After hours in Manila you’re doubly in luck, with opportunities to mingle with a fashionable crowd of socialites and young professionals plus a favorable exchange rate that features tumblers of 12-year-old Scotch for $8 and gourmet entrées starting at $20. If you’re here on business, you’re apt to be in Makati, the city’s premier commercial and financial district. And for more than two decades, a social focus of Makati has been the centrally located Shangri-La Hotel, with three comfortable lounges.
Straight back under the imposing curved stairway, its Lobby Lounge looks out over lush plantings which camouflage the urban landscape. Overlooking the almost Olympic-size swimming deck, the Pool Bar offers a chance to unwind in tropical outdoor air. Newly opened this year, Sage Tapas Bar directly adjoins the lobby, inviting guests to pull up to the shiny marble bar or to nestle into the seating areas to listen to live bands or DJs spinning. From 5 to 8 p.m., “Deux Delight” happy hour offers two-for-one daily specials. From the tempting tapas menu be sure to order a phyllo cigar, a leaf wrapped around lamb, confit and figs.
For skyline views, take an elevator to the top of Gramercy Residences, Manila’s highest residential skyscraper, and join the crowd at 71 Gramercy, one of the hottest new bar/restaurants in town. Bold black beams, elongated square lampshades, tufted leather couches and a galaxy of overhead lights contribute to the New York-style décor, while the outdoor roof deck has a full bar and amazing views all over the city.
Calling itself the country’s first boutique nightclub, Privé is a club some locals prefer for the exclusive crowd attracted to its plush red banquettes and tufted velvet stools situated in front of a quilted, mirrored wall. Privé showcases the city’s foremost DJs in a cavernous venue with a full-on dance floor and stateof- the-art audio and visual equipment.
At Black Sheep in the W Fifth Avenue building, “the evening doesn’t end with dinner.” Mondays through Saturdays, starting at 7 p.m., a jet set crowd gathers around the open kitchen in its loft-style lounge for molecular gastronomy — three-way prawns, chicken-n-egg deep fried in dark beer and glazed with an orange foam, and salty salmon roe. Liquor bottles stacked on four shelves tower over the bar, and cozy wrap-around white upholstered chairs complement the panoramic views.
Gay revelers swear by two popular venues near each other in the emerging popular Mandaluyong district: O Bar and Bed Manila. Recognized as a leading LGBT venue since it first opened in 2003, Bed recently relocated and offers dinner, coffee, cocktails and some outdoor seating. Nearby O Bar is open daily but really shines on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Saturday nights its transgender shows are supplanted by dancing.
Read This Next
Lotte Hotel Seoul
2014 / February 2014
Jun 1, 2016All Reads on This Topic
Read Them All
Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedDaily
Apr 18, 2024Fort George Hotel & Spa Transforms Belize City from Gateway to Destination
Belize City is better known as a business center and a stop en route to Belize’s lush rural destinations, but Fort George Hotel & Spa promises to change things up and reframe the nation’s capital as a destination in its own right. Located in the city’s Fort George neighborhood, the hotel debuted as the first luxury hotel in Belize City, boasting sophisticated design, elevated culinary offerings, expansive guestrooms and an inspiring wellness program. The hotel also features a branded fitness center, plunge pool and K’IN Spa.
Sponsored Content
Unearth Seoul’s Hidden Gems
Filled with hidden treasures waiting to be discovered, Seoul invites travelers to unearth its many gems, and Seoul Tourism Organization is here to help travelers do just that. Through thoughtfully created initiatives like the Theme Tourism County Competition, Seoul Tourism Organization works closely with local districts to identify and showcase what makes each district unique and charming in all seasons.
Daily
Apr 18, 2024Explore the Secrets of the Distant Stars with Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas’ New SKY Gurus
Have you ever looked up at the sky and questioned the mysteries of the universe? For travelers looking to learn more about the stars and their secrets, head to SKY at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas.
Daily
Apr 18, 2024Exclusive Golf and Tennis Itineraries from Kensington Tours
Kensington Tours recently announced a limited series of luxury itineraries centered on golf and tennis, including world-famous events like Wimbledon.
Sponsored Content
Fill Your Heart with Ireland
Whether it's the people, the craic (fun) or the coasts, travelers always find something to love about the island of Ireland. What fills your heart?
Bhutan
Apr 17, 2024Mindfulness City in Kingdom of Bhutan Unveiled as Future Economic Hub
In front of an audience of 30,000 Kingdom of Bhutan residents and officials, His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck presented his vision for a new economic hub in Bhutan. Located between India to the south and China to the north, Bhutan is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. Bhutan came late to global tourism. It opened its borders to international visitors in 1974 and, while tourism definitely increased, residents are enduring “light” rush-hour traffic in Thimphu, its capital city, as the only Asian capital without traffic lights.
Amansara Review
eFlyer Reviews
Apr 17, 2024Regent Santa Monica Beach to Debut This Summer
Daily
Apr 17, 2024eFlyer Deals
Apr 17, 2024Birder’s Delight at Brewery Gulch Inn & Spa
Calling all bird lovers! Make for Brewery Gulch Inn & Spa in Mendocino, California, and book the all-new Birder’s Delight offer. Designed for nature enthusiasts, this offer takes two guests on a guided birdwatching excursion.
eFlyer Deals
Apr 17, 2024Love and Let Fly at Sandals, Beaches Resorts
On Feb. 24, American Airlines launched a new, nonstop flight (AA4407) to the Caribbean Riviera. To celebrate the new flight, Sandals and Beaches Resorts launched the Love and Let Fly offer, honoring both spring and a stronger connection between the Caribbean and U.S. travelers.
ShareThis