Dining and Entertainment Districts

[Peksman]

We are currently doing an informal study that we hope to release sometime in the next two months. To spur friendly competition and an improvement in the quality of life of our secondary and tertiary cities, we are coming up with a ranking of the top ten cities outside Metro Manila in terms of having the most exciting nightlife.

Please contribute! All suggestions welcome.

Our Top Ten So Far:
1. Boracay
2. Davao
3. Cebu
4. Baguio
5. Cagayan de Oro
6. Dumaguete
7. Angeles-Clark
8. Bacolod
9. Puerto Galera
10. Subic-Olongapo

[fundraiser]

walang poll?

anyway heres my top ten

!. CEBU - some would even say na mas wild ang nightlife sa cebu than in manila, I witnessed it first hand when i was n cebu for the jamaican nights, 10,000 ata ang estimate na tao na nag attend, yung buong cebu beach club naging parang sementeryo kapag todos los santos! ganun kadami, and the traffic was almost two km ata, to think na medyo malayo na yun sa cebu city proper. too bad yung "blood bath" parties that are held every friday the 13th ay nawala na, that blood bath is wild din! there are good number of bars and clubs din, vudu is one good example, its like in makati na halos ata lahat ng pumapasok dun models at goodlooking peeps, i saw some stars from manila wen i was there na hindi pinapansin sa vudu, dinadaan daanan lang ng mga tao like theyre not stars, no star treatment at vudu tapos P100 lang ang entrance!

2. BORACAY - kailangan pa bang i elaborate? BEST in BEACH PARTY!!!

3. DAVAO - MTS and the venue great! jacks ridge oks din

4.ANGELES-CLARK

5.SUBIC-OLONGAPO

6.CDO

7.BACOLOD

cant comment on the others.. d pa ko nakakapunta sa nytlyf nila

[chymera00]

Since I dont really prefer going to clubs to "party" and everything ... I'd say Cebu has a nice grasp of the Phil's rock scene, I say this because I'm hearing of great bands from Cebu, some of the being recognized nationally (not that it matters)

If only more support is given to Ilonggo Bands/Artists, coz there are a lot of talent here left undiscovered. Also, the crowds here are great! Manila-based bands can get enough of it ... they keep coming back again and again for concerts and stuff ...

[KulasKusgan]

When it comes to party scene... Id say Boracay, Cebu & Davao. I can only speak for Davao since 99% of my nightlife are spent here. Though per city ordinance limits partying up to 2AM only, even 24hrs convenience stores stop selling liquors by 2 AM. Smoking is regulated in all enclosed establishments... There are designated smoking rooms/areas.

Party places here you shouldnt miss:

1. The Venue
2. Matina Town Square
3. Rizal Promenade
4. Liquid
5. Octane
6. Autoshop

Speaking of talents, I guess Davao talents are now known nationwide... these include Freestyle, Southborder, MYMP.

[rustyboi]

If outside Manila? its gotta be Cebu..

i can only think of 5 fave nightlife scenes:
1. Cebu (Metro Cebu)
2. Davao
3. Angeles
4. Subic
5. Tagaytay

[weirdo]

agree rin ako cebu. havent been there. pero ive been hearing stuff about cebu nightlife. my cebuano friends dito sa university ang talagang pinaka adik sa partying.

and yung bands. may isang cebu based band na sumikat dito. ung urbandub. panalo. daig ang marami dito and ung mga foreign banda bandahan. i've 2 cds ng urbandub. galing talaga.

sa iba ewan. bora, davao and baguio talagang kilala yan. i rarely go outside metro manila kasi. tas pag out of town, baon lang ng iinumin at ipupulutan with friends.

[kennethologist]

Originally Posted by weirdo

agree rin ako cebu. havent been there. pero ive been hearing stuff about cebu nightlife. my cebuano friends dito sa university ang talagang pinaka adik sa partying.

and yung bands. may isang cebu based band na sumikat dito. ung urbandub. panalo. daig ang marami dito and ung mga foreign banda bandahan. i've 2 cds ng urbandub. galing talaga.

sa iba ewan. bora, davao and baguio talagang kilala yan. i rarely go outside metro manila kasi. tas pag out of town, baon lang ng iinumin at ipupulutan with friends.

cebu is one great place but kinda annoying pag laking maynila ka, i just don't like how they treat tagalog folks, it is a city where in some times you feel so foreign. so foreign kase folks down there would rather speak cebuano and english and nothing in between. and you can actually feel tension once tanongin mo sila ng tagalog, kahit naiintindihan nila ung tinanong mo, they will answer you in pure cebuano.. with pride! (a pride very uncalled for when asking directions, finding a toilet or buying stuff at a store) you are better off there speaking english in that city.

i have nothing against it but kinda like part of their culture, i think it's their way to inculturate you with their language. i also heard na cebuanos have an attitude na "pag nasa maynila ako, magtatagalog ako pero pag ikaw nasa lugar namin, magcebuano ka!" or kinda like that..

