7 Low-Key Bars In Metro Manila For Your Sneaky Links

Instagram/outofoffice.ph https://www.instagram.com/p/Cus9mCUPMj7/

There's a thrill in keeping a budding relationship hidden from prying eyes—and it's not necessarily because you're doing anything…well, morally wrong (we're anti-kabit here!). When you're just starting to get to know a person, keeping things casual and under wraps could be the way to go for you. But where can you have intimate nights out with your date in the ever-busy and always-crowded Metro Manila? We've rounded up seven hidden-ish bars in the Metro for when you're not yet ready for that much-hyped hard launch. Just POV pics until their arms—at most!

ALSO READ:24 Date-Worthy Restaurants And Cafés To Try In 2024

Chill And Low-Key Bars Around Metro Manila For Quiet Date Nights

Out of Office

Location: G/F High Street South Corporate Plaza, 11th Avenue corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City

Hidden inside Sushi Nori in BGC is cozy cocktail bar, Out of Office or OOO. The dimly lit bar is inspired by retro offices—think Venetian blinds and wooden shelves that house various knickknacks plus the trendy mushroom-shaped lamp you see in a lot of chic home offices. There's no work here, though, only play: Their cocktail menu is cheekily named after terms familiar to all employees like Paid Leave, a whiskey-based drink with Italian bitters and orange, and 13th Month, also a whiskey-based cocktail with house-made apple pie syrup and ginger beer. OOO is also a "Southeast Asian diner" so you can keep the conversation going over Chicken Satay and Cheesy Chili Crab Nachos.

Bar.Flora

Location: 2/F F7 Rallos, Scout Rallos Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City

Look for the neon sign of a blooming flower at the second floor of F7 Rallos building and you know you've stumbled upon Bar.Flora. This low-key bar is quiet, cozy, and oh-so-pretty with intricately designed metal chairs, flowers preserved in resin at the bar, and lots of plants everywhere. If you and your date love gin, then you've come to the right place: Go for something quirky and get the Bengal Bird, a cocktail with a Tanqueray Malacca base plus campari, Chai syrup, lime, pineapple, and salt water, all in a bird-shaped glass. You can even come hungry ‘coz Bar.Flora has Asian-inspired bar chow like baos and dumplings.

Bar by East

Location: Lamp Quarters, Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue, Sto. Nino, Marikina City

Tucked away behind huge wooden doors in a corner of busy food hub Lamp Quarters is Bar by East. Bar by East is actually an architectural firm in the daytime, which is apparent in their edgy, industrial interiors of bare concrete and metal fixtures. You're sure to have a lengthy catch-up over this bar's free (yet highly addictive) bar peanuts, and their compact menu means you can try different drinks throughout the night. Start with Bear by East which has a row of gummy bears hanging over a cocktail of gummy bear-infused vodka and lemon lime soda, or go for classy with the Claude Monet which has London dry gin, earl gray syrup, citrus, and hibiscus tea.

Fat Cat

Location: Makati Cinema Square, Chino Roces Avenue corner A. Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City

Just a short walk away from Unakichi in Makati Cinema Square is Fat Cat, an IYKYK bar that's sure to be a joy to visit for jazz enthusiasts, cat lovers, or both. Even if you're neither, you'll still enjoy the classy atmosphere, intimate vibes, and charming feline-themed decor, with blues music playing through vintage Klipschorn speakers for optimum audio crispness. You may be on a date, but that doesn't mean you can't indulge in a Lonely Valentine especially if you enjoy sweet drinks with a touch of tartness. Fat Cat also does classics like the Whiskey Highball and Old Fashioned well.

Alibi Lounge and Bar

Location: Crimson Hotel, Entrata Urban Complex, Civic Drive, Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Things that are hard to get are just much more alluring—and the same can be said for Alibi, a speakeasy hidden inside Crimson Hotel in Alabang. You'll need a passcode to enter, and it changes every few days. (Pro-tip: You can get the code via reservations.) Once inside, you'll be greeted with a low-lit space with exposed pipes and golden metal fixtures that give off a spunky, steampunk vibe. You and your date can get comfy in one of the plush booths, and chat over gin-based drinks like the Whisper Sister, a Tanqueray gin-based drink with chamomile tea and lemon syrup, and Lucid Fluid, a sleek-looking but pretty punchy drink with Bombay Sapphire gin, activated charcoal, pineapple, salted coconut sugar, and coconut water.

The Grasshopper Bar

Location: OPL Building, C. Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City

Hop on over to OPL Building and look for the golden grasshopper to find The Grasshopper Bar. Inside, you'll find plush velvet-green booths, gold accents, and a broodiness that'll remind you of Prohibition-era speakeasies—it's the perfect vibe for those after-work drink dates. Start the night off with Hard Crack, which isn't the crack you might be thinking of, but is just as addictive with Don Papa Rum flavored with pili nuts. Another fun drink is the Rice to Riches, a whiskey-based drink blended with a sorbet made out of adlai and infused with pandan, coconut, and lychee. And if you're feeling peckish, you'll enjoy the Filipino bar chow like Chicken Inasal BBQ and Kare Kare Rice Balls.

The Back Room

Location: Shangri-La at The Fort, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City

If you and your not-really-secret beau are feeling fancy, then it's time to dress to the nines and have your next date at The Back Room at Shangri-La at The Fort. The Back Room takes the roaring 1920s seriously: behind a "staff-only" door is lavish, art deco-inspired interiors, with bar staff dressed in flapper dresses and waistcoats. You can make your own Negroni or Gin and Tonic, or you can opt for their intriguing cocktails like the Mezcales 1619 with mezcal, lemon sherbet, and kimchi; or the Zephyria which has The Back Room's signature Bee's Knee's gin plus elderflower, thyme, and dalandan juice.