Entertainment in Philippines
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Laffalooka
You numbskull! With the Three Stooges as a motif, how can you go wrong? This small club out by the seafood restaurants near Rizal Park has live comedy (Thursday to Saturday) as well as jazz, R&B and acoustic. It's a friendly place with a delightful staff.
reviewed
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Bed
The infamous Bed is known for its wild gay and straight crowds who dance with abandon till dawn. Given the dominant colour it could be called ‘Red’. And yes, go exploring and you’ll find the eponymous furnishing – maybe occupied, maybe not.
reviewed
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Pasay City Cockpit
Bloody cockfights take place at this huge venue and the atmosphere is always highly charged. It is close to Malate. Sunday is the best day to visit. To get there, take the LRT-1 to Libertad station and change to an eastbound Evangelista–Libertad jeepney.
reviewed
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Club Mwah!
The best of the city’s tranny stage shows take place at the opulent Club Mwah!, an incredibly shiny, sparkly and simply fabulous place with obvious Las Vegas interior-design influences. Manila’s gay expats give it a huge thumbs-up.
reviewed
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Roxas Blvd
For free entertainment, you shouldn't miss the pedestrian walkway along Roxas Blvd as it turns into a veritable 'battle of the bands' after sunset. There's an abundance of street-side restaurants, hip live bands and throngs of ambling Filipinos.
reviewed
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Dolce
Dolce is a red-velvet-rope-style club in the tradition of, say, South Beach or Ibiza. University co-eds flock here in their glamorous droves on weekend nights, and all of them dress to impress. A dress code forbids casual street wear.
reviewed
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FAB/The Library
Two gay clubs under one roof. FAB is a club famous for weekend foam parties. Weekdays see acoustic musicians perform. The Library downstairs has nightly comedy shows (at 9.30pm) that are popular among both gay and straight audiences.
reviewed
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Tabu
This cosy lounge gets going on Tuesday when its ‘models night’ tees off. It’s not a misnomer either, as every Brazilian model in town (there are surprisingly many) flocks here. Wednesday is ’80s rock and Thursday is Brazilian night.
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Library
This is a tiny, stand-up-comedy and karaoke bar that draws a mixed gay/straight crowd. Be warned: this place can be high on the sleaze factor but if that doesn't bother you, get on the mike and sing to your sweetheart of the night.
reviewed
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Kinabuch
This is where a good chunk of Puerto seems to go at night. It’s a large open-air property with several billiard tables and an extensive menu (mains from P100), though most people come for the cheap beer and lively atmosphere.
reviewed
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Conspiracy
Owners Cynthia Alexander and Joy Ayala play folk, jazz and various global tunes. Consider wearing tie-dye as the inside is nonsmoking and the snacks are vegetarian. The garden is a good place to chill with a dark San Miguel.
reviewed
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Oarhouse
Oarhouse is something of a clubhouse for Peace Corps volunteers and Filipino journalists. It’s a cramped little space, but populated with an accomplished group of eclectic regulars, who often linger until the sun comes up.
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Castro at Firma
Downstairs it's a beguiling shop of Filipino arts and crafts , upstairs the lights go low and it's a gay-friendly bar with low-slung sofas and a long list of smooth drinks. It's a popular haunt with the post-club crowd.
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Bureau
There’s always a risk that new clubs will go the way of the dinosaur, but the Bureau in Makati’s trendy new A.Venue mall should have staying power. The crowd is on the young side and the music tends towards hip hop.
reviewed
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Heckle & Jeckle
For anyone needing to escape the debauchery of nearby P Burgos St, this simple and generally well-behaved pub is one of the area’s best options. There’s occasional stand-up comedy, and live football matches on TV.
reviewed
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City Tavern
Live music is the name of the game at this creatively designed, open-air bar, a local favourite. Try to catch regular act Petune and its unique brand of tribal-infused reggae sung in various Cordillera dialects.
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Oops Bar
The perennial favourite for its cocktails, shooters and the famous Baileys Shake. Can’t find your feet to get home? There are some good-value nipa rooms out the back (from P800) if you can handle the noise.
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Club Paraw
Club Paraw is a great place to drink, eat, and most of all just veg out on the cushions on the beach. It serves Jamaican food such as goat curry and is next to Pier One, another hard-partying beachside club.
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Sonata
The genteel front bar of the notorious Bed nightclub, Sonata features live acoustic music from 21:00 on Thursday and Saturday nights. There's a good menu of snacks and pasta that you can enjoy on the patio.
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Bedrock
Bedrock hosts quality loud bands and has friendly staff, never mind the fact that they're dressed like the Flintstones. This is a good place to meet people, particularly when it's packed on the weekends.
reviewed
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The Point
Our favourite. The Point is a mellow sunset-and-beyond meeting place with great views and eclectic music. It’s relaxed, and one of the few bars in town where solo women travellers can feel comfortable.
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Lolo’s Music Bar
On the 2nd floor of Avenue Sq, Lolo’s Music Bar is a cool bar with plenty of room to breathe, and live music from 9pm. It caters to a mature crowd, but frowns on shorts and sandals.
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Koko’s Nest
Cheap Filipino bar snacks and P25 (!!) San Miguel in a small street-side nook sheltered by a bamboo awning. If it’s full the place next door has P27 San Miguel (larceny!). Both are backpacker faves.
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Howzat
This newcomer to the P Burgos area could be a British expat bar anywhere. Cross through the shaded doors and enter a world of pints and football. Unfortunately it lacks a good outdoor seating area.
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Cowboy Grill
This huge place fills its two levels nightly with fans of country and western music. There's several bands every night. The energy is fuelled with cheap pitchers of beer and cheap slabs of steak.
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