My husband wanted to experience fine dining in the Philippines, with Filipino food and flavors at…read morethe forefront. While his first choice, Hapag, wasn't open during our visit, we discovered Ayà--their sophisticated sister bar and lounge in Makati. Luckily they had some availability and we were able to make a reservation about week before arriving. It turned out to be the perfect decision, as our evening there became one of the best experiences of our trip, blending refined dining with the polished charm of an upscale lounge. Tucked inside the 7th Floor of the Balmori Suites, AYÀ is more than just a bar and lounge -- it's an invitation to rediscover Filipino cuisine in a way I've never had the pleasure of experiencing The name AYÀ, rooted in the Filipino word anyaya, meaning to invite, beautifully sets the tone to explore the soul of Filipino culture through food and drink. This cozy yet stylish lounge concept focuses on small plates crafted with rich, local produce, and each dish feels like a love letter to the Philippines. The menu is divided by pulutan (appetizers/small plate), tanghalian/hapunan (medium share plates) and pang himagas (dessert). We ordered the: Chicken Skin Nachos, Smashed Choriburger, Sinuglaw (kinilaw with pork and fish), Beef Short Rib Kare Kare, Sugpo at Buro (prawns), Banana Bread Pudding with patis caramel and ice cream, and rounded out the meal with Ube Pandan Old Fashioned and a Passion Fruit Margarita. Every bite was a revelation. Filipino flavors were not only laced into every dish -- they were amplified, reimagined, and plated with finesse. Think traditional ingredients treated with fine-dining precision. From plate to cup, AYÀ takes you on a culinary journey through the Philippine archipelago. The cocktails were no afterthought either. The ube pandan old fashioned reflected regional influences and complemented our food in surprising, delightful ways. Even their ice cubes bore their logo which was a nice touch. The standouts of the evening included the smashed choriburger with its mouthwatering homemade chorizo and tocino glaze, the perfectly balanced sinuglaw, and the indulgent banana bread pudding--suprisingly enhanced by a patis caramel concoction that had us savoring every bite. This beautiful experience was the perfect way to end our month-long trip to Asia. To see familiar dishes transformed and celebrated in such an intentional and aesthetic way was incredible, emotional even. This is the kind of place that makes you proud -- proud of your roots, your palate, your culture. Just thinking about this meal tugs at my heartstrings and will hold a special place in my heart. Whether you're entertaining visitors or simply want to fall in love with Filipino food all over again, AYÀ is absolutely worth the invitation. The staff are very attentive and also speak English well. We hope to experience their sister restaurant, Hapag, on our next trip to the Philippines which I hope is sooner than later. Lastly, reservations are recommended. The space is small and tables are limited!

Good Spanish food, lively, even a bit too noisy atmosphere, attentive and gracious service. I…read morereally like Las Flores. From their croquettes to their churros everything is tasty and well done. I love their mushroom paella and if I ever move on and try their other paellas, I feel certain I would love them too. Their billinis are wonderful cocktails too. Very refreshing and at a buy one get one free deal during lunch, makes it easy to enjoy even more. If you like Spanish food, I think you'll enjoy this for sure. And if you're not familiar with Spanish cuisine, then this is the perfect place to start.

I've visited this location a couple times during my trips to Manila and enjoyed the food here…read more There were lots of seating in and outdoors. A full bar anchored the rear. A large group was also dining at the same time but overall it wasn't too loud. Staff here have been welcoming and attentive. They remembered some of our go to dishes which the family enjoys. Las Flores menu offered lots of options and this time we got the following: Salmon tartare - unique presentation in a fried lumpia wrapper cone. The additional wasabi mayo side let us add as much as we wanted. Angus and foie gras- tender beef and creamy foie gras was decadent Jamon croquettes- crunchy , creamy and a little salty Duck rigatoni- an excellent pasta dish with shredded savory duck Chorizo Frito - sautéed chorizo sausages that tasted even better with the roasted garlic cloves The small plates gave us a good taste since we were not that hungry. Next time we'll try the paella again.

This was an overwhelming place of good food! The drinks and desserts were unique…read more CHIRINGUITO,SICILIAN LIMONATA and their Sangria were super good. We had all sorts of tapas and the Paella Negra was a must when you're here. The best part was the open kitchen and stay at the bar!

My relatives took me to have lunch at this place. Their chef…read moreis from Barcelona whom we met after we ate. He serves an authentic gazpacho which I learned how to make in my recent trip to Madrid. It tasted exactly the same. The Wagyu beef is not as tender as I know because I just recently had Wagyu in Japan. The beef here is from Australia which I guessed! I like the ambience, the food and service. A good place to have tapas Spain style.

Always on the lookout for French Onion Soup so when I care across Draft's Dark Beer Onion Soup, I…read morejust couldn't resist. It did not disappoint. Tasty and had loads of gooey mozzarella cheese and caramelized onions. My new fave! Also tried their chorizo rice and tiramisu. Servers were quick, attentive and friendly. See you guys again!

