With the searing hot temperatures the country has been experiencing for months now, it’s tempting to just stay indoors and binge-watch the latest series on Netflix. With snacks and a cool drink a few steps away, one might choose to just veg out after work.
While this is a perfectly valid option, there are other things to do to wind down after hours. At Uptown Mall and Uptown Parade in Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig, a number of new bars and restaurants offer ice-cold cocktails, hearty bar chow, and even the chance to play old-school arcade games well into the night.
Boozy
It’s easy to mistake Boozy as just one of the snack counters leading to the cinemas at Uptown Mall. This bar that opened four months ago actually offers something more potent than popcorn and chips: alcoholic beverages one can order and bring into the movie house.
“We opened the Boozy pop-up bar because we wanted to reach potential clients who might not have seen our online ads,” said business development manager Ali Cayaba. Boozy is an online-based group that delivers bottles of your preferred liquor to your doorstep.
Moviegoers who order cocktails—all named after Hollywood celebs like Marion Cotillard, Angelina Jolie and George Clooney—can sip their drinks (served in clear plastic cups) inside. One of their most popular is Leo (after DiCaprio), a mojito made with white rum, muddled mint leaves, lime juice and soda water.
“It’s a cool drink especially with this heat,” Cayaba said. Moviegoers seated in the mall’s Directors’ Club cinema can order seconds from the butler on-site.
Boozy is open daily, 3 p.m.-midnight.
Studio 28
Studio 28 at 2/F, Uptown Parade, is designed to look like a music aficionado’s man cave—all tufted leather couches, club chairs with nailhead trim, walls like unfinished concrete, and a DJ setup next to the bar.
“We’re really big with music events and cast parties but we also have nightly events featuring musicians on sax or guitars,” said marketing and events manager Jayve Maceda.
The bar opens at 5 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on weekends. Wednesday is open mic night while Thursday is a beguiling mix of jazz and hip-hop (jazzhop) music.
“We try to infuse a lot of music elements,” Maceda said. Studio 28 has several specialty cocktails including the gin-based Twist that turns a startling shade of purple courtesy of blue pea syrup. The “Gin for Two” promo (P400) is two gin and tonics flavored with mango, apple or strawberry.
Maceda said they’re in the process of expanding the menu to include comfort food like pastas, roast chicken and crispy pata over rice.
Versus Barcade
The vibe at Versus Barcade is unmistakably ’80s pop with neon signs and video games lining two red-brick walls. At the bar, the countertop is filled with vintage toys and bric-a-brac, remnants of a happy childhood.
The owners were going for that vintage feel—even the menu is placed in a three-ring Trapper Keeper, which many of those in their late 30s and mid 40s will remember toting to school.
The bar, which opens at 8 p.m. closes at 4 a.m., just right for those who want to do some “pregame” drinking to get their buzz on before heading to the other nightspots nearby.
“What really sets us apart from the other bars is our extensive drinks menu,” said marketing manager Kash Zabala. “Aside from cocktails and mixed drinks, our menu lists a wide range of liquors and spirits.”
Some of their popular drinks are mango and tamarind-laced Hadouken, two-for-one Versus Tiki, and their take on the classic Cosmopolitan, the Yoshipolitan. Feeling peckish? The popular Triple Play consists of two appetizers and one main. Try the salpicao with chicharon bulaklak and sauteed button mushrooms. All three are served on a platter, good for sharing.
Coccoli
Sometimes one just wants to cool down in the middle of the day with an icy, spiked shake. Coccoli, a kiosk in Uptown Parade, has a selection of mixed drinks in 12-ounce plastic glasses. The drinks’ colorful shades of pink, blue or yellow belie the fact that they are all alcohol-based.
“We’re open by 3 p.m. so we get a lot of people throughout the day who just order their drinks and walk into the mall or head back to work,” said supervisor Des Sabado.
The drinks are a bit on the sweet side; their strawberry margarita is a hit with customers who also want a pregame buzz before partying with friends.
