A guide on how to spend your Holy Week weekend if you’re staying in the city
Holy Week is actually the best time to be in the city. While everyone is braving the holiday crowds in nearby beach towns or waiting their turn to take a photo with Japan’s cherry blossom trees, Manila is like a ghost town. No traffic. Less noise.
Yes, since Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are regular holidays, most establishments are closed on these days. But, a few spots remain open. These include beloved restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and even cultural and recreational spaces sans their usual crowds.
Here are a few of them, which are either open the whole Holy Week or resuming operations on Black Saturday and Easter Sunday, perfect for those who are choosing peace in the comfort of their city homes this time of the year.
NOTE: This is not an exhaustive list but rather a roster of places we recommend you go to based on our prior visits. Some on this list have put out announcements regarding their operational hours, while some have not but we still included them after checking with them.
What to do, where to eat, drink, and shop this Holy Week 2024
Restaurants
Brunch BureauLegazpi Village, Makati branch Open all Holy Week
MamanamsMakatiOpen all Holy Week
Goto MonsterMakatiOpen all Holy Week
Milky WayMakatiOpen all Holy Week
Ricksha Streetside TandoorSan JuanOpen all Holy Week, except Good Friday, Mar. 29
Deo Gracias Quezon CityOpen Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
GubatQuezon CityMayaman St. branch open Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Half SaintsQuezon CityOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
KodawariMakatiOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Taqueria FrancoMakatiOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Cafes
Del UnionTaguigOpen all Holy Week
Masa by BarefootParañaque, Manila, and TaguigOpen all Holy Week
The Black BeanParañaqueOpen all Holy Week
YardstickMakatiOpen Maundy Thursday, Mar. 28, Black Saturday, Mar. 30, and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
DeucesMakatiOpen Maundy Thursday, Mar. 28, Black Saturday, Mar. 30, and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Type A CoffeeMandaluyongOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Couch ClubMandaluyongOpen Maundy Thursday, Mar. 28, Black Saturday, Mar. 30, and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Molly’s Donuts & Asian Cafe EatsMandaluyongOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Blocleaf CafeManilaOpen Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Bars
The Spirits LibraryMakatiOpen all Holy Week
BibioMakatiOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30
Fat CatMakatiOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Annex HouseMakatiOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Salary ManTaguigOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Int. BarQuezon CityOpen Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Shops and galleries
It’s VintageMakatiOpen all Holy Week
Hub Make Lab EscoltaManilaOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Museum of Contemporary Art and DesignManilaOpen Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
The Mind MuseumTaguigOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Everything’s FineMakatiOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Bumi and AsheQuezon CityOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Guava SketchesMakatiOpen Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Saan SaanMandaluyongOpen Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Recreational spaces
Rizal ParkManilaOpen all Holy Week
Paco ParkManilaOpen all Holy Week
IntramurosManilaOpen all Holy Week, except for museums, which will resume operations Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife CenterQuezon CityOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Arroceros ParkManilaOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Climb CentralMandaluyongOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
808 StudioMandaluyongOpen Black Saturday, Mar. 30 and Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
ReformaQuezon CityOpen Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Ayala AvenueMakatiOpen Easter Sunday, Mar. 31
Cinema 76Quezon CityOpen Easter Sunday, Mar. 31