Makati Street Food Experience end with a Rooftop Bar

Makati’s best food lesson may happen beside a grill, not at a polished restaurant. This three-hour evening with guide V starts at Hott Asia Bazaar, where you can try sisig, balut, kwek-kwek, chicken intestine, pig intestine, chicken blood, and other Filipino favorites. I like the direct contact with everyday food culture, and I like that V teaches you how to order from a Filipino menu-free setting.

The route also gives you a change of pace: a 1950s-style diner for dessert, followed by Antidote rooftop bar on top of I’M Hotel. The main consideration is the food itself. Some dishes are adventurous, and drinks at the diner or rooftop bar cost extra, so this suits curious eaters more than cautious ones.

Key points to know before booking

• Street food with no English menu: Guide V helps you order and explains how Filipinos enjoy the food.
• A serious tasting list: Expect sisig, fried rice, balut, kwek-kwek, chicken and pig intestine, chicken blood, heart, liver, and more.
• Three distinct settings: Hott Asia Bazaar, Filling Station Bar and Cafe, and Antidote rooftop bar each offer a different kind of evening.
• Vegetarian options are available: Choices include eggs, green chili, mussels, prawns, and sisig tofu.
• Small group format: The maximum is 10 people, which should make food explanations and ordering help easier.
• Plan for extra spending: Drinks at other bars or restaurants are not included, and the experience ends at the rooftop bar rather than returning to the starting point.

Why this Makati food night works

This experience is built around contrast. You begin with food cooked and served in a casual local setting, move to a diner designed around 1950s America, then finish high above Makati with city views. That mix gives you more than a single meal. It lets you see three ways of spending an evening in the city.

I especially like the first stop because the food is not softened for an international audience. There is no English menu to scan while you point at a familiar dish. Instead, V teaches you how to order in the local style. That matters because ordering is part of the experience, not just a step before eating.

The tour is also useful if you are new to Manila. One direct review praised the way V communicated before the outing and introduced places that would be hard to find on your own. The practical lesson is simple: arrive hungry, listen closely, and leave room for more food than you may expect.

Starting at Hott Asia Bazaar

The evening begins at City Garden GRAND Hotel Makati, at 8008 Makati Avenue, Kalayaan Avenue. From there, the first food stop is Hott Asia Bazaar, with about an hour set aside for eating, drinks, live music, and comedy performances.

This is the boldest part of the night. The menu can include sisig, balut, chicken intestine, pig intestine, chicken blood, kwek-kwek, dynamite, heart, liver, and sisig fried rice. Beef or chicken options are listed for the fried rice and sisig, while the wider spread gives you several textures and flavors to try.

Sisig is one of the best starting points for someone new to Filipino food. It is commonly served as a savory, chopped meat dish, and here it forms part of the tour’s main meal. Kwek-kwek offers another approachable route, with battered quail eggs, while dynamite brings a spicy green chili preparation into the mix.

Balut is the dish most likely to make you pause. It is a fertilized duck egg, and it is a well-known Filipino food tradition. You do not have to pretend every dish will be your favorite. The point is to understand how the food is eaten and to try what feels right for you.

The intestine and blood dishes are also not minor side tastes. They are part of the planned dinner, so you should tell V early if you have strong limits. The experience includes vegetarian choices, but the listed options still include items such as eggs, green chili, mussels, and prawns. If you avoid all animal products, you should ask for clarification before booking.

Hott Asia Bazaar also includes local beer as part of the food setting. The information describes beer with the meal, but it separately states that drinks at another bar or restaurant are not included. I would budget for additional drinks and ask V what is covered on the night.

The live band and comedy stunts keep this from feeling like a quiet tasting. That can be a plus if you want an evening with sound and movement around you. It may be less appealing if you prefer calm conversation or a slow, formal meal.

What the food stop teaches you

A guided street-food meal is useful because the hardest part is often not the taste. It is knowing what to choose, how much to order, and how to ask for it. A local guide can take away that uncertainty.

