The Secret Bar of the Moment: The Backroom

According to its Instagram account, the first rule at #backroomph is to not talk about #backroomph. It’s a bar that the owners call their best kept secret. But any first-time visitor will be hard pressed to keep this bar a secret for long, and thanks to numerous (beautiful) IG posts, soon this will be the worst kept secret in BGC.

I’ve already been twice and I highly recommend this bar to anyone looking to experience what it was like to enter a posh hidden bar during Prohibition in the 1920s. But allow me to keep the finer details a secret, the better for you to discover the bar yourself on your first visit, assuming that you can actually find the huge black entrance on 30th Street, just a stone’s throw away from the corner of 4th Street.

The Backroom is the ideal bar to bring a date to impress or friends you enjoy spending time with, as you can actually hear each other talk. It’s the perfect retreat for after work drinks, impromptu reunions, and intimate celebrations. Serious cocktail aficionados are treated to classic and bespoke tipples, and a wide selection of spirits focusing especially on gin, with 150+ bottles as of now and counting, including its very own gin called Bee’s Knees.

The Backroom is also in the process of opening a Lab within the bar, to distill its own gins in house and produce unique blends. Early must-tries include cocktails like Big Fella, a cross between a Negroni and Boulevardier with figs, for those who like spirit-forward drinks, and the more playful Ransom Note for pistachio lovers like me. The housemade Bee’s Knees gin makes for a refreshingly good gin and tonic, best enjoyed with Pop Rocks (sisig) made with crispy skin, triple-cooked pork, onion cream, and a dash of calamansi. Get more clues to this secret bar’s exact location via @backroomph on IG or visit www.backroomph.com.

3 HIDDEN BARS TO FIND

No addresses included (at the request of the owners) but I’ve left a few clues to help guide you to these exclusive hideaways.

Elbert’s Upstairs Bar

Located inside and above the BGC branch of Manila’s best ramen house is Elbert Cuenca’s swanky, new speakeasy that I have yet to try. It offers a curated selection of spirits that you can enjoy neat, on the rocks, or in cocktail form, with the option to choose your preferred base spirit. Open Monday to Saturday, 5pm to 1am.

The Odd Seoul

Hidden around Gaja Korean Kitchen @gajaph on Poblacion Makati’s Kalayaan Street is this Korean soju bar/speakeasy that gives a fun look at Korean drinking culture, with interiors inspired by the subway stops in Seoul. As a soju bar, it aims to introduce soju not only as a cocktail mixer, but also as a simple, traditional drink that packs a punch. One visit got me enjoying a cocktail drink called Kimchi Sour, a nice twist on the amaretto sour. It’s infused with a touch of kimchi before being finished with floral bitters and dried flowers for a refreshing drink that tastes a lot better than it sounds. I enjoyed it with an order of Gaja’s to-die-for Kimbap Aburi, which is basically a beef bulgogi kimbab topped with torched cheesy lava aburi sauce. Masisseo!

Three Little Pigs

Tucked on the second floor of (ironically) a pork-centric restaurant on Kapitolyo’s main street, this speakeasy is a welcome addition to the Kapitolyo bar scene. This cozy bar, which can fit just 20 to 24 comfortably, has the homey feel of drinking in a friend’s living room or sala. Finding the exact location of this neighborhood gem serving mostly classic cocktails is part of the experience, and clues are all over social media and its IG account @threelittlepigsph. Perfect for a quick boozy escape if you’re in the neighborhood. Migs, the senior bartender, can make a mean Whisky Sour. Cocktails are priced to move at P285 and below, with reasonably priced bar chow from its downstairs neighbor also available.

2 NOTEWORTHY POP-UPS

They won’t last long so catch them before they close.

Johnnie Walker House

To celebrate being the number one Scotch whisky in the world, Johnnie Walker launched its 1^st Johnnie Walker House pop-up in Manila last Sept. 29, 2018, serving JW highballs and food from its partner bar in BGC. It will remain open in BGC’s Burgos Park only until October 25 before it moves to Greenbelt from November 28 to December 28. Open to the public, Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm to 2am.

Poppy’s Gin Bar at the Island PH

Poppy’s gin is the first pop-up concept of Pelikan Bar, one of 9 outlets that comprises The Island PH, the nightlife market located in the heart of BGC. Scheduled to end before Christmas, this pop-up currently specializes, as its name implies, in gin cocktails, aside from everybody’s favorite gin and tonics. Must-try cocktails include the Japanese Gimlet, Milk and Punch, Manila Fizz and Hugo Fizz, as well as classics like Clover Club and Garibaldi. Those who want to shift to rum-based cocktails can just conveniently move to its next-door neighbor, the Rum Jungle, or walk a little further to its other famous sibling, Yes Please. The Island PH is located at 11th Avenue, The Palace Complex, Uptown Parade, BGC. Open Tuesday to Thursday, 6pm to 3am, until 5am on Friday and Saturday, and until 3am on Sunday.

PARTY CENTRAL

For when you like your drinks with a real party

Nokal

Now officially open is Nokal, a 3-in-1 New York-inspired restaurant, bar and lounge, plus beer garden concept that promises three floors of FUN. Aside from favorite New York dishes by Chef Raul Fores, it features cocktails by some of the country’s top bartenders, good music, and a wide selection of draft beers. Open daily at 8464 Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City, from 6pm to 2am, and until 4am on Friday and Saturday.

OPENING SOON

Watch out for these unique bar concepts to liven up the nightlife even more in Makati and BGC.

Hanky Panky

Described as local, nostalgic, and fun, this soon-to-open bar may just be your favorite new place to chill, hang out, and reminisce. Founded by one of our top local bartenders, Joey Cerdinia and his partners, Hanky Panky is a 30-seater garage-style bar concept that is set to serve food and cocktails with a touch of local ingredients. The bar’s menu will revolve around street food or the food and drinks that we used to enjoy on the streets when we were young. It will eventually include a cocktail menu highlighting tastes and flavors from all over Asia. It will also offer a pop-up mobile bar service called Don’t Think Just Drink Cocktail Pop-Up. Opening soon on Guerrero Street, Poblacion, Makati.

The Peak

Possibly opening before the year ends, The Peak is Grand Hyatt Manila’s bi-level entertainment center which sits on the top two floors of the hotel. It will feature a grill restaurant, speakeasy, whisky bar, cabaret, and a music lounge, and is rumored to have a 360-degree clear view of the Manila skyline. Soon to open at Grand Hyatt Manila, 8th Avenue corner 35th Street, BGC.