Makati Street Food Experience end with a Rooftop Bar

Come hungry, leave with a city view. This three-hour Makati evening combines Filipino street food, local beer, retro diner desserts, and a rooftop finish at Antidote bar. I like the chance to try foods such as sisig, balut, kwek-kwek, and chicken intestine in the way locals order them, and I like the small group size, capped at 10 people. The main consideration is that some dishes are adventurous, and drinks beyond the included local beer are not covered.

I also like the way the evening moves through three very different settings: an open-air food stop, a 1950s-style cafe, and a polished rooftop bar. Guide V is praised for clear communication before the tour and for taking guests to places they might not find alone. Still, this is not the best choice if you prefer familiar food, a fixed restaurant meal, or a quiet night with no surprises.

Key points before you book

• Filipino street food comes first: Try sisig, balut, kwek-kwek, chicken blood, intestines, heart, liver, and other local specialties.
• A local beer is part of the food stop: Additional drinks at the later bar and cafe are paid separately.
• The menu is ordered without English listings: V teaches you how Filipinos order the food and drinks.
• The evening has three distinct stops: Hott Asia Bazaar, Filling Station Bar and Cafe, and Antidote rooftop bar.
• The group is limited to 10 people: That matters when you are trying unfamiliar dishes and need help choosing.
• The tour ends with Makati views: Antidote sits on top of I’M Hotel and covers the hotel rooftop with 360-degree views.

Why this Makati evening feels different

Many food tours stay inside one restaurant or market. This one works more like a short night out with a local friend. You begin with food cooked and served in a casual street setting, move to a playful diner for dessert and photographs, then finish above Makati at a rooftop bar.

That change of mood is a major part of the value. You are not simply eating a set menu. You are seeing how Filipino food fits into an evening, from quick bites and beer to sweets and a skyline view.

The tour lasts about three hours, with roughly one hour at each stop. That is enough time to sample several foods without turning the night into a long, exhausting meal. You should still arrive ready to eat. The portions and number of dishes can add up quickly, especially if you try most of the offered specialties.

The experience begins at City Garden GRAND Hotel Makati, at 8008 Makati Avenue near Kalayaan Avenue. It ends at I’M Hotel, 7862 Makati Avenue. Since both points are in Makati, the evening remains focused on one part of the city rather than sending you across Manila in traffic.

Starting with sisig and street food at Hott Asia Bazaar

The first stop is Hott Asia Bazaar, where the food is the main event. The menu includes sisig fried rice with a choice of beef or chicken, along with a broad selection of Filipino street food.

You might try chicken blood, chicken intestine, pig intestine, chicken heart, chicken liver, balut, kwek-kwek, and dynamite. Vegetarian options include eggs, green chili, mussels, prawns, and sisig tofu. The selection is wide enough that you can test your limits without being forced into one single dish.

Sisig is a good starting point for many people. It is one of the best-known Filipino foods on the menu here, and the fried rice version gives you a filling base before you sample the more challenging items. Balut and chicken blood are likely to be the biggest hurdles for first-time visitors, while kwek-kwek and dynamite may feel easier for anyone who enjoys fried snacks and chili.

The point is not to pretend every dish will become your new favorite. The value is in understanding what local street food can look like in the Philippines, including parts of the animal and preparations that may not appear on a standard tourist menu.

There is no English menu for the ordering process. That could feel awkward if you arrive expecting to point at a list and choose. Here, V teaches you the Filipino way to order food and drinks, which makes the stop more useful than a simple tasting plate. You can ask for guidance, learn the names, and decide how adventurous you want to be.

A local beer is included while you eat. That pairing makes sense, since cold beer is a familiar match for salty, spicy, fried, and grilled food. Drinks at the other bar or restaurant stops are not included, so you should plan to pay separately later in the evening.

Hott Asia Bazaar also offers live music and comedy stunts. Those extras give the stop the feel of a casual night out rather than a formal tasting. The tradeoff is that the atmosphere may be louder and less controlled than a sit-down restaurant. If you want long explanations about ingredients, this may not be the setting. If you want food, music, and a local social atmosphere, it fits well.

How adventurous should you be?

I would treat the first stop as a chance to try, not a test you must pass. You can sample unfamiliar food in small amounts and focus on the dishes that interest you most. The vegetarian choices also make the menu more flexible than the list of meats and offal might suggest.

