Yeah, clubs are cool, but it’s time for us to search for new horizons when it comes to having more well-rounded nights out. The concept of speakeasies came around during the American Prohibition as an illicit establishment that served alcoholic beverages. Based on its history, the nature of speakeasies in the 21st century are secret watering holes that locals love to come across. Hidden in plain sight, speakeasies are the best things you can discover on a night out, whether it’s behind an unknowing 7-11 convenience store or using a vintage Coca-Cola vending machine as a portal to its entrance. These have become the solace of retired party people where you can do without the heart-thumping, head-pounding music, screaming extra loud at someone’s ear just to say you’re going to the bathroom, and the drinks that are poured over your mouth straight from the bottle just to spill on your top.
Check out our guide to the city’s best picks for speakeasies if you’re looking to find something new for the night:
Silong Lounge
Hailing from the old Hollywood glamor of the Roaring Twenties, Silong Lounge was born with the original concept of speakeasies in mind. Tucked away in the basement, the lounge leads you first to a narrow art-filled staircase, then to an unassuming pair of double doors that also act as floor-to-ceiling paintings. Silong Lounge often hosts Jazz Nights and recently just opened its doors to the ‘Green Room,’ another prohibition concept. The strictly 21-years-and-above-only lounge also entices you with daily promos from Wednesday to Saturday, from BOGO gin cocktails to unlimited wine.
#SeeYouAtTheBasement in Silong Lounge is located at Basement 1, Finman Centre Building, 117 Tordesillas St., Makati City. Walk-ins are accepted. For table bookings and reservations, please contact 0917-701-3484. For private bookings, email silonglounge@gmail.com.
Operating Hours:
Wed-Thurs: 7:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M.
Fri-Sat: 7:00 P.M. to 4:00 A.M.
78-45-33
For the audiophiles, vinyl enthusiasts, and jazz lovers, 78-45-33 is a haven for you. The backlit rows of vinyl records might have caught your attention, but once you walk in, the soundscape and the atmosphere completely embrace you into its ambition: to lose yourself in the music blaring from the really rare JBL 60’s Hartsfield speakers while you enjoy your artisanal cocktail. A really private space, it transports you into the city streets of Japan when you stumble into a kissaten with mediocre coffee at best but ethereal music at least. Bonus: You can also find its cousin 78-53-86, a whiskey bar in White Plains, Quezon City.
Fill your ears and your soul in 78-45-33 located at G/F (Rear) 44, LPL Mansions, San Agustin St., Makati City. For table bookings and reservations, please leave a message on Viber at 0917-597-6661. Private bookings are available at a consumable rate. Visit 78salcedo.com for more details.
Operating Hours:
Daily: 4:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M.
Seltsam
A strange place for strange people. Seltsam is a rooftop bar perched above the Gervacia Hotel in Makati. Bright and bubbly by day, quite the opposite at night, it is open as a cute little brunch cafe with a greenhouse-inspired interior when the sun is up, and quickly lets out its wild side at dark. Just a walk away from Greenbelt mall, Seltsam offers you an extensive drinks menu, the perfect venue for private events and launches, and the perfect indoor/outdoor spot high up in the city to also dance the night away. P.S. Look out for their Black Room for an intimately intoxicating nightlife experience.
Come say Hi in Seltsam located at Rooftop, Gervacia Building, 152 Amorsolo St., Legazpi Village, Makati City. Walk-ins are accepted, and reservations are highly encouraged. For table bookings and reservations, please contact them through Instagram or Facebook DMs.
Operating Hours:
Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Sun: 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 A.M.
Fri-Sat: 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M.
La Vie en Rose
In La Vie en Rose, you’re invited to a seat at their table. Literally. This secret spot is hidden inside a run-of-the-mill apartment unit, and as you enter the seemingly humble abode, you think twice if it’s the right place. Brimming with burgundy velvets, taxidermy animals, vintage artifacts, and plush seating, it’s as if you can just bump into familiar revelers ala Midnight in Paris in this apartment. Both late-night eats and drinks are available at this private Bohemian escapade, away from the chaos of the now-revived Poblacion. Just make sure you know where to go first.
