Bars in Makati, Philippines
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Nightlife in Makati, Philippines
Wendy K. Leigh, Leaf Group Updated March 21, 2018
Nightlife in Makati, Philippines (Photo: )
Night Life in Makati City, Philippines
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Manila is the capital city of the Philippines,with the prosperous Makati financial district thriving in the heart of downtown. Just 20 minutes from the airport, business travelers and tourists find a plethora of activity. Restaurants, hotels, shops and business centers thrive in the hub of commerce and trade, while nightclubs and bars keep the boulevards hopping late into the night. Several districts within Makati have concentrations of entertainment venues.
After a day of shopping in the Greenbelt shopping complex, visitors to the Makati district can choose from several nightlife venues on the grounds, including Cafe Havana (no website; Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati; 632-757-4370 ). Salsa and samba dancing take center stage here, with on-site dance instructors to get visitors up to speed. Featured drinks include a Cuban Libre, while authentic Cuban-Caribbean dishes can be ordered and topped off with a Cuban Cohiba Esplendida cigar. Karaoke bars are big in this area and the Red Box (no website; Greenbelt 3 level 3, Ayala Center, Makati; 02-757-6188) is a favored spot, with Western music hits high on the rotation list. One entrance fee includes music, food and drinks, with private rooms available. In section two of the center, the posh and popular Nuvo nightclub and wine bar (no website; Level 1, Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati; 02-757-3698) draws the jet-set crowd with music and Mediterranean cuisine.
P. Burgos/Kalayaan Avenue
P. Burgos is considered to be the red light district of Makita, lying along Makati Avenue not far from the hotel belt. The infamous "girlie bars" of Makita are found here, but some options for mainstream entertainment are also available. The Howzat Sports Bar (howzat.ph) is located on Kalayaan Avenue, catering to the avid sports fan, with wide screen TVs, a pool room and dozens of imported beer selections. Food selections cater to expatriates with British favorites such as shepherd's pie, American Texan burgers and and an Indian curry lunch buffet. JJ's is a small bar situated just off P. Burgos Street, offering low-priced beer with games of pool and darts, while Strumms (no website; 110 Jupiter St., Makati City; 02-895-4636) has live bands Monday through Saturday nights, with open mic during happy hour on Wednesdays.
Glorietta
Glorietta is the place to go for visitors who want to do a lot of shopping, with several upscale malls within walking distance of each other, including the Ayala Mall (ayalamalls.com). In the evening, a safe bet is to relax at a Western-style bar and eatery. The Hard Rock Cafe (hardrock.com) and TGI Fridays (tgifridays.com) can be found adjacent to one another in the same building. TGI Fridays is known for serving continuous beer specials, with the action starting earlier in the evening than most places. The Hard Rock Cafe heats up about 10 p.m. with live music on a large stage, with two separate bars, one of which allows smoking. Also in the same building, a venue called Street Life is designed to resemble the hawker stalls of Singapore. In this indoor "village" environment, the bar has a stage where two different bands perform nightly.
The large hotels offer another version of nightlife in Makati, with the Mandarin Oriental (mandarinoriental.com) taking a prominent place when the sun goes down. For serious whiskey-lovers, Kipling's Cigar Bar has a large selection of single malts and fine cigars. The Mo Lobby Lounge has an intimate environment with live music and selections of sushi and sashimi. Martinis Lounge has an Art Deco design with live jazz music and a wide choice of exotic martinis and mojitos. The Makati Shangri-La (shangri-la.com) hotel draws an upscale crowd to Conways, with live entertainment and dancing. The Lobby Lounge entertains with a grand piano or a 14-piece orchestra, while an outdoor bar serves cocktails poolside.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel: Dining and Bars
Makita Shangri-La: Lounges and Bars
Hard Rock Cafe Makati: Home
TGI Fridays Makati: Home
Ayala Malls: Home
Manilla Gateway: Greenbelt
Wendy K. Leigh is a travel writer and photojournalist from Seattle. She is the Editor of Islands America, a travel website for visiting islands within the United States. She also writes about home design, food and historical architecture. Leigh holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Washington.
Attribution: Glenn G from San Francisco, USA; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
Attribution: Ervin Malicdem; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license
Attribution: Patrickroque01; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
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