Where to Eat Before a Show at MOA Arena or Solaire

Steps from the arena gates

Wolhwa Galbi is the closest sit-down meal to the arena, on the ground level of the MAAX building, about 70 metres from the arena. It is unlimited Korean barbecue built on nine cuts of meat, with a dry-aged samgyupsal as the house signature. It stays open until 2am, so it is also the easy answer when the encore ends and nobody wants to queue for a car yet. MAAX Building, J.W. Diokno Boulevard corner Coral Way. ₱₱. Open until 2am. Tip: call +63 954 336 6841 to ask about a table for a group on a show night.

IKEA Swedish Restaurant is upstairs in IKEA Pasay City in MOA Square, next door to the arena, and it seats up to 850, so a big group usually finds room. It is self-service and the cheapest proper plate in the complex: eight Swedish meatballs with mashed potato are ₱265, and there is baked salmon and a plant-based version of the meatballs. IKEA Pasay City, MOA Square, Marina Way. ₱. Restaurant daily 9:30am to 9:30pm; the Swedish Bistro stays open until 10pm.

Krapow cooks Thai street food on the ground floor of MOA Square, about 200 metres from the arena. It started as a cloud kitchen in Makati, this branch is its biggest, and it made the Tatler Best list in 2025. Order the krapow moo krob (crispy pork with holy basil), the pad see ew and a Thai iced tea, and you will be done in good time for the gates. 116 to 117 Ground Floor, MOA Square, Seashell Lane. ₱₱. Closes 10pm. Tip: there are 12 seats outside if the room is full.

Single Origin is a few doors along on the outside of MOA Square: an all-day breakfast restaurant with French toast, truffle fries, coffee and cocktails. The tables are well spaced, which makes it the place to sit out the hours between arriving early and gates opening. MOA Square, Seashell Lane. ₱₱. Monday to Thursday 7am to 11pm, Friday and Saturday 7am to midnight. Good to know: the branch is pet-friendly.

A proper dinner in the complex

Manam is a chain, and we include it on purpose. On a concert night you want a big table, a menu that suits everyone and food that arrives quickly, and Manam's branch in the main mall, about 400 metres from the arena, does that well. Share the House Crispy Sisig, the Sinigang na Beef Short Rib and Watermelon and the crispy pancit palabok. For more of this kind of cooking around the city, see our guide to Filipino restaurants in Manila. Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia. ₱₱. Closes 10pm. Tip: call +63 2 7915 4030 for a group booking.

China Blue is the dressed-up choice, on the third floor of Conrad Manila, which the hotel says is two blocks from the arena. The Cantonese menu is overseen by chef Jereme Leung, the room looks over Manila Bay, and the Michelin Guide selected it in 2026. Dinner starts at 6pm, which works for a later start or for a meal on a day you are not rushing. 3F Conrad Manila, Seaside Boulevard corner Coral Way. ₱₱₱. Lunch 11am to 2:30pm, dinner 6pm to 10pm daily. Tip: book through Conrad Manila, +632 8833 9999.

Before a show at The Theatre at Solaire

Abé is the LJC Group's Kapampangan restaurant and the closest table to The Theatre, about 90 metres away. Order for the table: sinigang sa ube, the Knockout Knuckles (spicy fried crispy pata) and kare-kare. It is open from 11am to midnight, so it covers a matinee, an evening curtain and a late supper after the bows. Solaire Resort Entertainment City, 1 Asean Avenue, Parañaque. ₱₱. Daily, 11am to midnight. Tip: call (02) 8809 4278 or 0917 715 3601 to book.

Red Lantern is Solaire's Chinese restaurant, with more than 46 kinds of dim sum, Peking duck and wok-fried lobster. Its Pre-show Express Menu, at ₱1,800+ per person, runs from shrimp and pork dumplings and a seafood soup to wok-fried beef, poached prawns, fried rice and chilled mango sago. Solaire Resort Entertainment City. ₱₱₱. Lunch daily 11:30am to 2:30pm; dinner Monday 5:30pm to 10:30pm, Tuesday to Sunday 5pm to 10pm. Good to know: smart casual, and the pre-show set needs an early table, so book for 5pm or 5:30pm.