[bagel]

Now you know how it feels like to have Southern Tagalog/Manila culture imposed on you if you are not Tagalog.

[Lili]

mbassyambassador,

You know, I had the same experience as you when I visited Cebu. It put me in an awkward situation especially when I had to ask for directions when I rode the jeepney. I felt people smirking at me. It felt awkward also because I also did not like to have to be pa-ingles-ingles to fellow pinoys. Buti na lang, there was one person there who was willing to help me out.

I don't think it's the average Manilenos fault that Tagalog was made basis as Filipino. I don't think Tagalogs should be censured for that. While I was there, I kept my mouth shut most of the time. Still, I enjoyed my stay. I could have enjoyed it more if it weren't for that uneasiness in revealing that I'm from Manila.

[eazyboy]

guys... ive read about this stuff sa isang forum (not ssc) sabi nung isang taga mla na palaging nasa cebu, kaya daw ganun ang reaction ng mga cebuano w tagalog ppl is because they know na they would sound "funny" pag nagtagalog sila, kaya as much as possible inaavoid nila to speak loud tagalog. sabi nung isang taga cebu dun, nasa isip lang daw natin na na iiritate sila pero its not that naman daw.

ako ive had a first hand experiene with this, sa 5 tao na tinatagalog ko 2 or 3 would answer me back in english, pero theyre polite enuf to say to me na theyd rather answer me in english kasi "they dont sound good" in tagalog daw, pero im comfortable with tagalog or english naman so d gaanong abala, and i try to talk to them w/ the litl cebuano words that i know

and it didnt stop me from enjoying the nightlife that the queen city is offering!!!! wild talaga!!!! and its so true.... it could rival manila's nightlife.... plus lotsa goodlooking girls, sarap tignan, sabi nga nung isang kasama ko na girl who's from manila rin na "matotomboy daw ata sya dun" hehehehe

[KulasKusgan]

Originally Posted by eazyboy

guys... ive read about this stuff sa isang forum (not ssc) sabi nung isang taga mla na palaging nasa cebu, kaya daw ganun ang reaction ng mga cebuano w tagalog ppl is because they know na they would sound "funny" pag nagtagalog sila, kaya as much as possible inaavoid nila to speak loud tagalog. sabi nung isang taga cebu dun, nasa isip lang daw natin na na iiritate sila pero its not that naman daw.

in national tv some comedy shows ppl make fun of visayan accent, thats why siguro they prefer to speak in english. ako naman, i speak cebuano minsan may halong tagalog & english. mejo mahirap din kasi pure tagalog or pure english for me. kaya kung san ako masaya, te dun ako.

dice & k9 were from cebu previously known as anthill mob. tama ba? cebu's underground scene is no longer underground.

[wornout]

top ten...
1.boracay during the summer hot months.(This is not a city right?)
1.cebu-because CASBAH is there (check out this bar in mango ave...you'll agree why cebu can rival manila)
3.baguio
3.davao- i think because it's really safe.
4.cdo-all night up in divisoria
5.bacolod-
6.iloilo-
7.clark/angeles(are the girlie bars still operating?)

[wornout]

by the way...
I like the cebuano band named CUESHE and their song titled STAY...cool.

check this website...

www.talentfolio.com

[Peksman]

Thanks for the comments.

1. We missed Tagaytay! All the new bars and restaurants that have sprung up along the ridge has indeed turned this place into a nightlife center. Great! We need to re-think our ranking. Are there other hotspots in Luzon that we may have missed?

2. We also have to re-update Cebu's spot. I was under the impression the Davao was ready to overtake Cebu, with their nationally known homegrown bands, unique places like the Venue and Bluegre Cafe, but with the 2AM curfew, I think we have to readjust.

Which are the main nightlife areas of Cebu? I am familiar with the bars in Ayala Center (is Mi Vida still the hottest bar?) and the Village, though we did notice that some of the clubs and bars in the village had shut down. Have these spots been re-opened?

