After-dark agenda: New watering holes in Cebu

After-dark agenda: New watering holes in Cebu

WITH Cebu’s constantly evolving food and bar scene, it’s completely understandable if you spend most of your downtime unwinding at the newest hangouts or revisiting old favorites. While the list of things to do in the city while the sun is still up has always seemed endless, the same could not be said for its nightlife options—until a couple of years ago when dance clubs, lounges and sports bars sprang up like mushrooms.

If quality drinking holes are right up your alley, here are five of the most recent additions in the city:

Agwa

Where: Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino

Business hours: Every day, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Come here for the plush interiors and sample its range of mixed drinks to explore flavors you didn’t know existed. The geniuses behind Agwa are the same ones who have been the driving force behind Cebu’s nightlife experience for the last decade. Their thirst for innovation and experimentation guarantees guests that no two visits to Agwa will ever be the same and yet they will want to come back for the star treatment time and time again.

Ambiance

Where: Garden Row, Cebu IT Park, Cebu City

Business hours: Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 a.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m to 12 a.m.

It’s one of those posh places where you can expect expert mixologists to use fogs and foams to create a unique experience for guests. Ambiance offers a set of well-crafted cocktails, local and imported beers and spirits, wine and bubbly by the glass or bottles, light bar bites, dinner fare and is even open during the day for breakfast or lunch. There is also live entertainment every night but try going on Tuesdays for salsa, bachata, kizomba, semba, merengue and group dances.

Proof Cafe and Lounge

Where: Streetscape, Paseo Saturnino, Banilad, Cebu City

Business hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Being both a coffee shop and lounge might be pushing the limits for others but Proof has a chic and slick formula to it that just works. Stream Coffee serves espresso-based beverages from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., after which the more playful libations come out. Its relaxed and casual vibe, comfy bar stools and communal tables encourage social interaction and its house, electronic, hip-hop and R&B music set the mood for a chill night with Cebu’s hip set.

Trademark Bar and Lounge

Where: 88th Avenue Inc., Gov. M. Cuenco Ave., Banilad, Cebu City

Business hours: Every day except Thursday and Saturday, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Thursday and Saturday, 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Trademark is not exactly new but the two-year-old bar and lounge has found a new home in the lifestyle and residential complex that is 88th Avenue. With influences from the Bay Area, it hand-picks both local and international talents to spin hip-hop, R&B, pop and dancehall music. Dancing bartenders serve cocktails and craft beers and bottle service comes with special presentations. Trademark promises a multi-sensory experience and an altogether heightened party scene in Cebu.

Verified Lounge

Where: Avenir, Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City

Business hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Apart from music, food and booze, another asset of this stratospheric temple of tipples are its spectacular views of the city skyline and beyond. Come up at sunset and prepare to dedicate a huge chunk of your phone’s photo gallery solely to this visit. Verified’s sophisticated yet vibrant atmosphere makes it perfect for after-work and post-dinner drinks with friends or colleagues. S

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