r/makati

Passion Fruit Matcha Fizz (only in Yardstick Aguirre) x Choco Almond Donut (I invented the name, Green Bar)

I started this list in 2024 when colleagues were visiting Makati for work. I sent them then a shorter version of this so they could enjoy the city in their free time. The list keeps growing as we unveil more of the enigmatic Makati.

This is a living list of my personal favorites. I‘ll update it whenever I find something new, so check back. If you have a favorite spot that I missed, drop it in the comments.

Coffee, cafes

• Yardstick Coffee, Aguirre / Esteban Street
• Habitual Coffee, Leviste Street
• Omotesando Koffee, Villar Street
• Good Sh*t Coffee, Enriquez Street Poblacion
• Annex House, Don Pedro Street Poblacion
• Assembly Hall, J.P. Rizal Street
• Satori Specialty Coffee, Yakal Street
• Convenience Coffeehouse, The Atrium of Makati
• Common Room PH, The Atrium of Makati
• The Good Store, HV dela Costa Street
• The Curator Coffee & Cocktails, Legazpi Street
• Majikasa Cafe, Chino Roces Avenue

Coffee and food, breakfast

• Coffee Man Coffee Roasters, Ayala Triangle Gardens
• Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters, Legazpi Street / Leviste Street
• The Black Bean, Salcedo Street
• Three Squares Cafe + Bar, Karrivin Plaza Chino Roces Avenue
• Wildflour, Rada Street
• Your Local, Esteban Street
• Spotted Pig Cafe, Esteban Street
• Fifty Nine Flower Cafe, Paseo de Roxas
• Deuces Coffee, Perea Street
• Bad Cafe, Legazpi Street
• One World Deli, Jupiter Street
• Ani Cafe, Comuna

Filipino food

• Via Mare, Rockwell Power Plant / Ayala North Exchange
• Mesa, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Sarsa Kitchen + Bar, Rada Street
• Manam, Ayala Triangle Gardens
• Milky Way Cafe, Arnaiz Avenue
• Rabbit Room, Sampaloc Street
• Bombvinos Bodega, Malugay Street
• Sisigsarada, Rada Street

Sinigang is life

• George & Onnie’s, Ayala Triangle Gardens / Valero Street
• Kuya’s, Assembly Grounds The Rise
• Fely J’s Kitchen, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5

Donuts

• Green Bar, Aguirre Street
• Cello’s Donuts in Tyler's Cafe, Tordesillas Street
• Baker on East, San Agustin Street

Cakes

• Heavenly Desserts by Chef Jeng, Ayala Avenue
• Pasteleria Costa Brava, Makati Avenue
• Golden Whisk PH, Rockwell pick-up
• Cuerva Bakeshop, Petron EDSA-Arnaiz Avenue
• Big Al's, Jupiter Street

Halal food

• Mister Kebab, Emilia-Bautista Streets
• Mantra Indian Kitchen & Bar, Bolanos Street
• Sultan Mediterranean Grill, San Agustin Street
• Persia Grill, Ayala North Exchange / Valero Street
• New Bombay, HV dela Costa Street
• Hossein's Persian Kebab, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 3
• Swagat, Rada Street
• Restoran Garuda, Salcedo Street

Vegan, vegetarian

• Corner Tree Cafe, Felipe Street Poblacion
• Wabi Sabi Noodle House, Makati Cinema Square
• Green Bar, Aguirre Street
• Cosmic, P. Guanzon Street Poblacion

Japanese food

• Tsumura, Ayala Triangle Gardens
• Kenjitei, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Ganso Shabuway, Rockwell Power Plant / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Seryna, Fernando Street / Chino Roces Avenue
• Edoya, Fernando Street
• Wabi Sabi Noodle House, Makati Cinema Square
• Jipan, Glorietta by Ayala Malls
• Tsukiji, Arnaiz Street
• Ooma, Leviste Street / Rockwell Power Plant / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 3
• Nihonbashitei, Arnaiz Avenue
• Mendokoro Ramenba, Soliman Street
• The Underbelly, Karrivin Plaza Chino Roces Avenue
• Kodawari, Leviste Street / Rockwell Power Plant

Weekend markets

• Salcedo Saturday Market, Salcedo Village 07:00 AM to 02:00 PM
• Legazpi Sunday Market, Legazpi Village 07:30 AM to 02:00 PM

Parks

• Legazpi Active Park, Legazpi Village
• Washington Sycip Park, Legazpi Village
• Jaime C. Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village
• Ayala Triangle Gardens

Our parks are good for walks and short runs. For long-distance runs, you can run on the streets of Legazpi and Salcedo Villages. These are not gated villages, just a bunch of blocks with corporate and residential buildings. 

