Top 10 Tattoo Parlors in Manila (2014)

(SPOT.ph) Looking to blur the line between pleasure and pain? Skin art has never been hotter, but if you’re not sure where to get inked, we’re giving you 10 more great tattoo parlors that boast good sanitary practices, unique designs, and excellent customer service resulting in high clientele satisfaction.

Also read:
Top 10 Tattoo Parlors in Manila (2010)

Tattoo Parlors in the Top 10 Tattoo Parlors in Manila (2010) were excluded from this list.

10. Sushi Doll Tattoo and Nail Spa (formerly Skin and Ink/ Get Inked)

Address: 123 Pasig Boulevar, Pineda, Pasig City

Contact Number: 0999-905-0995

Operating Hours: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Price Range: Price starts at P1,000, black and gray; P2,000 for colored (2" x 2")

Inks used: Intenze, Dynamic, StarBrite, Eternal

Artist: Joanna Lytal (Ami Zuki), Kenneth Iwarat (on-call artist)

Sanitation Practices: Septol wipe, plastic wrap barriers, and disposable gloves, ink caps, et cetera

Accreditation: DOH certified

Credentials: Trained under Kenneth Iwarat

Other services: Mani-Pedi / Hand and Foot Spa / Sells consigned products and accessories

Joanna Lytal specializes in tattoo cover-ups, proof that she is a bit of a perfectionist who loves challenges. She also prioritizes sanitation, a lesson she learned by heart while  training under Kenneth Iwarat, and enjoys working on lively designs with distinct layering of colors. Sushi Doll Tattoo also offers a mani/pedi, foot and hand spa where your support group (i.e. friends, family) could enjoy a royal treatment while you get that ink on your skin.

9. Snow Tattoo

Address: 7612 Gujio Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City

Contact Number: 0929-842-4055

Operating Hours: By appointment

Price Range: Price starts at P2,000

Inks used: Dynamic, Starbrite, Kuro Sumi, Intenze

Artist: Sarah Gaugler

Sanitation Practices: Sterile disposable needles and tips, gloves, ink caps, et cetera; ultrasonic cleanser and autoclave sterilizer

Accreditation: DOH certified, New York City licensed tattoo artist

Other services: Sarah Gaugler artworks and Snow Tattoo T-shirts are available.

Snow Tattoo is not your typical grunge and dark tattoo parlor. The atmosphere is bright with all-white interiors accentuated by dreamy lamps and a chandelier. Famous for incorporating her talent as an illustrator to her tattoo designs, Sarah Gaugler is sought by clients for her distinct, customized designs. Gaugler works strictly by appointment, as this is the only way she can have ample time to sit with her client and tailor the tattoo to suit their desires.

8. Chronic Ink

Address: The Village Center, 187 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Libis, Quezon City

Contact Number: 0915-441-1534

Operating Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 1 p.m. to 12 m.n.

Price Range: Price starts at P1,500, black and gray; P2,000 for colored (2" x 2")

Inks used: Star Brite, Eternal, Dynamic, Intenze, Alla Prima, Silverback

Artist: Shelby Reyes, Mia Reyes, Nikko Samson, Bones Dizon

Sanitation Practices: Disposable tips and needles, plastic wrap barriers, and grips run under UV and autoclave. Artists use face mask and disposable gloves.

Accreditation: DOH certified

Credentials: PhilTag

Other services: Sells apparels, skate products, bags, and other accessories

Located along Libis, Chronic's interior reflects the lively nightlife of the city, with its morbid-green painted walls and hip merchandise on display.  Their diversity of the artists’ style, which vary from intricate patterns to masterfully blended colors, ensures that the clients’ needs and wants are met. The shop's aim is to personalize each tattoo for the client, while also reflecting the artist's skill. As an added bonus, they sometimes have Franco over as a guest (tattoo) artist.

