The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 606

Banana is a good old-fashioned disco-bar (P250 cover),
Mint is a lounge-bar, Zin c features karaoke and comedy
acts, while Assul offers fine dining. Daily 7pm-4am.

San Andres Market San Andres cnr. Guerrero streets,
close to Quirino Ave LRT station. Offering a wide selection
of fruit, this labyrinthine market is home to hundreds
of stalls groaning under the weight of mango, pomelo,
jackfruit, cantaloupe, watermelon, rambutan and more.
Daily 24hr.
“Under the Bridge” Market ( Sa Ilalim ng Tulay ) Quezon
Bridge, Quiapo. Mainly handicrafts and secondhand
clothes, as well as meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Daily
5am-10pm.

MAKATI
★

B-Side Suite B, The Collective, 7274 Malugay St
W bsidemanila.com; map p.604. This hipster joint in a
converted warehouse hosts local and foreign indie gigs
and attracts a studenty crowd. Big reggae/ragga sessions
on “Irie Sundays”. Cover usually P200-300. It's hard to find,
so check their website for details. Wed-Sat 9pm-4am,
Sun 7pm-2am.
Handlebar 31 Polaris St; map p.604. Friendly biker bar
with masculine trimmings and live music, sports on TV,
draught beer (P72) and some of the best steaks (P545) in
Makati. Daily 24hr.
★

BOOKS
Fully Booked Branches in Greenbelt and Rockwell
( W fullybookedonline.com). The country's best bookshop
has a broad range of titles and also sells magazines and
stationery.
National Bookstore Branches in Greenbelt, Rockwell
and Robinson's Place malls. A chainstore found in almost
every mall in the country, selling books, maps and
stationery.
Power Books Greenbelt 4. A decent selection of books in
a cosy ambience.
Solidaridad Bookshop 531 Padre Faura. Owned by
celebrated Filipino novelist F. Sionil José, this place is a
hidden gem, stocking more unusual Filipino titles. Mon-
Sat 9am-6pm.

M Cafe Ayala Museum, Makati Ave; map p.604. Nibble
at modern Asian tapas and dim sum (P195-295) as you sip
an exquisite cocktail (P225; try “The M” - melon vodka,
pineapple and calimansi syrup) at this swish place, which
attracts big crowds on Thurs. Cool interior and atmospheric
outdoor seating. Daily 8am-midnight; Thurs and Fri till
3am with DJs.
Palladium In the New World Hotel, Makati; map p.604.
This large club set on two floors plays house, r'n'b and club
tunes. The top floor has a more loungy feel to it, while the
basement is where the party goes wild; it fills up around
1am. Fri & Sat 10pm-5am. Entry P500.
Time 7840 Makati Ave; map p.604. The epicentre of the
electronic music scene with Filipino and international DJs
performing live sets, from deep house to dubstep. Mon-
Sat 9pm-4am. Mon-Thurs P200, Fri & Sat P500-800.

8

MALLS
Manila's malls loom large in the entertainment of the city,
with many of the best restaurants, bars and cinemas found
inside. You can also do your banking, book travel tickets
and stock up on picnic supplies. Opening hours are usually
Mon-Fri 10am-9pm, Sat & Sun 10am-10pm. The main
malls are:
Ayala Center Makati Ave W ayalamalls.com.ph.
Restaurants, boutiques, bars, theatres, cinemas and so
on, spread across Greenbelt malls 1-5 (in ascending
order of exclusivity). Glorietta, opposite the Shangri-La
Makati , has a seven-screen cinema complex ( T 02 752
7880), including one dedicated to arthouse films, and
Landmark has a well-stocked basement supermarket
good for self-caterers. There are also plenty of snack
chain counters here.
Robinson's Place Adriatico cnr. Padre Fauna streets,
Ermita W robinsonsmalls.com. Some great restaurants, a
multiplex cinema and free wi-fi.
Rockwell Center Rockwell Drive, Makati W powerplant
mall.com O cially called the Power Plant mall, but
everyone just refers to it as Rockwell.
SM Mall of Asia Bay Blvd cnr. EDSA extension, Pasay
W smmallofasia.com. The second-largest mall in the
Philippines, and the fourth largest in the world. Has
everything you'd expect and more that you wouldn't,
including an Olympic-sized ice-skating rink.

SHOPPING
MARKETS
Baclaran Market Southern end of Roxas Blvd. The
delights on offer at this rough-round-the-edges market
include clothes, puppies, quail eggs, caged finches and
ubiquitous pirate DVDs. Daily from 6am, but busiest on
Wed and weekends. Take the LRT to Baclaran and allow
plenty of time.
Divisoria Market C.M. Recto St, Binondo. The grand-
daddy of flea markets, where haggling is the order of the
day. Fake Converse trainers, pirated DVDs, bags, wallets
and household paraphernalia crowd the stalls at this
immense and sometimes overwhelming Chinatown
market. Dress down and leave valuables at your hotel.
Daily from dawn until late.
★

Salcedo Community Market Jaime Velasquez Park,
Bel-Air, Makati. One of Manila's culinary highlights,
Salcedo features a dazzling display of gastronomic delights
from all corners of the Philippines and further afield to
take away or enjoy at one of the communal tables. Sat
7am-2pm.