The no-English-menu format makes V’s role especially important. You are not simply being handed a list of translated dishes. You are being shown how local ordering works. For a first night in Manila, that can give you confidence for later meals.

The food also tells you something about Filipino dining. Sisig, fried rice, skewered or battered items, organ meats, eggs, seafood, and beer all point toward a meal meant to be shared and enjoyed socially. You get a better sense of that setting here than you would from ordering one familiar dish at a hotel restaurant.

Still, come with an open mind and a practical plan. This is not a small sampler with one bite of each item. Dinner is included, and the review of the experience specifically advises leaving plenty of room because the portions and number of dishes can add up.

Dessert and photos at Filling Station Bar and Cafe

After the street-food stop, the group spends about an hour at Filling Station Bar and Cafe. Despite its name, this is a 1950s-style diner in Makati, not a petrol station.

The change in mood is part of the fun. You go from local street food, beer, music, and comedy to a themed restaurant setting with desserts and photo opportunities. Photography is included throughout the experience, and Filling Station gives you a particularly clear place to take pictures.

I like this stop because it keeps the evening from becoming a test of how adventurous your palate can be. If balut or chicken blood is not your thing, the diner offers a more familiar break. The listed emphasis here is on desserts, so this is the sweet course and photo stop rather than another major savory meal.

The diner’s theme may appeal to anyone who enjoys playful settings. It also gives the group time to talk and compare what they tried at Hott Asia Bazaar. Since the full outing lasts about three hours, an hour here is enough to enjoy the desserts without turning the middle of the night into a long restaurant stay.

The main drawback is that the tour does not specify which desserts are served. If you have allergies or a strict diet, ask before ordering. Vegetarian choices are listed for the overall meal, but dessert ingredients are not detailed.

Finishing above Makati at Antidote

The final stop is Antidote, the rooftop bar at I’M Hotel, located at 7862 Makati Avenue. The experience ends here after about an hour, with no return to City Garden GRAND Hotel.

Antidote covers the hotel rooftop and is described as a 360-degree bar. That makes it a strong finish: after eating at street level and sitting in a themed diner, you get a higher view across Makati. Photography is included, so this is another chance to take home images from the evening.

You should treat Antidote as the final setting, not as part of the included dinner. Drinks at other bars or restaurants are not included, so plan to pay for your rooftop drinks separately. The tour gives you the introduction and the place to finish, but your bar bill is your own responsibility.

The rooftop stop also makes this experience more social than a simple food walk. You can sit, talk, and let the night slow down. If you want a full club night after dinner, this tour does not promise that. It offers a rooftop bar ending, not a late-night pub crawl.

The tour requires good weather. That matters most here, since the final stop is outdoors or rooftop-based. If bad weather cancels the outing, you are offered another date or a full refund. The same applies if the minimum number of participants is not reached.

Is $65 a fair price?

The cost is $65 per person. To judge the value, look at what the price combines: a guide for about three hours, a full street-food dinner, a dessert stop, photo coverage, local ordering help, and a rooftop ending.

That is more useful than paying for a standard restaurant meal if your goal is to understand Makati food culture. You are paying for access, explanation, and a planned route, not only for the ingredients. The small maximum of 10 people also helps keep the group manageable.

The value is weaker if you only want a cheap meal. You will still need to pay for drinks at the diner or rooftop bar, and the experience does not include every drink along the route. Someone who already knows Makati and is comfortable ordering local street food may prefer to explore alone.

For a first visit, I think the price makes more sense. You get a guide who can help with unfamiliar dishes and ordering, plus a built-in plan for the rest of the evening. The full dinner also means you are not paying $65 simply for a few samples.

The experience is booked an average of 36 days ahead, so popular dates may go early. If your schedule is fixed, reserve in advance rather than waiting until you arrive in Manila.

Who will enjoy this most?

