With the opening of Greenbelt 5 in 2007, the Greenbelt Mall, which started renovations in 2001, got closer and closer to completing what the Ayala Malls Group claims as “the only complete lifestyle destination in the country.” Shopping, dining, pampering and culture can be found here, with specially-chosen boutiques, hip restaurants, a good variety of salons and spa-style specialty service shops, and the Ayala Museum all contained in five connecting clusters of retail heaven.
To give mall-goers new dining options, Ayala Malls Group recently revamped Greenbelt 2, adding more casual dining places to fit every dining requisite. Family favorite Conti’s just recently opened in Greenbelt 2, while steak house Tender Bobs, Indian haven Madras by The New Bombay Group, My Thai, and wine bar and bistro Barcino are soon to open doors sometime this year or early next year. Canadian yogurt brand Qoola is also set to join the Ayala Malls Group.
Fashion lovers have filled up a waiting and reservation list for Hermés’ beloved bags as it finally comes to Manila. The French brand will soon open in Greenbelt 3, hopefully this December. Right now, they can get their fashion fill with newly-opened boutiques such as Travel Club, Madison, XOXO and Gola. Other Greenbelt 3 doors soon to open include A6, Silicon Valley, and Urban Athletics by Toby’s.
The newest addition to the Greenbelt cluster, Greenbelt 5, complements the other buildings by providing a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options. Apart from the Filipino Zone, great home stores like Dexterton Home, Borders, Hive and many others and a watch gallery that includes fronts of premiere luxury watch brands such as Panerai, IWC, Rolex/Tudor, Jaeger Le Couture, Omega and Patek Philippe on the first floor, this building also has a variety of shops for kids and teens on the second and third levels. Specialty shops such as Healthy Options, Fullybooked, and Bow & Wow take up most of the shopping area in the lower ground level, while the fourth floor (access it through the escalators near Adora) houses pampering havens Strip & Brow Haus, Nail Tropics, Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell and a soon-to-open American Eye. The fourth floor will also soon offer Peking Garden and Kimpura fare for special functions.
Completing Greenbelt 5’s dining offerings are Mr Jones, another crowd-drawer by the Chelsea Group, the very popular Pepper Lunch, and a Portuguese/Chinese concept by Florabel Co, which will all soon open. Gelatissimo should provide some gelato love by December.
To celebrate the holiday spirit of sharing and giving and Greenbelt is hosting a concert by Piolo Pascual at 7pm tonight. With musical direction by Ryan Cayabyab and stage direction by Johnny Manahan, the concert also features musical guests Laarni Lozada, Richard Poon and The Ateneo Chamber Singers. There will also be a silent auction of merchandise donated by Greenbelt’s merchant partners and renowned artists to benefit Habitat For Humanity.
Before the concert however, make sure you get a fill of everything Greenbelt has to offer. Here’s a guide on how Greenbelt fits your lifestyle:
The Travel Club
More than just luggage, The Travel Club offers everything needed by the travel bug-bitten, may he or she be jetsetting socialite, a practical businessman or a gung-ho adventurer. The store has lightweight luggage from Samsonite, Delsey, Victorinox and Tumi T-Tech but it also carries backpacks by Jansport and North Face, those comfy sandal-shoes by Sanuk and a host of laptop bags and carryalls to fit every personality.
The Travel Club is located at Greenbelt 3.
XOXO
This is how LA wears it. US brand XOXO offers fun frocks and casual pieces that are California-cool and Hollywood-flirty. Trends are seen on full-skirted cocktail, textured bags, and studded booties. The store also has outerwear for those days when you just want to lie low and kick back.
Xoxo is located at Greenbelt 3.
Madison
This haven for cult brands has Diane Von Furstenberg and Vera Wang as its most popular shelf stockers. Alongside these big names however are hip jeans brands Cheap Monday from Sweden, and Rich and Skinny by the founders of Seven for all Mankind and Citizens of Humanity. US brand Free People and French shoe label Repetto are also in store.
Madison is located at Greenbelt 3.