If you are sensitive to texture, start with sisig fried rice, eggs, prawns, or kwek-kwek. If you want the foods that make this evening unusual, balut, chicken blood, and the intestine dishes are the obvious choices. V’s role matters here because ordering help is part of the experience.

A photographic pause at Filling Station Bar and Cafe

The second stop shifts away from street food and into a 1950s-style diner. Filling Station Bar and Cafe is designed to look like an old American gas station or roadside diner, despite its name. The setting gives you a completely different backdrop for the middle of the evening.

This is the dessert stop. After savory street food, the change to sweets gives your palate a break. You also have time to take photographs, which is one reason this cafe works well in the sequence. The colorful retro setting is likely to appeal to anyone who enjoys playful interiors and travel photos.

The cafe is not presented as a long culinary lecture. It is a place to eat the best desserts offered on the evening, take pictures, and enjoy the change in pace. That makes it a useful buffer between the lively first stop and the rooftop bar at the end.

You should leave some room for dessert. One of the most practical tips for this experience is not to eat a large meal before meeting the group. The food tour includes enough variety that arriving full could leave you unable to enjoy the second stop.

The dessert stop may be less appealing to you if your only goal is traditional Filipino food. Filling Station is deliberately theatrical and retro, rather than a purely local street-food setting. Still, it adds variety, and the photographs help mark the transition from the food portion of the evening to the final drink and view.

Ending above Makati at Antidote rooftop bar

The evening ends at Antidote bar, on top of I’M Hotel at 7862 Makati Avenue. The bar covers the hotel rooftop and offers 360-degree views over Makati and Manila. After the informal food market and playful diner, this is the polished finish.

The rooftop stop is not just a final address for the tour. It changes the way you see the evening. You begin at street level with food stalls and local ordering habits, then finish high above the city with a drink and a broad view.

Your entrance to the rooftop is part of the tour, but drinks at the bar are not included. That distinction matters when you compare the $65 price with the total cost of the night. You are paying for the guide, food, local instruction, photography, and the structure of the experience. You should also budget for anything you order at Antidote or at the cafe.

The bar offers a more relaxed ending than the first stop. It gives you time to look out over the city and talk about the foods you tried. If you are visiting Makati for the first time, the view can help you understand the area from above after spending the earlier part of the night at street level.

The weather policy is important here. The experience requires good weather, so poor conditions can lead to a different date or a full refund. That is reasonable for a rooftop finish, but it means you should avoid building a tightly packed schedule around the tour if your plans cannot handle a change.

What the $65 price includes

At $65 per person, this is not the cheapest way to eat in Makati. You could certainly buy individual street-food portions for less. The price makes more sense when you count the parts that would be difficult to arrange on your own.

You receive dinner, sisig fried rice with beef or chicken, Filipino street-food samples, and a local beer at the first stop. You also receive the guide’s help with a menu that is not in English, access to the planned dessert stop, photography, and the rooftop ending at Antidote.

The guide is the key part of the value. Without V, you might find Hott Asia Bazaar, but you would not necessarily know what to order, how to approach the menu, or which foods represent the more traditional choices. The evening also removes the work of choosing several venues and fitting them into one route.

The price is a better deal for a first visit to Manila than for someone who already knows Makati’s food scene. If you are comfortable ordering local food on your own and mainly want cheap eats, the cost may feel high. If you want an organized introduction with a guide, photographs, and a rooftop finish, the package is easier to justify.

Remember that later drinks are extra. That is the main cost detail to keep in mind. The included beer covers the food stop, not every drink for the entire evening.

Group size, timing, and meeting points

The maximum group size is 10 people. That is small enough for a more personal evening, especially when the group is deciding how to approach unfamiliar dishes. A smaller group also makes it easier to hear instructions about ordering and ask V questions.

The meeting point is City Garden GRAND Hotel Makati. The final stop is I’M Hotel, so the tour does not return you to the starting hotel. You should plan your evening around ending at the rooftop bar rather than expecting a ride back to the first point.

The tour is near public transportation, and confirmation is received when you book. Most people can participate, according to the provided tour information. No special fitness requirement is stated, but you should be comfortable moving between the three stops and spending time in different dining settings.

The experience is usually booked about 36 days ahead. That booking pattern suggests you should reserve early if your dates are fixed, especially since the group is limited to 10 people. Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded, and late changes are not accepted.