There are many obstacles a group of friends can encounter when it comes to planning a night out…read more What time do we head out? Who's gonna drive? Do we take one car or two? But the hardest decision is normally "Where are we going?" My friends and I have been more inclined lately to go to sit down places. Bars or restaurants where we can actually get a table and get comfortable. Draft is one of my favorite chill spots because one, they have my favorite beer on tap (Hoegaarden) and two, the food is damn good! Draft used to be the place we went to when it was time to wind down the evening. A beer or two to cap of the night. When we discovered that food was hella good here too it now has become the main event! The croquettes are my favorite thing in the world! Ham, chicken, and cheese all wrapped in delicious crunchy coating that I has burned my tongue on many occasions because I couldn't wait to have them. Their truffled mushroom risotto was sooooo good and creamy! Perfect dish to pair with anything else on the menu! Paired of course with an ice cold beer! Without a doubt a great experience with every visit.

Celebrating my niece's birthday ( her treat) did not disappoint ! She reserved a private room and…read morewe had a great time celebrating and eating authentic Spanish cuisine. Great place to eat and food was very good on taste and appearances. Plenty of parking just arrived in non busy hours I suppose.

the food we ordered were very tasty and pretty good. We enjoyed our meals…read more I like Spanish latte, it was very good coffee! The servers at this restaurant were very nice and friendly every time they stopped by to check in how we were doing and how our meals tasted. The restaurant is very nice and cultured especially the wooden looks nice and antique.

Yummy if you're a fan of yakitori - similar style to Nan Ban Tei. Their batter coating the meat is…read morereally good. I prefer the meat skewers versus any of the fish or vegetable ones. You get complimentary veggies - lettuce, radish, and carrots. Their menu is clearcut, but definitely lacking in vegetarian options. Duh. The spinach appetizer is really saucy. The dipping sauce is a sweet umami katsu sauce, and they are very adamant about their NO DOUBLE DIPPING rule! They also have a nice selection of fun cocktails - like a matcha alcoholic drink! I didn't try it, but maybe next time. The beginner plate and the advanced plate are the same price, despite the advanced plate offering more skewers. Interesting. My sister ordered the chicken karage and enjoyed it. You can get a rice bowl option as well, and ramen noodles. Very reasonably priced IMO, very tasty, and loved their drink menu! I'd definitely come back if I wanted to drink and eat for cheap with my friends.

I am an extreme wine lover and what else is better to go with drinking wine? Tapas, of course!…read moreLocated in Fort Strip, BGC is Tapeo. It is a moderate space that offers a good wine selection as well as different Spanish dishes including really delicious tapas. I availed of their Unlimited Tapas for 495php. the duration is 2:00pm - 9:00pm, Mondays to Saturdays. It's a really good price for what you get because they had really wide selection to choose from! Callos, emapanads, croquetas, paella, sauteed clams, baked mussels and grilled asparagus, to name a few. Believe me, everything tasted great! My friends and I were really satisfied and all thought that it was a good move to avail of their promo. From what I've also read in their menu, they also offer unlimited wine on certain days. The ambiance was really relaxing. I found it to be a good place to unwind and talk to friends after a really long day. I also thought the interior was nice because they made use of old empty wine bottles as decorations. The tables and chairs were made out of wood and really contributed to the whole vibe of the place. Not to mention the artworks. I found them really amazing. I am an art lover and the paintings definitely appealed to me. I can really say that this is a great place to hang out and drink some wine partnered with delicious tapas.

Being a group of ladies who enjoy wine, Tapeo was an easy choice for us. It's located in Bonifacio…read moreGlobal City, and is conveniently located at The Fort Strip, where there's usually parking available in the time we were going to meet. What time was that? Happy hour of course! We availed of their promo, which was for a decent list of tapas for only PhP500 per person. Given their list (which includes croquetas by the way), it could very well be heavy snacks or dinner already! Their sangria is really good, too. What I particularly like about Tapeo is that if you get there early enough, it's actually wonderful because not a lot of people know about it. It's not one of those joints where people go just to hang out and not really eat or drink. In short, no pretentious entities. Anyway, back to the sangria, it's so good that a friend of mine (who really knows her wine and used to work at a winery, by the way) even got VERY tipsy on their sangria.

This 5 deservingly goes to the whole team at La Coctelera at Rambla. You can't really spot it from…read morethe the street, so I'm glad we decided to go into Rambla and were lucky enough to find this hidden gem on the 2nd floor. Mike Tubiera, the head bartender, mans this spot and has come up with an amazing menu. Aside from that, he was friendly, knowledgeable, and able to make the drinks we wanted. Try the "Yuzu Brandy Smash" for something light and refreshing. Ask him for a Corpse Reviver #2 with Absinthe if you're feeling adventurous. Their take on the Old Fashioned is great, but ask for less sugar if you don't like sweet drinks as much. We also tried the Foie/Pineapple Empanadas, which paired perfectly with our drinks. If Mike's not there, Byron and Rey are great bartenders as well. Ambiance is chill and inviting, nothing too snooty. I wore a Wu-Tang shirt and flannel with some Nikes and didn't get turned away . Also, let me add, music was on point. They had Honne on rotation and I was in love. We'll be back soon. (We'll also actually try Rambla before our vacation ends.)

Red brick walls, wood paneled interiors and pans after pans of true Italian delights, La Grotta is…read moretruly a must try for you Italian lovers out there. Built like how you've always imagined restaurants in Italy would look like, and serving dishes whose names you'd barely be able to pronounce; prepare to bid your usual Italian restaurants arrivederci as La Grotta will now be your go-to place for a nice bowl pasta or some brick oven pizza. A bit pricey however, with a suggested budget of 1500 for couples, you'd better prepare your pocket or at least be in Don Vito's good graces or else you'll be finding yourself swimming with the fishes - to hide from the bill that is.