This weekend will be filled with rainshowers, but there's no reason to let the weather dampen your spirits. Don your bright-colored jackets and lace up your sneakers as you enjoy a rainy weekend with SPOT.ph's to-do picks, guaranteed to chase the rainy day blues:
Friday Night Dinner Date at Crisostomo. Modern and old-world interiors remain cozy at Crisostomo, where some of Jose Rizal's book characters come alive and become stars of the menu. With Chef Florabel Co at the helm, dishes are a nod to history but at the same time, the dishes have been adapted to the modern Filipino's kitchen.
Take your pick from the 60-dish menu with amusing names such as Dona Victoriña (sautéed prawns), Pork Santiago or Crispin at Basilio (Crisostomo's version of tokwa't baboy). The place also becomes festive on Sundays, with specials from the carving station such as lechon or Peking duck.
Where:Â Â 2nd Level Eastwood Mall, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City (710-1693)
How to get there: From EDSA Northbound, take a right on Ortigas Avenue and drive towards Pasig. Turn left on the intersection of Ortigas Avenue and C-5, and drive straight until you see Eastwood City to your right.
Saturday night drinks at the Distillery. Some nights just call for simple, laid-back hanging out and the Distillery at the Fort Global City is the perfect venue for lounging on couches and finishing off bottles of beer. More like an extension of your living room or den, the Distillery's intimate and relaxed interiors have enough room for adventure: they've got all kinds of global beer brands-from the more popular American brews to the hard-to-find Belgian lagers.
The Distillery can also play host to small gatherings, where the house party becomes more classy and your only job is to have fun.
Where: Unit 108, Forbeswood Heights Condominium, Forbes Town Center, Rizal Drive cor. Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
How to get there: From EDSA Northbound, turn right on Kalayaan Avenue and take a right on 32nd Street, going towards the Fort Global City. Turn right on Rizal Drive and drive straight ahead until you see Forbeswood Heights on your right.
Spend your Sunday shopping at Fresh Manila. If you're on the look-out for designer toys, graphic tees and one-of-a-kind collectibles, Fresh Manila is the shopping destination to go to. With rare items on sale and designs that push urban art to its limits, Fresh Manila celebrates pop culture, art and creativity.
The Quezon City branch is in the middle of moving to a new store location but you may hop in your car and drive to Domani, at the Renaissance Hotel, where Fresh Manila items are housed and sold. If you are in the Ortigas area, you may also drop by Unit A of the 15th Floor, Strata 2000 Building, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Pasig City and ogle at the merchandise, they're open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (634-2888 and 634-7888).
Where: Domani, New World Renaissance Hotel, Esperanza Drive corner Makati Avenue, Makati City
How to get there:Â Â From EDSA Southbound, take a right on Ayala Avenue. Drive straight and take a left on Makati Avenue. New World Renaissance Hotel will be on your right, right after Greenbelt 4.
Movies. This week, catch Year One, a zany comedy about two misfit hunter-gatherers on a wild journey.  Click here to see the screening schedule on SPOT.ph.
Sale Alerts. Greyone Social at the Powerplant Plant Mall, is holding their last sale for 2009 from September 4 to 6. With as much as 30% off on the first day, it's the perfect weekend to round everyone up and drive to Rockwell in a vehicle that's as roomy as the all-new Honda City.
Sidetrip. Cruise down south for a cup of beer ice-cream, a novel twist to your regular ice-cream fix, at Elfav Ice Creamery in Pergola Mall, BF Homes, Parañaque. With only 3% alcohol content and P60 a cup, it will satisfy your curiousity (and your need for a drink).
Do you have other suggestions for a perfect weekend in Manila?
Share your comments below or send us an e-mail at editorial@spot.ph.