[KulasKusgan]

Originally Posted by Peksman

Thanks for the comments.
2. We also have to re-update Cebu's spot. I was under the impression the Davao was ready to overtake Cebu, with their nationally known homegrown bands, unique places like the Venue and Bluegre Cafe, but with the 2AM curfew, I think we have to readjust.

let me correct my statement on curfew.
curfew on minors 10:00 PM nga pala.
selling alcoholic drinks up to 2:00 only. but it doesnt mean the party stops. depende sa crowd. usually after 2:00 people look for coffee or dimsum.

i'll share these daytime pics. sorry sa poor quality.

The Venue







Matina Town Square (MTS)







Bluegre Coffee @ MTS



Bluegre Coffee @ Landco

[wornout]

the last time I went there, The Village is only busy during fridays up to the weekends. that was early december last year. I don't really know how is it now. There was a building being finished during that time just accross the street and they said that this I.T. PARK area (where the village is) will be packed with people when the building will be finished. Not so sure why though. But from the looks of it, I think this area will be turning out like Eastwood City in the future. Somebody even told me that Starbucks will be opening in the Village by the end of this year.
Vudu-is very hip and first class
Saints and Sinners-hip and notorious
Ayala Entertainment Center is a complex of bars and restos. Ratsky is there.
Crossroads Mall-this is where Vudu is and Krua Thai

There are very large dance lounges that i saw but I found them not so good like...
SUNFLOWER CITY-this is just a few walks from The Village. Most of the crowd are Korean tourists though I like the Badminton Court Complex beside it.
NASA-I just saw the big building and the signage while going to the airport.

[wornout]

Originally Posted by Peksman

Thanks for the comments.

1. We missed Tagaytay! All the new bars and restaurants that have sprung up along the ridge has indeed turned this place into a nightlife center. Great! We need to re-think our ranking. Are there other hotspots in Luzon that we may have missed?

2. We also have to re-update Cebu's spot. I was under the impression the Davao was ready to overtake Cebu, with their nationally known homegrown bands, unique places like the Venue and Bluegre Cafe, but with the 2AM curfew, I think we have to readjust.

Which are the main nightlife areas of Cebu? I am familiar with the bars in Ayala Center (is Mi Vida still the hottest bar?) and the Village, though we did notice that some of the clubs and bars in the village had shut down. Have these spots been re-opened?

I forgot. MI VIDA is already closed. I think that was like 2 years ago. I'm not sure. I have to confirm this.

[KulasKusgan]

Found this site: I dunno if this ones updated.

WA'Y BLIMA!

The ultimate web portal to Cebu
CEBU VISITORS GUIDE: FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT: NIGHTLIFE


NIGHTLIFE
Cebu has a fantastic nightlife. The scene may be smaller than in Manila, and everything does shut down a bit early - about 2:30 AM on weekdays - but the overall quality is great and you can easily get from place to place, especially at nighttime when traffic is light. This makes it easy to pack a lot of quality party time into a short time period.

So where does all this partying take place? Cebu's last disco closed in 2003. This is because Cebuanos consider dancing to music from a recording as silly and dated. Cebuanos are consummate party animals and don't need much encouragement to start dancing, singing, or drinking, but, these days, if there's no live band at your club, you're out of the running.

There are two exceptions. Halo, in SM, and Brix, in Ayala, do pump music from the speakers. On weekends, both places become packed to bursting point with horny teenagers. Brix has a few billiard tables, but if you want to poke balls with a cue the better place to go is 9 Ball, in SM and on General Maxillom Avenue, or Sencia's, wedged between the Waterfront and the flyover.

There are no bars in Cebu. There are establishments euphemestically called "bars" but there is not a single establishment with a long counter where customers can sit around and complain to the bartender about their bosses. That we don't have, yet. If properly implemented, that might be an excellent investment right now.

While Cebu lacks bar-like bars, it does have a lot of girlie bars, euphemestically known as KTV's or karaoke bars. The real karaoke joint where you can take your mom, meanwhile, is called a "family KTV." There are only two family KTV's; one at the Gaisano Bowlingplex and K1, at Crossroads. K1 has all the latest songs - Avril Lavigne, for instance - whereas the girlie bars mascarading as KTV's have no songs in their catalog more recent than ABBA.

LIVE BANDS
There are a number of places with stages and live bands, and most do not deviate from the basic format. Usually, there will be two bands, and each will do two sets, with short gaps between the bands. However, on a weeknight, only one band may do three sets (but may be surprised to be confronting a full house). The first set commences around 9 PM.

The most famous of resto-bars featuring live bands is, perhaps, Ratsky's, in the Ayala Entertainment Center. This is an expansion from Manila. While the design of the Cebu's Ratsky's is far better than the one in Manila, they haven't shaken the unfortunate tendency to fly in bands from Manila to alternate with the local bands. The quality of the Manila bands isn't bad, to be sure, but they seem to be less in tune with the crowds, perhaps because of language difficulties.

