Gutierrez, chef Carlo Miguel and Carlo Trillo
Nowadays there are tons of clubs all over cosmo Manille, dahlings, but more important than the club is who is hosting the party, n’est ce pas?
That one-of-a-kind club, the fabulous 71 Gramercy, has taken its place as probably the hottest large-scale dining and lounge destination for the society set, due to its truly unique and unbeatable location. Soaring above the Makati skyline—71 stories from the ground, dahlings—it is the highest restaurant and bar in the entire country, with a view that will make your jaw drop. It has two outdoor patios with bars for more class, giving you unrestricted views of the Makati skyline, a posh dining area that serves up the best of “It” chef Carlo Miguel’s gastronomical masterpieces, and the Lounge, where the country’s best DJs make Manille’s most beautiful people dance until sunrise. 71 Gramercy is truly the ultimate nightlife experience and arguably the best place to see and be seen in the city.
Last 24th of February, “71 Gram” (as those in the know like to call it) celebrated its first anniversary with a sensational party, with the theme “A sky full of stars.” Exquisite decorations and a full dining table setup by Robert Blancaflor (but who else?) replaced the usual couch and lounge interiors, for an awesome sit-down dinner for the establishment’s strictly chosen VIPs, loyal patrons, celebrities and press friends, prepared by Chef Carlo, palanggas.
The sultry Sinyma serenaded the invitees during dinner, followed by a toast at the huge bar section, superbly hosted by TV celebrity and reality show star Raymond Gutierrez, as the owners thanked everyone for the tremendously successful first year of partying.
Après doing my social rounds of “hello” and “how are you?” I had my fantastic angel Marie Shindi as my seatmate. Then I sat down and chatted with Ambassador Joey Antonio and his adorable wife, Hilda Reyes, for a long while before I made a French leave after the couple left.
A fireworks display lit up the sky to mark the beginning of the more pumping part of this fab bash, as renowned local DJs started playing their rocking beats at two separate DJ setups on the inside and outdoor terraces.
Naturellement, welcoming us were 71 Gramercy’s board of directors, among them chef Carlo; that visionary and ultimate nightlife impresario, Erik Cua; the ultimate advertising and PR creative force and nightlife dynamo, my true pal GP Reyes; the undisputed king of nightlife, Louie Ysmael; Manille’s first ever superstar DJ, Manolet Dario; young nightlife entrepreneur, the handsome Carlo Trillo; the man behind Draft gastropub, Raj Sadhwani; top model and celebrity Fabio Ide; poker champion and bar/club owner Neil Arce; top DJ Euric Lumanog; and the darling party man, multi-media personality Tim Yap.
“In 2014, 71 Gramercy was voted best club in the entire country, and as it celebrates its first anniversary, we promise to keep the place ever evolving and rocking, with planned renovations and surprises in store for this year, including an expanded menu, more entertainment, sunset sessions—and we look forward to that with much excitement,” said GP Reyes to the applause of the beautiful set.
71 Gramercy is at 71/F, The Gramercy Residences, Century City, Kalayaan Ave, Makati. For more info, contact 0917-8277535 (dining) or 0917-8094093 (lounge); or e-mail marketing@71gramercy.com for marketing specials and events@71gramercy.com for events concerns.
It’s swimsuit season
Speedo heated up the runway more than the heat outside, dahlings, when it launched its newest offering for Spring-Summer at the Glorietta Activity Center, with a colorful collection that provides great swimwear and beachwear selections.
Inspired by the theme “Magnify,” palanggas, Speedo’s Sculpture collection uses classic graphics and bright prints. It updated its Fastskin LZR Racer Elite 2 suit with increased water repellency, retaining its highly compressive and lightweight qualities.
Speedo’s Play & Fun collection provides beach-lovers with great options that come in one-pieces, bikinis and tankinis for ultra-feminine styles.
Reactive!, the “Competitive Training” collection, took inspiration from the look of chemical and biological reactions, amplified by contrasting colors for maximum impact.
The huge crowd was led by Speedo International’s regional business development manager Harry Thind, Bert Lozada Swim School’s Anthony Lozada, coach Guy Concepcion, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Philippines Major General John Gomes, and the Indian Ambassador to the Philippines L.D. Ralte, no less.
There’s no disputing, dahlings, that Speedo’s strong Spring-Summer collection proved that one of the world’s leading swimwear brands is on a roll, developing on-trend suits for all types of swimmers and pioneering the latest in swimwear technology.
Speedo shops are in malls nationwide.