Makati Street Food Experience end with a Rooftop Bar

Come hungry, leave with a skyline view. This three-hour Makati evening tour pairs Filipino street food with a retro diner stop and a rooftop finish at Antidote bar. I like the broad food selection, from sisig and kwek-kwek to balut and grilled intestines, and I like the personal help with ordering when there is no English menu. The main consideration is that some dishes are adventurous, and drinks at the later bar stop are not included.

The small group, capped at 10 people, keeps the experience more personal than a large food crawl. Guide V also handles photography, which is useful when you want pictures of the food, the old-style diner, and the rooftop view without asking a stranger to take them. Just save room for dessert, since the portions and number of tastings can add up quickly.

Key things to know before you go

• Filipino street food comes first: Try sisig, balut, kwek-kwek, chicken intestine, pig intestine, chicken blood, and other local specialties at Hott Asia Bazaar.
• Ordering help matters: There is no English menu at the street food stop, but V teaches you how to order food and drinks in the local style.
• The food is included: Dinner includes sisig fried rice, Filipino street food, and vegetarian choices such as sisig tofu, eggs, green chili, mussels, and prawns.
• A retro diner breaks up the evening: Filling Station Bar and Cafe brings a 1950s American-style setting and dessert after the market food.
• The finish is scenic: Antidote bar occupies the rooftop of I’M Hotel, with a 360-degree setting over Makati.
• Plan for extra drink costs: Drinks at another bar or restaurant are not included, so budget separately for the rooftop portion.

Why this Makati food tour works well for a first night

Makati can feel like several cities at once. Modern hotels and office towers sit close to small food stalls, casual bars, and neighborhood restaurants. This experience gives you a quick route through three different sides of the area without asking you to plan every stop yourself.

The strongest part is the mix. You do not spend the whole evening at one market or one restaurant. Instead, the night moves from open-air Filipino food, to a photo-friendly diner, to a polished rooftop bar. That change of setting gives the tour a clear rhythm.

I especially like the way the food stop focuses on how Filipinos actually eat these dishes. This is not simply a polished tasting menu with tiny samples and long explanations. You order from a local-style food selection, share the table, and try items that may be hard to identify on your own.

The 10-person limit also matters. A small group makes it easier to ask V about ingredients, preparation, and the best way to eat each item. It should also make the ordering lesson less rushed than it would be with a large crowd.

The experience is booked an average of 36 days ahead, so it is sensible to reserve before your trip if your dates are fixed. The 100 percent recommendation rate and five-star rating from 33 reviews suggest strong satisfaction, especially for visitors looking for a lively introduction to Manila food.

Meeting at City Garden GRAND Hotel Makati

The evening starts at City Garden GRAND Hotel Makati, at 8008 Makati Avenue and Kalayaan Avenue. The tour ends nearby at I’M Hotel on Makati Avenue, so you are not being taken across Manila after dinner.

That start and finish make the plan practical for an evening in Makati. Both locations are near public transportation, and the end point is already built into the experience rather than requiring a return trip to the starting hotel.

You should arrive ready to eat but not stuffed. The first stop includes several dishes, and a previous guest specifically advised leaving plenty of room because the food adds up. That is good advice. A light lunch or early snack will make the evening more enjoyable.

The tour lasts about three hours, with roughly one hour at each stop. That is enough time to sample food and change settings, though it is not a long, slow study of Filipino cuisine. Think of it as a lively introduction with a little sightseeing built in.

Hott Asia Bazaar and the first taste of Filipino street food

Hott Asia Bazaar is where the evening gets its character. The food selection includes sisig, balut, chicken intestine, pig intestine, chicken blood, kwek-kwek, dynamite, and other Filipino street food.

Some of these dishes are familiar to many Filipino diners, while others can test the nerve of a first-time visitor. Balut, a fertilized duck egg, is the famous example. Chicken blood and intestines may also sound daunting if you have only eaten Filipino food in restaurants abroad.

You do not have to treat the menu as a dare. The value of having V with you is that you can ask what each item is and choose your comfort level. The included meal also offers less challenging choices, including sisig fried rice, beef or chicken options, eggs, prawns, mussels, green chili, and sisig tofu.

Sisig is a useful starting point. It is a well-known Filipino dish, usually served as a savory, chopped preparation, and here it is part of the meal rather than an isolated sample. Sisig fried rice gives you a familiar base while you decide which other dishes to try.

Kwek-kwek, small battered quail eggs, and dynamite, a stuffed and fried green chili preparation, add color and crunch to the table. The menu also includes organ meats and grilled or cooked intestines, so expect a mix of textures. This is food best approached with curiosity rather than with the expectation that every bite will suit you.

The ordering lesson is one of the most useful parts. There is no English menu, but V teaches you the local way to order food and drinks. That small bit of guidance helps you do more than point at a picture. You get a practical skill you can use later if you return to a street stall on your own.

A local beer is included as you eat, according to the experience details. The food stop also includes a live band and comedy performances, adding entertainment to the meal. That can make the market feel social and festive, though anyone seeking a quiet culinary lesson should know that music and performances are part of the setting.

Photography is included throughout the experience. At the first stop, that may mean food photos and group pictures in a setting that is difficult to capture while juggling plates and drinks. You can focus on eating instead of trying to document every dish yourself.

Filling Station Bar and Cafe for dessert and photographs

After the street food, the group moves to Filling Station Bar and Cafe. Despite the name, it is not a gas station. It is a 1950s-style diner in Makati, with a retro setting that provides a sharp contrast to the first stop.

This is a smart second act. Street food can be salty, spicy, rich, or unfamiliar. A dessert stop gives you a chance to reset before heading to the rooftop. It also keeps the evening from becoming one long sequence of similar market stalls.

