# The Best Bars in Makati Outside Poblacion: Salcedo, Legazpi and the Ayala Hotels Canonical page: https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/bars-in-makati Source: What's On Manila. Please cite and link the canonical page. Published: 2026-10-17 *Twelve bars on the quieter side of Makati, from an Asia's 50 Best cocktail room on Jupiter Street to jazz without microphones in Salcedo and a live band at The Peninsula.* The best bars in Makati outside Poblacion are Problem Child, The Curator, The Grasshopper Bar, Big Fuzz and Blind Pig for cocktails, 78-45-33 and Kariton x Sabi Sounds for music on a good sound system, Good Morning Wines for wine, and Salon de Ning and Long Bar at Raffles Makati for a hotel night with a live band. Most sit in Legazpi Village and Salcedo Village, the two office neighbourhoods either side of Ayala Avenue, so a few of them fit into one evening. Updated October 2026. This side of Makati drinks differently from Poblacion. The rooms are smaller and quieter, many are behind unmarked doors in office and condo buildings, and people come to talk rather than to dance. If you want the late, loud, walk-between-bars version of Makati, read our guide to [the best bars in Poblacion](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/best-bars-in-poblacion). For everything else after dark, see the [nightlife hub](https://whatsonmnl.com/nightlife) and the [Legazpi](https://whatsonmnl.com/neighborhood/legazpi) and [Salcedo](https://whatsonmnl.com/neighborhood/salcedo) neighbourhood pages. ## For serious cocktails **[Problem Child](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/problem-child)** opened on Jupiter Street in late 2025 and in July 2026 entered Asia's 50 Best Bars at No. 44, named The Best Bar in the Philippines. Kevin Corales, Wendy Esteban and Patrick Leyble Jr run it. There is no back bar, only a screen showing the colour of the current menu, and every three months the colour and the drinks change. The classics come with a twist too, and the bar food is worth ordering. Unit 107, G/F, 369 Executive Building, Jupiter Street, Bel-Air. ₱₱₱. Monday to Saturday, 6pm to 2am. Tip: it has been busy since the ranking, so go early on Friday and Saturday. **[The Curator Coffee & Cocktails](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/the-curator-coffee-cocktails)** is the bar that put Legazpi Village on the cocktail map. David Ong opened it in 2013, and it was on Asia's 50 Best Bars every year from 2016 until this year's list. It is a specialty coffee shop by day; the cocktail room at the back opens in the evening. 134 Legazpi Street, corner C. Palanca Street. ₱₱. Cocktails Tuesday to Sunday, 6:30pm to 1am. Good to know: it is a short walk from The Grasshopper Bar, so the two make an easy pair. **[The Grasshopper Bar](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/the-grasshopper-bar)** sits behind a black door marked only by a small grasshopper. The menu, 17 drinks at the last change, is built on underrated local produce, and chef Jane Laude's food reworks Filipino street snacks. It made Tatler's Best 20 Bars in the Philippines for 2026. G/F OPL Building, C. Palanca Street, Legazpi Village. ₱₱₱. Daily, 5pm to 2am. **[Blind Pig](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/blind-pig)** is often called Manila's first speakeasy, open since 2011, and head bartender Tog Exconde has been there from the start. The list is short and classic, and plenty of regulars just ask for the bartender's choice. It has moved from Salcedo Street to Windsor Tower, so ignore older guides. G/F Windsor Tower, 163 Legazpi Street, Legazpi Village. ₱₱. From 6pm to 2am. Tip: book ahead, and check the new address before you go. ## For records and a band **[Big Fuzz](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/big-fuzz)** is behind a red door on the second floor of the Creekside building at the edge of Little Tokyo. Tatler named it Bar of the Year for 2026. Rock records at least 20 years old play on vinyl, and the drinks, classics and modern classics, are often named for songs. Across the hall, the same team opened Ultramilk in 2026, a bar built around punch. 2/F Creekside Building, Amorsolo corner V.A. Rufino Streets, Legazpi Village. ₱₱. Monday to Thursday 6pm to 1am, Friday and Saturday 6pm to 2am; closed Sunday. **[Fat Cat](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/fat-cat)** is Ron and Fifi Cruz's small, dim room in Makati Central Square, modelled on a Japanese jazz kissaten, a café where the records come first. It was Tatler's Bar of the Year in 2025, and the current menu turns the 22 major arcana tarot cards into cocktails. 2/F Makati Central Square, Amorsolo Street. ₱₱. Tuesday to Sunday, 1pm to 1am. How to book: message them on Instagram. **[Cattery](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/cattery)** is the same couple's live music room on the ground floor of the same building, built after NPR's Tiny Desk sessions. Most nights there is a live set, from jazz to tribute nights, and Wednesday is open mic. If you searched for a bar in Makati with a live band and want something small, this is it. Makati Central Square, Amorsolo Street, behind KFC. ₱₱. Tuesday to Thursday 6pm to 1am, Friday to Sunday 6pm to 2am; closed Monday. **[78-45-33](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/78-45-33)** is a jazz listening bar at the back of LPL Mansions, named for the three speeds of a record. Audiophile Tonyboy de Leon opened it in 2017 to house his records and speakers. Live sets are played without microphones on a Steinway baby grand, tickets are usually ₱500, and the room is asked to stop