The tour also requires a minimum number of participants. If that minimum is not reached, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

The food choices, including vegetarian options

The food list is unusually broad for a three-hour outing. It covers familiar Filipino favorites, fried snacks, organ meats, shellfish, eggs, and plant-based options. That range is useful if your group has different comfort levels.

The included options are:

• Sisig fried rice with beef or chicken
• Chicken blood
• Chicken intestine
• Pig intestine
• Chicken heart
• Chicken liver
• Balut
• Kwek-kwek
• Dynamite
• Eggs
• Green chili
• Mussels
• Prawns
• Sisig tofu

The vegetarian choices are worth checking carefully before you arrive, since the tour states that vegetarian options are available. The list includes eggs, green chili, and sisig tofu, though mussels and prawns are not vegetarian in the usual sense. If you avoid meat but eat seafood, mussels and prawns expand your choices. If you are fully plant-based, confirm what can be served before ordering.

The tour does not state that it can accommodate allergies or other dietary restrictions. If that affects your decision, contact the provider before booking rather than relying on the standard options.

Who will enjoy this evening most?

I would recommend this experience to you if you are visiting Manila for the first time and want a guided introduction to Filipino food. It suits curious eaters who like trying dishes with unfamiliar ingredients, and it works well for people who want food plus nightlife rather than a formal restaurant tour.

It also fits photographers and social-media-minded visitors. The retro Filling Station Bar and Cafe gives you a distinct photo setting, while Antidote supplies the rooftop views. Photography is included as part of the experience.

This is less suitable if you need a quiet dinner, dislike loud entertainment, or want full control over every ingredient. The first stop includes live music and comedy, and the food list includes strong choices for adventurous eaters. You can choose milder options, but the spirit of the evening is experimentation.

It may also not suit anyone who wants an all-inclusive night with no extra spending. The included local beer is useful, but drinks at the cafe or rooftop bar cost extra.

A practical way to prepare

Eat lightly before meeting the group. You will have food at the first stop, desserts at the second, and time for drinks at the rooftop. Arriving hungry gives you the best chance to enjoy the full range.

Wear something comfortable for a three-hour evening out. The tour is in Makati and near public transportation, but the ending is at a different hotel from the starting point. Save the address of I’M Hotel so you know where you are finishing.

If you are nervous about balut, blood, or intestine dishes, decide in advance how adventurous you want to be. You do not need to like every food to gain something from the experience. Try a small portion, ask V what to expect, and use the sisig fried rice or other familiar options as your anchor.

Bring room in your budget for later drinks. The $65 price covers the listed dinner, local beer, and planned stops, but not drinks at the other venues.

Should you book the Makati Street Food Experience?

Book it if you want a guided, social evening that mixes Filipino street food with dessert, photographs, and a rooftop view. The combination is the strongest reason to choose it. You get more than a meal, but you also avoid committing to a full cultural tour or a long day trip.

The 5 out of 5 rating from 33 reviews and 100 percent recommendation figure support the experience’s appeal, especially for first-time visitors. Alyzza’s account is especially useful for setting expectations: the evening includes more food than you may expect, and V’s communication before the tour helps the night run smoothly.

Skip it if you want a low-cost meal, a fully written English menu, or a predictable list of familiar dishes. At $65, the value depends on how much you care about guidance and the three-stop format.

For most curious first-time visitors to Manila, I would book it, arrive hungry, and treat the unusual foods as optional challenges rather than obligations. The final rooftop view gives the evening a clear finish, while the street-food stop provides the local character that makes the tour worth considering.

FAQ

How long does the Makati Street Food Experience last?

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

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at City Garden GRAND Hotel Makati, located at 8008 Makati Avenue near Kalayaan Avenue in Makati City.

Where does the tour end?

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

Is food included in the price?

Yes. Included food consists of sisig fried rice with beef or chicken and Filipino street-food selections such as balut, chicken blood, intestine, kwek-kwek, and other listed dishes.

Are vegetarian options available?

Yes. The stated vegetarian options include eggs, green chili, and sisig tofu. Mussels and prawns are also listed among the available choices, but they are seafood rather than vegetarian food.

Are drinks included?

A local beer is included while eating at the street-food stop. Drinks at the other bar or restaurant are not included.

What happens if the weather is poor?

The experience requires good weather. If it is canceled because of poor weather, you are offered a different date or a full refund.