7. Whiplash Tattoo

Address: 134 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque City

Contact Number: 0917-899-WHIP (9447), 239-3908

Operating Hours: Open daily from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Price Range: Price starts at P1,800, black and gray; P2,000 for colored (3" x 4")

Inks used: Eternal, Dynamic

Artist: Yok Genabe, Oskie Esguerra

Sanitation Practices: Sterilized equipment, plastic wrap barriers, and disposable ink caps, grips, tips, needles, et cetera

Accreditation: DOH certified

Other services: Body piercing, sells consigned shirts from local indie bands

Whiplash is no stranger to walk-ins, and the artists welcome those who are brave enough to make a commitment with their skin. Yok Genabe, one of their artists, specializes in watercolor and black and gray designs, while Oskie Esguerra whips out traditional and neo-traditional tattoos. The shop has a cool reception area where they sell consigned shirts from local indie bands. The folks at Whiplash believe in integrating the tattoo scene with skate, music, and art.

6. Tattoo Project

Address: 42 Anonas Road, Project 2, Brgy. Quirino 2-B, Quezon City

Contact Number: 0917-534-1224

Operating Hours: Open daily from 1 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Price Range: Price starts at P1500 (2" x 3")

Inks used: Star Brite, Fusion, Dynamic, Kuro Sumi

Artist: Draz Palaming, Ricson Bueta, Leo Legal

Sanitation Practices: Sterilized equipment-autoclave and ultrasonic for the grips; uses Ink-Eeze Biogel in disposing liquids. Everything is disposable, including the tips and needles.

Accreditation: DOH certified

Credentials: Best Male in Party in Paradise 2014, 3rd place Portrait Dutdutan 2013, 1st Place Inkontrol portrait (Pro Category)

Other services: Body piercing, sells tattoo supplies, after care products, Ink-Eeze, and other apparel

Tattoo Project’s goal is to please you with one-of-a-kind designs. The shop is the sole distributor of Ink-Eeze in the Philippines (a tattoo lifestyle product) and, for those still hesistant because of the pain, they also use the brand’s numbing cream for each client. Three artists man the shop, each with his own specialization. Ricson Bueta, who is also the head of sanitation, specializes in realism and neo-traditional. Draz Palaming pumps out life-like portrait tattoos that seem to jump out of the skin, while Leo Legal is skilled in traditional and neo-traditional designs.

5. Katribu Tattoo

Address: A. Santos corner San Guillermo Street, Pasig City

Contact Number: 0939-949-5818, 0906-410-2934

Operating Hours: By appointment

Price Range: Price starts at P2,000 (2" x 2")

Inks used: Dynamic

Artist: Jonathan Cena, Jean Sioson

Sanitation Practices: Disposable needles, ultrasonic sterilization, dry heat

Accreditation: DOH certified

Other services: Sells paintings, accessories, and custom-made rotary machines

No pain, no gain. This saying goes real for tattoo aficionados wanting to get authentic hand-tapped designs based on symbols from various Philippine tribes. Katribu Tattoo is the only shop on this list offering unique and customized hand-tapped patterns. They work strictly by appointment, since customers would have to work out a design with either Cena or Sioson first. Clients can also choose the old method of hand-poked tattooing or the customary machine-produced tattoos. Jonathan Cena and Jean Sioson climbed Kalinga to meet Apo Whang Od, the oldest mambabatok of the North, and got her blessing to continue the dying art of hand-tapped tattooing.

4. Wild Ones Tattoo

Address: Unit-6, J32S Building, No. 35 President’s Avenue, Teoville, BF Homes, Parañaque City

Contact Number: 0915-295-9505

Operating Hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 3 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Price Range: Price starts at P1,500 for black and gray, P2,000 for colored (2" x 2")

Inks used: Kuro Sumi, StarBrite, Intenze

Artist: Arvin dela Cruz, Mark "Batas" Rodriguez

Sanitation Practices: Autoclave, UV, disposable needles, sonic sterilization, dry heat

Accreditation: DOH certified

Other Services: Body Piercing

The owners of Wild Ones Tattoo wanted to create a safe environment for tattoo aficionados and first-timers alike and the result is this fresh-looking shop. The interiors are notably neat and inviting, encouraging clients to simply "flop" down the couch while browsing through numerous tattoo magazines and books for design references. Shop manager and host Eric Hotchkiss, along with artists Arvin dela Cruz and Mark "Batas" Rodriguez, makes you feel at home by catering to your needs. Dela Cruz specializes in detailed black and gray, as well as oriental designs, while Rodriguez, one of the founders of Flip Top, enjoys doing more colorful tattoos-you’re safe whichever direction you want to take.

