This Quiet Nook in Quezon City Hides a Gin & Tea Bar Like No Other

Bar.Flora
2/F F7 Rallos, Scout Rallos Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City
Instagram: https://instagram.com/floraginbar
Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 6 p.m. til' late

(SPOT.ph) When one gets a craving for a quiet night with a craft cocktail in hand, one doesn't exactly think "Let me just head on over to my fave spot in Quezon City." Nope, it's usually BGC or even further south that pops into mind. And if you live in the north, all the chill vibes instantly evaporate at the thought of the stress of getting there. This is exactly the gap Bar.Flora wants to fill: a low-key spot in the city with quality drinks, food, and vibes.

The location of Bar.Flora is marked by a small neon sign on the facade of the F7 Rallos building in Quezon City. It's not exactly hidden, but it doesn't exactly scream its presence either. Go up the flight of stairs and you'll be greeted by a large wooden door to your left. Enter and you'll find yourself in a quiet nook in the city. There's a backlit bar with gorgeous resin counter on one side, a barrier containing real plants lighting up the seating area, and a few cozy seats you can spend the night melting into as you sip and munch away.

Bar.Flora is the second child of the same people behind ReCraft, another bar tucked away in New Manila. The first one opened up sometime as the lockdowns were dying down, and quickly gained loyal patrons. When the owners realized that there was indeed a demand for a bar like ReCraft, they decided to open up a new one, this time closer to the hub of the Scout area, explains Marketing Head Denise Castro in an exchange with SPOT.ph Hence, Bar.Flora was born.

There is a lack of quiet places for a quality drink in Quezon City, so Castro explains that they really wanted to make a worthy spot for those who "hate braving traffic to go to BGC or Poblacion." Growing on ReCraft, too, they realized there could be something akin to a community of those who simply enjoy a good quiet chat with a cool glass in hand—only this time, there's a botanical twist to the drinks.

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Bar.Flora is a hidden Quezon City bar that takes G&T for a gin-and-tea spin

One look at the shelves containing rows and rows of gin and you'll get what type of bar this is, but don't think you'll get any old G&T here. They've got a Gin and Tea twist. With drinks created by mixologists Royce Pua for the cocktails and Nicco Recasata for teas, every glass is an exploration of how the two might combine. Yup, don't worry if alcohol isn't your cup of tea, they've got actual ones, too.

Check out a slew of tea-based mocktails that won't have you feel like you're missing out in a bar. Give the Hibiscus-Rooibos (P300) a try for a sweetly soothing sip with a tropical tinge of pineapple and levelling courtesy of cacao. There's the Jin Jun Mei (P300) for a more visual experience: made with porcini and honey, watch as the smoke wafts from your gorgeous teacup, giving the deep (and cold!) drink a bit of an edge. Crowd-favorite Jasmine-Darjeeling (P300) is as darling as can be. Lychee, lemon, and yes, jasmine-darjeeling combine for a refreshingly bright drink; the stemmed globular glass it comes in gives the light amber hue extra fun.

Now, for something more polarizing, we introduce you to Sencha (P300). This one is a love-it-or-hate-it type of drink, cheekily shares Castro, as pickles typically are. Yup, this glass combines the Japanese tea with sweet pickle brine, grapefruit, and lemon, resulting in a concoction that, at first sip, may remind you of a certain fast-food chain's cheeseburger, but we can't lie, honestly grows on you with every sip. Tart brine gives way to smooth and sweet flavors as the night goes on with this glass.

On the true cocktail side of the spectrum, we get to try what they mean by Gin & Tea. For those who like their gin and a little quirkiness, check out the Bengal Bird (P450), which comes in a, well, bird glass. With a Tanqueray Malacca base, this orange-hued drink is given a tropical brightness with campari, Chai syrup, lime and pineapple, plus salt water to balance it out. Sip from its tail for a fun time. Now, for the boba-loving folks, there's the BKK Boba Job Thai (P450). In with Bottega Bacur and Tanqueray, they mix Thai tea, brown sugar syrup, and a dash of lemon to cut through the rich flavors. Best part? It gets topped off with condensed milk foam and a garnish of boba.

For the 'Gram and the sips, too, get the Amber Road (P450). Think of this drink as the more cacao-leaning sophisticated older sibling of BKK, with Hendricks, cacao syrup and bitters, lychee and lemon for a zest sweet hint, all topped off with egg white foam. For those who like thair drinks on the more serious side, Flora Vesper (P750) is a must try. Three little glasses of tea-infused vodka, sencha, oolong, and white tea, come alongside a teapot of gin; pour a bit of gin in each and you get three drinks with differing flavor profiles, all deep with notes from the tea.

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We got to try a tea stand of Bar.Flora's bites; Castro tells us they'll soon start doing afternoon tea sets as well, so their space can transform depending on whether the sun or the moon is out. The top tier carried Tea Cakes, which you can get for P250: Earl Gray chocolate, French lavender cream, chamomile and hibiscus blondies. Don't be fooled by the delicate looks as each proved to be rather dense bites, while retaining their subtle flavors.

On the more savory notes, there was the Pomelo Cups (P300), which, taking it's cue from the Indian panipuri, consists of a spicy and zesty pomelo salad you spoon into crisp balls for an instant flavor bomb; the Money Bags (P280), juicy bean curd dumplings stuffed full with juicy assam tea pork and shrimp; and our personal favorite, the Tuna Rice Toast (P320), which had fresh tuna with yuzu miso dressing, nori, and other goodies, all atop a crisp rice toast. The last two had that umami hit you're sure to want as you sip away on a drink, while the pomelo salad provided a bit of zing.

The Kimchi Arancini (P280) takes Italian and Korean for an epic joyride. Think rather hefty balls of rice, arancini-style, with kimchi and cheese inside--it's a no-brainer choice.

If you're not a drinks, type of person, the Salmon Avocado (P415) proves you can keep on coming back to Bar.Flora just for the food. Think a plateful of spicy salmon on top of rich guacamole, with crisp rice crackers in perfect accompaniment to the umami flavors of the dip. It may seem rather straightforward, but the clarity of flavors is exactly what makes this plate special. Besides, who doesn't love having chips with their drink?

Fish & Rocks (P425) is what you need if you're craving something hearty. You've got thick grouper fillets perfectly fried in nori batter with crisp potatoes, and a wasabi maple dip to keep things from getting cloying. The Butter Chicken (P380) is right up there on the comfort eats, too. The spiced tomato curry, with bits of cream strewn in, will keep you warm from the inside, minus the pangs of straight chili heat.

The Kung Pao Pork Bao (P395) and Braised Beef Bao (P395) are sure to make your tummy happy. Each order comes with two baos: choose between five-spice fried pork belly with char siu slaw if you like things on the sweeter, saucier side, or the Lapsang Suochong tea-braised beef with pickled radish for more earthy and deep flavors. Either way, nothing beats damn-good meat in soft bao buns.

Quezon City, thanks to just how massive it is, is home to many different types of spaces. When it comes to food, there's nothing to be missed from small homefront spaces to big chain restaurants and more on-the-ground concepts. If we're talking bars, there are lots of different hubs, too, depending on whether you want a beer bucket or a simple cocktail. Yet with all the options out there, Bar.Flora might just be the first of its kind. If you've ever wanted to spend downtime in a quiet little nook with a Gin & Tea and hearty bites, you won't have to head south anymore; Bar.Flora is right here.