Bonifacio Global City (BGC) is one of the best places to drink and chill in the Philippines but not necessarily party, if you aren’t up to it. While there are definitely bars and clubs that will have you up dancing all night, this isn’t the list for them (that’s for another story coming soon).
Here, we feature watering holes that either serve more than just bar chow or elevate your drinking experience far beyond your college shots of tequila. Metro Manila’s drinking scene is definitely one that you shouldn’t miss, so visit at least three of these spots before you fly out.
1. Salaryman x 4649
Location: Unit B, Bellagio II, Forbestown Road, BGC
Contact details: [email protected], +63917-7244649, goodmealconcept.com
Price per head: Approximately PHP750
The salaryman is a popular persona in modern Japanese culture, represented by a white-collar employee’s intense company loyalty. These office workers are known to go for drinks after hours, sometimes with colleagues, often with bosses who invite them out to drink.
This was the inspiration behind a bar of the same name in the Burgos Circle neighborhood of BGC. Salaryman would remind one of an izakaya—small, cozy restaurants that serve easy-to-eat comfort food such as gyoza, sushi, karaage, and yakitori, among others—which actual salarymen frequent. Salaryman’s menu includes those that we’ve mentioned, as well as ramen like Miso Shiro, Kare Ramen, and Spicy Brothless Ramen.
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Head up to the second floor to 4649, the restaurant’s actual bar area. Fun fact: 4649 is read as “yon-roku-shi-ku,” which sounds like “yoroshiku,” a more casual version of “yoroshiku onegaishimasu” that roughly translates to “pleased to meet you” or “please put me in your good graces.”
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4649 feels like a cross between a train cart and Tokyo’s Shibuya crossing with its handlebars and neon lights. Order a Sapporo Premium Draft, Hitachino Pale Ale, or any of their cocktails. Their Signature Suntory Highball is a good place to start. Interested in a cool fusion? Try their sake sangria for a blend of East and West.
Don’t forget to reserve your table at 4649 (you can check out their table rates here).
2. The Back Room
Location: At the street level of Shangri-La at The Fort, 30th St. corner 5th Ave., BGC
Price per head: Approximately P550 for a drink
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Speakeasies—hidden safe spaces where hushed conversations and good alcohol were abundant—were the result of the Prohibition era in the U.S. back in the 1920s. Today, The Back Room in Shangri-La at The Fort holds true to the speakeasy spirit, as you won’t be able to find it unless you know where to look. (Hint: Ask for help from hotel staff to look for a dark little nook near where the Ministry of Crab used to be.)
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Get transported to the Roaring Twenties with its dimly-lit, green-and-brown art deco interiors and carpeted floors. Considered one of the top bars in Asia, The Back Room boasts of 150 different kinds of gin, including their home-produced Bees Knees. You’ll want to check out their other drinks, too, which usually have a touch of local ingredients such as dalandan and pandan. Drinks are often served with conversation-starter cards, which are handy if you’re out with a new set of people or on a blind date.
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The Back Room does not accept reservations, so feel free to drop by anytime—if you find it. Operating hours are from 6p.m. to 2a.m., Monday to Saturday.
3. Out of Office
Location: Ground Floor, High Street South, 26th St. cor. 11th Ave., BGC
Contact details: +63908-3535027 for reservations, [email protected]
Price per head: Approximately PHP1,000 for a meal and a drink
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“Out of Office” is your current Microsoft Teams status and the name of the bar you’ll be visiting next in this hip new area of BGC, High Street South.
OOO is the place you’ll want to be after a long day of work (remote or otherwise)—or doing touristy things, if you’re on vacation here—with its indulgent burgers, sandwiches, and bar chows. With its interiors inspired by the plushness of an executive office and the playfulness of a startup, you won’t have a hard time finding a spot to be comfortable in.
OOO features Southeast Asian and North American (New York, specifically) food, drinks, and vibes. Want a full rice meal? Try their Beef Rendang. For something from the Big Apple, have a thick-pattied burger.
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Since you’re on holiday, it would be great to get Paid Leave too—both the cocktail (Buffalo Trace and Rittenhouse Blend, Cynar Orange, and house-made grenadine) and actual moolah.
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Or you can have a taste of Manila with Manila Libre. Sarsaparilla is such a staple from way back, and it’s mixed with rye and Rosso Vermouth. OOO has a good selection of bottles and spirits, too, so you can be sure there’s something for everyone. Check out their menu here.
4. The Peak at the Grand Hyatt Manila
Location: 8th Avenue corner 35th Street, Bonifacio Global City
Contact details: +632-88381234, hyatt.com/grand-hyatt-manila, Grand Hyatt Manila on Facebook
Price per head: Approximately PHP1,500 per head
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The Peak at the Grand Hyatt occupies the 60th to the 62nd floor of the hotel, and comprises a restaurant, a grill, and a bar. An almost sinful level of luxury and extravagance greets you as you enter, with beautiful interiors by Tokyo-based international design firm Nao Taniyama & Associates, inspired by traditional Filipino tribal tattoo patterns.
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The bar offers you a wide selection of cocktails, from a Negroni to a Pink Blush. Any cocktail can also be made at your request. What’s more fascinating is their huge selection of wines, champagnes, and whiskies (which include Scotch, Irish, and Japanese, among many others). The Peak also offers premium bar chow, from Truffle French Fries (PHP350) to Caviar Oscietra (PHP6,300).
Guests really come for the view from the highest rooftop bar in the country, so don’t forget to call for reservations!
5. Red Lotus by Modern Shang
Location: 3F Terraces, One Bonifacio High Street, 5th Ave. corner 28th Street, beside PSE Building and near Shangri-La at The Fort
Contact details: +632-88367141
Price per head: Approximately PHP1,000 for a meal and a drink
If you’re looking for a place that has filling meals and great cocktails, then this is it. Red Lotus, local dining chain The Bistro Group’s newest project in BGC that opened its doors only last April, offers an interesting mix of a full-on Chinese restaurant and a complete bar. Nifty, if you ask us. And definitely something balikbayans will enjoy.
Start your meal by ordering everyone’s favorite dimsum, Xiao Long Bao. Every restaurant has its own take on this classic so don’t miss out! Aside from the traditional dishes of fried rice, braised beef, and noodles, they also serve Spicy and Sour Bamboo Soup, a personal favorite in any Chinese restaurant.
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As the evening deepens, check out their bar menu and order one of their many specialty drinks, such as the Sichuan Sour or the interesting Earl’s Negroni (which is served in a teacup).
Red Lotus can accommodate up to 123 people, so it’s a good place to enjoy dinner and a nightcap with the whole family or your besties whom you haven’t caught up with in a while. You can check out their resto and bar menus here.
6. Dr. Wine
Location: 8-112 Parklane, Forbestown Road, Bonifacio Global City
Contact details: +63917-7152807, [email protected]
Price per head: Approximately PHP2,000 for food and drinks
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Dr. Wine BGC is the kind of place where you can relax after a long day of sightseeing and shopping. Serving French cuisine, it offers both full meals and bites that will please even the pickiest balikbayans.
To get several options in one order, especially if you’re sharing with the group, try The Doctor’s Platter (PHP1,980), which comes with their cheese board, charcuterie platter, smooth and decadent chicken liver mousse, salmon rillettes, grapes, cornichons, and nuts. If you want to skip to dessert, enjoy their Coulant Au Chocolat (PHP350) or molten lava cake with Madagascar vanilla ice cream.
A nice thing about Dr. Wine BGC is that during the day, it’s a great place for a meal (they have well-priced lunch sets that come with a glass of wine) and maybe an hour of remote work just in case you need to check in (of course, we recommend you just enjoy your meal and skip the work).
After office hours, feel free to indulge in their wide selection of wines by the bottle or by the glass as you listen to chill music from their guest DJs. They have happy hour from 3p.m. to 7p.m., so don’t forget to reserve a table. You can view their food menu here.
7. The Hotel Bar at Pink’s
Location: Ground Floor, Shangri-La at the Fort, 5th Avenue, BGC
Contact details: +63917-1622848, +632-79462708, wildflour.com.ph/pinks
Price per head: Starts at PHP450
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Pink’s has always been a well-loved diner with great hotdog sandwiches and shakes, even back when it had its charmingly punk vibe going on. It became more polished after its renovation and subsequent reopening in October 2023, and the changes also resulted in the entrance of its speakeasy—called the Hotel Bar—becoming more visible and accessible.
Setting aside the welcoming appeal of its red door (that is unusual for speakeasies), the interiors are as traditional as it gets: dim, cozy lighting, cushioned seats, photo-decked walls, and of course, a large collection of liquor, spirits, and everything in between. Smooth DJ mixes are the background of hushed conversations, and if you’re lucky, you may even catch bar takeovers by award-winning bartenders.
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Since summer in the Philippines has been unforgivingly hot, you may want to try their Calamansi Mojito. If you’re looking for something more traditional and straightforward, an Old Fashioned will do the trick.
It would be best to reserve a table before visiting, as the place can get packed. We also recommend pregaming with hotdogs from Pink’s as they’re definitely top-notch.
8. Electric Garden
Location: Capital House, 9th Avenue corner 34th St., BGC
Contact details: +632-71212633, +63917-1065320, [email protected], [email protected], electricgarden.ph
Price per head: Approximately PHP2,000
Electric Garden isn’t just a place for good food and drinks, it’s an audio-visual experience. A quick look at the Japanese-European interiors will make you understand why the place is called such, with the main room, also known as The Dinner Club, decorated with greenery and backdropped by bright lights and wall projections.
Other sections include the Omakase Bar, where you can see their bottle selection and have a good view of their kitchen; The Garden, where it’s best to chill during daytime if you don’t mind the heat; the Cigar Lounge for cigar enthusiasts; and The Observatory, which is a room reserved for immersive visual projections. Electric Garden serves East-meets-West dishes ranging from maki, sushi, and sashimi to lamb chops and lobster pasta.
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Similar to their interiors, their drinks are also a visual experience. Their Nikola Tesla (Mezcal, stout syrup, lime juice, chocolate bitters, saline solution, and ginger beer) has a literal electrifying presentation. Meanwhile, Mr. Stark (Reposado tequila, Cointreau, agave syrup, cava syrup, and lemon juice) is a glittering drink that features the Marvel superhero Iron Man’s colors.
The place can get packed, so remember to reserve a table in advance! You can find their full menu here.
9. Izakaya Geronimo
Location: Asian Century Center, 27th Street and 3rd Avenue, BGC
Contact details: +63962-0974969 or +63945-9633878 for reservations
Price per head: Approximately PHP800
Izakaya Geronimo is likewise inspired by the Japanese small haunts. While this full-service restaurant is huge compared to the traditional two-to-three-seater dining spots, it is still a great wind-down place that has something for everyone.
Aside from the usual yakitori and sushi, Izakaya Geronimo’s menu features interesting takes on appetizers/bar chow. The Toro Wasabi Salsa (“toro” is the fatty part of a tuna’s belly), PHP2,000, has fresh slices of fish swimming in yuzu miso. A usual favorite is the Filet-o-fish Sando (PHP700), which is a take on the traditional “sando” (Japanese sandwich) with a Western touch from the crispy-on-the-outside fish fillet with takana pickles and mentaiko roe, served with tater tots and a scoop of ice cream.
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Go from dinner to drinks by heading over to Izakaya Geronimo’s main lounge, where the bar and DJ’s loft are located. Enjoy bespoke cocktails, such as their Blueberry Sour (PHP550) and Buried Secret, as you dance the night away on a dance floor made available by moving out bar stools. It’s open from Tuesday to Sunday, 6p.m. onwards.
10. Salt and Ice
Location: Ground Floor Uptown Parade, 36th Street and 11th Avenue, BGC
Contact details: +63969-1414688, [email protected]
Price per head: Approximately PHP800 for oysters and a drink
Everyone loves a good oyster bar once in a while. Salt and Ice is one of the few in Metro Manila, and what we like about this place is how it offers their signature oysters per piece starting at PHP50 (that’s less than US$1). So if you really just have a random hankering for a drink and shellfish, your pocket damage would technically just be around PHP550 (less than US$10). Not bad.
But while you’re there, you’d want to experience all their oyster preparations. Create your own platter with a mix of traditional Fresh Oysters (PHP55/each), Oyster Spinach and Malunggay (PHP60/each), Oyster Aburi (PHP60/each), Oyster Mornay (PHP65/each), Oyster Tempura (PHP65/each), Oyster Parmigiana (PHP65/each), Oyster Kilpatrick (PHP70/each), and Oyster Bacon and Cheese (PHP70/each).
They also offer heavy dishes that you can order prior to your oyster party. Craving steak? They’ve got it. They have pizza, too: Four-cheese, anyone?
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Don’t forget their delicious drinks. Try their signature cocktail, She’s a Bliss, which is made with Pisco la Caverdo, hibiscus, apple, and lemon. Happy shucking!
If you’re looking for Bonifacio Global City restaurants where you can fill your tummies before overworking your livers, check out these five new BGC restaurants and trendy BGC dining spots.
