Philippines / Metro Manila / Dining / Pubs & Bistros

While "pub" has become a common term all around the world, the Philippines must be the only country in East Asia that uses the designation "bistro" for a particular type of res-taurant. It's not that easy to describe what a bistro exactly is. One could say, a bistro is a French pub, but that is not sufficient. Bistros are more fashionable and normally more elegant than pubs, and they tend to serve more sweet dishes. But unlike coffee shops bistros normally have most of their guests in the evening and at night. Many stay open until shortly before sunrise. Whereas a pub in the British sense is first of all a social place where one goes to meet friends and talk over a few glasses of beer (and perhaps eat in between), eating is a central affair in bistros. And it's not just snacks and sandwiches; bistros offer full scale meals, and often of a very good quality.

The atmosphere is of much greater importance in a bistro than in a pure restaurant. Bistros are places to stay for two or three hours after dining and to chat with friends and have a few more drinks.

As atmosphere is so important to bistros, they are furnished in a pleasant, and often expensive, way. Bistros are also not as well lighted as plain restaurants in order to create an intimate atmosphere. Generally, the music is not just background but a part of the entertainment, and some-times a reason to choose a particular bistro.

Names of places which include the term "bistro" are not a safe guideline when contemplating a visit to one. Actually, some establishments that call themselves bistros are not bistros at all, as for example Bistro Remedios which is just a plain restaurant. The latest fad in bistros, particularly in Makati, are Jazz cafes. Several have newly opened in 1989. Many of the pubs have pool tables and dart boards.

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