Let me preface this with some honesty: I go to Black Market, its next door neighbor, a lot…read more Wednesday's are my favorite for this reason, but Finders Keepers is a lot better when it's not Wednesday. Situated in a nondescript warehouse in a less glamorous part of Makati is probably one of the coolest speakeasies I've been to in the Metro. The ambiance is dark, moody even, and they play a lot of progressive electro house most times I've been there. This isn't your typical bar where the standards are available and the bartender looks like your dad's pare. The bartenders here are definitely serious mixologists and there's no drink here I haven't enjoyed. There's a good selection of imported beers here, though I would like to see more local filipino craft here since the only local beer option is San Miguel Extra Dry unfortunately. Come here to chill with friends and let off some steam. They also offer food selections from their other neighbor, Joe's Meat Shack. If I'm not looking to go crazy on my few nights off and I'm looking for some straight chill, Finders Keepers is definitely a keeper for me.

This is where you'll find the most photographed neon sign in Makati. Yup, try to find…read more#finderskeepers on Instagram and you'll know what I'm talking about. In fact, when I was taking a photo of this sign, I was part of a firing range of people along the bar trying to get the same shot. It's hard not to. Statemently emblazoned in orange-red on the wall of this dimly-lit room in a warehouse hidden from mainstream Makati (to some, the all-encompassing word to describe the place may be "hipster"), it is a sign of things to find and keep: good music (from rock to electro to even jazz on Sundays), good vibe, good cocktails (love their F+K Sour!), good company, good times!

There are only a few bars in Makati that serve drinks for a reasonable price, and you guessed…read moreright! Boiler Room! After my first visit here, I knew I was going to be back a lot more times. Before we get to the drinks, let me a little more about their food selection. For the appetizers, because I love spicy food.. I enjoy their Chili Poppers (Green Chili, Bacon, Cream Cheese, Cheddar), and a not so spicy dish, their Honey Sriracha Wings! These go so well with.. you guessed it.. a nice cold bottle of BEER. ;) I also love their Borough Market 3-Cheese Toastie (Because I am a sucker for cheese)! They have quite a selection for both local and foreign beers. They have a lengthy menu for wine, vodka, gin, and whiskey (including Japanese whiskey), too! My favorite part about drinking here is their Beer + Shot combo! Their beer + shot combo selections price range start for as low as 135 to only as high as 185! Too awesome. So hard to leave this place without a happy tummy and a real good buzz.

Tucked away in Carlos Palanca St., Boiler Room mostly caters to the yuppies working in the Ayala…read moreAve. area. I came here during lunch hour and was surprised to see affordable lunch options outside in a very carinderia-like set-up but with more sosyal food choices like fish fillet. My friend and I wanted to day drink so we opted not to avail their rice meals and ordered pasta instead. The Chicken Parmesan was okay but still expensive for Php250. I don't think I'd order it again but the cold Pale Pilsen is Php60 which is the normal price for this part of Makati. I know they have Happy Hour and thus, buy one take one on local beers but it's nowhere near lunch time. I was able to try a limited edition burger with slabs of bacon by Mr. Delicious, chargrilled oyster mushrooms from the Perfect Mushroom and handmade bread by Trigo with a slice of melting emmental cheese. A bit pricey at around Php 400 but mouthwatering nonetheless with quality ingredients. Paired with Craftpoint's craft beers, which they now carry, you'll have a dinner to remember.

This is my favorite Mexican Restaurant in Manila. Not the cheapest, but easily the best tasting by…read morefar. The Birria Tacos are the bomb. And the other tacoa like Carnitas don't slack either. Salsas and hot sauces are addictive. The dining room is fun, but the servers can be a bit unmotivated

Like it a lot, unpretentious chill staff. Typifies dinning experience in Poblacion with fair…read moreprices. Exposed brick dimly lit space gives it that mysterious cool vibe. We had the 3 tacos - chicken adobo, lengua, and Sisig all excellent Sisig being the stand out. Also had the gizzard and kabob - both excellent.

Hi is this bar still open? Im planning to check this place out anytime next week. Thank you in…read moreadvance for response.

Good cheap drinks and super good vibes place…read more Ask for the Manol which is the Manille calamansi liquor based drink. The Yakulto is also great which is a Yakult-based cocktail.

Properly representative of the entire Quezon City, Mow's is a little unassuming hole-in-the-wall…read morehangout for music lovers. Located under the Kowloon House on Matalino St, it took a while for me to find it. Consider though that I'm not from the area, but some asking around helped. Being new, Mow's has proven to be the breeding ground for young bands. Some very promising, mostly up-and-coming, local talent play here. And like most places in QC, alcohol is cheap! There is nowhere else in the world where you can get Johnny Walker Black Label on the rocks for P79!

Moe's is the closest place to experience a Pinoy "dive bar." The have great bands and usually a…read morevery friendly amiable crowd. If you're looking for a good late night drink or a great show, definitely stop. I had a friend who was performing here! I walked in and bought a Php50 beer, not bad. Dark lighting. Very small. A few high top tables; otherwise you find a table outside or stand near the stage. The entertainment was all over the place. It was cool, surprising, and definitely different than the typical bar I usually hang at. The crowd was also just as eclectic; mostly young college students too. Also, if you want cheap hard drinks, you can got a shot for Php79!

Burned out? Heartbroken? Aside from friends and family, beer's all you need, my brother. Global…read moreBeer Exchange carries a lot of them from all around the world. :) And it's just a drive away. I came here with friends one Friday evening. We wanted to drink but wanted something different. Bars usually just carry the local beers, and if you are lucky, imported ones.. but the selection is limited. So we read on few blogs, found out about Global Beer Exchange and decided its the way to go. Global Beer Exchange is a beer disneyland. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a delight for beer aficionados and enthusiasts. Belgian, North American, Japanese & Californian beers can be tasted here. They even have beers on draft. They also carry Katipunan craft ales, a local brand, like their Dear Fred and Indio. There's so many that we asked the staff to give suggestions on what to drink. In all fairness to them, they know what they're selling. And the best thing is that its not even crowded in here. It's perfect for a night of chilling and conversation with friends. :) P.S. Check out their beer chandelier.

Living in Magallanes often feels like I'm far away from civilization. For one thing, just to go to…read moreanother city, I will always have to pass a highway. Makati is just around the corner, but with Manila traffic, it gets way too tiring to drive there. Alabang is just a couple of bridges away, but the dreadful long drive home isn't the best feeling in the world. Lucky for us, Global Beer Exchange is probably just 5 minutes away from everyone's home. See, the best thing about Magallanes is probably that it's right in the middle from everyone. Yes, Quezon City is quite far, but South people (at least my friends from the south) usually won't go past the Fort area. And a few don't want to meet in Fort, especially on weekends, because parking is difficult and every club and bar is jam packed with yuppies and younglings. Global Beer Exchange may have beers that would cost you 700 pesos, but you just need to look carefully. Though its main market is for beer enthusiasts, you don't really have to be one to enjoy the beer. Just be smart and not order a Heineken or Stella or other beers that you can easily buy in the grocery store. I mean, hello? This is GLOBAL Beer Exchange. They carry beers from all around the world. Beers you probably haven't heard of yet and you're going to order a regular non-craft beer? Be adventurous and try something new. Bring a couple of friends, order different beers each and just do some beer tasting. Food isn't anything great so make sure that you'll be drinking here before or after you eat. Or you can bring some snacks, to munch on. Make sure to ask permission from the bar first though!

Pivo Praha can be found near the Makati City Hall. At first, you might think that it's a sketchy…read moreplace, but you'll soon realize that it's actually pretty safe. Parking is difficult, but I went in the day, so I'm not sure if parking would be easy by then. Food isn't anything great. What you really want to try is their beer. I mean, it's a microbrewery after all! My favorite one is their Weizen. If you're a weakling like me and you like fruity beer, then that's perfect for you. But they also have a classic beer, a dark beer and a light beer. Perfect for beer lovers of different kinds. What's awesome about this establishment is that you can actually see them brewing the beer! You don't see a lot of that in Manila so it's quite interesting to see.

Great Czech-style draft beer at good price! Food is only so-so. Nice quiet atmosphere to chill…read moreout and have a conversation

I've heard that Exile on Main St. is a popular hangout place in the DLSU area. Furniture is old,…read moreplace is dark but homey. Food was not at all what I expected. The deep fried shiitake mushrooms were very bitter. The crust of the beer-battered dory had a toasted flavour which even the lemon caper sauce could not mask. I have no idea why they said on the menu that the dory placed a close second for their bestselling spot. Probably the most acceptable is the Dorytos which contains pasta in tomato and cream sauce. Looked and tasted homemade. But still too salty for my taste. Not coming back. Ever.

I've mentioned that my college friends and I had a permanent coffee shop that we "own" around Taft…read more This is another place that we have conquered (mainly, because it's the only place open around the time Lucky Bean closes). It pretty much sticks to you because the place doesn't seem to have anything in it from the outside, until you actually go into the complex from what seems like an apartment driveway. It looked like that to me, at least? You'd be greeted by an interior that's is pretty artsy-fartsy hipster-ish, with the fancy lighting and booths where you can sit on the floor. With all fairness, this little place is pretty awesome as their Chuck Berry Apple Pie. I never leave Exile without ordering that mouthwatering sumb'ch. And this might sound weird, but I especially enjoy that with a glass of ice cold apple-flavored beer. A perfect way to wrap up a chill night. Huh? I just really wish that Exile has longer business hours. I mean, I know most of their market are students who has classes the next day, but my friends and I barely meet-up anymore, and the time we have is either weekends (that we actually would use up to slack off because we're too tired to do a thing) or after work hours (which is much more ideal, because the day's hype usually extends up to like 3 AM). It's always a bummer whenever Exile closes on us.

If you've been to Cubao X lately you'll find yourself a handful of interesting characters you'd…read morelove to meet. It gets really filled with artists, free spirits, photographers, surfers, wanders, entrepreneurs, everyone! In one of the corners of Cubao X is where you'll bump into all these characters at Fred's Revolucion. This dive bar of sorts is a colorfully and revolutionary decorated bar with nothing fancy, just drinks and the sound of people. Come drop by with a group of friends and you'll be surprised how fast time will fly and how many conversations you'll hear and overhear. It's got great character to it and a story-worthy ambiance. My friends and I have come by here a few times and each time we lost ourselves in the moment. I love how this place is super different from the bars you find in the Makati area, it's got that something different you don't find too often.

Fred's is the kind of pub you go to when you really, REALLY just want to drink. No dancing, no…read moreear-damaging music, no sleazy guys trying to pick you up, just pure unadulterated drinking. Doesn't matter if you're alone, with friends, or with a handsome Chinito you met on Twitter -- Fred's is the best watering hole this side of Quezon City. The place has this very welcoming ambiance. That said, I've come to think of Fred's Revolucion as a friend (basically any type of friend one may need at a given night). The staff is very pleasant (bartenders are always happy to chitchat with you) and their drinks are ridiculously cheap compared to that of bars in BGC and Makati. Try their Frozen Margarita, Bagnet, and Fish and Chips. I swear on the next Star Wars movie, you're gonna love them.