic music, or rather EDM (but rest assured, nothing in the vein of TIME Club, which wasn’t even EDM, but full-on Techno/Trance – unbeaten to this day).

Makati

• WYP Bar (Poblacion, Makati)
• Movida Bar/Club (Poblacion, Makati)
• Royal Club (Poblacion, Makati)
• URBN Club (Poblacion, Makati)
• H&J Bar (Poblacion, Makati)
• Nokal Club (Little Tokyo area, Makati)
• Evolution Bar (Poblacion, Makati)
• White Banana Bar (Poblacion, Makati)
• Buccaneers (Poblacion, Makati)
• Octopus Club (Poblacion, Makati)
• Sanctuary Bar/Club (Poblacion, Makati)
• Run Rabbit Run Cocktail Bar (Poblacion, Makati)
• Guilt Bar/Club (Poblacion, Makati)
• Skyline Bar (Century Mall, Makati)
• Loop Club (Poblacion, Makati)

BGC, Taguig

• Salaryman Bar (Forbestown Road, BGC, Taguig)

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WYP Bar

• Where? Poblacion, but right on the border to Rockwell
• Entrance fee: None
• Average prices: I can’t remember, but it’s decent – Pale Pilsen is 130 PHP
• Address: 6236, Manalac Street, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

WYP bar (as in what’s your poison?) is run by the same people who also run the Unwind Boutique Hotel with its rooftop bar as well as various other places across the Philippines. Although the place sometimes struggles to attract larger crowds due to its location (it’s on the border to Rockwell), it’s still one of the top bars in Makati/Poblacion, at least in my opinion.

WYP not only proved to be a good retreat during the lockdown, but it still is now.

The staff is always very friendly and attentive and they do not fuck about with fancy overpriced shit like craft beers. Instead, they have local beers but also make professional cocktails. Moreover, the food they serve is amongst the best in the area (considering bars) and on top of that affordable. This includes anything from Quesadillas, to garlic prawns and Beef Salpicao.

As for the music, it’s completely mixed. Usually, there is also a DJ but it’s nothing to write home about. If you’re the sociable type, they’ll play your music too. However, that’s not the point here, because the bottom line is that this is a great place with chilled people! And believe me, I know, because I spent many evenings there during the idiotic lockdowns. Like most places, it’s closed on Mondays.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at WYP: As I said, the place sometimes struggles to draw in the crowds, but every now and then you can find a hot chick there. I would recommend this place, which is as casual as it gets, to anyone.

Movida Bar/Club

• Where? Poblacion in Makati
• Entrance fee: None
• Average prices: 130 PHP for a Pale Pilsen, what a surprise!
• Address: 5050 P. Burgos Street, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

Movida is a bit of a phenonemon. This is another bar/club that surived the lockdown atrocities. Hell, they were even open for some time during this period and unsurprisingly proved to be a good place to pull girls. Oh yes, people seemed to be very horny these days, which is understandable when you consider that we were criminalised by the authorities for our mere existence and ordered to stay at home – motherfucks!

Yes, the resistance will not forget your crimes. Justice will run its course, you can be sure of that… 😠

Movida is a lockdown survivor that still holds its own today, even though the place has changed a fair bit.

Anyway, while Movida was more bling-bling during the shitshow days, it’s much more toned down now. The TV’s which literally lined each and every wall, playing distracting clips, are no more. Overall, it’s a lot darker now. Maybe the place is under new management, who knows (if I’m not mistaken, Movida and Royal belong or belonged to the same owner)… Also, I think they are only open at weekends, which is not the case for Royal, which is open every day (except on Sundays, maybe).

For one or another reason some people may have turned their back towards Movida but it may still be considered a good option to check out, also for its prices. The place was considerably more expensive during the lockdown (understandabe, because the cops and/or authorities had to be bribed, and this is no joke). Today, however, a Pale Pilsen comes in at 130 PHP – bargain! You can’t get anything like this anywhere else in comparable venues. Take Octopus Club as an example which is across the road and charges 200 PHP for a bottle. That said, Movida also doesn’t charge an entry fee.