Good things come to those who look hard enough at La Vie en Rose. Please contact 0956-457-6850 to find their address. Reservations are highly recommended. Private dining, events, and soirees are available for inquiry at events@squareonehospitality.com.
Operating Hours:
Wed-Sat: 6:00 P.M. until late
RM-16
Some clean and casual fun is what RM-16 serves. Sharing the same area (and some menu items) with Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew, you won’t find an overly polished and intimidating set-up here. It’s meant to be a casual night after work with handcrafted drinks that bartenders can match to your mood in an early 2000s vibe. They host recurring ‘Friday Fix’-es and ‘Sabado Nights’ with guest DJs for a night to remember. But first, you must suddenly disappear into the vintage Coca-Cola vending machine.
#FindTheBigRedVendingMachine to enter RM-16 located at 16 E Capital Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. Walk-ins are available. For inquiries, private events, table bookings, and reservations, please contact 0917-812-2243 or 8535-9212.
Operating Hours:
Wed-Sat: 5:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M.
Hereafter
The day-to-night equation of craft coffee shops turning into speakeasy cocktail bars has been turning up in the Metro this past year. Hereafter is the alter ego of Assembly Hall at night, disguised as an administration office behind its daytime cafe. The purple and green-hued room invites you to either a night of fun and playful dancing or a night of chill and deep conversations. With friendly bartenders and uniquely crafted cocktails like their Campfire Cocktail and my personal favorite, La Rosa, we should definitely see each other hereafter. P.S. You can try asking for the AUX too if you solo the place.
Come check Hereafter located at 775 Dr. J.P. Rizal Ave., Makati City. Walk-ins are available. For inquiries, private events, table bookings, and reservations, please DM them through Instagram.
Operating Hours:
Tues-Sat: 6:30 P.M. to maybe the next day?
Alibi Lounge • Bar
Mystery, decadence, and indulgent after-hours–these are things we can’t make excuses for. In Alibi, the perfect drinks are served in a snazzy space using only the top-shelf liquor of your dreams. Hidden within the Crimson Hotel in Filinvest City, one catch before you go into Alibi is knowing the key code to get in. And it changes every now and then too! With a tapas menu and a very extensive alcohol spread, you’re sure to be satisfied when you enter. Just leave your inhibitions by the door.
No excuses, meet us at Alibi Lounge • Bar located at Entrata Urban Complex, Civic Drive, Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. For inquiries, you may contact them at 0927-744-1446. For online reservations, click here.
Operating Hours:
Mon-Sat: 5:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M.
Blind Pig
Blind Pig is another term for speakeasies back in the 90s, and the one we have right here is directly inspired by New York City’s iconic Milk and Honey. Better known as one of the forefathers of speakeasies in the Philippines, this one embodies its nature the best. Notorious for denying walk-ins, mischievously charming mixologists, custom cocktails, warm dim lights in a dark interior, and a side of time-warp, Blind Pig’s most famous ‘landmark’ is its signage in braille. This is something you can’t have a second-hand experience of on the internet.
Make a reservation or else suffer the consequences at Blind Pig located at 227 Salcedo, Legazpi Village, Makati City. For reservations and inquiries, you may contact them at 0927-549-2264 or email them at reservations@blindpig.ph. For more information, see blindpig.ph.
Operating Hours:
Tues-Sun: 6:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M.
Run Rabbit Run
While the post-pandemic Pobla surge has left us with raging club videos on Instagram, the area is still filled with some of the best speakeasies in the Metro. Run Rabbit Run is a long-standing establishment known as a ‘neighborhood’ bar and trusted among locals and foreigners alike. With an experienced team of mixologists and hosts, there’s never a dull night in this cozy spot. You can even have your cocktails delivered to your doorstep or have virtual craft cocktail classes. You’re sure to find the best night you’ll have at this hole in the wall in an old Makati house, just get ready for a wild ride in Wonderland.
Find your space either at the whole building, bar, lounge, or their courtyard at Run Rabbit Run located at 4991 P. Guanzon St., Poblacion, Makati City. For table bookings, reservations, and inquiries, you may contact them at 0926-986-8786 or email them at drink@runrabbit.run. To book for private hire, virtual classes, and more information, visit their website.
Operating Hours:
Tues-Sat: 6:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M.
Header image courtesy of: 78salcedo.com