Finestra is the special-occasion booking: Solaire's Italian dining room, led by Michelin-starred chef Andrea Spagoni, with handmade pasta, steaks and tiramisu made at the table. The Pre-show Express Menu is ₱3,800+ for three courses with tea or coffee. Solaire Resort Entertainment City. ₱₱₱₱. Dinner daily 5:30pm to 10:30pm. Good to know: the dress code is smart casual to elegant, which matches The Theatre's own rule.

Waterside is the casual one, with Latin-inspired food, cocktails and live music. Its pre-show set is the cheapest at Solaire, ₱1,600+ for a starter, a burger or fish and chips, and a juice, soda or beer. The kitchen is open until midnight and the bar until 1am, so it is also where to go after the show. Solaire Resort Entertainment City. ₱₱₱. Restaurant daily 12pm to 12am, bar until 1am. Tip: the All Day Happy Hour is three hours of free-flowing drinks for ₱899+.

Red Lantern, Finestra and Waterside are all in Solaire's Theatre Delights offer for 2026: show your TicketWorld ticket for a Solaire theatre show and get 20% off the à la carte menu, on the day or up to 30 days after. Each ticket works once, and the resort asks you to book ahead on SevenRooms. Yakumi, Solaire's Japanese restaurant, is in the offer too, with a ₱2,580+ pre-show set. Our guide to theatre seat plans in Manila covers where to sit, and musicals and theatre in Manila to December has what is on.

Before you go

• Timing at the arena. Gates usually open two hours before the start, and the doors into the seating bowl about an hour before. There is no re-entry, so eat before you queue, not between the gate and the show. Our MOA Arena concert guide has the full rules.
• Food inside. Outside food and drinks are not allowed in the arena. The Food Alley on Level 2 sells snacks, pizza, pretzels, burgers and coffee, but not a proper meal.
• Leave room on show nights. Work back from the gate time, not the start time. For an 8pm show with gates at 6pm, a table at 4pm or 5pm leaves time to eat, walk over and join the queue.
• The Theatre at Solaire. Smart casual dress (no slippers, shorts or sportswear), no food or water inside the hall, and no children aged 7 and below unless the show allows them. Tickets are on TicketWorld or at the Solaire Box Office on Level 2.
• Getting home. MRT-3's last northbound train leaves Taft Avenue at 11:09pm on weekdays and 10:09pm on weekends, so most concerts end after it. The EDSA Carousel bus has its own SM Mall of Asia stop. If you book a car, a late meal at Wolhwa Galbi or a drink at Waterside lets the first rush clear.

Questions people ask

What are the best restaurants near MOA Arena?

For walking distance, Wolhwa Galbi in the arena annex, the IKEA Swedish Restaurant, Krapow and Single Origin in MOA Square, all within about 250 metres. For a sit-down meal a little further in, Manam in the main mall and China Blue at Conrad Manila.

Where can you eat inside MOA Arena?

At the Food Alley on Level 2: snacks such as popcorn, corn dogs and nuggets, plus outlets including Starbucks, Sbarro, Auntie Anne's, Wendy's and Cold Stone. Outside food is not allowed, so for a real meal eat before you go in.

Are there affordable restaurants near MOA Arena?

Yes. The IKEA Swedish Restaurant, next door in MOA Square, has eight meatballs with mashed potato for ₱265, and Krapow on the ground floor of the same building is a casual Thai place. The IKEA restaurant closes at 9:30pm, so go before the show.

What restaurants are near the Solaire theatre?

Abé is about 90 metres from The Theatre and open until midnight. Red Lantern, Finestra and Waterside are in the same resort, and each has a Pre-show Express Menu, from ₱1,600+ at Waterside to ₱3,800+ at Finestra. Ticket holders get 20% off à la carte at all three until 20 December 2026.

Where should I eat near Solaire North?

Solaire Resort North is now called Solaire Resort Quezon City, in Vertis North, and it is a different place from the Parañaque resort where The Theatre is. If your show is at The Theatre, you want Entertainment City. If you are in Quezon City, Finestra and Yakumi both have branches at Solaire Resort Quezon City.

For more shows to plan a dinner around, see concerts in Manila to the end of 2026, and for where to eat after midnight, late-night food in Manila. More around the bay is on the Pasay and MOA neighbourhood page and our eat and drink hub.