3. 2pe Guillergan Tattoo

Address: 8878 San Pablo Street, SAV 2, Parañaque City

Contact Number:0926-690-5834

Operating Hours: By appointment, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price Range: P3,000 per hour (negotiable)

Inks used: World Famous Tattoo Ink

Artist: Tupe Guillergan

Sanitation Practices: Plastic wrap barriers and disposable gloves, needles, tips, tubes, et cetera. Everything is disinfected through autoclave dry heat sterilization

Accreditation: DOH certified

Credentials: Has won many awards and is now a frequent judge of tattoo competitions

Other services: Sell apparels with limited designs and rotary tattoo machines

For Tupe Guillergan, tattooing is a never-ending learning process. From being a mechanic, he toiled and labored to become an artist-one who is a frequent judge at Dutdutan and other tattoo festivals. Lauded for his colorful, intricate, and large pieces, Guillergan is determined to outdo himself in every tattoo session and competition. You can trust the vast expanse of skin on your back with this guy.

2. Vice Coffee and Ink

Address: 7838 Makati Avenue, Makati CIty

Contact Number: 0917-844-VICE (8423), 296-41250

Operating Hours: Open daily from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Price Range: Price starts at P1,500 (2" x 3")

Inks used: Eternal, Dynamic

Artist: Marlon Capuno

Sanitation Practices: Disposable tips, grips, needles, and plastic wrap barriers

Accreditation: DOH certified

Other services: Body piercing

Vice Coffee and Ink’s walls are cluttered with various awards, certificates, photos with celebrities...one glance at it is enough to explain why he’s on this list. Marlon Capuno's roster of clients- which includes Solenn Heusaff, Lovi Poe, Ellen Adarna, and Jim Paredes-are only a few of the faces that adorn the shop. Tattooing for 15 years, Capuno is well experienced in every aspect of tattooing and has a very technical approach to the craft, which means that his tattoos come out beautifully all the time.

1. Dyani Lao Tattoo

Address: Cubao Expo, Quezon City

Contact Number: 0917-846-1794

Operating Hours: By appointment, 3 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Price Range: P3,000 per hour

Inks used: Eternal for colors, Dynamic for black

Artist: Dyani Lao

Sanitation Practices: Disposable grips, needles, tips, gloves. Plastic wrap barrier on everything he uses during session.

Accreditation: DOH certified

Other services: Sells prints, limited printed shirts designed by Dyani Lao

Situated in Cubao X,  Dyani Lao's shop could easily pass as an tastefully styled loft or art gallery, with his sketches and best works on display. Dyani Lao's career started in around 1992, an out-of school youth who started learning jail-house style, hand-poked tattooing. He went back to school and studied Fine Arts in UP Diliman, where he perfected his craft as an artist while still doing freelance tattooing on the side. His aim is to push Philippine Mythology and Folklore in our local tattoo scene. His clients, which includes Dong Abay and Raimund Marasigan, come to him for his distinct designs that incorporate magical realism with Filipino traditions and folklore.

Special Mention:

Octopushink

Address: C-40 Hansel Arcade, Aurora Blvd, Cubao, Quezon City

Contact Number: 0947-888-6098, 0927-872-5222

Operating Hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Price Range: Price starts at P2,000 (2" x 2")

Inks used: Star Brite, Intenze

Artist: Niero Nievo

Sanitation Practices: Disposable needles, sterilized equipment

Accreditation: DOH certified, Security and Exchange Commission accredited

Credentials: Philtag Founder

Other services: Sells acrylic paintings

A force to be reckoned with, Niero Nievo is one of the pillars of the country's tattoo industry and has gone beyond any list. He is the founder of Philippine Tattoo Artist Guild (PhilTag) and has been tattooing since the 1980s. He could do anything-and probably has done everything with his 34 years of experience. Tatay Niero, as he is fondly referred to by tattoo artists and aficionados, is sought for his Pinoy Tribal Designs. Nievo believes that tattooing should be done without any negative baggage and he prides in giving his clients tattoos that are beautiful- something that they'd want to keep forever.

Also read:
Top 10 Tattoo Parlors in Manila (2010)

Artist photos by Kimberly Dela Cruz, tattoo sample photos from the tattoo artists.