However, there is a catch: Too many Generation Z peeps appear to frequent the place now. At least that was the case on the Saturday I dropped by. In the past, Movida used to torment us (me, that is) with Hip Hop. Now, the area where there used to be only seating has been transformed into a DJ session desk, so you know what to expect in the Philippines: some MC dude constantly shouting nonsense into his microphone, and in this case even a guy playing a tiny drum kit. It was downright cringeworthy! 😆 But that’s still better than having your ears raped by Hip Hop all night long.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Movida: Okay, all Gen Z stuff left aside, there’s still opportunities. Although the place has changed a fair bit since the lockdown days (when grown-ups hung out there) I would personally always give this one a chance, even if it’s just for a few drinks.

Royal Club

• Where? Just off Makati Avenue (very close to Gramercy Residences / Century City)
• Entrance fee: 500 PHP, consumable to your choice
• Average prices: 250 PHP for a Pale Pilsen
• Address: 5343 St General Luna, Makati, 1210

Royal Club is something of a classic and has been around for quite some time – pre-lockdown as well, of course! That said, they have survived the lockdown atrocities and even a raid by the system slave Nazis (on the same night that Movida was raided by SWAT). As already mentioned, Royal and Movida are or were, as far as I know, under the same management (hence the raid on both locations at the same time).

Dating back to the days of TIME and Café Havana, Royal Club has retained some of its ‘charm’.

Anyway, Royal was a frequent stop during the time I was bouncing between the iconic Café Havana (now replaced by a damn Wild Flour) and TIME Club. Although full of freelancers and very likely sexual diseases too, 🥴 this place still holds some charm. Yes, some people might say that’s sick. Then again, who gives a fuck?

Regarding the tunes, of course, it’s even more idiotic Hip Hop, but a bit of EDM is also played (it depends on the night and the DJ, sometimes the tunes are even a tad on the harder side). What’s more, unlike others, they haven’t jumped on the trend of only selling overpriced foreign beers. Of course, at 200 PHP a pop (Pale Pilsen) it’s not exactly cheap, but compared to some other places it’s still within the norm. At least you don’t have to drink craft beer all night for 300 PHP each.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Royal: Good! All right, oftentimes you’ll end up talking to a freelance girl, but that can be fun too! However, also ‘normal’ girls frequent the place, with which you can be successful. Needless to say, the place draws a mixed crowd.

URBN Club

• Where? Makati Avenue, near to where TIME Club used to be
• Entrance fee: 400 to 500 PHP and consumable on some rum coke (all right, a bit poor)
• Average prices: 150 PHP for a Pilsen (well, 165 PHP after service charge), I can’t remember the rest of the menu
• Address: 11th Floor, 7842 Makati Ave, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

I was expecting the worst when I checked out URBN Club, but I was kinda surprised. Really, URBN feels like a Royal offshoot, only much grungier. Anyway, I would argue that Royal is still the front runner as it is more ‘grown up’ overall. The building the club is housed in is a bit shabby (which of course isn’t a problem), and we’ll see how long this building is allowed to remain – but for now, you can check it out. It’s one of those places where a bunch of girls dance to your entertainment. Okay, sure, why not?

URBN exhibits a similar vibe to Royal, which is only a three-minute walk away, although it’s ‘grungier’.

Apart from one slightly confused bird who grabbed my neck for no reason and choked me while talking nonsense, the crowd actually seemed all right. Okay, well, I choked her back too, looking deep into her eyes, right into her troubled soul. That was interesting…

But yeah, most people I spotted were cheerful. Sure, mostly on the Generaton Z side, but still much more ‘awake’ than the folks were in Sanctuary Bar. Perhaps it’s the music, because the majority was probably more of an EDM crowd. Nevertheless, the music is mixed, so you will also be treated to some not-so-great tunes.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at URBN: I’d say not too bad, but I can’t be sure. I only stayed for two or three drinks and got into conversations. I’ll defintely return though.