Dash
The newly-opened store offers Disney wear minus the Disney characters, essentially jeans, playsuits, shirts and outerwear for kids — and parents — who think Mickey Mouse and Co are cheesy. The store also exclusively distributes Busquets bags, colorful, animal-starring backpacks and totes from Spain.
Dash is located at Greenbelt 5.
Youji & Me
Eco-friendly toys made of wood from Boikido are the store’s holiday starrers. You have musical intruments, clocks, alphabet books all for the socially-conscious kid. (Always start early, they say). Toddler paraphernalia such as cribs and strollers are also available.
Gola
The casual shoe brand has new hip collaborations up its laces. Their newest collection includes super-cute pairs and bags designed by London-based Japanese graphic artist Eboy, and shoes by Jonathan Saunders, which are surprisingly sleek and minimalist considering his background in printed textiles. The Gola store in Greenbelt 2 also carries New Era caps, those baseball caps that have become ubiquitous to urban wear. New Era in Manila has limited-edition caps featuring Pinoy symbols and alibata, the ancient Filipino alphabet.
Gola is located at Greenbelt 3.
Jump
This is Shoe Salon, only carrying smaller sizes but still abounding with hip, edgy footwear. Tots and teens can now pose footwear-pretty with Ipanema and Grendha sandals and slippers, Nike Air Force One rehashes and Papillon sandals.
Jump is located at Greenbelt 5.
Healthy Options
Why not give health this Christmas? Healthy Options offers boxed Christmas packages that you can fill up with products from the store at a collective price of P2,500. Choose from natural supplements, energy bars, organic body care products, or soy ice cream treats.
Healthy Options is located at Greenbelt 5.
Fully Booked
Paperbacks may be their biggest stockers but Fully Booked also has a great collection of art materials, drawing markers and even super-classy portfolio albums for models. Their reference book collections on cooking, home décor, and graphic novel superheroes are also amazingly extensive.
Fully Booked is located at Greenbelt 5.
Bow & Wow
This is Whole Foods for pets. Pet lovers would do well to stock up on the all-natural food and grooming options available at Bow & Wow for their beloved canine and kitty pals. The superstore has supplements made up of carrots, alfalfa, and parsley (for healthy vision) as well as canned food made up of unusual pet food ingredients such as salmon, tuna and trout. Ear and grooming wipes, shampoos and hair detanglers are also preservative-free. And just to indulge your pets even more, they also have ultra-plush blankets for dogs and even puppy diapers.
Bow & Wow is located at Greenbelt 5.
Nail Tropics
Owner Gigi Daza started a Go Green campaign in her nail salons recently. Nail Tropics now offers dry or wet pedicure or manicure services. The former foregoes with the water tub used for soaking feet and instead uses misting and hand sanitizer — all to conserve water. Aside from a green advocacy, Nail Tropics has nail treatments that use their own organic formulations and blissful treatments that offer the ultimate pampering for your hands and feet. The Greenbelt 5 branch, in particular has the full OPI treatment, where they use the posh nail brand from start (moisturizing) to finish (even towels are from OPI) of the manicure.
Nail Tropics is located at Greenbelt 5.
Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell
Hair specialist Alex Carbonell upgrades Fix Salon to a posh, premiere setting and comes up with Studio Fix, the only salon in Greenbelt 5. Subdued grays, whites and pistachios complement a luxurious space filled with plush chairs, each slinging on a bag with a robe and towels. “It’s really like a spa experience,” says Carbonell. Other Studio Fix exclusives include a product buffet, a table filled with hair products for customer testing, an ultra-posh waxing room and the Pureology hair treatment, an all-natural, vegan haircare system for colored hair.
Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell is located at Greenbelt 5.
Strip and Brow Haus
Body hair should not be an enemy. Strip and Brow Haus specializes in services that rids you off unwanted hair and gives your face the perfect (brow) framing. Threading and waxing are done in special, one-customer only rooms.
Strip and Brow Haus is located at Greenbelt 5.