Had such a fun night out with my cousins at F-Taste of France last Friday--walked in and…read moreimmediately felt the cozy, welcoming vibe. The place is tucked right in the heart of Makati with free parking which was a huge win after circling forever elsewhere. Food came out quick and tasted amazing (that foie gras appetizer and the steak frites were spot on), drinks were strong but smooth, and the staff were genuinely friendly--our server even remembered our names after the first round. Perfect spot for a chill celebration without feeling overcrowded. Left happy, full, and already planning the next visit. Highly recommend, 5 stars no question!

Best place in center of makati Free parking…read moreGood food, good service Hight recommended

Lights and sounds for rent pm me for your event thank you…read more # open for tie up with caterer

A couple of weeks ago, J and I were on our way home but we were still a bit hungry and didn't…read morereally feel like going home yet since it was still early, only 6 pm! Since we had no plans, we decided to just check out Circuit Makati, the new Ayala development on the site of the old Santa Ana Race Track, which was on our route home. I have passed by the Santa Ana racetrack area since it was still a racetrack and have been seeing the progress of the construction on it, but have never really checked it out yet. I know it's been open for a few months already, but I felt like there was nothing there yet. Anyway, this was my chance to finally see it. CIRCUIT MAKATI Parking was free, thankfully. I'm sure once it's fully opened, parking won't be free anymore, so if you're curious to see it, now 's the chance! About half of the establishments are already open, mostly restaurants. Some shops are still closed. It has an open design, which seems to be the "IN" thing in malls now. It reminded me of the Ayala Serin Mall in Tagaytay. A lot of the space is open air - this is great if you are a nature lover; I think you'd be able to bring your pets, like in Serendra. It also saves the mall on air-conditioning costs. On the other hand, it can get hot, humid, and muggy, and on that night, it was drizzling, too. However, I appreciate the abundance of plants and little pocket gardens and oasis-like ponds. Pretty. Circuit Makati is 3-floors high, with 2 long buildings with balcony walkways facing each other. The 2 buildings are connected by several bridges. The little balconies with the orange umbrellas by the water remind me of the ones in The Venetian in Macau. I'm sure it will become a prime spot once Circuit Makati is fully opened. There's a Grab Taxi stand out front, and I saw signs for a free shuttle service to Makati. Somewhere, I can't figure if it's on the side or behind the mall, there's a kart racing place, and beside it, there's another area like a big, big tennis court where many kids were doing sports things. Haha, I can't tell what sport it was and I was too lazy to walk there to check. I am actually looking forward to going back there to hang out at CBTL or Starbucks. Why not? Parking is free, and even on a Saturday, there weren't too many people there. Sometimes you just want to hang out at a place where it's not too crowded, almost secluded, 'ya know? Appreciate it while it's still not filled with people. To me, the picture below looks very inviting, because I'm really just an introvert, truly. However, security still seemed to be a bit lax, maybe because Circuit Makati is still new? I saw a group of more than 10 pre-teen to teenage kids hanging out near one of the pocket gardens, with no visible adult companion around to keep them well-behaved. I don't think a group like this would get past security at other malls. Anyway, it seems safe enough, but best to still be alert and keep to the main areas and avoid the darker areas where a lot of shops are still closed.

I do catering for corporate and private events and I've seen my fair share of event spaces. I've…read morehad qualms with some of them, and others made it very difficult for me to execute the dishes for the event. At Century Mall, you can find a very decent event space. Events Center at Century City Mall is a 400 sqm plus events space with an adjacent 100 sqm plus al fresco area. It can comfortably seat 200 to 250 people and 300 to 350 people standing up. Air temperature is not a problem because they have more than enough air conditioning units. Every Sunday, the mall hosts Catholic masses in this space. This space is located at the 5th floor of the mall, right beside 12 Monkeys. I love the service pantry and kitchen that this space provides. It's all fitted with stainless steel counters and cabinets that rival professional kitchens. Century Mall is strict when it comes to heating equipment though: only electric appliances are allowed. There's also a male and female toilet available inside the space. Take away: the Events Center of Century City Mall should be a candidate for all your events space needs because of their awesome layout, high ceilings, and nice views.

I have only fond memories of the Events Center at the uppermost floor of Century City Mall because…read moreit was there that I watched Tofff De Venecia's staged reading of "The Glass Menagerie," one of my favorite plays written by the American playwright Tennessee Williams. Against a minimalistic backdrop displaying no more than a giant frame and white blocks to imply a living room, the actors had read their lines from the script with such emotion and vivacity that I now see the Events Center as a place where people are free to express themselves as they choose, to applaud and laugh should the occasion arise. It was really enchanting to see this particular interpretation and production of "The Glass Menagerie" come alive at the Events Center, and with such a bare yet evocative set, a space that could easily function as a performing arts venue as well as a spot for a press release. Also, they gave away free Krispy Kreme donuts that night, which pretty much clinches it for me.

Hidden in the busy street of Chino Roces, White Space has been the home of many bazaars, concerts…read moreand events. Just a couple of years ago, when the metro was affected by Ondoy, White Space opened up its doors to anyone who would want to help pack food and clothing to give away to the flood victims. Just last month, I attended two events in the same week. One was for the Jack Daniel's On Stage Final event wherein they had a number of bands performing to culminate their two year music campaign. The other was for my grandfather's 90th 1950's themed birthday. Last December, Status Magazine had their annual Yardsale, a bazaar showcasing different independent stores and artisans of Manila. And they also had a little stage for a few bands to perform. A few years ago, Sonic Boom Philippines brought in Four Year Strong for a concert. And a year before that, they celebrated one of their anniversaries, setting up two big stages for various local independent bands to play in. White Space is humongous and perfect for any kind of event. It's easy to decorate and if you find it too small, you can rent out only half of it. I think the main problem though is parking. But don't you worry, at night, parking in the street is allowed. And if you run out of space for that, right across is Eco Plaza who has plenty of space for parking.