H&J Bar

• Where? Poblacion in Makati
• Entrance fee: 300 PHP on weekends, consumable to your choice
• Average prices: 110 PHP for a Pale Pilsen and 140 PHP for a pint
• Address: 5781 Felipe, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

This sports bar-styled joint has been around forever and is always a good starting point to onboard some booze or even stick around for longer sessions. It usually gets busy during weekends and attracts a varied crowd including freelance babes (this site is about Asian yellow fever after all).

An easy place to drop in and order a few buckets of Pale Pilsen before moving on.

Prize-wise it’s all right, and even their food is something to behold which includes your run of the mill bar food as well as Indian-influenced dishes. If you like to play pool or challenge one of the freelancers, no problem. All in all, the place is solid!

The immediate area features some other bars too, including some H&J spin-offs such as the Handle Bar and Grill as well as some hardcore Gen Z’ish joints – which I will not cover here. 😉

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at H&J Sports Bar: It depends on the night, but talking from experience, it’s a place where you potentially can pull – or rather take a freelancer on a ride.

Nokal Club

• Where? 10 minute walk from Geenbelt in the Little Tokyo area
• Entrance fee: I can’t remember
• Average prices: Again the memory is gone
• Address: 2130 Fernando St., Basement 1, Makati Cinema Square, Makati 2130

Noka Club is located in the cool area of Little Tokyo (with lots of restaurants, as the name suggests). I’d say the place is all right, it’s definitely something of a change compared to the joints in Poblacion.

Nokal Club is a welcome change to the venues in Poblacion.

They play the loungey kind of music, or as they call it: House, Disco, Funk and Soul. So, again, it’s not a place where you can throw some decent shapes and really let off some steam on the dance floor (TIME Club is turning in its grave). Since the place is open until 5am, I can imagine that it fills up more in the early hours of the morning. When I was there, however, it was still pretty tame.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Noka: Unfortunately, I can’t say. It wasn’t exactly packed with tonnes of hot chicks. I will give it another go though, just out of curiosity.

Small Side Note: Kojiro Izakaya

As I stumbled back from Noka towards Greenbelt, I passed another favourite of mine, a late night Izakaya place (Kojiro) that is also good to kickstart the evening (open until 2am). It’s not a fancy place, but it somehow feels more like a real Izakaya, maybe a bit raw (it’s definitely not another place which has been franchised to shit). And at 80 PHP for a Pale Pilsen and around 400 PHP for a bottle of Sake, nobody can argue.

Izakaya Kojiro, just around the corner from Greenbelt, is also a good place to start the evening.

At that time it was still early and the place was dead.

Evolution Bar

• Where? Poblacion in Makati
• Entrance fee: None
• Average prices: 123ish PHP for a Pale Pilsen
• Address: GF, 8479 Kalayaan Ave, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

This is your average hole in the wall kind of place with normal prices – well, sort of. Again, in my opinion, Evolution is not a place for an all-nighter (although they also have a reasonably sized indoor area with seating and a bar), but either to kick off your boozing session or to drop by for a break during he night. They also charge service fee, so your bill will come out different to what it states on the menu.

Nothing extraordinary, but a chilled place to cleanse the palate with a few beers.

The crowd is mixed. There are some older dudes here and there too, and you may encounter the odd freelancer chick who you can challenge to a game of pool. Ultimately, Evolution Bar is your average Joe joint for a few drinks before moving on.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Evolution: I would say rather weak. It’s not really a place to pull, although it’s not entirely impossible.