You can also run around Ayala Triangle (1km) or along Ayala Avenue end-to-end (2km) but you have to pass through 4-5 underground passageways. Run along Buendia (3km) early weekend/holiday mornings when there are not a lot of cars (to avoid the fumes).

Ayala Avenue is car-free on Sundays, 6AM to 10AM. Run or walk or run-walk. Bike and skateboarding allowed, starting later at 830AM-ish when there are fun runs. Makati Avenue (also closed at these hours) is the go-to spot for in-line skaters and skateboarders.

Malls

• Ayala Malls Greenbelt (Greenbelt 2 & 4 are luxury brands, Greenbelt 3 food and cinemas, Greenbelt 5 food and retail)
• SM Makati (department store and supermarket)
• Rockwell Power Plant  (food, cinemas, retail)

Souvenirs, shop local

• Common Room PH, The Atrium of Makati / Rockwell Power Plant
• Craft Central, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Frankie & Friends General Store, Rockwell Power Plant / Glorietta / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• The Good Store, HV dela Costa Street
• Purveyr Plaza, The Atrium of Makati
• Suez & Zapote Store, Suez-Zapote Streets
• Tesoro’s Philippine Handicrafts, Arnaiz Avenue
• Balikbayan Handicrafts, Arnaiz Avenue

Books, new and used, free and public libraries, library cafes

• Biblio, One Ayala
• Book Sale, Makati Cinema Square / HV dela Costa Street
• Union Church Manila Public Library, Rada Street
• Union Church Manila Free Library, Rada Street (look for the TARDIS booth along the street)
• Filipinas Heritage Library, Ayala Museum
• Common Room PH, The Atrium of Makati
• Fully Booked, Rockwell Power Plant / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Everything's Fine PH, Tordesillas Street (local publishers)
• Tahanan Books, Esteban Street (local publisher)
• Open Book Pop-Up Library, Ayala Triangle Gardens

Vinyls

• Plaka Planet, Makati Cinema Square
• Bebop Records, Makati Cinema Square
• Hodgepodge, San Agustin Street

Museums

• Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza
• Ayala Museum, Makati Avenue

Everything else

• SaGuijo Cafe and Bar, Guijo Street (gigs)
• Sunshine Place, Jupiter Street (arts)
• Common Room PH, The Atrium of Makati (crafts)
• Craft MNL, Arnaiz Avenue (crafts)
• The Maya Kitchen, Arnaiz Avenue (cooking)
• Bumi and Ashe, Malugay Street (pottery)
• The Brickyard, Glorietta (mini 4wd)
• Gaming Library, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5 (board and card games)
• The Bouldering Hive, Ayala Malls Circuit (wall climbing)
• The Practice Room, Chino Roces Avenue (jiu jitsu)
• Makati CBD Brutalist buildings (photo walks)

Events

• Art Fair Philippines in February
• Art in the Park in March
• Mabrewhay Craft Beer Fest in May
• Fête dela Musique in June
• Maarte Fair In August
• Spanish Film Festival in October
• Ayala Ave NYE Countdown in December

Third spaces, favorite places

• Makati Cinema Square (vinyls and vinyl fairs, crystals, ukay-ukay, Aida’s)
• Little Tokyo (Japanese restaurants)
• The Atrium of Makati (retail, crafts, bawal magpicture)
• Comuna (cafes, art spaces)
• La Fuerza Plaza (art galleries)
• Karrivin Plaza (food, art galleries, furniture stores)
• LRI Design Plaza (furniture stores)
• Evangelista Street (thrift shops)
• The Collective (jk iykyk)

For health emergencies, the nearest hospitals are Makati Medical Center or St. Luke's Medical Center - Global City.

Anyone heard a loud bang twice just now in tejeros/olympia/sta cruz boundary area?

I work in Rockwell center and Ive been living in Proscenium since i started. Problem is, being so close to my job and being in the same area everyday is taking a toll on my mental health. Im thinking of moving to a different place, preferably still near as i’ll just be using grab to go to work. What’s a good condo to consider? I was thinking something in Century city but im not sure about the cockroach situation there and safety, of course. Budget is 20-30k, ok to go a bit farther but not too far. Id like Rockwell to still be about 10-15mins away.

I also live alone, will probably get a small dog to keep me company.

Thank you!