Personally, I think that Whitespace is currently one of the best event places in the city. I love…read moreit because it's clean, bright and very aesthetically pleasing. Another reason is because of its spacious and spotless bathrooms. From an event organizer's standpoint, Whitespace acts like a blank canvas for any sort of event one would want to organize in here. Because the space is big, it's really open to a multitude of possibilities. I myself have attended concerts, bazaars, pop-up events, brand launches, magazine parties and watched plays here. How's that for being adaptable?

I'm lucky that I get to do a lot of the things (and earn from them) I'm passionate about and one of…read morethem is photography. I was hired to do event coverage and took photographs of a birthday party and was glad it was held at R Space. Being located along Reposo (wow, how old am I and why am I calling it Reposo?), parking was quite a challenge. It's wonderful that they have valet services, so I made it on time. I could say that the venue is quite nice, despite the low ceiling at certain parts. There's also a small private room that could be used as holding area, but that day was used by no one else but me. I was told that the small room can be rented on it's own for meetings and small gatherings. All in all, it was a good party and the guests enjoyed themselves singing along to Side A and dancing to the beats of the DJ that carried on after. As for me, well, I'm just happy I was able to again take photographs and capture memories.

Rita Neri is one of the premiere event planners in the Philippines so when she opened up R Space…read moreEvents Venue, we knew we could only expect the best--after all, she's got her name stamped on it. Located in the heart of Makati, the space is easily Waze-able and Google Maps-able, so it doesn't take a scientist to figure out where this place is exactly. Designed with an old world European feel, the space is small though is the perfect setting for intimate events and celebrations. Whether it's a wedding, a debut, or even a corporate event, Rita Neri and her team of expert planners can easily whip up a beautifully decorated and thought out space to save you all the trouble. It's definitely a combo deal, from the events team to a fabulous events space, it's your special day so all you have to do is sit back and relax.

Called to inquire about the venue rental. Sales agent not so entertaining. Would appreciate it if…read morethis agent would be more courteous.

Green Sun is basically a multi-purpose mecca of all things hip. It refers to itself as a "New Arts"…read moreCenter, dedicated to providing local creative talent with a platform where they can shine. Its aim is actually really interesting: to immediately interest tourists (and of course locals) in the local arts scene, which is why aside from having floors upon floors of huge galleries and event spaces with LED screen walls where you can bring basically any kind of show to life, it's also a boutique hotel, and houses a progressive fashion bazaar area called SOMA Stores. SOMA Stores is Green Sun's fashion, design and retail oriented section, and it's my personal favorite part of Green Sun because it houses fresh and dynamic independent local fashion labels. Unlike your standard bazaar format, the SOMA Stores' individual stalls are geometric, industrial, architectural and clean looking. This highlights each individual store's distinctness while at the same time making the entire place look... Really dang harmoniously hip, for lack of a better description. The merchants at SOMA change monthly, but regardless of who you catch there, you're bound to find a unique, well-crafted, and locally designed new wardrobe staple. A lot of fashion events are held in this area as well, and the DJs I've seen on deck in these fashion events have always been rad. Green Sun also has a dining area on the ground floor, next to the SOMA stores. During a meeting that was held at the café area, I was served a matcha pastry with mango filling inside, and it hit my sweet tooth hard. Their burgers and truffle tries are worth a chomp as well. I think that Green Sun is pretty much one of the coolest joints you can check out in the Pasong Tamo area, if not for its uber scenester (I mean this very endearingly) events, then for the beautiful design of the building alone. Green Sun is where local culture is as hip as it gets.

This place has been creating quite the buzz all over social media. I was introduced to this venue…read morewhen I attended Pecha Kucha Manila, a popular, international event that translates to "chit chat" in Japanese which is also being held all over the world in various cities. This year's Pecha Kucha was held here at A Space. A Space is a relatively new co-working space and events venue located near Greenbelt. Aside from a co-working space for startups, freelancers and entrepreneurs, they also have an art gallery which doubles as an event space for larger groups. It's a great space that gives off a vibe that's conducive for working both independently and collaboratively. It's also a nice place for events that are more on the casual, intimate and laid back feel. The whole space is designed like a modern loft with an industrial touch. I know they offer more than just events spaces and co-working spaces, as I've heard that they also do coffee, and they do partner up with other startups and entrepreneurs for all sorts of projects and events, so you can expect to hear more about this place in the near future.

I first encountered A Space during a pechakucha event. Just across Greenbelt, this place at first…read moredoesn't look like much, with a building façade that is more or less common in the area's surrounding the mall. A quick trip up the elevators, however (say hi to the guard first), will show you that what the brown building hides is a fun, quirky concept more than anything else. As narrated by the founder, A Space is supposed to be less office, more haven where ideas and innovation are given ample room to grow. Everything is thematic, and each theme is conducive to developing a different aspect of your abstract concept. Hell, there's even a space called "Frank", for frank and straight talk, complete with a larger-than-life image of everyone's favorite straight-shooting badass, Jason Statham. A veritable first for me, my visit to A Space had me, honestly, wrestling with the concept after years of being hammered in a traditional corporate set-up. But I guess A Space is effective at its intended use, as the more I ruminate, the more the concept makes sense to me. As an added bonus, go ask "Paeng" to tell you his best Filipino joke.