talking before each set. G/F (rear), LPL Mansions, 44 San Agustin Street, Salcedo Village. ₱₱₱. Daily, 4pm to midnight. How to book: Viber +63 966 773 8982, until 5pm on the day; walk-ins after that if there is a table. **[Kariton x Sabi Sounds](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/sabi-sounds)** is the easygoing one: a listening café and record bar in Tiffany Place from Kariton gelato and Melbourne's Sabi Sounds. Coffee and gelato by day, small plates and a martini flight at night, and DJs on weekends. For more rooms like it, read [The Rise of Manila's Listening Bars](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/manila-listening-bars). Tiffany Place, 156 L.P. Leviste Street, Salcedo Village. ₱₱₱. Open until 1:30am on Friday and Saturday. ## For wine **[Good Morning Wines](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/good-morning-wines)** pours only Japanese wine, at a counter of about six seats on the mezzanine of Prince Tower. Each month there are four to six wines by the glass or as a flight, with Hokkaido cheese. It is a slow, curious evening for two. Mezzanine, Prince Tower, 14 Tordesillas Street, Salcedo Village. ₱₱. Two seatings, 6pm and 8:30pm. How to book: TableCheck, with a ₱500 per guest fee you drink against. Good to know: skip strong perfume; the house asks you to. ## For a hotel night out **[Salon de Ning](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/salon-de-ning)** is the art deco lounge at The Peninsula Manila, styled after 1930s Shanghai, with themed rooms off the main floor. A live band plays from Thursday to Saturday, and it is one of the few rooms in the business district where people get up and dance. The Peninsula Manila, corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues. ₱₱₱. Thursday to Saturday, evenings until 2am. Tip: book a table if you plan to arrive after 10pm. **[Long Bar at Raffles Makati](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/long-bar-raffles-makati)** is modelled on the Raffles Singapore bar where the Singapore Sling was created, and the house version here, the Makati Luxury Sling, comes with gold flakes. A full band plays Friday and Saturday from 8pm to midnight, with smaller acts Tuesday to Thursday, and happy hour is 5pm to 7pm. 1st Floor Lobby, Raffles Makati, 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue. Sunday to Thursday 5pm to midnight, Friday and Saturday 5pm to 1am. How to book: call (02) 8555 9840. For more hotel and rooftop options, see [rooftop bars in Manila](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/rooftop-bars-in-manila), and for more hidden doors, [speakeasy bars in Manila](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/speakeasy-bars-in-manila). ## How a night here flows A simple Legazpi plan: a first drink at The Curator, then the short walk to The Grasshopper Bar, then a short walk down to Big Fuzz or Fat Cat on Amorsolo Street. In Salcedo, start at Sabi Sounds, then a booked set at 78-45-33 or a seating at Good Morning Wines. If it is Friday and you want a band, finish at Salon de Ning or Long Bar. For an earlier start straight from the office, see [things to do in Makati after work](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/things-to-do-in-makati-after-work) and [live music and jazz bars in Manila](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/live-music-and-jazz-bars-in-manila). ## Before you go - **Getting there.** Legazpi and Salcedo sit on either side of Ayala Avenue, a short walk from each other and from Greenbelt. Grab is easiest after dark. Problem Child is on Jupiter Street in Bel-Air, a short ride from Salcedo. - **Booking.** The small rooms fill fast on Friday and Saturday. 78-45-33 books by Viber until 5pm on the day, Good Morning Wines through TableCheck, Fat Cat by Instagram message, and the hotel bars by phone. Weeknights are easier for walk-ins. - **When to go.** Tuesday to Thursday is the best time to sit at the bar and talk to the bartenders. Many of these bars close on Sunday or Monday, so check before you go. - **Payment.** Some bills already include a service charge, so check the bottom of the bill before you tip. - **Dress.** Smart casual fits every room on this list. ## Questions people ask ### What are the best bars in Salcedo Village? 78-45-33 for live jazz and records, Kariton x Sabi Sounds for an easy drink with DJs at weekends, and Good Morning Wines for Japanese wine. Problem Child is a short ride away on Jupiter Street. ### Where is the listening bar in Makati? In Salcedo Village there are two: 78-45-33, a jazz bar with unamplified live sets, and Kariton x Sabi Sounds, a record bar. In Legazpi, Big Fuzz plays rock on vinyl, and Fat Cat is built around jazz records. OTO in Poblacion is the other well-known one. ### Which bars in Makati have a live band? Salon de Ning at The Peninsula (Thursday to Saturday), Long Bar at Raffles Makati (a full band on Friday and Saturday), Cattery (live sets most nights) and 78-45-33 (ticketed jazz sets). ### What are the best bars in Legazpi Village? The Curator, The Grasshopper Bar, Blind Pig and Big Fuzz. All four are cocktail bars, and The Curator and The Grasshopper Bar are a few steps apart on C. Palanca Street. ### What is the best bar in Makati right now? On the awards, Problem Child: it is No. 44 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026 and was named the best bar in the Philippines. Big Fuzz is Tatler's Bar of the Year for 2026. For more ideas, see [date ideas](https://whatsonmnl.com/date-ideas), [things to do](https://whatsonmnl.com/things-to-do) and our [eat and drink hub](https://whatsonmnl.com/eat-drink).