The stop lasts about an hour and includes the best desserts offered as part of the experience. The exact desserts are not specified, so you should treat this as a chance to enjoy the diner’s sweet options rather than expect a particular dish.

Filling Station is also a photography stop. The old-style design gives you a different backdrop from the food bazaar and the hotel rooftop. Since photography is included, you can ask V to take pictures during the stop and avoid turning the whole evening into a phone-camera assignment.

One practical point: the tour is generous with food across the night. If you sample every street food item and then eat a full dessert, you may feel quite full by the end. The best strategy is to try smaller bites of the bold dishes and keep a little appetite for this stop.

Antidote bar at I’M Hotel and the 360-degree finish

The final hour takes place at Antidote bar, on top of I’M Hotel at 7862 Makati Avenue. The rooftop covers the hotel’s upper level and provides a 360-degree view of Makati.

This ending changes the mood. After the noise and informality of the street food market, you have time to sit, take in the city, and finish the night in a more polished setting. The rooftop is not just an afterthought or a place to drop you off. It is one of the main reasons the route feels complete.

Drinks at the later bar or restaurant are not included. That point matters when you compare the $65 price with the final cost of the evening. You receive dinner, street food tastings, a local beer while eating, dessert, guide service, and photography, but you should pay separately for anything you order at the rooftop.

If you are watching your budget, you can treat Antidote as the scenic finale rather than a full second dinner. If you want cocktails or several drinks with the view, plan for that as an extra expense.

The rooftop also gives you a natural place to end the tour. Since the experience finishes at I’M Hotel, you can stay on for another drink if you choose, or make your own way back to your accommodation. The tour itself does not include transportation after the final stop.

What the $65 price really covers

At $65 per person, this is more expensive than simply buying street food on your own. That comparison is fair, but it misses the service included in the price.

You are paying for a guide who knows how to approach the food, explains the ordering process, manages three stops, and helps with photography. You are also paying for a planned progression rather than guessing which stalls are good, how much to order, or what an unfamiliar dish contains.

The price includes dinner with sisig fried rice, street food, and vegetarian choices. It includes a local beer during the food stop and dessert at Filling Station. It does not include drinks at another bar or restaurant, which most clearly means the rooftop portion may require extra spending.

I see the tour as good value for someone who wants a guided first taste of Makati and would otherwise spend time researching where to go. It is less attractive for an experienced Manila eater who already knows the street food scene and prefers to order independently.

The small maximum group of 10 improves the value. A guide can give more direct help in a small group, especially when the food choices are unfamiliar. The personal photographs add another useful touch, particularly for solo visitors or couples who want pictures together.

Who will enjoy the food, and who should think twice

This experience suits first-time visitors to Manila who want an easy introduction to Filipino street food. It also works well for people who like trying local dishes but want a guide nearby when the ingredients are not obvious.

Food-focused couples, small friend groups, and solo visitors should find the format appealing. The changing settings keep the night active, and the rooftop finish gives the evening a clear sense of occasion.

Vegetarians are not left without choices. The included options list eggs, green chili, mussels, prawns, and sisig tofu. Still, you should tell the provider about your needs before ordering, since the main food selection includes many meat and organ-meat dishes and the experience is built around shared local food.

You may want to skip this tour if you dislike eating in lively settings or have a very restricted diet. The live band and comedy at Hott Asia Bazaar may make conversation harder, and the no-English-menu format could feel uncomfortable if you want every ingredient explained in writing.

People with limited time in Manila may find the three-hour length useful. You get food, a little nightlife, and city views in one evening. The tour is also a good first-night choice because it can help you learn what Filipino dishes you might want to seek out later.

Timing, group size, weather, and cancellation terms

The experience lasts approximately three hours, with about one hour at each stop. The small group limit is 10 people, and confirmation is provided when you book.

It requires good weather because the final rooftop stop is an important part of the plan. If poor weather forces cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. The same applies if the minimum number of participants is not met.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund, and cut-off times use local time in the Philippines.

Most people can participate, and the meeting area is near public transportation. The supplied details do not describe a specific accessibility plan, so contact Manila Experience, also known as V.S Tour Services, if you need arrangements beyond the general participation information.

Should you book the Makati street food experience?

Book it if you want a guided, social introduction to Filipino food with a scenic ending. The combination of local street dishes, ordering help from V, a retro diner, included photography, and Antidote’s rooftop view gives you more than a simple dinner.

I would especially recommend it for first-time visitors, adventurous eaters, and anyone who wants to try balut, sisig, kwek-kwek, intestines, or chicken blood without working out the details alone. Keep your portions sensible at the first stop, and leave room for dessert.

Think twice if you want a quiet meal, a fully written English menu, or a tour with all drinks included. For most people who want a memorable first taste of Makati, the $65 fee is reasonable, as long as you remember to budget separately for rooftop drinks.

FAQ

How long does the Makati street food experience last?

The experience lasts approximately three hours, with about one hour at Hott Asia Bazaar, one hour at Filling Station Bar and Cafe, and one hour at I’M Hotel’s Antidote bar.

Where does the tour start?

It starts at City Garden GRAND Hotel Makati, located at 8008 Makati Avenue and Kalayaan Avenue in Makati City.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends at Antidote bar on the rooftop of I’M Hotel, located at 7862 Makati Avenue in Makati City.

What food is included?

Included food consists of sisig fried rice with a beef or chicken option, Filipino street food such as chicken blood, intestine, heart, liver, and balut, plus vegetarian choices including eggs, green chili, mussels, prawns, and sisig tofu.

Are drinks included?

A local beer is included while you eat at the street food stop. Drinks ordered at another bar or restaurant are not included.

How many people can join the tour?

The experience has a maximum group size of 10 travelers.

Can I cancel for a refund?

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