I would choose this experience if you want to try Filipino food beyond the standard restaurant menu. It is a good fit for adventurous eaters, first-time visitors to Manila, couples, friends, and solo visitors who prefer a small guided group.

It also suits people who enjoy an evening with several moods. The food market, themed diner, and rooftop bar offer more variety than a single-location meal.

You should think twice if you dislike organ meats, eggs, spicy food, seafood, or unfamiliar textures. Vegetarian options are available, but the stated choices include eggs, mussels, and prawns, so strict dietary needs should be discussed before booking.

This is also not the best match if you need a quiet, private dinner. The first stop includes a live band and comedy performances, and the night is built around group interaction.

Practical details that shape the night

The tour lasts about three hours. It starts at City Garden GRAND Hotel Makati and ends at I’M Hotel. Both addresses are in Makati, and the meeting area is near public transportation.

A mobile ticket is provided, and booking confirmation arrives at the time of booking. Most people can participate, but the details do not describe special facilities for mobility needs, so ask the operator directly if you have specific access requirements.

The maximum group size is 10. That is small enough for personal help with ordering, although the lively first stop may still feel energetic. The provider is Manila Experience, also called V.S Tour Services.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window, refunds are not given and changes are not accepted. The cut-off uses local time, so check the time carefully if you are booking from abroad.

The food choices, in plain terms

The included dinner is presented as sisig fried rice, beef or chicken, plus a broad selection of Filipino street food. The list includes chicken blood, intestine, heart, liver, balut, and other items.

Vegetarian choices include eggs, green chili, mussels, prawns, and sisig tofu. That list is useful, but it does not promise a fully vegetarian kitchen or explain how items are prepared. If cross-contact matters to you, contact Manila Experience before booking.

The word dinner is important here. This is not only a quick tasting before the bar. The first stop is intended to fill you up, and the earlier review advises arriving with plenty of room. Eat lightly beforehand, especially if you want to sample several dishes.

The best approach is to try a little of several things rather than decide in advance that one unfamiliar item must be your entire meal. V can help you understand what you are ordering and guide you toward choices that match your comfort level.

My call: book it if you want food with a story

I would book this Makati experience if I were looking for a first, guided introduction to Filipino street food with a social night attached. The strongest reasons are V’s help with ordering, the wide range of dishes, the small group limit, the dessert stop at Filling Station, and the rooftop finish at Antidote.

I would not book it for a cheap night out or a carefully controlled tasting menu. The food can be challenging, extra drinks cost more, and the music and comedy at Hott Asia Bazaar may not suit everyone.

For the right person, $65 buys a useful evening plan and a chance to taste Manila in settings that feel more varied than a hotel dining room. Arrive hungry, keep your expectations flexible, bring a payment method for extra drinks, and remember that the night ends at I’M Hotel rather than at the starting point.

FAQ

How long does the Makati Street Food Experience last?

The experience lasts about three hours, with roughly one hour at each of the three stops.

Where does the experience start?

It starts at City Garden GRAND Hotel Makati, at 8008 Makati Avenue, Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City, Metro Manila.

Where does the experience end?

It ends at Antidote rooftop bar at I’M Hotel, 7862 Makati Avenue, Makati City.

What food is included?

The included dinner features sisig fried rice, beef or chicken, and Filipino street food such as chicken blood, intestine, heart, liver, and balut.

Are vegetarian options available?

Yes. Listed choices include eggs, green chili, mussels, prawns, and sisig tofu.

Are drinks included?

Drinks at other bars or restaurants are not included. The experience describes local beer with the street-food stop, but you should budget for additional drinks, including those at the rooftop bar.

How large is the group?

The maximum group size is 10 people.

Is there an English menu?

No English menu is provided at the street-food stop. Guide V teaches you how to order food and drinks in the local Filipino style.

Is photography included?

Yes. Photography is included during the experience.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded or accepted. If poor weather or an insufficient minimum causes cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund.