MALATE

[jjcabgou]

My sister in laws BF arrived from Denmark so we decided to go spend a couple days with them in Malate before they all come to Tagaytay.
I have been to Malate a couple times but this is the first time with my eyes wide open and OMG what a SH$%HOLE.
Human waste in the gutters, garbage absolutely everywhere, beggars almost outnumbered the non beggars.  GPoint was cool, good beer and decent food and good prices.  Same girls where there every night and of course the 65 year old men with 18 year old girls hanging on their sides.    I felt bad for my sis in laws bf and his friend (his friends first time in the PHilippines), as this of course is their impression of the Philippines.  I dont understand why anybody would want to go stay in Malate and yet, the place was crawling with foreigners.   Do these foreigners represent the majority of foreigners that are attracted to the Phillippines?   Older men with cigarettes hanging from their mouths looking to bang a few 18 year old chicks.  As I walked the streets and drank a few beers, the slogans pinoy pride and its more fun in the Philippines came to mind, what a joke.

[Lee2]

I move this post to places to visit, in this case it is probably a place NOT to visit, so thank you JJ, it is good for members to be informed ahead of time. I guess it is best that I do not comment on the rest for my sake.

[bigrod]

Ermita/Malate are the old red light/bar area of Manila, think Fields Ave, Angeles.  It has been cleaned up bar wise under several Mayors.  If the guys are from Denmark they definitely have not seen the garbage in the streets, but may have seen more action in there local bars.  Been to Denmark great place.

Chuck

[hitekcountry]

I’ve only been to the Malate area once and for less than 24hours so it may not count for much, but what I experienced was different.

On my trip in 2013 most of the time was spent in northern and central Luzon and the day before leaving we arrived in Malate after dark. We found a hotel and then walked about a block and found a restaurant where we ate dinner. It was a nice restaurant with a dance performance which I think was some traditional Filipino dance group. The customers in the restaurant were an older crowd. There were no old guys with 18yr old girls, none at all.

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then left for the airport. So the streets may have been a mess and there may have been old guys with young girls at the wild bars, but somehow we got lucky and didn’t run into any of that.

The picture is the restaurant in Malate with no old guys with 18yr young girls.

[bigrod]

I spent a night in Malate back in Jul '88 in my younger days, it was full of nightclubs with young/old expats/tourist  enjoying the nightlife.  Next time was Sep/Oct '09 with my now Asawa in the Century Park Hotel.  We walked the area since we were there for 4 nights, not real clean but have seen worse in the Phils.  The Embassy plus many other places to do business are in the area.  It is like any place else be aware of your surroundings and if uncomfortable get away.

Chuck

[jjcabgou]

Ermita/Malate are the old red light/bar area of Manila, think Fields Ave, Angeles.  It has been cleaned up bar wise under several Mayors.  If the guys are from Denmark they definitely have not seen the garbage in the streets, but may have seen more action in there local bars.  Been to Denmark great place.

Chuck

Yeah, they are both cool.  I had met my sis in law's bf many times and he is a great guy.   This is his friends first time to the Philippines.   Probably didnt need to post that about Malate but I was fricken disgusted.  TWO GOOD THINGS.  The craft beer at GPOINT is awesome and there is an Italian restaurant right next to Robinsons that was incredible.  EVEN THE SERVICE was great. ..  I gave the waiter a 200 pesos tip just because I was overwhelmed at the food and the service.  I think he wanted to give me a high five as we left.  Really good Italian food

[suzukig1]

...The craft beer at GPOINT is awesome...

Apparently, there is also a Gpoint in Tagaytay. 

G point Craft Beer: About us  http://tinyurl.com/oab7pko

This Swedish guy "beer idiot", Morgan Källefjord is the owner of this brewery. He once started his career as a mechanic in Sweden, and went to Philippines for vacation. His vacation made him seattle down and he started a business, it was a floating bar in Sabang bech (outside Puerto Galero). Then it turned out to a bar and restaurant in Manila, and then one more in Tagaytay. The name of the bars is "G point Smörgåsbord & Bar".

[bigrod]

Ok you mentioned the Italian restaurant but you never gave us the name.  Actually the G Point and Robinson's are in Ermita not Malate.

Chuck

[jjcabgou]

Name of the restaurant was
Italianni's Robinson's
and yes you are correct the GPoint and RObinsons are not in Malate, however, our hotel, which was just 2 streets from Robinsons was malate. 
Just to clarify, the filth did not end at the Malate border
That entire area is a cesspool

[itsgalf]

In January - February, I visited PI for a month and stayed with my girlfriend at Birch Towers, which is right across the street from Robinsons.
I took her to Italiannis for Valentine's Day dinner. I agree that it was good.

I thought the place was too crowded and saw quite a lot of foreigners. However, I didn't go out to the bars at night. We mostly just stayed in together. She couldn't drink anyways since she was pregnant at the time . Didn't see the old guys attached to young Filipinas, although there's no doubt that was probably happening in the area.

I enjoyed the area for having lots of restaurants and the Robinsons mall there, but yeah there were a lot of beggars.

[Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am]

...The craft beer at GPOINT is awesome...

Apparently, there is also a Gpoint in Tagaytay. 
G point Craft Beer: About us  http://tinyurl.com/oab7pko
This Swedish guy "beer idiot", Morgan Källefjord is the owner of this brewery. He once started his career as a mechanic in Sweden, and went to Philippines for vacation. His vacation made him seattle down and he started a business, it was a floating bar in Sabang bech (outside Puerto Galero). Then it turned out to a bar and restaurant in Manila, and then one more in Tagaytay. The name of the bars is "G point Smörgåsbord & Bar".

Is this "Bumpy Butt" only for the ladies? http://tinyurl.com/pbquyo4 

[Majal]

Well, I had to say the very first time I went to Malate was me being on shore patrol around 2010 when we stop in port (carrier USS George Washington)...You can imagine my reaction to that "reality". And, most of you that are prior military, it hasn't change....militaries like to go in port mostly in the "dirtiest" ( I mean that literally), hooker infested, sleazy bars,...cheap bed bites hotels areas or love hotels....but thats after a month of showing the sailors videos of what sort of diseases you might get from associating yourself to such establishment. Yet, thats the area we are "allowed" to go. Its always Makati/Malate/Pasay area. Anyways, I wouldn't make that a first impression place to show PI but I think its good to expose a foreigner or anyone to that reality as well. Its no different than being in Pattaya or any other countries when you go to areas that are known for that type of establishment.

You'll be better off going to Tomas Morato area in QC if you're on the budget, (you still get that sleazy bars) but there are more variety things to do that fits all ages--lots of local college hang outs, KTV bars, clubs, comedy lounges.....

JJ....stay away from Malate...LOL!

[itsgalf]

I've done a few UNREPs with the George Washington before. I used to sail on all four of the T-AOE class ships (USNS Arctic, USNS Supply, USNS Rainier, USNS Bridge)

[jjcabgou]

...The craft beer at GPOINT is awesome...

Apparently, there is also a Gpoint in Tagaytay. 

G point Craft Beer: About us  http://tinyurl.com/oab7pko

This Swedish guy "beer idiot", Morgan Källefjord is the owner of this brewery. He once started his career as a mechanic in Sweden, and went to Philippines for vacation. His vacation made him seattle down and he started a business, it was a floating bar in Sabang bech (outside Puerto Galero). Then it turned out to a bar and restaurant in Manila, and then one more in Tagaytay. The name of the bars is "G point Smörgåsbord & Bar".

The one in Tagaytay is very VERY small, about the size of a big picnic table; maybe 5 or 6 seats.  But they usually have one decent beer on tap