White Banana Bar

• Where? Poblacion in Makati
• Entrance fee: 500 PHP on weekends (if there is an event), consumable (but on shitty drinks)
• Average prices: Corona is 250 PHP, the poor Budweiser is 190 PHP
• Address: 8459 Kalayaan ave, cor Don Pedro, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

White Banana is a kind of semi-rooftop bar located on the top floor of the hotel of the same name (White Banana Hotel). The fact that they charge 500 PHP entry charge is abusive, because even though it’s consumable, it’s on some shitty alcohol. The bar staff, who are all right, may give you a replacement, but this doesn’t sit well with me regardless. Then again, I found out that they only charge admission when there is an event.

I think it really depends on the night whether White Banana kicks or sucks ass.

In addition, although the place looks presentable, it is too expensive for what is being served! The god damn ‘hype consumables’ Corona (250 PHP) and Budweiser (the US one – 190 PHP) being the only available beers, with the latter being one of the worst piss juices in the world (Carlsberg also plays in this league), will set you back considerable dollar. As for the music, it’s hard to say, but often it’s the usual run of the mill easy-hipster-low-fi-beat shite (I don’t think that even exists). Yes, I do miss TIME Club.

I admit that I go there occasionally, but these visits are really just out of curiosity to see if there’s anything going on, because the last few times I’ve been there, it was pretty dead. One way or another, the crowd that goes there is mixed as in Filipino as well as foreigners.

Another Saturday and it was dead once again.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at White Banana: Okay, yes, it can happen (and I do know). Here, you should mainly meet ‘normal’ girls, as this is not a bar for freelancers. Just make sure not to support the atrociousness which is the beers they are serving there for top dollar.

Buccaneers Bar

• Where? The first bar on the Don Pedro strip just off Kalayaan Road
• Entrance fee: None
• Average prices: Cocktails between 350 to 500 PHP, 190 PHP for Budweiser piss and 250 PHP for a Corona
• Address: 5668 Don Pedro, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

I’m sure many would categorise Buccaneers as HOT rather than average. Granted, it was there before the lockdown and obviously survived that bullshit period. Also, the place is frequented by a lot of foreigners, which is probably why it’s not uncommon to run into the occasional hot Filipina. This means the place is usually packed on the weekends. So far, so good.

The Buccaneers Bar regularly attracts a large audience, both foreigners and Filipinos.

Buccaneers is more of a cocktail bar than a typical boozer. So if you’re into beer and want to avoid the overpriced local craft brands, you’re left with piss like Budweiser and the unassuming Corona. Yes, yes, yes, it’s all a matter of taste, but Budweiser? Please!

So much for simple reverse psychology. How many dudes do you think pull a 50 note out of their pocket (if you even want to pay to use the damn piss pot)?

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Buccaneers: Speaking from experience, I can say that it’s a good place to make new ‘acquaintances’. If the drinks menu is also to your taste, you’re in luck. If they offered Pale Pilsen (or at least another decent beer), I would have rated them HOT. Who would have thought?

Octopus Bar/Club

• Where? Poblacion in Makati
• Entrance fee: 500 PHP, if I remember right, but am sure that once I got in for free
• Average prices: 200 PHP for a Pale Pilsen
• Address: 5043 P. Burgos Street, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

I would like to say more about this place, but the memory, where is the memory? It’s a fairly large venue (dance floor, private seating, some kind of upstairs wing included), and also features some outside chillout type of bar and restaurant (street level). Style-wise it ain’t bad, wasn’t the majority of music Hip Hop again. However, on the second night I checked it out, there was an EDM session too.

Octopus is another venue with a somewhat similar vibe as Royal Club.

A Pale Pilsen will set you back 200 PHP, which is to be expected. Then again, Movida, which I prefer, only charges a mere 130 PHP and it’s right across the road.

The way I see Octopus is more for bar hopping, although it’s a place where you’d typically spend a few hours. I don’t know, it’s sort of all right, but the place doesn’t really click with me (yet).

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Octopus: No idea, I never spent enough time in there, but I assume that there are opportunities.

