Philippines

Manila

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Pinto Art Museum

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Quezon City Memorial Circle

Ways to Explore Manila's Thriving Cultural Scene 

Eyedress

Be nice to the vendors and you might get a good deal.

Nice and quiet place for crepes and coffee.

Great place to see art, exhibitions, vinyl toys plus sneakers and streetwear.

Great place to find anything from fabric to rare band shirts and pirated everything.

Great place to walk within the city lots of trees and greenery and a beautiful campus with cheap restaurants nearby.

Thrift store heaven. Dress down, be nice to the people and you'll get a good deal on rare finds.

Eyedress Takes Us Trippin in Manila

August Wahh

Curator is a speciality coffee shop with a hidden bar at the back. I'm a coffee addict and won't function properly without it. They have their blend of beans called Dark Matter and Purple Haze. I personally love Purple Haze because of its kush-like notes. Best to have it as espresso.

I'm not vegetarian anymore but when I was it was difficult to find places to eat at. Wabi-Sabi was and is still a go to spot for me. It's a vegetarian/ vegan pho and ramen spot. I love dense broths so tantanmen is my go to order. The pot-stickers are pretty nice as well and everything goes well with the Thai Milk Tea.

This place is a trip. Here you will find thrift shops, second hand books and electronics for cheap. They've also got a couple of crystal shops, music shops, art shops, a shooting and archery range, a bowling alley and a bunch of other weird finds.

Poblacion is the red light district of Makati. However, it's turned into a creative haven for restaurants and bars to flourish making it the highlight of Makati's night life. If you're up for a pub crawl or just to find spots to eat and see art, these are the spots to go to: Casa Bambu for refreshing drinks and Costarican for Asian food. 

A roof top bar with a skate ramp and bamboo interiors all over, Limbo is a gallery / bar that curates electronic music very well, The Workshop Annex House is an old Filipino House turned into a bar with tropical cocktails, Spirit Library is a two story bar with shelves and shelves of varied curated spirits, Boogie is a bar that curates hip hop to funk music. 

You can also play video games in the first level. Run Rabbit Run for amazing cocktails, Yalla Yalla for Lebanese food, Cosmic for Vegan and Vegetarian Filipino cuisine, Khao Khai Thai Chicken House which is known for the Thai chicken, and Pineapple lab which is a creative space where local artists put up shows and events to showcase Filipino art makers and collaborators

Pinto Art Museum is in Antipolo which is an hour to two hour drive from Manila. It's a very scenic art gallery located on the hills of Antipolo. A beautiful place to go to when Manila gets too hectic. I love coming here to decompress and stroll or simply just have coffee or brunch. If you go on a Sunday, sometimes you'll catch artists doing live performance art

Intramuros is just a lovely place full of Historical architecture. It's the capital’s oldest district and home to some of its most impressive historic monuments. It's called the walled city as Intramuros was where Manila’s most influential and wealthy citizens of the Spanish colonial period had lived. I love going here and chill on the gardens to watch the sunset with my friends. We sneak in a couple of wine bottles and just hang out and have picnics. You can also rent a bamboo bicycle to stroll around the city

A restaurant located along Pasong Tamo Extension by Chef Jordy Navarra. A restaurant that pays homage to Filipino flavours and eatery traditions. Tip, reserve a slot a week before eating.

Cubao Expo are near each other. Cubao expo is this spot in Quezon City where you can find antiques and dig for vinyls. A bunch of vintage shops and restaurants in a compound where parties were always thrown back during the day. They still have these parties from time to time and they still pack the street.

August Wahh's Top Spots in Manila

Carl Jan Cruz

It's a great 'one stop shop' experience that's composed by amazing galleries, stores, and restaurants: Toyo, Panaderya, Sidechick, Aphro, ArtinFormal, and Bellas Artes Projects to name a few

World's oldest China town. Amazing food and supply finds

For those chill times you only want 'one drink' 

Filipino multi brand Tropa Store and Hoodwink are here along with other contemporary int'l brands and outlets like Archives

Amazing block parties and an emerging community of creatives. Celine Mallari and Jao San Pedro's works are to be seen here too

No exaggeration - the best caramel cake in town

Carl Jan Cruz' Best Spots in Manila

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Aguirre Street

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