Manila is often overlooked when it comes to cocktail culture in Asia, but the city is actually home to some high-quality drinking spots and innovative tipples. From ube-inspired creamy cocktails to rum-forward, tropical juices (Philippines is after all home to some of the world’s best-selling rums!), we’ve rounded up a list of exciting craft cocktail bars that you should explore if you’re ever in the Philippines’ bustling capital city!

1. Run Rabbit Run

(Image source: Run Rabbits Run)

An old-school 1970s home transformed into a wonderland, Run Rabbit Run is two-story bar in the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Población that offers whimsical takes on classic and modern cocktails. With cozy, chic interiors full of thrifted treasures, Run Rabbit Run’s mixologists (who calls themselves “rabbits”) whip up drinks like their classic Kaya Toast Cocktail or the fan-favorite purple-hued Halo-Halo cocktail, a boozy gin-infused take on the iconic Filipino dessert.

Kaya Toast Cocktail (Image source: Run Rabbits Run)

2. Bank Bar

(Photo credit: Sand Under My Feet)

Bank Bar is a hidden speakeasy tucked away behind an unassuming yet charming mini-mart. Once past the entrance, you’ll be rewarded with a plush, swanky oasis that takes pride in having one of the widest drinks selection of any bar in Manila. Some must try cocktails include the Mariang Bastos – a high-proof mix of Don Papa and Don Papa 10 rums, Cointreau, citrus, island butters and cinnamon, and the Pinay Colada – wherein a trio of Filipino rums Tanduay, Don Papa and Very Old Caption add strength to a tropical mixture of mango, chocolate bitters, grapefruit, pineapple and citrus-honey meringue. 

(Image source: The Bank Bar)

3. The Curator

(Image source: World's Best Bars)

This bar is the only bar in the Philippines that was featured on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars of 2021, so you can bet it’s going to be good. Interestingly, The Curator is a coffee shop serving up the freshest brews by day, before transforming into a backroom 32-seater speakeasy by night. Don’t let the understated ambience fool you, the drinks are delicious and, trust us, the accompanying tongue-in-cheek commentary you’ll find on the menu will leave you chuckling. While you’re there, consider order the cocktail ‘Ube Milk Punch’, which combines the popular purple yam with condensed milk and bourbon, guaranteed the be “comforting like a puto bumbong in Christmas”. If you’re more partial to gin, give ‘Summer as a Verb’ a try, with sweet notes of strawberry, black pepper and yuzu.  

Uke Milk Punch (Image source: @jp_jayps.jpeg on Instagram)

4. OTO

Music lovers will enjoy visiting OTO, named after the Japanese word for “sound”. OTO is a sister bar to The Curator (another exceptional bar on this list!). The bar was conceived by a group of music lovers, and doubles as a listening room with a focus on serving up bites, bars, brews and beats. Sip on cocktails surrounded by chic interiros, killer vinyls and good music. Some choice libations for the night? Try their #Religion Black, a mix of white rum, lime, black sesame syrup and shiso leaf. Or their Pamela-Mela Wan, a fruity concoction of tequila reposado, aperol, agave syrup, pomelo juice, lime juice and grapefruit bitters. 

(Image source: World's Best Bars)

5. Buccaneers Rum & Cocktails

(Image source: Buccaneers Rum & Cocktails)

Rum heads are guaranteed to have a swashbuckling good time at the Buccaneers Rum & Kitchen cocktail bar, which houses the largest selection of rum in the Philippines in a pirate-ship themed interior. Their rum-heavy cocktails are separated into five sections: Aloha Baby – tropical fruity tiki cocktails, Flight Club – robust and boozy gentlemen cocktails, Soooooo Wet – sweet and refreshing sexy cocktails, Fearless Enough – audacious and complex adventurous cocktails, and Comfort Zone – classic cocktails. Drinks we recommend trying include the Sexy Colada, the Crystal Colada, and the Chocolate Rum Martini. 

Sexy Colada (Image source: Buccaneers Rum & Cocktails)

6. The Spirits Library

(Image source: Drink Manila)

Humble in it's outside facade, grand and majestic on the inside. The Spirits Library in Poblacion is a cocktail bar that houses an ever-growing collection of rare books, rare bottles and cocktail paraphernalia. You'd never know what you might find lining the shelves of their bar, which is a treasure trove of limited edition and hard to find spirits, such as the last ever Caroni bottled by Velier or a Vintage Green Chartreuse bottled in the 1970s. While not specifically a cocktail bar, The Spirits Library serves up 6 different bespoke menus throughout the week, so you're guaranteed to always find something to quench your thirst.

The MJ Cocktail (Image source: The Spirits Library)