Sanctuary Bar/Club

• Where? Poblacion in Makati
• Entrance fee: 500 PHP, consumable
• Average prices: 250 PHP for a Pale Pilsen
• Address: 5060 P Burgos, cor Guerrero, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

During the week or for an easy afternoon drink, Sanctuary is actually quite all right in terms of its presentation (it’s a kind of semi-rooftop bar). During weekends it turns into an immensely crowded Generation Z melting pot. Again, I can’t really speak for bars like this, but it didn’t have the charm of other places I frequent. Of course, they also charge an entrance fee which, however, is consumable. And yes, they do have local beers (am not talking about Engkanto or Crazy Carabao craft beer worth a monthly pay cheque), which is a plus.

Generation Z peeps in abundance! If you like them young, this is a place to try.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Sanctuary: This is another one of those places where I can’t say. Personally, I would stay clear, unless you’re a twenty-something, in which case you might want to take a shot. Also, during the week, the evening vibe can be different, but the last time I was there mid-week, it was dead.

RrR (Run Rabbit Run) Cocktail Bar

• Where? Poblacion, just off Makati Avenue close to URBN
• Entrance fee: None
• Average prices: All cocktails are roughly 500 PHP excl. service charge and tax
• Address: 4991 P. Guanzon St., Poblacion, Makati, 1210

It goes without saying that Run Rabbit Run (or RrR) is a bar specialising in cocktails, so there’s no need to ask about the beers. You guessed it, all you get is Engkanto craft beer at the price of at least half a day’s basic salary in the city (that would be about PHP 500 if you ever wondered – that is, the daily basic salary). Add to that the service and the tax idiocy. You can’t just have a quick drink, put down 500 and leave, because the bill then comes to about PHP 540. Kinda nonsensical…

Run Rabbit Run Cocktail Bar extends over two floors and is usually busy at weekends.

So yeah, it’s not my kind of place, but if you’re a cocktail lover and don’t mind spending 500 or more per drink, then the RrR bar might be of interest to you. Granted, it’s usually pretty crowded on the weekends, so they must be doing something right.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Run Rabbit Run: That’s a tricky one. I have the feeling that the people who come here think quite highly of themselves. That’s not a bad thing (well, of course it sometimes can be), but simply put this isn’t your average boozer or place to pick up girls.

Guilt

• Where? Poblacion in Makati
• Entrance fee: There probably is, but I just strolled inside
• Average prices: 250 PHP for a Heineken
• Address: 2nd Floor, 8479 Kalayaan Avenue, Fermina, Poblacion, Makati, 1220

Yes, this place is called Guilt and it’s guilty of shitty music and overprized booze. I literally was there for a minute, went to the bar, asked for a beer of which they only have foreign piss of course (Heineken) and left. The Hip Hop blaring from the loudspeakers didn’t exactly help to ease the situation either. Either way, the place was dead at the time and this half past midnight on a Saturday.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Guilt: I have no idea – kind of hard to tell when fuck all people are there. Remembering back, the place was busier but I never pulled in there. I for sure will avoid the Guilt Bar or Club (whatever it is) for the time being.

Skyline Bar

• Where? Century Mall in Makati
• Entrance fee: 150 PHP on weekends
• Average prices: 200 PHP for a Pale Pilsen, 300 to 600 PHP for spirits, 300 to 400 PHP for cocktails
• Address: 4F, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Ave, Makati, 1210

Skyline Bar is a fairly new joint, which also functions as a sports bar. In all fairness, the place looks presentable and it even drew some crowd on a Saturday evening which is surprising considering the sub-optimal location (at the top floor of Century Mall). Who knows, maybe people just flock there becaue it’s still fairly new.

I was even more surprised to find out that they charge the unsual entry fee of 150 PHP. I don’t know, it just seemed deseperate but upon saying that I’ll just stay for a beer (or two), I was let in without paying, so that’s a plus.

