Insider tips on where to eat, drink, and shop in the Philippine capital.
Think the Philippine capital is worth just a cursory stopover? Think again. Manileños are adept at mixing cosmopolitanism with Filipino flair, and it shows in the profusion of creative new restaurants, shops, and watering holes all across town.
In the Drink
Try these four new places for inspired cocktails with a playful twist.
THIRSTY BARBER
A barbershop-cumspeakeasy bar, this spot on Wilson Street in San Juan City clearly delivers on the promise of its name. In line with its dual function, it serves up cocktails such as Blunt Scissors and The Under Cut, the latter being a heady blend of tequila, sour mix, orange, and powdered cayenne ( fb .com/thirstybarberph).
20:20
Walls here are frescoed with skulls, a ouija board, and other mystical symbols, making for an edgy Makati bar that looks like the perfect setting for a gathering of black-magic practitioners. Don’t miss the potent 20:20 Mule (to which you can add peppermint and sliced ginger), the Basterdized Pomelo Margarita, and That Thing in the Jar ( fb.com/2020bar).
BITTERS BAR
Bonifacio Global City is home to an airy, apothecary-themed venue that draws hipsters who are dead serious about their drinks. Served in beakers, cocktails here are made at a bar designed to look like an operating table. Try the Medicinal Martini or Herb Garden, which fuses Zubrowka vodka with Bianco vermouth, lemon juice, fennel bitters, and a sprig of tarragon ( fb.com/bitters.ph).
MIRÈIO TERRACE
Named after the heroine of an 1859 poem by Nobel laureate Frédéric Mistral, this chic alfresco rooftop bar on the 10th floor of the Raffles Makati is an extension of the hotel’s Provence-inspired brasserie. Sundowners like the spicy Frenchy Rita and the Mirèio—a sweetsour meld of Grey Goose, cranberry and lemon juice, and green chartreuse—are as enticing as the view ( mireioatraffles.com).