A long-established favorite is Jukebox, in the Cebu Convention Center on Arch Reyes, near Ayala. While they do play contemporary hits, the bands at Jukebox are not alternated enough - the featured bands tend to be the same week after week - and the repertoire of the favored bands seems to be a bit heavy on 70's disco hits such as "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire. Jukebox are currently under renovation.

Almost no Cebuano band plays original songs; all deliver perfectly executed covers of Western and, to a lesser extent, Tagalog hits. Given the size of the city, the quality of the Cebuano bands is amazing; they perform at a level you would expect to find at a major cosmopolitan metropolis. Little wonder, then, that every now and then one gets yanked away to perform on cruise ships or at clubs in Japan.
Speaking of renovation, Camp Zitro morphed into Camp Z after a revamp which was completed in September, 2004. To be honest, when military-themed Camp Zitro opened in 2002, I didn't expect it to stay around this long, despite cute touches such as dining attendant uniforms modelled on army fatigues. The food has remained terrible since day one, and the service is little better. But Camp Z remains a popular nightspot - people tend to gather there and you end up going back, perhaps due to the good quality of the bands and the convenient location.

One of the coolest places is perhaps Sinners and Saints, a spacious nightspot located in the Northgate Mall, which opened in 2003. Sinners and Saints has a unique ambience derived from the cute concept: little devils and angels abound. The decor apparently cost half a million dollars - that's a lot for Cebu - and is appropriately sinister.

Another great place is The Village Courtyard. A restaurant and bar complex called The Village opened on the grounds of an old airfield across the Waterfront Lahug in 2001, and immediately drew crowds. But when the Ayala Entertainment Center arrived on the scene in 2002, the young and hip people left, and a few geezers were left behind sipping margaritas in what used to be one of the hottest bars, Yo! Latino. The Village fought back by remodelling an open courtyard, adding a stage and seats. It's now one of the nicest places to party, especially because the menu features authentic pizzas baked by the Italian restaurant next door.

An old favorite is Slabadu, which you may call Slabaduy because of the tacky decor ("baduy" means "tasteless" in Cebuano). But Slabadu is nonetheless an excellent place to spend the evening. The bands have honed their craft after years of entertaining birthday celebrants, newly engaged couples, and management teams who've just closed a deal. One thing I like about Slabadu is that it's very dark towards the rear; this makes it a good place to bring a date. And the food is superb; try the kinilaw.

In 2003, two giant new clubs muscled in on the scene. Sunflower, on Salinas, and NASA, on A S Fortuna, are huge in comparison to the other places. Financed by Korean capital, the talk in early 2003 - when both clubs were about to open - was to what extent Sunflower and NASA would decimate the smaller Cebuano clubs. It turned out that, despite their size, Sunflower and NASA aren't getting much business except a steady stream of Korean tourists, probably due to the tasteless interior decoration, which probably stems from North Korea.

Over the past year a trend has emerged favoring acoustic, or unplugged, performances, and some of the establishments have acoustic nights. But the place to go for acoustic sound is really Kahayag Cafe, on M J Cuenco, who've been focused on acoustic for years.

[fundraiser]

blugre cafe? cebu has bo's, nag branch na sila here in manila, i dont see any blugre here in mla, though i hate durian like hell, naiintriga ako dun sa durian coffee nila

i have been to cebu, davao, cdo and puerto... so my choices outside mla are

1.CEBU - parang manila pero a looooooot cheaper, WILD ang party!!! ive been to a bloodbath party before and twas fantastic, may story kasi yung whole concept of bloodbath, pati yung jamaican nights, good tradition during summer, kakatawa lang last summer, may nadulas na male contestant sa stage, hehehehe, they also have this yearly bob marley day, lahat ng rasta's andun, kahayag cafe naman kung ibang level ang gusto mo! nice parties down south talaga!!! tsaka their bands... excellent talaga! ive been to the village w my cebuano friends and may nagpplay na music d ko akalaing live band pala yun, kuhang kuha, sabi nung iba kong friends meron na rin bagong tinatayong pang hang out that could rival crossroads (where vudu is) and its called banilad square, may gloria jeans coffee din dun w/c is an australian based coffee chain, d talaga pahuhuli ang cebu

2.davao - ok lang, pero medyo na bore ako, but deserving enough to be on the second spot, hopin to be back there kapag kadayawan week

3.CDO

4.PUERTO

[wecky]

when it comes to nightlife outside Manila .. there are only two places I like most ..

BORACAY, the first ... then CEBU.