Manila Entertainment

  1. 70's Bar

    Classic rock-and-roll is the religion at this groovy club set in an old house. Themes include Beatles Night and Stones Night. The classic cover band The Jerks has been playing every Friday night for a decade. There are vegetarian snacks.

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  2. Absinthe

    Absinthe is one of the new cool breed of bars, which have set up shop in the Makate malls. It's a little further from the action, but necessary for a drinking agenda that involves seeing and being seen.

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  3. Amazing Philippines Theatre

    On the decidedly lowbrow side, the haunted-looking former Manila Film Center is now being put to 'good' use by Amazing Philippines Theatre , an over-the-top transvestite revue of lovely 'ladies' in feathers and sequins.

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  4. Anthology

    This large, multi-level place has an old prop plane sticking out of its second story. There's live acoustic music nightly.

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  5. bars in Quezon City

    The nearby University of the Philippines Manila means that there's no shortage of youthful exuberance in bars in Quezon City. Besides the places on T Morato Ave, there are several more rowdy joints on Timog Ave. Many would do any college spring-breaker proud with all-you-can-drink tequila contests and the like. Think of it as a chance to get blotto and then find out your friends have taken mobile-phone pictures of your shame and sent them everywhere.

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  6. Bed

    This infamous place 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.

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  7. 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.

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  8. Casino Filipino

    Operated by a government agency in charge of legalised gambling, this casino is located in front of NAIA. At this huge gambling palace, players try their luck at craps, blackjack, roulette, stud poker, bingo and so on. This is one way to kill time if you want to stay up all night to catch a very early morning flight, although you won't want to be wagering your plane ticket.

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  9. Casino Filipino - Airport Casino

    Casino Filipino advertises itself as 'Asia's friendliest casino'. At this huge gambling palace, players try their luck at craps, blackjack, roulette, stud poker, bingo etc. This is one way to kill time if you want to stay up all night to catch a very early morning flight.

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  10. 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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  11. Ciboney

    This fine place for a drink is also a good restaurant.

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  12. Conspiracy

    Owners Cynthia Alexander and Joy Ayala play folk, jazz and various global tunes. You may wish for something tie-dyed here as the inside is non-smoking and the snacks are vegetarian. The garden is a good place to chill with a dark San Miguel.

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  13. Conway's Bar

    Gets packed with yuppies, expats and all sorts of characters out to hear top cover bands, such as the self-defined Spirit of '67. Many people book tables.

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  14. 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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  15. Dulaang Rajah Sulayman

    Large performance venue.

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  16. Embassy

    The Manila club scene is fickle, but at the time of writing this club in The Fort was enjoying an extended run as the late-night rave den of choice for Manila's cool kids. There's a late-night diner inside in case you get the munchies.

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  17. FAB

    The home of Manila's foam parties is a gay-friendly place that doesn't get going until well past midnight. There are theme parties through the week.

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  18. Greenbelt 3 Theaters

    Manila boasts hundreds of movie houses. Many feature state-of-the-art facilities, particularly those in the upmarket malls. Hollywood blockbusters are often shown simultaneously with their US release, yet it costs only around P50 to around P100 to watch a movie here. All of the local newspapers have extensive film listings. English-language movies are screened with their original English dialogue.

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  19. Handlebar

    An unusual combination of locals and expats mingle here to the beat of high-end cover bands. The motif is Harley and there's pitchers of beer you can use to wash down a steak - or pour on your neighbour. Tables under the big tree in front are leafy delights.

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  20. Hard Rock Cafe

    The Hard Rock Cafe is Manila's own contribution to the global chain. You'll find all the Hard Rock staples (rock memorabilia, overpriced burgers), with the exceptional difference that live music is played, including some mainstream jazz, instead of the usual canned rock.

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  21. Heckle & Jeckle

    A good, mellow bar that's almost free of décor. The jovial regulars, occasional stand-up comedy, live football on TV, pool tables and delightful staff are the real atmosphere. A good place to kick back with a few beers.

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  22. Hobbit House

    This old Manila favourite is still going strong. The Hobbit House, which opened for business long before the current revival of The Lord of the Rings , is a folk music club run by a cooperative of - you guessed it - dwarfs. The acts range from flawless Filipino Dylans to expat folk-singers.

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  23. Ice Vodka Bar

    As the icy image of vodka might suggest, things are a stark black and white here. But that only helps set off the many beautiful people who flock in nightly.

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  24. Karaoke

    Karaoke Belting out versions of ballads is a national pastime, and you won't so much need to find karaoke as eventually try to get away from it. It's common in bars, cafés, stores, buses, almost anywhere there's a person, a microphone and a dream.

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  25. 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.

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