Bistro Alfonso: The Makati Worker's Dining and Drinking Haven

When in Manila, it can be quite a task finding the right place to take a swig of beer after office hours. There are a lot of establishments sprinkled here and there in some areas, but either the food costs too much or the beer is overpriced. What these restaurants forgot when they formulated their menu was that employees are price-sensitive consumers too. Despite the fact that Makati is the Philippines’ most prestigious business address, patrons still find it hard to just settle for expensive drinks.

Easily missed facade but a hard-to-forget experience

Bistro Alfonso is an answered prayer to a Makati worker’s silent prayer. The place is downright cozy. The atmosphere exudes a casual dining experience to a tired, famished and stressed employee. It’s quite close to offices, banks and residential condos, making its target market range from bankers and call center agents down to hungry bachelors looking for dinner, or even couples who are too tired to cook at home. True to providing each market’s needs, they also offer delivery services (if you are on your jammies and are too lazy to walk), catering (for office parties and what have yous), and a videoke room which doubles as a function room for out-of-office meetings. They also mentioned that soon they will come out with lunch value meal packs that can either be picked up or delivered to your office (on days you forgot your baon).

Deep Fried Pork Shank a.k.a “Crispy Pata”

Citrus Honey Grilled Shrimp: Served with Kimchi fried rice, fried egg and corn-tomato relish

Cajun Lime Dory: Pan grilled cajun-seasoned Dory with corn-tomato relish and rice pilaf

On our visit with some friends, we had a sumptuous feast and were very surprised that the servings were generous. The prices start at Php 175 and you get value for your money. Talk about staying true to their values: friendship and camaraderie. Bistro Alfonso wants to offer a place where you can kick your feet up, have a cold beer and share pulutan with your friends/co-workers after a hard day’s work. On Thursdays they have an acoustic set and everyone is free to jam! Friday’s are expectedly full, and in as early as two months since its operation as Bistro Alfonso, the place already has a steady clientele. The food served is being prepared in partnership with Flaming Wings, another famous establishment known for their buffalo wings and other delectable dishes. As mentioned by the owners, the restaurant is a good place to chill while having good munch as well, without the worry of paying for exorbitant bills. Currently, they run an “Unlimited Beer” promo for only Php265 from 5:30pm-9:00pm. It certainly makes you want to leave the office sooner.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs: Served with fries, rice pilaf and a side of bbq sauce. Good for sharing

Buffalo Pops: Crumb-coated Jalapeno Poppers tossed in their original sauce. Served with Ranch Dip

Wicked Oreos: Signature dessert/ Deep-fried Oreos cookies smothered in batter. Served with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream

The food kept coming, and we were about to finish our bucket of beer. The singer was wrapping up their final set, but our conversation was nowhere near finished. My husband and our friends were so relaxed that we lost track of time. We expected a quick visit to sample the food and check the place out. However, we ended up with a genuine experience, and we weren’t in a rush to leave at all. Bistro Alfonso has this magic that makes you want to stay for more, to sit there and spend time with good company, talk about throwbacks and just be downright silly. I could almost hear the place say “Relax, you are in a safe place. Work be damned!”

I think the guys over at Bistro Alfonso got the formula right.