Monsoon party guide

Ooh, watch that dreadful rainpour turning summer’s sleek sandals into pulp! Traffic, floods and frequent flight cancellations lull the activity-charged weekends of summer of going to Bora, eating at Antonio’s in Tagaytay (the best foie gras in the land) or maybe catching the waves at La Union. Indoor entertainment is now in order as the party calls for raising the roof!

So where is fickle Manila swilling their cocktails these days? The trend of restaurant/bar/club still continues honoring the Filipinos’ love for anything three-in-one. Although I find that this nosh and slosh trend works well for the first few months raking in a gluttonous band of drunkards, it proves to be counter productive in the end. I mean take Wasabi for example. They have the BEST chicken teriyaki and tofu dishes, but a few Sundays ago I went there with my honey and although the dishes were up to fight standards, the damn booths reeked of cigarettes (not to mention riddled with cigarette burns, too or maybe they were just the studs from someone’s jeans). I mean seriously, how can you dine in a place whose restrooms you puked in the night before? That, of course, is a casualty of the vigorous grinding the night before from Hip Hop nights or some clubby party. But I still love Wasabi anyway!

However, there are those that have successfully made themselves into the modern supper clubs (wine and dine and etc. establishments). Like the Stork Room or the Colonial of the café society era, places like the 12 (Greenbelt 3), Fidel(Maria Orosa, Malate) or Nuvo (Greenbelt 3), has captured that ol’ Stars (former watering hole in Glorietta) feeling. It’s glam and uber-fun to be trading bitch notes in! If you’re lucky you can catch designer Rhett Eala spinning his mix of ‘80s greats and contemporary anthems. Knocking elbows (and maybe even boots) in every corner are celebrities, models, politicians, editors, socialites, it boys and it girls. Common denominator of all places aside from seasoned champagne clinkers are the bathrooms that you want to take home. These places are great for people-watching especially if stuck on a die blind date. Once-overs for those who are dressed to the nines, scandalized stares at the latest odd coupling are choice activities for many of the cocktail society in attendance. Almost like Boracay in Holy Week, only you can indulge in these leisure interests daily if your liver permits. Truly places to go if you’re wearing something fight – for maximum exposure, of course.

If celebrity sightings and bitch festivals are not your cup of tea, the chamomile alternative is to heigh off to Shiraz (Perea St., Legaspi Village), the little bar that could. Their bar, I must really declare, is the altar of tipple godliness! Perfectly mixed snifters with the flood of vodka! No cough syrup cosmos! The bar menu was done by my all-time favorite shaker king Dudes, who now works also at Dish! If you do see him tell him to make you a banana mojito or minty banana highball! Your life will change. Mati (Power Plant Mall, Rockwell) is also a great place for quiet but never boring fun. Stay outside and have a Cruzan cocktail. Perfect for bull sessions and first dates. Although it has its Bianca Jagger alter-ego in events and all the good-looking bold facers get sloshed. The best of both worlds!

Of course at the right side of Malate, a bar the equals the godliness of scrumptious cocktails and respect for vodka as Shiraz is that of Aquario (Nakpil St.,Maria Orosa, Malate). The look of the bar itself is something to behold (made by Ed Calma who also did 12) with water-filled tables, sleek bathrooms (I’m really a sucker for bathrooms, OK), walls you can sit in (DJ Montano, the owner, calls these walls breasts). Cocktails are served in low Bette Davis’ and since bikini season is now over indulge, your spoiled self with the Ferrero martinis (chocolate liqueur, vodka and ferrero garnish) or maybe just a deluxe martini made with premium grey goose vodka (once you go Grey Goose you never go back).

A mainstay in the bar scene is always, of course, V (good any day of the week – how do they do that?). The striped walls make you lose track of time and before you know it the chairs are being placed on top of the tables to prepare for closing. The supper club crowd comes here for a long-extended nightcap. You can find the perfect blow-job (the drink, OK) here.

But we’re talking about the new stomping grounds where the pious drunks pay their respects at Temple (Greenbelt 3). With the shuttering of trusty ol’ Prava, Manolet Dario, David Jacob and Kevin Ruiz et al are now at your service as they spin your already spinning head into musical delirium. Although I still I have not gone there yet, Bed, I hear, is also a place that makes anyone who goes there feel anything but sleepy!

So there you have it. It’s Friday – do you know where you’re headed tonight?