In any case, they command prices like any other overprized bars in the area. 200 PHP for a Pilsen is kind of the standard now. If you want to feel all fancy and go for some local Engkanto craft beer (because craft beer is always fancy, isn’t it?), then get ready to shell out 300 PHP. Hell, they even charge a service fee which adds to your bill. I can’t stand places that in the end present you a different prize to what it states in the menu. If you want to charge 250 PHP for a beer, then charge 250 but don’t give me a bill stating something like 223 PHP. Fancy, my ass…

In case you like the most annoying Hip Hop and R&B waste of musical notes, then this place may be for you, because that is what the DJ will blast pretty much the whole evening (they open until 2 AM or so). However, Thursday nights may indeed be of interest to you if you like Salsa. Because that is when they do their Salsa dance night – something that used to be on in some other place about five minutes walk from there but no longer is.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Skyline: All in all this place is a little lously. If it’s good for pulling is hard to say. I saw one all right girl that I think was up for it. It really depends on the night and crowd, but it’s not somewhere I would go to trying to satisfy my Asian yellow fever sickness.

The Loop Club (Poblacion, Makati)

This joint is literally opposite the Octopus Club and Movida is just a few doors down. It’s not the biggest club (if you can really call it that) and the interior is not that spectacular either.

Come to think of it, why didn’t they just turn this into a stylish chill-out bar?

While the Hip Hop was blaring from the speakers, all I had was a damn Heineken. Thinking back to the menu, I think they offer local beers, but they didn’t have them. Well, that’s great. 🥴 All in all, this was more on the lacklustre side.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Loop: I can’t say as I only went for a drink. The place was dead around that time.

Atmosfera and QU (Poblacion, Makati)

Both clubs Atmosfera and QU are located within the same building and separate entrances. Actually, there’s a third one too – Codera? I only went to QU and it was already late. One time it was dead. In cany case, the music was on the electronic side, some kind of minimalist Techno, perhaps (nope, not nearly as hot as in the former TIME Club).

When I wanted to drop in for a second time about a week later, the kiddie door guy wouldn’t let me in and said the place was full. That may be true, but seriously, that’s never happened to me before. I think he was bullshitting me to keep the place free of foreigners. Yeah, that’s quite an accusation and of course just speculation, but that’s how it seemed to me anyway. If the guy was honest, then that’s good, because what’s the point if the places are so crowded that you can hardly move. Will I come back? Maybe someday, literally just to try and complete this review.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Atmosfera and QU: You guessed it, I haven’t got a clue. The two places seem to be frequented mainly by ultra young crowds.

Salaryman Bar

• Where? Right on Forbestown Road, just off Burgos Circle Park
• Entrance fee: None
• Average prices: Generally speaking, it’s more on the expensive side
• Address: Forbestown Road, BGC, Taguig, 1634

Salaryman is a decent little 2nd-floor bar right on Forbestown Road. It’s Japan-themed (or rather Japanese metro/subway-themed) and the ground floor happens to be a restaurant. The place is tiny though, so it may be difficult to get in at weekends (I’ve only been during the week – so no idea).

If you want to get a remote impression of a Japanese metro train, visit the Salaryman Bar.

I’d rate this bar as a good place to start your night if you’ve chosen BGC as your hunting ground. Of course, there are a few other places along Forbestown Road. The most popular is probably Doctor Wine (lots of foreigners), followed by the much cheaper Tipsy Pig (more Filipinos).

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Salaryman: Again, the place is rather small, so you have to be lucky to encounter a table full of babes. It’s probably best to visit at the weekend.

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Rooftop Bars

I would argue that Manila is not exactly famous for its rooftop bars or anywhere close as chic or exclusive as, let’s say, the venues in Bangkok. Come to think of it, there are also some good rooftop bars in Kuala Lumpur. On the other hand, unlike BKK, most places in Manila do not charge ludicrous entrance fees. Lastly, most rooftop bars are located in the Makati and BGC area.

