8. Attica Bar and Lounge
G/F, A.Venue, Antel Lifestyle City, 7829 Makati Avenue, Makati City
Tel. no. 729-5121
Acoustica@Attica is held every Wednesday from 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
The yuppie hangout at A.Venue morphs into open mic heaven with acoustic guitar player RJ Torres. The song selection is limited, but the crowd is good-lookin' and the food is delectable. Renowned Chef Rolando Laudico came up with the European-fusion menu.
The Bad Shepherd's Pie (P320) is a favorite. You should also try their array of Grilled Skewers (P160 to P210) and Tapas, Attica-Style (P195 to P270). Their Signature Pizzas--Quattro Queso (P250) and Salmon Gravlax (P260)--go very well with the imported beers that they offer (Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, and more).
Attica's plush interiors and beverage list attracts an upscale clientele, but Acoustica Wednesdays reels in more casual, relaxed guests versus the rest of the week.
Acoustica warning: If you sing more than once, you may get drunk. Every brave soul who goes onstage to sing gets a free shot of Jose Cuervo Tequila. If you want to get an early warm-up, Php 299++ gets you unlimited draft beer from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. You may get too sloshed to go up to the mic after that.
7. Music Platinum Family KTV & Restaurant
#47 Polaris St., Bel-Air Village, Makati
Tel. no. 890-3060
Open from 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. daily
Platinum is a videoke lover's shangri-la tucked quietly in Bel-Air (near Handlebar). Their 17 rooms are cozy and decently decorated, each with a 42-inch plasma TV screen and a killer sound system. You can sing like a madman with their cordless microphones and their 68,000-song library, which is constantly updated. Though it's a no-smoking establishment, they still installed an air-cleaning machine in every room. So, no stale, musty scent that, sadly, some KTV places in town still have.
Considered pricey versus its Jupiter Street competitors, Platinum offers great value nonetheless with its comfortable atmosphere and efficient service. Their smallest room can seat up to 6 people (P400/hour), and the bigger rooms range from P700 to P900/hour, accommodating 25 people max. They do require a minimum of P500 order of food and drinks, not including the room charge.
Their menu offers standard KTV munchies. Their Pork Sisig (P290), Calamares (P280), and Chicharon Bulaklak (P280) are bestsellers. Beer is at P80 per bottle (when you buy five, you get one free plus free Kropeck, and when you buy 10, you get two free plus a free bowl of mixed nuts). Another interesting promo to avail of is their P3,000 package on Sundays to Thursdays: You get 35 drinks (beers/juices/softdrinks) and a three-hour singing extravaganza on selected rooms. Happy hour is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays to Thursdays, with 30 percent discount on room rates.
Tip: Get a Platinum staffer to guide you on how to use their relatively massive remote control (I couldn't figure it out right away). And if you're from the Pasig/Ortigas area, check out their Metrowalk branch, which closes an hour later than their Makati counterpart. They don't have a website yet, so call them for inquiries and reservations.
