Jazz, Vinyl, and Swinging Cocktails Come Together at This Semi-Hidden Bar in Makati

Fat Cat
Makati Cinema Square, Chino Roces Avenue Corner A. Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City
Instagram: www.instagram.com/fat.cat.ph 
Open from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Tuesday to Sunday)

(SPOT.ph) They say curiosity killed the cat, but once in a while following your curiosity also breeds the most fulfilling of rewards. If you’re lucky, it might just lead you to Fat Cat in Makati Cinema Square. The under-the-radar jazz bar is a cozy sanctuary of sorts, where vinyls and jazz tunes meet one-of-a-kind cat knickknacks, swinging cocktails, and coffee drinks to keep you company.

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Here's where to find—and what to try—at Fat Cat Makati:

Like many great things, Fat Cat is semi-hidden from plain sight. Keep your eyes peeled for the sign spelling out their moniker that leads you to a narrow entrance—pro tip, they’re just a couple of steps behind Japanese restaurants Unakichi and Sakura Yakiniku. If that doesn’t catch your eye, the cat doodle on the outdoor chalkboard likely will.

The basic rule of claw, er, thumb here is to follow the felines. Leading the way are other catty details: a cat mat welcoming you by the outer entrance, illustrated cats on the mural by the staircase as you go up, and a second mat depicting cat butts (!) right outside the doors to their actual premises. Enter and you're met with a dimly lit space that’s sleek yet cozy, in part due to its small size. Chances are, you’d be greeted by co-owner Ronald Cruz, who also happens to be the bartender and “soul” of the establishment; go ahead and ask or chat about anything relating to the jazz genre, drinks, and/or, well, cats.

Why cats, you ask? As it turns out, Ronald and partner-slash-co owner Felice Cruz had the idea to open a bar right after they adopted two cats—one of which is “a fatty, so the name Fat Cat came to mind,” the two share in an exchange with SPOT.ph. Fat Cat also happens to be the name of a live jazz bar in New York that Felice had the opportunity to visit in 2014, though it's since closed down.

The jazz genre (or attitude, if you will) isn’t just a genre-slash-attitude for the two, but also a shared passion over which they bond. Falling in love with jazz was only natural for Ron; he admits he’s long been partial to instrumental music “because, admittedly, he has trouble understanding song lyrics.” Felice, on the other hand, was led down the jazz rabbithole as she became a fan of Norah Jones and Diana Krall in her younger years.

“[Felice] just loved that jazz seemed to transport her to a romantic place.” the pair shares. At nineteen, she bought a CD of Diana Krall's Live in Paris album, which she’d listen to every single night for months on end; she also fell in love with musicians like John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, and eventually Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk.

It doesn’t take much looking to see the couple’s love for jazz in action. A bar greets you as you pass through their entrance; behind it are shelves stocked not just with liquor bottles and more cat figures and trinkets, but also their collection of vinyl records.

“[Ron’s dad] is a big collector of vinyl records, so some of the equipment were passed down to him,” the two explain. They’ve been collecting their own since 2016, initially going for rock and pop records, but eventually going for jazz releases (beginning with Miles Davis's Blue in Green, they share!). “Vinyl records just seemed to fit with the ‘50s and ‘60s jazz that [we] were into than CDs. Streaming was out of the question since the audio quality is poor.” Today they have “around 150 records” in their collection and “[lean] heavily on hard bop… mostly blue note from the ‘50s [to the] ‘60s.”  Chet Baker, Charles Mingus, Ahmad Jamal, Herbie Hancock, and even Japanese jazz pianist Ryo Fukui are just some of the icons whose works are present in their library.

Sound quality, too, was an aspect the pair looked ito as they were also aiming to make Fat Cat similar to Japanese jazz kissa—i.e., small cafés where folks flock to listen to recorded jazz music on high-quality equipment. Tunes at Fat Cat are played through vintage Klipschorn speakers that the two are now the third owners of.  “The previous owner found it in a seminary in Tarlac,” they explain of the speakers distinguished by its fully horn-loaded design and technology. “He managed to convince [the former owners] to sell to him and he restored it quite nicely. Years later, he decided to sell it through FB Marketplace and that's where we found it.”

The other part of the Fat Cat equation, of course, is the drinks. While classic libations are properly represented on the menu—from a Whiskey Highball (P400) to an Old Fashioned (P400) to a no-fail Gin and Tonic (P400)—Fat Cat also has their line of signature sips. “We really look up to the bartender Sasha Petraske when it comes to drinks,” the Cruzes tell us. “[Think] no frills but just good-tasting cocktails.” The Doja (P400) is one of their best-known numbers that marries milk-clarified gin, orange and lemon juices, and Triple Sec into a vivid, citrusy whole; the Lonely Valentine (P400) with white rum, Creme de Cacao, Ruby Port, and lemon makes for a more full-bodied companion that ends with a touch of tang.

More on the deep, rounded end of the spectrum is The Stevens (P400), which marries shochu, Black Label, and amaretto into a harmonious drink as smooth as the tunes in the backdrop. And should a cup of joe be your preferred partner-in-crime, they also have a short selection of coffee drinks—including an Americano (P120/hot, P140/cold) and Cappuccino (P140/hot, P160/cold).

While you’re more than welcome to visit them with peers in tow, Fat Cat’s also got the makings of a lone diner’s paradise—as the author would personally attest to. Maybe it’s the beautifully complex chords and progressions in jazz that invite you to slow down, and entail mindfulness to best appreciate. And then there's the uber-amicable team behind the venture that you can chat with—or trust not to judge you should you prefer to relish your moment of solitude.

There's a bit of an ongoing renaissance of Makati Cinema Square as an eclectic cultural hub of sorts—to which Fat Cat is a most fitting addition. As any cool cat would be.

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