• Firefly Roofdeck (Makati Avenue)
• Antidote (Makati Avenue)
• Unwind (Poblacion, Makati)

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Firefly Roofdeck at the City Garden Grand Hotel

• Where? Makati Avenue opposite I’M Hotel (Antidote Bar)
• Entrance fee: None
• Average prices: 150 PHP for a Pale Pilsen (around 400 PHP and more for a fucking craft beer, picture that, christ sake!!!), 350 to 500 PHP for a glass of wine, 260 PHP on average for longdrinks and cocktails
• Address: 8008 Makati Ave, cor. Kalayaan Ave, 32/F City Garden Grand Hotel, Makati, 1200

What can I say? This place (located in the City Grand Hotel) is okay but nothing out of the ordinary. It’s one of these rooftop bars also frequented by not-so party oriented crowds – yes, there could even be families. Again, it’s all right to kick-start your night with a few drinks at the bar – and at the bar alone. Needless to say, I wouldn’t take a date here either. The views are all right, although a notch better at the Antidote rooftop bar at I’M Hotel (which, unfortunately, is a bit shite nowadays).

The Firefly Rooftop Bar is only worth a visit if you want to enjoy a drink while watching the skyline of Salcedo Village.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Firefly: Well, it’s not for pulling birds. Enough said.

Antidote at I’M Hotel

• Where? Makati Avenue
• Entrance fee: None
• Average prices: 300 PHP for a pint, ‘nough said
• Address: I’M Hotel, 7862 Avenue, Makati, 1210

This used to be a decent place with good crowds and some hot tottie – but no more, or so it seems. The Saturday I went there (okay, it’s off season), the inside bar was completely deserted while the outside upstairs terrace also left much to desire for. The place just appeared somehwat drab with the best of days behind it. But yeah, I guess the city views you get there are decent enough, if that is what you’re after.

The once lively terrace of the Antidote rooftop bar is as good as deserted this time.

Antidote is one of these places that will not serve local beer but instead try to rob you with foreign label piss such as Heineken and Hoegaarden. All right, the latter one is not bad, but why would I want to pay 400 PHP for 330ml? Seriosuly, get the fuck out of here!! By the way, cocktails cost the same, so I opted for one of them, although it’s not exactly my thing. I said (partly in jest) ‘make it strong’, and the response was something like ‘we follow the standard measurement rule’… My god, cheer up! 😆

Even more loneliness in the inside bar of Antidote…

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Antidote: Who knows? This place once had something going for it, but it kinda blew it. Maybe it depends on the season or night. Personally, I wouldn’t head there hunting (for the time being). Back in the day it used to be quite suitable for that.

Unwind Rooftop Bar

• Where? Poblacion in Makati
• Entrance fee: None
• Average prices: I need to check the prices, but it’s decent enough
• Address: 5396 General Luna, Poblacion, Makati, 1210

Unwind is a pretty cool boutique hotel with a small rooftop bar as well as a jacuzzi. Behind it are the same owners as the WYP Bar, so you can expect realistic prices and good food in case you need to line your stomach beforehand.

The only problem is that, perhaps due to its size, it doesn’t seem to get too busy, even at weekends. It’s easy enough to head to, so give it a look. Maybe you’ll have better luck.

Chances to satisfy your Asian yellow fever at Unwind: As expected, this place is not your typical bar to be pulling birds, but I would recommend it for the occasional visit.

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And that summarises it. Sure, there are a few more rooftop bars in the Makati area such as The Penthouse 8747, Mistral, Dr. Wine and Encima. I’ve been to all of them before but not in recent times, so I didn’t want to put up anything review-like.

And now for a little addendum…

Which Beer Should I Swallow?

Unfortunately, the Philippines is not blessed with too many beer brands, and this is mainly due to monopolistic corporations like the ‘San Miguel Corporation’ (this has nothing to do with the Spanish San Miguel beer).

