10 Restaurants That Closed Their Doors in 2023

(SPOT.ph) 2023 has proven to be an exciting time to be in food, what with all the restaurants that made their splash in and around Manila this past year. Sadly, we also had to bid goodbye to a number of other cherished dining spots. We round up the restaurants, cafés, and other related eateries in Manila that closed their doors this year—either temporarily with the promise of reopening sometime soon, or for good.

Also read:

The SPOT.ph 50 Great Restaurants of 2023: Best of Manila and Beyond  
10 Locally Loved Restaurants We Said Goodbye to in 2022

These are 2023’s saddest restaurant closures:

Zubuchon in Metro Manila

Flashback to the 2008 Cebu episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations—where Bourdain would get a taste of lechon prepared by Joel Binamira a.k.a. Marketman, and exclaim that it was the “best pig ever.” Binamira’s lechon spot Zubuchon would then become a favorite for Cebu-style lechon that lets the natural flavor of the pig shine. From their home base of Cebu, they opened their first Manila branch in Makati in 2017; this would be followed by more outposts in the Metro as the years went on. Binamira sadly announced the gradual closure of these Manila locations last August. Their Cebu shops remain open, but they’ll nevertheless be missed.

Naan - Indian Street Kitchen

When the hankering for Indian flavors strikes, Kapitolyo locals turn to Naan—which began as a stall at the Malingap marketplace in 2016, before opening their own dine-in spot in Kapitolyo, Pasig by the end of that year. They’re all about making Indian cuisine accessible to Filipinos than striving for authenticity 100%—and their food, which ranges from street-style appetizers to bigger plates to hearty curries best sopped up with (you guessed it) naan, is flavorful and satisfying in its own right. After seven years open, they announced their closure, which took place on December 23.

Mecha Uma

Sensei Sushi’s Chef Bruce Ricketts showcased a higher-caliber side to him as he opened Mecha Uma with The Moment Group in 2014. The restaurant in BGC featured a chef’s counter where Ricketts and his team would whip up omakase—but not just any omakase. Of course, it went by a primarily Japanese motif with traditional techniques and ingredients straight from the country, with a constantly changing menu true to the spirit of omakase. But Ricketts and his team weren’t afraid go mischievous when it came to flavor combos and formats—think ankimo illuminated by vinegar jelly and lamb with grits and a juniper-imbued sauce. Mecha Uma is closing by the end of December this year, but their story doesn’t end there. Come 2024, Ricketts is slated to open iai—his new chef’s counter, this time in partnership with his spouse Jae Pickrell.

Taco Mata

While tacos are by no means new in Manila, this small shop known for their one-of-a-kid filling combos (e.g., fried chicken with muscovado sugar and peanuts!) had us rethinking what we (thought we) knew about the dish. Owned by Arra and Arthur Dancel—real-life partners who’ve spent more than a decade of their lives living in New York—Taco Mata started as a stall in Poblacion’s The Pallet; moved to Mandaluyong during the pandemic to focus on pickup and delivery orders; then returned to Makati in 2022. Come January this year, the Dancels made the announcement that they’d be traveling out of Manila and closing shop for the time being. As of writing, it remains “temporarily closed.”

The Bowery

Since opening in 2014, BGC’s The Bowery has become a hangout—perhaps a home—for BGC-dwellers come night time, when the need arises for a drink with friends with great tunes to go with it. Aside from serving great eats (initially by Chef Cuit Kaufman of Nolita and Borough) and sips, the nine-year-old establishment also regularly hosted guest DJs and held events for the BGC community. In April of this year, they announced that they’d be closing for the time being—but assured fans and regulars that this wasn’t quite a goodbye. “We are saying—see you soon."

Granville

This pet-friendly café opened in 2020—yup, during the pandemic—offering a cozy hangout spot for the folks of San Juan. With great brews and a cozy ambience, Granville grew a following among local community (and their furbabies!). But in October this year, the folks behind the café announced they’d close end of November. “As we bid farewell to this chapter, please know that the memories we've created here will forever hold a special place in our hearts.”

Pepper Lunch in Rockwell

It’s been 15 years since Japanese eatery Pepper Lunch set foot on our shores, specifically at Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati. And oh, did they take the Metro by storm, what with the long-standing Filipino love for sizzling dishes coupled with the distinct Japanese umami they brought to the table. That first branch closed in July. Their other branches thankfully remain open, but as they say, you never forget your first.

Cab Café

Trips to Bacolod are never complete without bring home a box of napoleones. If you couldn’t travel out, there was always Cab Café. Owned by the folks behind Café Bobs in Bacolod, the coffee and dessert spot opened in Manila in 2011, with their first shop in Pasig (succeeded by more branches in Cubao and Mandaluyong) carrying some of Bob’s signature bakes—consistently flaky-meets-creamy napoleones included. This last remaining Kapitolyo branch is no longer operational. Should you happen to be in Bacolod though, it’s well worth paying a visit to Café Bobs, which remains open.

Green Pastures

The year was 2013. Chef Robby Goco had largely been known for his Greek restaurant Cyma, yet ventured into farm-to-table, organic dining with the opening of Green Pastures at Shangri-La Plaza’s East Wing. With a salad bar and an evolving menu featuring fresh produce and high-quality ingredients from local farms, the restaurant was a breath of fresh air given the preference for imported more prevalent at the time, and it happily caught on with the health-inclined Titas of Shang Plaza. This debut (and last remaining) branch sadly closed in May. 

Brotzeit at Shangri-La Plaza

It’s curious that German restaurants aren’t more popular in Manila, given our common love for meat and beer. Either way, Brotzeit—which hails from Singapore and serves sausages, meaty mains, and other German classics with a wide selection of beer to match—helped popularize the cuisine in these parts. They first opened at Shangri-La Plaza in 2013, followed by second and third branches in BGC and Alabang, respectively. By April this year—roughly 10 years since their arrival—the Shangri-La Plaza branch officially bid us all goodbye.

Bonus: Café Via Mare at Shangri-La Plaza

It’s not their first branch nor their last. But perhaps with the Titas of Manila in the area, the Shangri-La Plaza branch of Via Mare was hugely popular in its own right. "After many years of serving your classic Filipino favorites, we have closed the doors of our Shangri-la outlet for the last time... [on] April 30,” they wrote in a social media post. Fret not; their other branches remain very well alive.

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