Oh no, here he goes again, Frank on a rant… Well, I’m sorry, it’s not my fault that the country (yes, it happens in many other countries too) is being bought up by corporations. San Miguel, for example, not only supplies your drinking poison, but also owns some of the local infrastructure such as motorways, toll booths and the like. Heck, they even operate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport!

And what does an ambitious corporation do (at least in most cases)? They crush the competition! That’s why some alternative local beers that used to be around are long gone from the shelves (at least I assume so, because I can’t find them in local stores anymore), like Colt 45. Mind, it wasn’t the best beer either.

What Options Are There?

The three standard local beers are Pale Pilsen, San Mig Light and Red Horse (the latter was also taken over by San Miguel). There are also some offshoots such as the San Mig Super Dry, a dark beer, as well as flavoured beers such as apple (speaking of artificial flavouring), 🤢 but these are not available at every venue.

Pale Pilsen

A decent enough beer (and even reminiscent of a real ‘Pilsner’) when handled properly in the supply chain. For some reason, the Pilsen in 7 Eleven is the worst (watery or just on the way out). If you have no other option, I recommend Uncle Johns convenience store where you can buy your Pale Pilsen – it tastes more like it should.

The draught Pale Pilsen is also quite good, by the way. A little weaker than the bottled beer, of course, but still. It passed the test.

San Mig Light

A beer for sissies (you could also start sticking a slice of lemon on top, like with Corona). Yes, at the very beginning I also sucked on those bottle necks because I didn’t know any better. 😆 With a much lower calorie count, which nobody should really care about, it just tastes weak and watery. It’s acceptable ice-cold, for example, at the beach, but once it gets a little warmer, it really turns to piss. Yes, literally! Never tasted piss before? Well, here’s your chance! Pale Pilsen holds up much better, even in hot temperatures.

Red Horse

Man, back in the day I used to down this all the time, mainly because of the high ABV of around 8%, I think. I never got to see a Smiling Red Horse though… It has a bit of an acquired taste, and these days it’s not my thing because it has a certain underlying sweetness and a strange metallic flavour.

From what I understand, Red Horse is the go-to choice for the younger crowd, especially in the provinces (probably because of the alcohol volume alone). After all, it’s hard to find in most bars and clubs, at least in Makati. Don’t forget that some joints prefer to serve those 300 to 400 PHP craft beers now…

In fact, I’m not an enemy of craft beer per se (every local brewer is effectively a craft brewer, so it’s all just terminology). What baffles me is that most aren’t trying to make a good, straightforward pilsner or lager. Instead we get the whole range of aromas like honey, caramel and the like. Well, hints of caramel or other sweet or floral confusions in my beer just don’t sit well with me…

Avoid the Canned Beers

Either way, you should try to avoid the canned beers (meaning San Miguel). Yeah, I could start on the toxic substances in the can’s lining that leach into the beer due to the acidity, but I’ll put that off for another time – more like never. Anyway, canned San Miguel tastes a bit lame anyway, so it’s better to avoid it altogether.

All right, now that you know where to go and what to drink, you’re ready for the night! 🤪 Enjoy and get yourself a hot and fun Filipina – they are still and truly the front runner!

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Note on potential ‘fully’ and ‘semi’ active service girls

Any place you visit, be it Royal or H&J Bar, will have at least some service girls (freelancers) looking for their cash cow… well, bull. In some cases, when meeting a Filipina in such establishments, you just can’t be 100% certain that it’s legit. Lots of them treat that little action on the side as a means to make extra dosh, while at daytime they go to work or college.

Therefore, without asking your encounter awkward questions, be sure to know what you may be getting yourself into. On one side there are stories of empty wallets in the morning, on the other you hear of that girl kindly asking for money, after she washed your dishes (while you were still in a coma).

As always, depending on the girl and situation, you may get away with it free of charge – yet, she may also be doing it for cash with somebody else on another occasion. In addition, be aware that the dude – so that is YOU – pays for pretty much everything that happens beforehand.